Well...probably not the end of all utilities, but I just played with the Google phone app a bit on my computer and I guess it's the same as what people tell me Skype is like.
It is very neat, pretty clear, and it works, and it's free! (Well not international)
I think this feature is neat if you are very mobile and do not have a mobile. Or better yet, with Starbucks giving free wifi, and email being a major communications tool, a cell phone can almost completely be ditched now.
Too bad Verizon has a huge cost for internet anywhere
Gmail phone calls
My brother was so excited about this he had already sent me an email and left a voicmail (on a shared cell phone with other family members) on the subject. I already didn't have my own cell phone. I used to be on his plan but he needed to drop somebody for the new 4G network plan. I opted to be the one, as it fit into my no reoccuring bills belief:)
I can't say I regret it...at all. Although, things could quickly change if I meet the right woman...but then again, the right woman would understand:)
I can't say I regret it...at all. Although, things could quickly change if I meet the right woman...but then again, the right woman would understand:)
@NYC ERE
I might post my actual bugdet sometime. I do keep a budget. I don't actually track every dollar I spend like "Your money or your life" but I am religious at watching where my yearly/monthly reccuring bills are coming from. (I have Yodlee if I want a break down to the dollar).
I only track yearly/monthly bills because I view these as the bills that keep us working slaves. All other things in life I have the option to go without in hardship (I say all others because I no longer have any reccuring bills that are not necessary, with the exception of my vehicle and health insurance (taxes?)).
I have always tried my best to eliminate reccuring bills because I view them as anti-investment in theory. These are the expenses that work against us in the way investments are supposed to work for us.
I used to have a home with sooo many different monthly/yearly bills. I even had netflix because it is a good bang for your buck in entertainment if you don't like to download (I decided to only do this in winter). Most of those bills were not going away even if I owned the home.
The beginning of this year I was able to sell it. Now I only pay $500-600 a month of rent to my parents (this covers 2/5 of their living expenses minus their health and car insurance but EVERYTHING else). This price will go higher as costs go higher. I even included wear on the furniture.
This could sound horrid, but not only does it help them, it helps my brother and me because it keeps money in the family. I don't care if my parents spend it, (I hope they do, any human should want the best for their family) but if they don't, it comes back to my brother and I. I like this idea way more than making bankers and strangers rich. I also have my own health and car insurance but this is minimal while I am employed. I own an aveo so car costs are also minimal and I plan to get rid of it in ERE or ER except for a few years traveling in something to see America again.
While most of America looks at everything in monthly payments and are happy to trade in their vehicle for pennies on the dollar because their payment stays the same, I look at every bill as potential slavery and I want to know when it expires. The less I am enslaved to, the quicker I am not enslaved to anything. I would rather pay $1000 up front than see a $10 a month bill. Another problem with recurring bills are that many are not predictable (think cable or utilities). The annoying thing is that it doesn't take much reform to change things for a single working white boy:(
As for hacks...go without anything that is not a need. Look for cost effective alternatives to the things our culture has labeled as a need or ignore it all together. I don't have my own cell phone or cable TV. TV broadcasting is just fine and in HD:) I get Wifi from neighbors and work.
I might post my actual bugdet sometime. I do keep a budget. I don't actually track every dollar I spend like "Your money or your life" but I am religious at watching where my yearly/monthly reccuring bills are coming from. (I have Yodlee if I want a break down to the dollar).
I only track yearly/monthly bills because I view these as the bills that keep us working slaves. All other things in life I have the option to go without in hardship (I say all others because I no longer have any reccuring bills that are not necessary, with the exception of my vehicle and health insurance (taxes?)).
I have always tried my best to eliminate reccuring bills because I view them as anti-investment in theory. These are the expenses that work against us in the way investments are supposed to work for us.
I used to have a home with sooo many different monthly/yearly bills. I even had netflix because it is a good bang for your buck in entertainment if you don't like to download (I decided to only do this in winter). Most of those bills were not going away even if I owned the home.
The beginning of this year I was able to sell it. Now I only pay $500-600 a month of rent to my parents (this covers 2/5 of their living expenses minus their health and car insurance but EVERYTHING else). This price will go higher as costs go higher. I even included wear on the furniture.
This could sound horrid, but not only does it help them, it helps my brother and me because it keeps money in the family. I don't care if my parents spend it, (I hope they do, any human should want the best for their family) but if they don't, it comes back to my brother and I. I like this idea way more than making bankers and strangers rich. I also have my own health and car insurance but this is minimal while I am employed. I own an aveo so car costs are also minimal and I plan to get rid of it in ERE or ER except for a few years traveling in something to see America again.
While most of America looks at everything in monthly payments and are happy to trade in their vehicle for pennies on the dollar because their payment stays the same, I look at every bill as potential slavery and I want to know when it expires. The less I am enslaved to, the quicker I am not enslaved to anything. I would rather pay $1000 up front than see a $10 a month bill. Another problem with recurring bills are that many are not predictable (think cable or utilities). The annoying thing is that it doesn't take much reform to change things for a single working white boy:(
As for hacks...go without anything that is not a need. Look for cost effective alternatives to the things our culture has labeled as a need or ignore it all together. I don't have my own cell phone or cable TV. TV broadcasting is just fine and in HD:) I get Wifi from neighbors and work.
@TheDude - I plan on moving eventually in with Parents or gparents when I retire.
My bill are same as yours pretty much - free wifi from neighbors or work (or coffee shops, etc), free TV.
Only rent and cell phone I pay for. I get a cell phone from work, but it does not have web access. And I text a lot, but eventually I can probably drop the phone.
I never thought about "keeping it in the family", but it does sound good. I just want to spend time with the gparents before anything happens.
My bill are same as yours pretty much - free wifi from neighbors or work (or coffee shops, etc), free TV.
Only rent and cell phone I pay for. I get a cell phone from work, but it does not have web access. And I text a lot, but eventually I can probably drop the phone.
I never thought about "keeping it in the family", but it does sound good. I just want to spend time with the gparents before anything happens.