Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
And some of that stuff..."personal assistance"; home cleaning service; yard services - that's for people so old they aren't using the Internet. Or maybe disabled.
And some of it, like termite service, has nothing to do with age.
True, but the intent of my question has to do with retirement INCOME rather than with age alone, and the fact that many of us who are now out of the workforce and living on fixed incomes that are permanently lower than that what they used to be, make choices as to what's worth spending their fixed income on, and what's not.
I'm confused about what a LifeAlert system, home cleaning and yard services have to do with whether someone does or doesn't use the internet. How do those services relate to being online or not?
By the way, a person doesn't have to be "disabled" in the sense of being wheelchair-bound etc for them to either need or want somebody else to do housecleaning or yard work. Is a person with athsma, COPD, or chronic back problems "disabled"? Most people would say no, and yet doing yard work may seriously aggravate their condition. Plenty of perfectly healthy people of all ages in my area employ a weekly cleaning service; why? Because they want it and can feel they can afford it. But one or both of those factors may or may not change when they are retired on a fixed income.
Netflix is like $8 a month. It also is not nearly as limited as pay-for-movies channels like HBO and ShowTime.
I'm familiar with Netflix; in fact, we watched a documentary last night that was streamed directly to our SmartTV from Netflix. But don't undersell, HBO & Showtime; they are much more than pay-for-movie channels (which is why we pay for them in addition to paying for a Netflix subscription).
But the point is, we're talking about what services one would pay for. Subscribing to Netflix is paying for the same service that one pays for when one subscribes to a premium tv channel. The difference is in the cost for that service, not in the service itself.
I don't see having a maid as something limited to the elderly or retired. Having a maid is essential to busy working people. I'm well aware that the cost has risen but I don't intend to start cleaning the house now. I spilled flour once and had a devil of a time figuring out how to start the vacuum cleaner. I have a man who does projects of various sorts for me. I'm no handyman.
I have natural landscaping, short grass prairie bordering sagebrush desert. Prickly pear and other wildflowers bloom unaided. I have a small lawn within my secure fenced yard; I enjoy taking care of it as well as other plants both inside and out. A wood rat once chewed a hose but that's hardly a big deal. Wood rats are silly and stupid. On one ran up onto my porch as my dogs were coming. He hid under a chaise longe (no, no u) that had no cushion. I huried the dogs so that they wouldn't see him.
Netflix is far less expensive than premium television service. Besides, watching a DVD every week or two doesn't take up too much time. I don't have a television. I also have Amazon Prime which I find very handy. The free borrowing service pays for a good bit of the cost, and I needn't have a thirty-five dollar order for free shipping.
I don't plan to ever have "Life Alert"; I don't desire to have people breaking down my door. I have a fifteen year old dog who would become confused if he were to get out and likely be hurt or killed; I have a ten year old who would go berserk if a stranger entered and I were in distress; I have a cat who cannot go outside because I live in a rural area. I know I'll always have pets. Safety is important but not at a terrible expense.
I'm astounded that more people don't have AAA. I once broke a fanbelt on a trip at night. I wouldn't have had the remotest idea of whom to call.
My DSL is $23 per month; it's excellent and reliable.
I never heard of termite service; I've never heard of termites here either. However, I have read that they're considered mighty fine eating in many cultures.
Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 03-28-2014 at 11:09 AM..
There's a saying that there are only 3 kinds of houses here on LI: those that have termites, those that have had termites in the past, and those that will have termites in the future. It's a fact of life here, LOL
Termites can be a huge problem in many areas of the country. We're actually lucky that we have only one of the two kinds of termites (the subterranean ones). Many southern residents will no doubt vouch for the fact that AFAIK they have those plus the other kind: drywood termites. Those are the ones that houses get "tented" in order to eliminate the problem. At least we in the northeast don't have to go that far, LOL
(When I re-sided my last house shortly after purchase, it was discovered that termites had so completely eaten away the header over the garage doors that the entire 22' length of it looked like a piece of "lacy" Swiss cheese. Apparantly the steel garage door and its framing were the only thing holding that side of the wall up, LOL)
For myself, I've never seen the sense in any kind of paid movie service. I have a fairly large library of movies that I own, and as for the others we have a fantastic county library system whereby I can request online to borrow any DVD or video from any of our 64 libraries and have it delivered to my local library's door within a day or two.
Because I will be retiring on my own and away from family, and have health issues that obviously aren't going to improve over time, I can definitely see some value in one of the LifeAlert type of services in the future. And as a woman living alone, especially, I would absolutely always have a monitored home security service. Because of severe allergies to dogs and cats, having a four-footed "guardian" is never an option.
Monitored home security system, No we feel safe
Monitored personal assistance (such as Life Alert, etc) Not at this time but it could be possible down the road.
"Pay" tv (cable, satellite or DSL rather than via roof antenna) There is nothing on TV worth watching anymore so getting the basic free channels will work for us with rabbit ears or antenna
Premium movie channel(s), Netflix, or similar subscription See above answer
Home cleaning service This won't be needed as long as one of us can clean, our new place will only be about 900 sq. ft.
Broadband internet connection, Yes, we do tend to look up quite a bit online but who knows...in a few years we may not want it as much as now.
Smartphone/data plan No, a basic cell phone will do just fine for us.
Termite and/or other pest control system or service contract This shouldn't be needed unless I see a problem, I have a phobia about bugs.
AAA or similar roadside assistance program No
Lawn mowing service Our yard will be VERY small so not needed.
Other lawn/yard services (fertilizer plan, weed control plan, insect control plan) No
Other regular/recurring paid service not listed Nothing comes to mind.
True, but the intent of my question has to do with retirement INCOME rather than with age alone, and the fact that many of us who are now out of the workforce and living on fixed incomes that are permanently lower than that what they used to be, make choices as to what's worth spending their fixed income on, and what's not.
I'm confused about what a LifeAlert system, home cleaning and yard services have to do with whether someone does or doesn't use the internet. How do those services relate to being online or not?
By the way, a person doesn't have to be "disabled" in the sense of being wheelchair-bound etc for them to either need or want somebody else to do housecleaning or yard work. Is a person with athsma, COPD, or chronic back problems "disabled"? Most people would say no, and yet doing yard work may seriously aggravate their condition. Plenty of perfectly healthy people of all ages in my area employ a weekly cleaning service; why? Because they want it and can feel they can afford it. But one or both of those factors may or may not change when they are retired on a fixed income.
A person with those maladies mos certainly can be "disabled".
Our free TV over the air has several channels of programs we like and watch. Big savings over pay TV.
Some of us cannot get "over the air TV". And antennas don't work because distance and because of the terrain. Some of us don't use their computers as a TV because of data limits. Satellite is less than $20 per month.
As for the rest of the poll ...
Don't need a monitored home security system - the 3 burros that live close by are better (nosier and noisier!) than dogs.
Don't need Life Alert. That's for old people.
Don't need premium movie channels - get occasional free weekends.
Don't need home cleaning service - I want it, I'd like it, but don't need it.
Can't get broadband - no wires out here.
Got my data plan and a dumb phone.
Pests? Sprinkle an ant killer around the base of the house once a year. Can't buy the good stuff here, so my brother sends it to me from Nevada.
Member of AAA for 44 years!
No lawn. Native plants that survive drought!
Other yard services - about twice a year
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
but I don't intend to start cleaning the house now. I spilled flour once and had a devil of a time figuring out how to start the vacuum cleaner. I have a man who does projects of various sorts for me. I'm no handyman.
