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I want to add another point not thought about that would encourage one to get rid of the old CRT televisions. These old TVs use a great deal of power. We go around changing all our light bulbs and replacing them with CFLs and LEDs to save energy but we keep the biggest power sucking light bulb, the Cathod Ray Tube (CRT).
You can buy a flat screen TV and save energy and it is significant. All the flat screen TVs are LCD except Plasma which does use more power than LCD. LCD can be lighted by fluorescent tube or a LED and it will save power compared to a CRT. A LED lighted LCD will save even more power because a LED consumes less power than a fluorescent light. A LED is lighter weight than a just a LCD.
A 40 inch LED LCD can use perhaps, depending on the type of LED back light and manufacturer, can consume, about $15 dollars a year for viewing 5 hours a day. A 40 inch CRT can consume I think about $250 a year for the same amount of viewing time, all depending on electric rates. Also a LED gives off much less heat than a CRT, so that you are just forcing your air conditioner to use more power. If you think it will help with heating bills, it is not the way to economical heat with electric power of a CRT. In addition, if you use a converter box, it will use additional power.
So, to think I will continue to use my old CRT because it works and I will save money and not buy a new TV is somewhat of a bad move. The other day I saw a woman buying a converter box for $49 dollars to connect to an old TV of 20 inches. She could buy a new 20 inch TV for about $150 or less. Where is the savings when you take in power consumption. You would also get better viewing resolution and more stations over the air.
Also there will come a time when no one will recycle these old CRT TVs for free. In many of the recycle charity shops, there are now now flat screens coming in to the stores, and sometimes the large CRTs just sit there. They are heavy to move and becoming a burden for these charity stores. Why would someone take a old CRT when flat screens are being recycled.
I can remember the time when you could not get people to take the old TV that had only VHF channels--about the early 1950s. UHF bands came latter for TVs and initially you could buy, guess what, a converter box for the extra channels. After that the old tube TVs where replaced with semi-conductors, the transistor. I remember going to the drugstore to test tubes on this big tester, to see which on was burnt out. You could not give those away and the garbage companies were refusing to take them. Hold on to those old CRTs and you will eventually pay to dispose of them.
I just have a 24 inch LED 1080 TV and I paid $189. It is rated at $5 of power consumption for a year, for 5 hours of viewing a day--honestly, I just looked at the label. You read right--$5 dollars a year for 5 hours a day. That is all my TV view cost and I watch about 2-3 hours a week. So, we are looking at less than a penny a week of power use for entertainment. Take that Cable Crooks.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 07-12-2012 at 09:56 PM..
I used the converter box for years on my old Cathod Ray Tube TV. It worked and I picked up many stations with a simple antenna. I have never had cable or satellite TV as I watch little TV.
I decided to dump the CRT TV because it is free to dispose of it now before a fee will be charged in the future; so I rolled this monster out of the door and brought it to best buy.You will receive digital TV with a converter box but you will not be able to get HD as the old TV is not designed to display that resolution.
I bought a LED 1080 flat screen TV. I no longer needed the converter box. I just bought one of those flat amplified antennas from Walmart for $30. Now, I get even more TV over the air because there is no converter box which reduces the signal and the new TV is designed to work with the new signals. I get HD TV over the air. Do not let these crooks tell you that you need cable or satellite for HD, that is not true.
All the stations I get are very clear. With the new digital signals the broadcasters split the signal on the channels so that you can get as, for example, 6.1 an 6.2 and 6.3 with different programming. Many of the TV guides will not give you the different split channels because the broadcasters get more money from cable/satellite and do not want you to know that you can get all this extra stations that are required to be transmitted over the air.
You really do not even need a special antenna to get a signal from over the air on the new TVs. Of course, it depends how far you are away from the transmission point. You may need a more powerful or outdoor antenna. I live near Lookout Mountain near Golden, Colorado where most of the TV is transmitted here in Denver so I do not need a big antenna to receive a signal.
Livecontent
This is the advantage of living in a big city. My rural area is 45+ miles from any transmitter and people are not picking up much of anything without satellite.
What a great thread, newenglandgirl!!
I hope I can join this club. I'm a single public school teacher. I've lived on a shoestring all my life!
I will be retiring July 1st with a small pension- 42% of the avg. of the last 3 years. Talk about a paycut!
But I made up my mind- I am burnt out and will live on whatever pension I get. I'll be in heaven not going to work. Since I've been frugal all my life I won't be changing my lifestyle.
Not old enough for SS.
