Subscribed Out
I once knew an old John Birch’er who said his approach to a desert was similar to Communism. He would take small slices so no one would notice, but eventually consumed it all. It makes me wonder how often we are sliced to death by the things we subscribe to.
Mo3 recently commented telling me she would one day convince me to subscribe to XM radio. I used to have it with my Dish service, but never used it. As a stand alone she said the cost is $13 per month (which is $156 per year.)
So consider the other things we subscribe to on a monthly basis:
Daily Astorian (EZ pay) $9 per month which comes to $108 per year.
Most Internet Services $30 per month which comes to $360 per year.
Most people subscribe to two magazines which comes to around $40 per year.
The new GPS tracking device $5 per month which is $60 per year.
Cell phones I’d guess are $35 per month which come to $420 per year.
Triple A is $121 per year.
Costco Membership $45 per year.
XM $13 per month which is $156 per year.
Public radio or TV membership $40 per year.
Onstar $37 per month in $444
I’m sure I’m missing some like gyms and spas, Netflix, Credit Checks and Fraud Services but with just this list one could easily spend $1,794 on subscriptions and membership services.
So, no, I don’t plan to take on any new comers.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
11 Comments:
It's insidious, isn't it? Kind of creeps up on you. I don't think I want to add up my subscription costs. They're all (supposedly) essential...
The person who creates the aggregated account software will be bigger than Google.
And, which desert? The Mojave? Kalahari?
Lori, you beat Auntie and Moose to my misspelling.
Beth, isn't it amazing how few essentials there were twenty years ago?
I feel so deprived. Use a 'trac phone' for a cell inna vehicles ($50 or so does us a year); city newspaper, $240 yearly; DSL,Sat TV, phone total about $145 monthly(our biggest); AAA same as you; NPR/PBS $300 yearly; local weekly paper sorta free (we fix their 2 vehicles for cost) and that's it. Damn! We ARE really boringly rural here! Oops, forgot the various 'Nature Type' groups to the tune of about $250 a year.
Apparently I'm getting rooked on my internet and cell phone subscriptions.
hmm we pay for cell phones ($100 month/2 phones), cable and internet. That's the extent of subscriptions for my husband and my self. KFalls has a great college (non-commercial, free-form, community) radio station, on which I have a show and help run another one (both music instead of talk), so we have access to TONS of music. The library has all the magazines I need :) I don't even buy guitar magazines anymore, and I used to be a total hog for them.
I saw your "desert" instead of "dessert" very early this morning. But, thought I would give you a break.
BTW, I left you a little present on my blog.
Love ya, darlin'
Mike it all adds up doesn't it.
Anon, there is no way cell and internet service should cost so much. Most people are totally getting hosed. The infrastructure has been paid for hundreds of times over.
Pril, K Falls? How did you find your way here? Hey, I was always amazed how they keep coming up with articles for guitar magazines.
Auntie, I'm afraid to look. Love ya too, Darlin.
I don't subscribe to any newspapers or magazines because I'd rather read them online for free. There are some things that I don't mind paying for though, like Netflix and Triple A.
What I would give for $35/month cell phone...
guy who writes, i check the OrBlogs feed every day for interesting stuff. I find the most interesting blogs are not from Portland or even on the I5 corridor.
Guitar mags, well, there's always some new "NEXT JIMI HENDRIX!!!" who you never hear about again after the one article in Guitar mag, another selection of tired classic rock/stupid numetal/insanely difficult pseudoclassical thing to transcribe in the middle for the masses.
Bayou, it is a plan that we've had for close to 15 years now. I'm amazed they still honor it.
Pril, I was just curious to see if you were a friend of a friend. Oh the next Jimi Hendrix, eh? I remember Robin Trower and Jack Hammer, two Hendrix wannabes. I'm sure there are many more.
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