Backstabber Report

Surviving The High Cost Of Basic Services

If you are like me, you may read about your services like electricity, cable, and other companies raising rates. They get approved for the hikes and we suffer for them to increase profit. It’s time to fight back with the means we have available to us.

Over the years I’ve gotten a number of emails from purchasers of HomeIncome30 and have talked personally with people about ways to afford more of what they need to make their website business grow.

HomeIncome30 is a website teaching program for beginners that I’ve recommended for people to learn how to make money from the Internet with websites.

While HomeIncome30 is the cheapest ($29) teaching program for those who think getting a website up and running is beyond their capabilities, I do hear that they would like to purchase one or two other programs I’ve recommended, but feel the developers of those programs are charging more than they can afford. It is understandable that many people in today’s economy are simply maxed out and can’t afford to lay out $77 for Comparipress, or $99 for Micro Niche Finder, or something else that they would like to try.

But what if websites and Internet money isn’t your forte? You just want to save money and avoid the added costs of your utility bills?

How about I give you just a few of the things I’ve done that saves me over $2000 each year? These are simple things, but the savings are real and will be seen almost immediately. Could I afford the cost of these things I gave up? Yes, but know that I was raised in a lower middle class household and at one point in my adult life I was flat broke. Just because I have money now, doesn’t mean I can’t continue to save and cut costs. Avoiding expenses is hardwired into me. Blame it on my mother, who I watched for hours sitting at the kitchen table cutting coupons to feed 6 kids enough to keep our bellies full. I don’t believe in spending money that I don’t have to.

#1 Lower Your Water Heater Temperature
Find your water heater and locate the thermostat. Do it NOW. Most factory settings are at 140 degrees – much more than needed. For each 10 degree reduction you will save about 5% in energy costs, depending on the energy efficiency of your heater. I set mine at 110 degrees and avoided the risks of scalding (which happens at 140), extended the life of my water heater elements, and saved almost $300 in electricity my first year. By the way, the hot water pipe leading from the water heater to your floor… insulate it with foam pipe covering for about $5 and available from any supply house. It will save you another $25 every year by preventing heat loss.

For more information on how to safely lower your water heater temperature, CLICK HERE.

#2 Go With Over The Air (OTA) Digital Television
When the nation went OTA it was time for me to take a look at my cable bill. I had a bundled service (TV, phone, Internet) that was costing me $135/month and frankly, it was pissing me off. I didn’t have extras like sports, movies, or other premium subscriptions. I didn’t even have a digital box. I had about 65 channels, of which I only watched about 10.

Though the investment of going OTA may mean laying out anywhere from $120 – $250 for equipment, it means that not paying the cost of cable television will have you seeing your investment recouped in just under 4 months. After that, consider your television viewing as FREE. There is no extra wiring needed to go OTA. You only need to attach the existing cable wiring in your home to your digital antenna.

I live in a mountainous region of Pennsylvania, but with a pre-amplifier for my antenna I am able to bring in perfect High Definition channels of ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, The Weather Channel, and even my local channels. All together, about 24 channels are available to me (including a couple of Spanish speaking channels). I also recommend an antenna rotator that will allow you to point and adjust your antenna as needed, from inside your home.

Does this sound like something you might be interested in? Then begin your freedom from cable by going to AntennaWeb.org. This is a free website that will give you an idea of the channels you will be able to bring into your home using OTA. Simply input the requested information and it will tell you the channels that you can reach. Be aware that I was initially told just 10. It may actually understate the channels you can receive.

This is the setup I have installed on my home:

Channel Master 4228HD Long-Range Outdoor Rooftop HDTV Antenna

Winegard HDP-269 Preamplifier High Input Low Noise for HDTV Antennas

Channel Master Model 9521 Antenna Rotator Controller System with Remote Control

WINEGARD CM-2012 Antenna Chimney Mount

Though my setup cost about $250 when it was complete, your choices of equipment may not need to be top of the line and could less expensive, depending on your location. Also, a 10′ galvanized pole can be purchased for about $10 at your local Home Depot, or other supply house, rather than paying $20 for a 5′ “Antenna” pole.

Don’t be afraid to shop around. A neighbor of mine opted for the Winegard Metrostar MS-2002 Omnidirectional Antennaand gets as many channels as I do. With this antenna he doesn’t require the rotator.

#3 Get Rid of Your Home Phone – Use Your Cell Phone or MagicJack
If you still have a hard wired home phone you are a dying breed. With the improved cell phone service and more towers available most people have already gotten rid of their home phone and the $30 -$45 basic service bill it generates each month.

Personally, I need a separate phone for my business and don’t want all my customers to have my cell phone number I have for personal use, so I opted for MAGIC JACK + 1 YEAR FREE MAGICJACK SERVICE.

MagicJack does work, but it requires a high speed Internet connection and also requires your computer to be on for it to work. Since I have a computer on 24/7 in my home, I have no problem with it. It functions just as well as any phone I have owned. Voice clarity is great, I can dial and receive calls from a phone attached to my computer through the MagicJack attachment. When I go on vacation, I take my laptop and my MJ attachment and can still receive or make calls on the road, as long as I have an Internet connection.

The first year of service only costs $40 (that’s for the YEAR). $20 was for the purchase of the MJ and $20 for the service. Each additional year is $20. That includes unlimited calling to the U.S. or Canada (unlimited in their fine print means no more than 50 calls in any one day).

So, after getting rid of my “bundled” cable service I now only have a $40 cable bill for high speed internet access.

#4 What About Movies and Lost Cable Channels?
I started keeping track of my movie rentals and found that I was averaging about $35/mo renting movies from the local business in town. The $4 per movie didn’t seem like much, until I started keeping track of the monthly total. I also missed some of my favorite cable channels, such as the SciFi channel.

The solution was simple and convenient. I joined Netflix for $8.99/mo. Not only was the turnaround time fast me, as I can average a single movie turnaround in 3 days, but I also get streaming movies, documentaries, and full seasons of TV shows to my television instantly. By the way, the link above will provide you a free month to try it out.

Bottom Line
So, as you can see there are ways you can save money and afford those things you may need. All you need to do is get creative and find out alternatives to spending money that is available in today’s world of tech.