I wrote, in another thread, about senior coffee at McDonald's- $.45 a cup! And their caramel sundaes for $1. What a sweet treat once in a while.
Once retired I'll be looking for free things to do. Right now I'm too pooped.
42% of the last 3 yrs was what I got 14yrs ago at age 49 with 30 yrs of service for the U.S. Government military and civil service combined! 14 yrs later I'm now 63 and my monthly net income has quadrupled due to my other pensions, Military Reserve pay at 60, SSA at 62, VA Comp ever since I got discharged from the military, COLAs and pay raises the past 14 yrs! So, all is some what good today!
"Senior Coffee"! Yeah, I had one of those among other things at Burger King in Ventura, Ca. back in 2008 while on vacation in California from the Philippines!
Still can't afford to move back to California, too expensive to live there!
Had to laugh...when I bought a new TV, I asked the delivery person if he could take my old TV back to the store for recycling because it was too heavy for me to lift and he said sure,no problem. A few hours later, I saw it had been tossed in the big garbage bin in my complex!
This is the advantage of living in a big city. My rural area is 45+ miles from any transmitter and people are not picking up much of anything without satellite.
From what I see of TV, most of it is garbage; you are not missing much if you choose not to get satellite. You can much of the TV from the internet and some really good programming, so it is not necessary to bother with TV.
I never watch TV for news as it offers no advantages. I can easily look up news and weather on the internet. I can go to the local TV stations websites. I can watch what I want and get it immediately without listening to some empty head giving me teasers about news that I have to wait for in the next segment. I have no interest in sports and listening to the local news, that seems to be the big lead stories and for many of these idiots, the local football team name may be the only word they know, as they repeat it often with that stupid drooling grin.
All these the network stations have their own websites to transmit their garbage on the internet, so why pay more for the TV. There are many other sites that offer good programs that have value and websites of old TV and movies. Public TV broadcast many of the their great shows, like Masterpiece Theater on their website.
Now if you cannot get high speed internet, that would be a problem. The Feds are trying to push more internet into rural areas as it is now considered, by many, as essential. It is similar to the movement of electrification to rural America in the last century.
Now if you cannot get high speed internet, that would be a problem. The Feds are trying to push more internet into rural areas as it is now considered, by many, as essential. It is similar to the movement of electrification to rural America in the last century.
Livecontent
I agree. Unfortunately, the internet service providers cartel bundle TV and internet services together for a very high price, and then if you drop the TV portion, you are charged nearly the SAME price. What a rip off! I pay $70/mo for internet and very basic cable TV. If I cancel my TV, which I would do in a heartbeat, the cost would drop by less than $5.00/mo. That's it. How insane is that? I'd rather view my limited TV online, but that's what Comcast and others don't want people to do, cut the cable. There needs to be much more competition in the internet service provider area. As long as Comcast and Time Warner are allowed to totally dominate most markets, nothing will change.
There needs to be a low cost internet only option available for everyone. The internet is becoming a necessity. Also, the cost of internet and TV are virtually the same across the country. So, if you live in a low cost area, you pay high prices, which is ludicrous. The internet prices do not reflect the local economies or local COL or wages. I have gone to the Comcast website and typed in various zipcodes around the country and come up with the exact same prices in Manhattan and some small town in the South. Something is very wrong with the picture. Sorry to digress.
I agree. Unfortunately, the internet service providers cartel bundle TV and internet services together for a very high price, and then if you drop the TV portion, you are charged nearly the SAME price. What a rip off! I pay $70/mo for internet and very basic cable TV. If I cancel my TV, which I would do in a heartbeat, the cost would drop by less than $5.00/mo. That's it. How insane is that? I'd rather view my limited TV online, but that's what Comcast and others don't want people to do, cut the cable. There needs to be much more competition in the internet service provider area. As long as Comcast and Time Warner are allowed to totally dominate most markets, nothing will change.
There needs to be a low cost internet only option available for everyone. The internet is becoming a necessity. Also, the cost of internet and TV are virtually the same across the country. So, if you live in a low cost area, you pay high prices, which is ludicrous. The internet prices do not reflect the local economies or local COL or wages. I have gone to the Comcast website and typed in various zipcodes around the country and come up with the exact same prices in Manhattan and some small town in the South. Something is very wrong with the picture. Sorry to digress.
Yep, I had it made for a while, net/cable/phone all together for under $60 a month, dropped phone, about a year ago, basic cable went from $10 to about 25, net went up too add in some other fees thrown in, so now I'm up to more than where I was when I started. Someday, I'll figure out how to chuck it all. A drastic change is needed and soon.
