Cable bill blues

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2003
Cable bill blues
10
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 4:38pm

Does anyone else have the cable bill blues? We have directTV and honestly, it seems like every time I turn around I'm paying them like $260. Granted, sometimes I'm a few weeks late but still that shouldn't double the bill. When I look at my service I think my package is like $93 a month (lots of channels - all the hbo's, showtimes, etc). I don't mind paying $93/month but $250+ every 6 weeks is insane. When I calculate my household bills (utilities only), my cable bill is 40% of my total!

Does anyone else experience this - surprised and shocked when you get your cable bill?

Avatar for 2locachicas
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 4:50pm
We used to have this problem but now we only have the most basic basic cable that costs us $14 a month. I know if we had more cable I would watch more and we already watchtoo much......
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 5:11pm

Mmmm...I think I might try to look at why the bill is getting paid late because it sounds like that makes it hard to determine how much you are actually paying.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2003
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 5:38pm
It gets paid late cause I'm a huge procrastinator. I must have some type of mental problem because I can literally have $2K in my account but still won’t pay utilities until they’re overdue. Automatic payments would be the best thing for me (which is how my mortgage and car payments get paid on time). I’ll look into having automatic payments set up for some of my utilities. Thanks for the reply.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2005
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 6:32pm

It gets paid late cause I'm a huge procrastinator. I must have some type of mental problem because I can literally have $2K in my account

I have done the exact same thing more times than I'd like to admit--it really sucks when it's a CC and yep, late fee, jacked up rate, etc. Ask me how I know ;) I've been lucky that I can usually get some of those removed like w/our cell phone bill where I had forgotten to pay it. I have been doing so well lately and in fact I just got online to set up the bills that are due tomorrow which are cable and phone. Anyway, what helped me was to realize that I was spending about $60/mo on late fees because of my basic irresponsiblity. Well, $60/mo (that exludes any late CC fees I may have gotten, I've only done that twice w/ the CC because the huge late fees are a good reminder) adds up quickly. It doesn't sound like much when the cell late fee is $6 and the cable is $6 but I know I could've taken that $60 and almost paid the cable bill by itself, KWIM? So, if it'll help add up your 'costs' of late fees and imagine what you should be doing with that money. BTW-I use a big calendar and it's all on there but a post it on the computer screen would probably work too. GL

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 04-17-2006 - 11:53pm
Hi, AM--Well, DH is fussing about the cable bill. I just paid $106.00 to the cable, for what, I dont know. We have HBO, Showtime, etc, and we sometimes tape these shows, but honestly, they are "old" things we've seen on DVD, etc. DH wants to cut the cable in half, and get rid of the HBO and Showtime, so we, too ,are reexamining this. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Tue, 04-18-2006 - 1:55am

Are you sure that is all you have? I used to work for a cable company. Sometimes my callers wouldn't see the pay per view charges that were on the last page.. that is why I am asking.

Also, if you can give up some of the premiums that would help too... they always run specials and we have been pretty lucky.. we have had at least 2 premium channels at all times.. in fact I think right now we are paying like $2 for HBO with the special we are on.. My bill is $69 and some change each month and it hasn't changed.

Stephanie

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2003
Tue, 04-18-2006 - 9:56am
Yes, those late fees add up don't they? I HATE late fees esp for credit cards cause the late fees are always like 30 bucks for those. I did the same thing for ATM transactions there aren't from my bank. We've got an ATM at work but they charge like $2.00 for a withdrawal and then my bank charges like $1.50. At this rate if I make a withdrawal once a week that would cost me $182.00/year and heck, that's a whole week of daycare, or a whole seasons wardrobe for my darlings! I should look at late fees on bills the same way. If I'm late on all my utilities that would be about $40.00/month which is $480.00/year. Whoa!
Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 04-18-2006 - 10:17am

We've got DirecTV also, but our bill is about $70/month.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2005
Tue, 04-18-2006 - 10:50am
Just because I got kind of freaked out about late fees when I read that Chase could (would!!) jack up their percentage rate because of late fees on anything -- I'd be really careful to try to pay EVERY bill on time -- paying late may come back to haunt you in more than late fees. I used to put everything off too -- (wonder why) but then we got on a sort of budget and subtracted the bills at the first of every month when I got paid and set up the bills to pay automatically on line. Helped.
Megan
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Wed, 04-19-2006 - 1:13am
Hi, AMN--I agree with the idea of automatic payment plan. I dont quite have it set up this way online, because of fluctuations in money that I get paid, but, I have the gas/electric bill set up to notify me when payment is due, and I post it way before, so no more late fees. THe one thing that truly helped me is to get overdraft protection with the bank. I used to have OD fees and now, no more. WHiz.