Is there a such thing as FRUGAL when it comes to Entertainment? (book, money)

[Gandalara]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

When you call customer service, don't bother negotiating with the first person you talk to. Ask to speak to somebody in customer retention, because they're the ones with the authority to bend the rules to keep you happy. Once you get the right person on the line, all you have to do is explain that you're happy with their service and would like to keep using them but you're considering switching to their competitor because they're offering a better deal. More often than not, they'll be willing to match the best price you can find.

I call Customer Retention every single year for my DSL. And, thanks to this, I'm still paying the original "Sign Up With Us!" monthly cost for DSL when I switched from dial-up.

I've even told them if they would give me a 3 year contract, instead of a 1 year, I'd gladly agree. Just so I wouldn't have to go thru the $%#& telephone tree to get to them

Some of the prices I've seen quoted here that people are paying makes my jaw drop.

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by TVandSportsGuy

Ok I called Comcast and was able to get by bill lowered from $150 to $104

By the time you figure in the extra taxes and fees they would have charged, that should be well over $600 a year in savings.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

By the time you figure in the extra taxes and fees they would have charged, that should be well over $600 a year in savings.

It was a $5 sports package I wanted to get rid of but couldn't do it because one of the channels I needed for basketball. So I could have lowered it to $99

[StealthRabbit]

I'm glad I gave up TV in '63, think of the time I would have burnt... now I just sit waiting for pages to download on my SLOW dialup... no cable / DSL / (not enough customers) no dishes allowed since I live in a 'National Scenic Area'.

Off to the library, except the view is not as nice as home.

I splurge on entertainment when I volunteer as an usher for concerts, sometimes I will even buy a $.25 pop (at Safeway) since I've gone all the way to town. (not usually, I haven't had a pop for a few yrs.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Off to the library, except the view is not as nice as home.

Let's not overlook the costs involved in getting to and from the Library. Not everyone is walking or biking distance to a Library.

Calculate your monthly gasoline and car upkeep costs in going to the Library and compare it to your cable or Internet bill.

[sheriwx]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Let's not overlook the costs involved in getting to and from the Library. Not everyone is walking or biking distance to a Library.

Calculate your monthly gasoline and car upkeep costs in going to the Library and compare it to your cable or Internet bill.

LOL, is this a joke? Suppose you lived ....20 miles from the library. Your car gets 20 miles a gallon. That means it takes 2 gallons to go to the library and back (this is assuming you make a special trip to the library, not just hit it while you're near there anyway.) We'll say you're a library maniac who goes every week. 4 times in a month multiplied by 2 gallons. That's 8 gallons of gas. We'll say that gas is a high $4.00/gallon where you live. That's $32 dollars a month, in this extreme (and highly unlikely) scenario. Does $32 a month compare to your cable and internet bill put together? Probably not. It's still much cheaper.

Now, if you ever go grocery shopping, the library is usually right there in the vicinity. You're going shopping anyway, and the library is only a mile or so out of your way. Basically free. I know that MY trips to the library are a non-expense, because I have to go into town every few days ANYWAY. The "cost to get to the library" holds no water, in my opinion.

[tijlover]

You overreacted to my message. I said: compare the costs of going to the library with internet or cable service. That's all I said, particularly for those where it's inconvenient to get to a library. Adding wear and tear on the car.

OK, so let's say it costs $32 a month in gasoline/wear & tear on car to go to the library. If the price spread is great enough, then go to the library, comparing that to if the price spread is marginal.

I happen to work the night shift. I sleep from 9am-5pm every day, even on my days off. For day workers, it's a different story.

[RHB]

Now when I read the thread title, I wasn't thinking the whole cable thing. I was thinking about outside activities, and some new ideas along those lines.

