Don’t Cut Out the Internet to Save Money – and Other Common “Money-Saving” Myths
In this recession, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I’ve heard the following bad advice coming from the mainstream media:
* Cut out internet and cable
* Cancel your cellular service
* Sell your car and get a bus pass
* Cancel your newspaper subscription
* Buy generics
I could go on forever with a list a mile long of all the great “advice” I hear coming from reporters and bloggers that have likely never tried practicing what they preach. And don’t get me started on the personal finance “gurus” out there that talk about tightening their belt by cutting back on “luxuries”….like the internet.
I have yet to understand why these helpful “tips” keep getting circulated across the web, splashed across the newspaper, and blasted on the nightly news. These tips aren’t practical for most people, let alone those who are trying to better their finances.
Let’s start with the “cut out the internet” myth – the biggest one of all in my book. If you’re like a large percentage of the country, you’re either:
A. Unemployed
B. Actively seeking better employment
C. Trying to stay ahead of the game in order to hang onto your job, or
D. Researching new opportunities in self-employment or higher education
If more than 20% of HR professionals are now actively using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook to find and reference new hires, cutting the internet out of your budget is going to severely limit your ability to find and maintain employment. And please, don’t tell me that going to the library to use the free public internet is a suitable alternative. The reality is, when a prospective employer sends you an email or would like you to zip over a resume, you better be able to respond quickly. The free public option internet isn’t going to be good enough to get that done. And particularly if all the new savers who’ve cut the internet out of their budgets are standing in line waiting to use it.
Canceling your cell phone service is also a poor budget saver. I can remember a time in the not to distant past (ok, last year) when all I wanted was for my phone to ring. It didn’t need a data plan, and I certainly didn’t need to send emails from it. Boy was I wrong. Since I got hooked up with my Google phone, I’m much more productive and I get work accomplished in the most unusual places.
But, you don’t need to worry about being productive when you can ride the bus to get to the free internet in the library because you sold your car and canceled the phone. In fact, there might still be a pay phone in the lobby of the library you can use. For most Americans, mass transit is a luxury left to those in larger cities. And even then, with three kids, I’d never trust that I could get to them fast enough on a BART, MAX, MARTHA, or any other cutesy-named mass transit system. Nor would I feel confident if I was in the midst of a job search that I could get enough searching done hoofing it on foot.
More than for just employment reasons, this advice also fails consumers. Skip the newspaper and buy generics means that shoppers are missing access to sales ads, coupons, and deals. If you have to cut back the paper, at least keep the Sunday paper for the coupon inserts. And use that internet service to ferret out deals and savings online. Think about the internet as a tool to help you control the controllable costs in your life. That’s where the real savings is. Savings don’t lie in killing productivity and connectivity tools like the internet, your phone, and even your car. Real savings comes from getting a grip on consumable spending, and finding better deals on toilet paper, dog food, diapers, and milk. If you can learn to manage those costs, that’s where your savings can compound much quicker than the $40 a month you’ll recoup by having no phone.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that in today’s tech world, you NEED to have consistent access to the tools that keep you connected…to employment opportunities, to savings opportunities, and networking opportunities. I might not have felt that way once, but the landscape is significantly different than it was even just a few short years ago.
If you need to make cuts to keep your budget solvent, try using a coupon for a box of cereal, or shopping in the peak of a sales cycle for the best prices on everyday items. Connectivity tools are no longer a luxury. Keeping these necessities in your budget can ensure you never miss an opportunity to move your finances forward and better your life.
Printable VersionTags: coupon shopping, internet, job hunting, recession
Fabulous article and so full of commonsense! Everything you said is so true. Anytime I’ve been without home internet I’ve lost out on deals. Last year I was without a car for about 3 months. I can’t begin to tell you how much I lost on deals I couldn’t get and I do live in a big city! There was just no way for me to carry everything on the bus. And even if I could I still would have had to walk 3 blocks with everything. Thanks for sharing a lot of good common sense in your article!
Candace from Chicago
I totally agree with this article!
This really is a great article and actually makes total sense when you think about it. Especially since you have to opportunity to earn money online these days rather easily, it’s a great thing to have.
the old IF ITS 2 GooD 2 B TRU it usully is !!!
is TRU it always is !!!!!
I agree with you but some people think they have to have the best fast internet,area wide phone service a car payment thats more than they make in two weeks, and get the news paper everyday. They can down size these things and keep them to save money if you cant meet your bills why have the highest cost internet I say go to a cheaper package,if you only call places in your town why pay for area wide phone service, cut the news paper to wed & sunday save a little. Ok if you can sale the NEW car thats eating up half your pay why not but I say buy one that you can pay for all at one (time its income tax time.. I not saying cut things off just cut them back to a cheaper one..and use a few COUPONS……
I loved this article! You said the same things I’ve been saying for a very long time. I’m fairly new to this “couponing” thing, but I love it! My husband & I have three teen-aged boys & b/c I homeschool we only have one income. I tried to think of ways we could cut our budget, but b/c we don’t travel & go on week long vacations, or cruises, my “treat” is having the internet. Now that I’m clipping coupons I NEED the internet.
What I save in coupons, sales & deals more than pays for our internet AND cell phones! The first week of January I went to Kroger and with coupons & their sale items I got $77.77 off my total bill! The very next week, I got $107.00 off! That was for just two weeks!
The third week of last month, I didn’t have to go grocery shopping at all! I literaly didn’t buy any groceries (except milk, & bread)! We usually spend about $200.00 a week, so with the $77.00 plus the $107.00 & the $200.00 I didn’t have to spend…..that’s about $385.00 I have saved in three weeks!!! That pays for the cable, internet & cell phones for January!!! I can live with that!
Thanks for the article!
I can not say agree with any “logic” found in this article. If you find yourself in debt, without a job, no income, then you do whatever it takes to keep yourself from going more and more in debt.
The advice:
* Cut out internet and cable
* Cancel your cellular service
* Sell your car and get a bus pass
* Cancel your newspaper subscription
* Buy generics
Makes sense. No one will be out of touch if they don’t have 475 channels to watch to keep them from looking for a job. An antenna that Aunt Sue was going to throw out along with the free converter box will give you all of the basic news channels you need to keep you informed. If you don’t want to cut out internet, you can usually cut it back. No, you don’t need to have it with you all the time. NO ONE needs to get email on their phone, it only annoys the rest of us. Same with other cell phone charges. If you don’t want to get rid of it, get a pay as you go plan and cut back from $100 to $15 per month. Save $1000 a year. Sell your car yes, ride the bus, maybe not. But you can get one you can afford. Do you have a clue how many people are driving around in cars they can’t make payments on? Sell it! Even if you have to take a loss. Then buy something old and reliable. Yes, you can cancel your everyday newspaper subscription and just get weekend or Sunday papers to get your coupons. Or really talk to people, Oh my! And get your coupons for free.
You see, none of these are necessities. They are wants that we have grown accustomed to. I think it is great advice and if people had followed it sooner rather than later, we might not be where we are today.
So right!
Aw, this was a very nice post. In thought I wish to put in writing like this additionally ? taking time and precise effort to make an excellent article? but what can I say? I procrastinate alot and on no account appear to get one thing done.