I Can't Think Of A Title For This Boring Blog Post

Have you ever just stopped to think about what you are paying for certain conveniences? I guess right now I'm on a rant about my cable and cell phone bills. I think I'm paying way too much for way too little.

We have basic cable (half the channels are in Spanish and the other half are crap...wait, that means they're all crap) but we had to get at least a basic package to have "High Speed Internet". And I'll admit that it's better than dial-up but on my five year old laptop, it really doesn't seem so high-speed. But I still shell out $111 bucks a month...mostly so I can have the internet because I don't know what I'd do without online bill pay and emails to my missionaries. (Not in that order.)

And my cell phone bills! We even get a police officer discount of 18% and I'm still complaining. My phone "upgrade" required a data plan. I DO NOT have a smart phone. No, it's definitely a dumb phone. It's barely worth getting on Facebook, if I'm bored, say at a dentist office and usually I bring a book instead. There are no games, no music, it takes poor quality photos and is soooo not worth the required data plan. But I didn't want a smart phone and there are few other phone options out there so we suck up the extra $10 a month. Rob needed a smart phone to check work emails (which he can now see on his work supplied phone that he got a month after we upgraded.) Thankfully his phone itself was a gift from his brother for his birthday. But it obviously requires another $30 a month. Plus all these kids we have on our bill and we're paying almost $200 a month just to stay in touch. We also have a house phone. $40 a month to see which debt collectors are calling for people who don't even live here. Also to avoid United Blood Services average of 15 calls PER WEEK!

When we had two truck payments, including the insurance and the gas we were paying well over $1000 a month for the convenience of driving. I know that looks like a bargain for some of you but it's ridiculous to me. But would I consider giving up my cars? Nope. I don't feel safe enough to walk my kids to school. Plus only one is within walking distance now anyway.

I'm thinking I would MUCH rather spend this money on European vacations and better date nights with my husband. Anybody else think the money we spend on conveniences is getting to be downright ridiculous?

(I would go into a tirade about my summer energy bills, but I realized a few months ago that when we average them out with our low, LOW winter bills, we pay very little for that convenience.) Now, someone please explain that to my mom who refuses to run her air conditioner! (She won't listen to me.)