Update: Bills

Hey guys!  It has been a few months since I last spoke of my plans to lower our monthly bills.  We have made great progress!  Here's where we stand:

1. Upgrade our home security system to a kind that doesn't require a home phone. Completed this in April.  Though we had to pay for the installation, we will still be saving money.

2. Cancel our home phone service (it barely works and I'm not paying a tech to service it because that's EXPENSIVE). Completed in April...the same day that the alarm was upgraded.

3. Upgrade to a faster internet speed.  Completed in June.  I called our internet provider with a bill question and ended up getting off of the phone with 12 months free for a faster internet speed plan!

4. Order Netflix and a Roku box (check out more info on the Roku over at Katrina's blog)  I signed up for a Netflix account in June and am enjoying it so far.  There have been a few times where the connection went out, but we're not sure if it was due to Netflix or our internet.

5. Cancel cable (I watch a few shows religiously, but most of them are available online for free...)
**extra credit- maybe sign up for a payed hulu plan

6. Switch to a cheaper cell phone plan (this may not be the last thing that I do; it will probably happen in the midst of everything else).  Simon tackled this one earlier this month.  His job offered a discount for our cell phone provider, but he ended up changing our plan and it was cheaper than using the discount.

The only things left to do are cancel cable and order the Roku box.  For some reason I'm dragging my feet with this one.  I think I'm a little nervous about it because I don't know how it's going to be without cable.  I'm especially going to miss the Sirius XM radio stations on TV.  Once I order the Roku box and sign up for a Hulu account I should have more options so I'll be more likely to cancel cable.  So far we are saving approximately $100 a month.  That's a win in my book!