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double aught
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In reply to Texasyankee • 5:57p, 2/2/22
AG

Quote:
How does this thread feel about paying for services like yard care and pest control? I've been back and forth with my better half about lawn mowing lately. (Which I don't like to do)

Our guys charge $35 per mow, and only charge when they actually come. In the warm months, April-November they average 4 mows per month and the other months are 1-2 mows per month.

We can afford it, but is it worth it to keep paying for convenience when I could do it myself?



Sounds like paying someone to mow is worth it to you. For me, it's not. I don't mind doing it, gets me out of the house, I listen to a podcast or music, and I get exercise.
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chris1515
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6:05p, 2/2/22
AG
One other oppty to review is gym memberships. I pay in advance for 3 years of LA Fitness at a time and it saves a good chunk over month to month.

I also have a recurring membership to a massage place that I'm 50-50 on cancelling, but it is nice to have sometimes.
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YouBet
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In reply to Texasyankee • 6:18p, 2/2/22
AG
Texasyankee said:
How does this thread feel about paying for services like yard care and pest control? I've been back and forth with my better half about lawn mowing lately. (Which I don't like to do)

Our guys charge $35 per mow, and only charge when they actually come. In the warm months, April-November they average 4 mows per month and the other months are 1-2 mows per month.

We can afford it, but is it worth it to keep paying for convenience when I could do it myself?
I attempted to do pest control on my own with resources from domyown.com. I did it once and realized that one time was enough for me to realize I want no part of it. I'll pay for that although we don't currently use anyone for pest control.

I also pay for lawncare. I'm not even going to share what we pay for that because it's insane. However, it's one stop lawncare. They do everything - fertilizer, pulling weeds, removing all seasonal dead stuff, any other treatments I might want, etc.

I used to do my own lawn. I no longer do it for three reasons:
  • I've mowed more lawns in my life than I care to ever do again. Had my own business in high school. I'm just over it and would rather spend my time doing something else.
  • It's one more way to hurt my back. I realize hurting my back while mowing is very low likelihood, but I simply don't do much where I put my back at risk anymore.
  • I don't really have a great spot to store a mower anywhere, anyway.
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YouBet
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In reply to chris1515 • 6:20p, 2/2/22
AG
chris1515 said:
One other oppty to review is gym memberships. I pay in advance for 3 years of LA Fitness at a time and it saves a good chunk over month to month.

I also have a recurring membership to a massage place that I'm 50-50 on cancelling, but it is nice to have sometimes.
I use an app and workout at home. It's $100 per year.

I have SelectTech dumbbells, a bench, a bike, and a rower. Good to go.
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agdaddy04
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In reply to YouBet • 6:36p, 2/2/22
AG
I know this is a detail but what rower do you have?
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YouBet
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In reply to agdaddy04 • 6:38p, 2/2/22
AG
agdaddy04 said:
I know this is a detail but what rower do you have?
It's not a great one. My parents got it for me for Christmas. I just learned from wife that's it from Sharper Image.

Thus, I might get about 10 workouts from it before it spontaneously explodes. It does the job but I would recommend a more legitimate one.
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Sea Speed
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In reply to YouBet • 7:03p, 2/2/22
AG
Pest control is like the easiest maintenance ever. Spread bifen it quarterly and boom done.
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YouBet
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In reply to Sea Speed • 7:10p, 2/2/22
AG
Sea Speed said:
Pest control is like the easiest maintenance ever. Spread bifen it quarterly and boom done.
Probably. I did the spray one where you measure your linear footprint. Complete PITA and mixing insecticide is not something I care to do. I'm sure there is an easier way but I don't give a damn enough to do it.
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Redstone
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7:12p, 2/2/22
AG
I pay for oil changes. Just don't want to do it.
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AgsMyDude
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In reply to Diggity • 7:12p, 2/2/22
AG
Diggity said:
62strat said:
htxag09 said:
Yes, $150 was an exaggeration. But comparing like for like plans, a plan with 5 lines will easily be less than half per line than a plan with 1 line, after all taxes and fees.

My wife and I have our own plan. I got my own phone line the week I graduated college. But I absolutely understand why people don't. You're incentivized to have more lines on a plan.
It's no different than splitting rent/utilities with 2 others is always gonna be cheaper than living on your own.
But that doesn't mean young adults should live at home until they find roommates.
There are plenty of areas to cut out the extra ~$50 in a single person's life in an effort to not suck on the teet into their mid or late 20s.
yeah, that's completely different. One is taking up physical space and inconveniencing the property owner. The other is cost allocation.