Some of our frugal entertainment has been (either as a family or a group)
Pick your own....it's fresh food, cheap, then you have the fun of canning or freezing it for later use
Fishing trips...although the cost of a charter might be a little high, a couple of fish later, you met your costs, and after that you are saving money. Even if you don't catch fish, it's still not that bad for a day out on the water, having fun
Wild food gathering...a lovely walk in the woods, and come home with food
Park activities (someone already mentioned those) locally they do concerts (not movies)
Winter pool parties...Get a couple of families together, rent 2 (one for the boys, one for the girls) rooms (at a place that has an indoor pool) and go swimming.
Collection days...a day at the beach to collect shells (broken ones can be used as chicken feed) in the woods for pinecones etc. along the road for "treasures" (picking up trash and bottles/cans for deposits, finding another wild berry bush etc - yes we used gloves and kept safety in mind)

Does anyone have another of those type cheap entertainment ideas?

[sheriwx]

Originally Posted by tijlover

You overreacted to my message. I said: compare the costs of going to the library with internet or cable service. That's all I said, particularly for those where it's inconvenient to get to a library. Adding wear and tear on the car.

OK, so let's say it costs $32 a month in gasoline/wear & tear on car to go to the library. If the price spread is great enough, then go to the library, comparing that to if the price spread is marginal.

I happen to work the night shift. I sleep from 9am-5pm every day, even on my days off. For day workers, it's a different story.

Okay, you got me. I hadn't considered all of that wear and tear on your car it takes to cross the street from the grocery store.

I maintain that the library is cheaper in almost every circumstance, but everyone's situation is different, I'll give you that.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Let's not overlook the costs involved in getting to and from the Library. ...Calculate your monthly gasoline and car upkeep ...

I drive a $35 car that gets 50 mpg on free fryer grease. I buy my (near new) tires at the junk yard for $5. I have my own tire machine and 'old fashioned' balancer, I combine my trips
I would say my cost per mile is pretty cheap (Under $.05 last I checked, including 'capital costs (car + insurance + registration))
I've been getting 50 mpg since 1976; Where have you been? (no fossil fuels or OPEC required) Get yourself a 'Rabbit', there is probably one in your neighbor's brier patch you can get for free!

Plus... I don't have another HS internet option; short of satellite (which won't 'handshake' very well...i.e. req.for banking / some ordering / paypal...)

Originally Posted by RHB

Now when I read the thread title, I wasn't thinking the whole cable thing. I was thinking about outside activities, and some new ideas along those lines.
...
Does anyone have another of those type cheap entertainment ideas?

We do neighborhood 'cider squeeze' (everyone bring some apples)
also harvest parties and pot-lucks. We had a 'u-pick fruit farm' and made homemade Ice cream every Sunday afternoon, and our customers knew the schedule.

I used to publish a weekly - 'FUN & FREE - for families';
concerts in the park, train rides, open museum hours, public swimming, special historical presentations, reenactments, open houses at businesses, free tours at factories, fund raising dinners, serving the homeless, senior volunteer opportunities, community work days, friends needing help; moving or roofing / building / gardening.

When I was a kid we almost always had guests for Sunday evening 'soup-suppers' (usually following church). We never went to any effort of cooking / cleaning, it was a very impromptu 'drop-in' event. Everyone would lend a hand cooking grilled cheese sandwiches, or stirring the soup, or cleaning up. (kids of course included!!! (since they ate LAST - not like today). Never knew how many would come or when they would leave. I miss those times.

I spent many hours with my grandparents doing community service for elderly and widows (even tho the grandparents were VERY busy farmers). It was very cheap entertainment that usually included a great dinner. If we kids got bored, there was always an 'antique' corn sheller we could pedal. We did bushels of corn, which I'm sure was a benefit to the farmers, as well as the livestock. I miss that too

I happen to work the night shift. I sleep from 9am-5pm every day, even on my days off. For day workers, it's a different story.

I did 28 of my 32 yrs on nights, that was a true blessing, everyday was free!!! (I slept, 'whenever', but usually not much'),

BTW: libraries are a great place in the evening and the morning. Especially good at universities in the early mornings. I hear every hour of sleep you lose comes of the tail end of life, that suits me, I better be fashioning my pine box! I'm living on 'borrowed' time.