This is a super long thread so I just read the most recent posts. A friend of mine recently sent this list of discounts for seniors that I thought might be helpful to others who, like me, are in retirement:
RESTAURANTS:
> Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
> Arby's: 10% off ( 55 +)
> Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)
> Bennigan's: discount varies by location (60+)
> Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
> Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
> Burger King: 10% off (60+)
> Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+)
> Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)
> CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
> Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members ( 55+)
> Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee ( 55+)
> Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)
> Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter ( 55+)
> Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
> Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
> Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
> IHOP: 10% off ( 55+)
> Jack in the Box: up to 20% off ( 55+)
> KFC: free small drink with any meal ( 55+)
> Krispy Kreme: 10% off ( 50+)
> Long John Silver's: various discounts at locations ( 55+)
> McDonald's: discounts on coffee everyday ( 55+)
> Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
> Shoney's: 10% off Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
> Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+)
> Subway: 10% off (60+)
> Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
> Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
> TCBY: 10% off ( 55+)
> Tea Room Cafe: 10% off ( 50+)
> Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
> Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
> Wendy's: 10% off ( 55 +)
> White Castle : 10% off (62+)
>
> RETAIL & APPAREL :
> Banana Republic: 10% off ( 50 +)
> Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)
> Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +)
> Big Lots: 10% off
> Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days ( 55 +)
> C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
> Clarks : 10% off (62+)
> Dress Barn: 10% off ( 55+)
> Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
> Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
> Kmart: 20% off ( 50+)
> Kohl's: 15% off (60+)
> Modell's Sporting Goods: 10% off
> Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
> Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday ( 55+)
> The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+)
> Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month
> ( 55 +)
>
> GROCERY :
> Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)
> American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)
> Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
> DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
> Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)
> Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday
> ( 55 +)
> Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday ( 60+)
> Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
> Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
> Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
> Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
> Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
> The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday ( 50 +)
> Publix: 5% off every Wednesday ( 55 +)
> Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
> Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 5% off (62+)
>
> TRAVEL :
> Airlines:
> Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)
> American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking
> for discount)
> Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club &
> special fares for select destinations
> Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before
> booking for discount)
> United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking
> for discount)
> U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking
> for discount)
>
> Rail:
> Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
> Bus:
> Greyhound: 5% off (62+)
> Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+
> Car Rental:
> Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members
> Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members Best Western: 10% off ( 55 +)
> Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members ( 50+)
> Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+)
> Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members
> Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending
> on location (62+)
> National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members
> Over Night Accommodations:
> Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance
> Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
> InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
> Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30%
> off (60+)
> Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)
> Motel 6: 10% off (60+)
> Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off ( 55 +)
> Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
> Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
>
> ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT :
> AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)
> Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)
> Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)
> Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
> Cinemark/Century Theate rs: up to 35% off
> U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services
> including camping (62+)
> Regal Cinemas: 30% off Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket
> ( 55 +)
> SeaWorld Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)
>
> CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS :
> AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)
> Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service ( 50 +)
> Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).
>
> MISCELLANEOUS :
> Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)
> Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)
>
Now to introduce myself. I was able to retire early but the recent economic crisis that has lowered the interest on my savings to close to 0% is something that I never suspected might happen. Especially for such a long period of time, now that the Federal Reserve is suggesting that rates will stay this low for at least another year and a half and probably longer. Retirees are really being punished, but I am just trying to adjust.
I am leading a pretty simple life nowadays. I work on a website that I own, clean my home with my wife, do grocery shopping when we need to and during our free time I do a lot of reading at our neighborhood coffee shops (we have so many nice ones in the Lakeview area of Chicago). I also keep in shape doing yoga (we have a very inexpensive but very nice yoga center nearby), practicing Tai Chi, playing table tennis and tennis (not much this year so far with all of the heat), walking about four miles a day, and shooting some hoops. We have friends who we play Bridge with and who we go to different places in Chicago for some short half-day getaways (so many places in Chicago). Unfortunately, these best friends of ours will be moving to Poland shortly in order to retire.
I find that while living in a big city like Chicago is more expensive than a smaller town, the cost is compensated by all of the great, free things that we can do (magnificent zoo and museums, parks, libraries, etc.). I also spend a bit more than average on food by going to Whole Foods, but again I think it is worth it because it keeps me healthy. I haven't been to a physician in 30 years.
All in all, retirement is relatively quiet but broken up my periods of crisis such as my son who is seeking a job in this economy or or condo association which is not totally above board in their dealings. Different than what I expected, but nonetheless very satisfying.
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Since I've been frugal all my life I won't be changing my lifestyle.
