Early Retirement Extreme Forums

What do you pay for internet service? I am stuck with Mediacom here in the Midwest and my address doesn't let me choose anyone else. I am currently paying 54.95 a month for 15 meg service and feel like that is way too much. The best I can do is reduce to 3 meg service but its still 30-40 bucks a month.

Does anyone have a wireless data plan through a company like Verizon (but much cheaper than they offer)? Something like FreedomPop for phone.

Before you say it, yes the library is an option.

What is the meaning of 15 meg?

1. No internet is the cheapest internet option available. Try it out sometime.

2.1 Connect phone to computer via bluetooth or USB cable and use phone as a wireless device by 'Share phone network connection' or 'Enable mobile network tethering' from 'Mobile/Network Connection Settings' or 'Enable Wi Fi Hotspot.'

2.2 Use a dongle that connects SIM to computer via USB socket.

2 is cheaper as mobile data plans generally cost less than cable or other wireless options available for PC.

How to control data consumption instead:

<Use/waste not, want not; or something similarly witty goes here>

3. Anyway also see:

viewtopic.php?t=6250

4. If you use internet for non emergency purposes: Make a daily list of all things you need to do that would have required internet and do all of then one after the other at the same time; instead of spontaneously as they pop up in your head and being connected all your waking hours.

For mobile:

5. If you use internet for consumption purposes (reading, listening, watching,...) as opposed to something dynamic like forums, mail,... ; then save the content for using offline when you have access to free wi fi. Nothing new here, similar to carrying a book around with you.

6. Schedule medium to large uploads, downloads for when wi fi network is available. Select in preferences 'Wi fi' first, then 'mobile data.'

"wireless data plan" It's important to specify that up front as cheaper plans exist if you don't want wireless.

Anyway, so $55/mo for 15 MB/mo of downloading? When I look at Verizon, you get 3 GB/mo plus voice for $50/mo. Pageplus Cellular (Verizon network) offers 1 GB/mo plus voice for $40/mo (prepaid).

15 MB is the speed, we get 250 GB total data allowance. I realize pre-paid offers a lot less data, I was just curious how people are saving money on internet service.

I am prepared to go nearly cold turkey on internet and simply use the library, but the DW has a youtube channel. I don't think pre-paid would work for this unfortunately, unless it was 10 GB or more.

My only internet options at home are satellite (do those services still exist?) or DSL through Centurylink. No cable anywhere near my house and no cell coverage. I think my DSL by itself would be about 50 bucks, though I still have the land line for now.

No help for cmonkey but just to compare: 20 euro / month for a 10mb ADSL line. No data cap.
(Average price actually 15 euro a month as the cost of first 12 months of the 2 year contract was 10 euro a month).
Location: Europe, The Netherlands.

> 250 GB total data allowance

That's a lot!

enigmaT120 wrote:My only internet options at home are satellite (do those services still exist?) or DSL through Centurylink. No cable anywhere near my house and no cell coverage. I think my DSL by itself would be about 50 bucks, though I still have the land line for now.

Something about rural Oregon... our Seaside area home doesn't even have DSL as an option. I did confirm we now have 4G cellular available, which is a recent development as last year it was still 3G; satellite or dialup (gasp!) are the only other options, though I need to look into how much a DS-1 circuit costs. At the Oregon City area home, we have cable internet provided by our local phone co-op; landline plus internet is ~$100/mo.

This is one area I've debated cutting out of my retirement budget, day dreaming about riding a bike to the Starbucks to hop on the interwebz for a bit, but I think it's just to valuable to cut out. Yes, you can organize your thoughts and go to anyone of the 800 places nearby that have wifi and do your surfing there at a designated hour of the day as someone else pointed out already (which is a viable option if you are not an internet snob like me), but at the rate of $45 a month for high speed cable internet, I'm not seeing a huge value in cutting it out. The knowledge one can gain in a single day on the internet is worth more than $45 a month.

I pay $67 per month for 60 mbps. I live in an urban area with competition between two providers.

I have reduced my cost to $27 per month by charging two neighbors $20 each to share access.

I've heard of more people doing that, though apparently it's illegal. Tough to find out though, but I would be cautious about people using my internet; you never know if someone downloads something they shouldn't and they bring the cops down on you. Happened to one guy, and after he got raided, they quickly found out it was his neighbor, mac address and all. But his reputation was damaged anyway and I'm sure it wasn't an experience that enriched his life...

I have a cricket wireless plan for $35/mo with unlimited internet. If you buy the phone off Amazon, rather than buying directly from cricket, you can get an Android phone with tethering.

MVNOs in the United States