Cutting Half the Cord

A little cable bill history. Back in Aiken ten years ago, which is the furthest back I can find a bill, we were paying $62 a month for their cable service. In 2016 our bill jumped from $83 to $145 because we dropped AT&T’s DSL internet service for the speedier cable internet. Two years later it went from $164 down to ninety-five bucks because we dropped down to the very basic TV service. We had had probably 100 channels previously, but watched a half dozen of them. This cheaper option gave us what we really needed, just the big 4 networks, PBS and the Weather Channel. By the time we moved west it was up to a few bucks over the hundred dollar mark.

When we moved in here in Oregon we signed up with Spectrum. In 2020 for 125 channels and 500MBs internet speeds it was $134 a month. Because that was an introductory price it creeped up to $215 by this year. There was something about breaking the two hundred dollar that made it seem like that was too much for what we were getting.

Unlike Atlantic Broadband in Aiken, Spectrum’s 125 channel package is the lowest they offer. This is too bad because if they did offer a lower tier and we could save forty or so dollars, we’d have happily stayed. Again, all we really needed were the regular broadcast channels and ESPN for watching NFL football games. The day after the Super Bowl we drove down to the local Spectrum store, handed them their box and remote. The next bill we get from them will be a more reasonable $89 for their 1 Gig internet.

We have had a Roku box for about ten years that delivers all of our non-cable video entertainment. We’ve been paying $6.99 for the ad-free version of Discovery+ for HGTV & Food Network. Plus another $9.99 for Peacock Premium+ (ad-free) and a little over $4 a month more for GCN+ for watching pro cycling.

Probably the two most used apps on the Roku are Radio Paradise and YouTube.

If we we’re just reading a book or doing a jigsaw puzzle RP’s music was on in the background. Because Radio Paradise is listener supported I’ve been donating $5 a month to them for quite so time now. After the cable TV cancelation I bumped up that reoccurring donation to $10.

Whenever I watch car related stuff on YouTube on the PC I never get commercials, but when Donna watches it via the Roku on the TV she was getting a lot of very annoying ads mid video, so we have upped to YouTube Premium for $11.99 a month so she is much happier (and consequently so am I.)

What about NFL football when it starts back up in September? Where we live there isn’t a strong enough signal from the networks to just add a small indoor antenna, plus what about Monday Night Football on ESPN? Glad you asked. The cost savings from eliminating cable TV is roughly the equivalent of half the cost of YouTube TV or Hulu, both of which offer local broadcast stations and ESPN.

Note To Past Self…

…I am not lazy.

Twenty years ago today I wrote a post called The Epitome of Laziness. Even though I have linked it here, there is no reason to go back and read it because it involved me whining about power recliners where instead of manually moving your arm to move the chair’s arm, a motor does it for you.

Currently we have a couch and a loveseat that raises and lowers using a switch. It is not lazy, but merely working smarter not harder.

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Valentines Eve Edition of SORT
As of Monday, February 13, 2023 at 4:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Sprint Speciale		 1967 Amphicar
Model 770		 1968 Volkswagen
Karmann Ghia
Just look at this thing, better yet go watch the driving video. I never said off-road meant forest service roads, dual track, etc. This has an electric automatic stick shift like Donna’s first Bug.

Here is what last week’s cars sold for, or bid to (if the reserve was not met):
Sports: 2022 Ferrari F8 Spider Bid to $430,000 on 2/8/23
Off-Road: 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser Sold for $15,750 on 2/11/23
Touring: 1954 Kaiser Darrin Sold for $74,500 on 2/12/23

Washer Heal ThySelf

Sometime in mid January when I pulled the clothes out of the washer they were exceedingly wet. Figuring that the load was unbalanced I spread the clothes around evenly and ran the “Drain and Spin Cycle.” It didn’t help much. Because we do just one load a day and have the time we just started allotting 75 to 90 minutes for drying instead of the typical 50 to 60.

Was our 3-year old washer broken already?

I looked online for what might be the issue with the machine and there were at least a half dozen reasons. I tried the first two. Rerouting the drain hose to go straight up immediately after exiting the machine instead angled like I had it with no change of clothes wetness. Dumping some liquid plumber down the drain pipe had no effect. The rest of the suggestions involved opening up the machine to check pumps and belts or troubleshooting the electronics.

We could replace it with the same model for just under $600. But did we need to? The extra 20 or 30 minutes really wasn’t a big hardship, except for possibly adding $10 bucks a month to the power bill. Maybe we should have a professional come look at it.

This Tuesday I called a local appliance repair place and set up an appointment to have someone come look at the machine next Monday. It was $95 for the house call, but then at least we could see whether to fix it or buy new or just live with it.

Wednesday morning when I washed the bath towels, the bath mat and our sheets, they came out of the washing machine just like they used to 2 weeks ago. Huh? So we rounded up some more stuff to run another load. Those too came out fine and everything came out of the dryer in the usual hour-ish time frame. The next day’s load, same thing, we were back to the normal wash day timing. I called and cancelled the appointment.

The weather was nice enough today that we drove the Miata to take Donna for her physical therapy appointment. It was even warm enough that we dropped the top for the leg home.

Times Miata Driven since 11/01/22: 8

 

Sport, Off-Road, Touring

Short Month Edition of SORT
As of Monday, February 6, 2023 at 15:00 PM pacific time:

Sport Off-Road Touring
2022 Ferrari F8 Spider 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser 1954 Kaiser Darrin
With 450 miles on the clock it is hasn’t even lost the new car smell yet. There are 5 days left in the auction and the bidding is already in 5 figures. Fresh from starring in the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

Here is what last week’s cars sold for, or bid to (if the reserve was not met):
Sports: 1967.5 Datsun 1600 Roadster Sold for $44,000 on 1/31/23
Off-Road: 1961 International Harvester Scout 80 Bid to $67,500 on 2/3/23
Touring: Euro 1998 BMW 750i Individual Sold for $21,250 on 1/31/23

Everclean Car Wash

The photo above is from just after Thanksgiving the last time the Mini was clean. Since then we have had snow storms every two weeks like clockwork. Everything from a 1/2″ to 6″ and that meant the helpful folks of the Klamath Fall road department have been distributing cinders on the roads after each one. This has led to a very dirty car, especially the nearly vertical flat back of the car. It has become entirely brownish-red except for where the clean sweep of the rear wiper.

As much as I love washing our cars I am not about to go outside when the temperatures are below 40°, so this afternoon we ran out on some errands with the last stop being a drive-thru car wash. It is not perfect, so probably tomorrow I go down to the garage and break out the Mequier’s Quick Detailer and finish the job.

Times Miata Driven since 11/01/22: 7

 

Groundmiata Day

Backed the Miata out of the garage and it didn’t see its shadow so we are in for for an early spring no matter what Punxsutawney Phil says.

Times Miata Driven since 10/28/22: 7