Hooked up with Internet

It’s official. I’m back with CableVision. I went 6 months without Internet at home. I didn’t miss it for the most part.
I spent a lot of time outside of my apartment, in bars etc, so the absence wasn’t felt strongly.
I missed hulu.com and being able to update this blog at home. (Updating from work is not ideal, so I didn’t post as often as I would have liked.) I got the mobile wordpress.com app on my cell phone, but after once writing a whole post only to have it disappear when I pressed the “post” button, I didn’t want to try again.

I missed being able to chat while on a call. My cell allows me to chat with people via text, bbm, gchat, ychat, hchat, icq, and aim. However, if I answer or make a call, my chat session ends.

CableVision has an offer that I couldn’t refuse.

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Internet everywhere and not a byte to eat

I’m still without proper internet at home. I can access limited content from my cell phone, but it’s not ideal.

I couldn’t afford/justify paying the cable bill and after my earlier run-in with CableVision, I refuse to return as a customer.

I looked into using Sprint’s internet card, but they wanted $60/month, a 2 year agreement, and data-size download restrictions.

After almost a month of going without internet at home, I posted this sign in my building lobby: “I’m looking to pay about $15.00 a month to access a wireless internet connection within the building.

“If you have a secured connection and would be willing to share with me, please let me know by calling [my number]”

It’s been rough without internet at home, but on the positive side, it gave me a chance to re-watch all the episodes of NewRadio.

Taxes

April 15, at 11:59 PM, is the deadline for filing taxes.
Since, I like to get things done in advance, I met with an H&R Block tax preparer a few weeks ago.
She told me that I’d have to pay $200 to get it prepared. I agreed to the price because, unlike previous years, this year’s returns are complicated.
Right away we realized that I’ve been taking too many payroll deductions for 2009. I was still deducting my paycheck as “Married” (which is legally true), but I’m filing as “Single”.
I immediately updated my payroll deductions for 2010 and I’m sure to have less money each pay period as a result. (My updated numbers haven’t made it into a paycheck yet, so I have no idea how much of a shortfall I’ll be faced with.)
Today I met with the tax preparer one last time. In order for them to give me my tax papers and file for me, I needed to pay them their fees. I was surprised when she handed me a bill for $283.00. When I expressed shock, she explained that $200 was just the minimum charge.
I told her that I felt cheated. It’s the practically the eve of the filing period and she’s put so much work into it that I don’t have a choice but to pay, but it’s not right to quote one price and then charge a higher amount. If I had known, I might I have gone elsewhere. And, even if I hadn’t, I could have budgeted for this increased expenditure.
At first she got insulted and started speaking harshly. But, when I explained that I wasn’t planning on speaking to her manager or anyone else; that I just wanted her to understand how I feel, she calmed down and apologized. She offered me a $20 discount and I paid the bill.
Unfortunately, because of how I deducted my payroll last year, I am faced with a charge of almost a thousand dollars. I’m in a tight spot, financially, with all my important financial obligations, but I’m sure I’ll be okay.
I think dropping cable and internet will turn out to be a good thing. I wouldn’t have dropped their service if they hadn’t been unreasonable, but now that I have, I’ll be saving $150 a month. That should help.
Of course, if I replace my internet coverage with another supplier, it will cut into my savings realized. However, I don’t think that cost will be greater than $70 a month. (I’m hoping it’ll be a lot closer to $30 a month.)
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“We need fewer taxes” – Ronald Reagan
“We need more taxis. I can never find one!” – The Rechnitzer Rebbe