Yeah I'm in my early 30s and still on my parents cell plan. It's cheaper for everyone involved and I have absolutely no shame in it at all.

I'm not sucking anyone's teet.
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Redstone
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In reply to AgsMyDude • 7:21p, 2/2/22
AG
We have our own plan.
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AgsMyDude
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In reply to Redstone • 7:22p, 2/2/22
AG
Congratulations.
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Diggity
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In reply to Sea Speed • 7:23p, 2/2/22
AG
Until you get some neuroligical disorder.
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Sea Speed
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In reply to Diggity • 7:34p, 2/2/22
AG
Maybe, but bifen is interior safe stuff and exactly what the pest guy would be spraying and its not like I'm huffing the fumes. I am certain I have done worse things to my body.
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Diggity
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In reply to Sea Speed • 7:40p, 2/2/22
AG
Fair point
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Redstone
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In reply to AgsMyDude • 8:21p, 2/2/22
AG
Agree. I got my own plan approximately 20 years ago, navigating to Verizon approximately a decade from then, now another decade passed. At present, we have 2 lines, covering 2 adjacent area codes.
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AgsMyDude
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In reply to Redstone • 8:59p, 2/2/22
AG
Okay?
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YouBet
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10:18a, 2/4/22
AG
I've updated my OP with additional items originally forgotten about and cleaned it up to simplify.

Of note, Prime just announced a 17% price increase yesterday so that service is now $150 per year with tax. That is a 40% increase just since 2018.
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Matsui
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In reply to Texasyankee • 10:35a, 2/4/22
AG
4 mows a month!? No. Cut that in half.
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62strat
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In reply to Texasyankee • 10:41a, 2/4/22
AG
Texasyankee said:
How does this thread feel about paying for services like yard care and pest control? I've been back and forth with my better half about lawn mowing lately. (Which I don't like to do)

Our guys charge $35 per mow, and only charge when they actually come. In the warm months, April-November they average 4 mows per month and the other months are 1-2 mows per month.

We can afford it, but is it worth it to keep paying for convenience when I could do it myself?
It takes me under an hour to do a full mow/edge/blow. And I'm in CO, so it's enjoyable to be outside, so I don't mind doing that at all.

But I did sign up for true green two seasons ago with hopes to get my grass looking real good. I told myself I'd give them 3 summers, but unless something drastically happens this summer, I don't see a noticeable difference compared to when I was doing it myself.

So I may be dropping it. $360 a year, compared to maybe $75 for products DIY.
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mosdefn14
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In reply to 62strat • 10:43a, 2/4/22
AG
Might want to revisit your DIY assumptions. Fertilizer prices got bidened.

My fertilizer guy went up from ~$50/treatment to $53/treatment for 2022, but the bags I'd buy at Ewing to DIY are probably $10 higher than last year.
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62strat
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In reply to mosdefn14 • 10:47a, 2/4/22
AG
mosdefn14 said:
Might want to revisit your DIY assumptions. Fertilizer prices got bidened.

My fertilizer guy went up from ~$50/treatment to $53/treatment for 2022, but the bags I'd buy at Ewing to DIY are probably $10 higher than last year.
I use just 1 large bag a year, so $10 isn't going to change much for me.
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double aught
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In reply to YouBet • 11:11a, 2/4/22
AG
YouBet said:
Sea Speed said:
Pest control is like the easiest maintenance ever. Spread bifen it quarterly and boom done.
Probably. I did the spray one where you measure your linear footprint. Complete PITA and mixing insecticide is not something I care to do. I'm sure there is an easier way but I don't give a damn enough to do it.
About a year ago I ditched the professionals and started applying Ortho Home Defense myself. It's cheap and easy, and I think it works pretty well. My wife, however, expects a 100% success rate and gets worked up when she finds the rare insect in the house. Then she wants to go back to the overpriced exterminator who probably was no more successful than me.
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Sea Speed
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In reply to Sea Speed • 12:28p, 3/2/22
AG
Sea Speed said:
RockOn said:
No just a typical plan from Mint Mobile.
https://texags.com/forums/30/topics/3262361


Yea i just switched to mint yesterday. I will be saving at least $100/month between the 2 lines.


I am a month in to mint. I have enjoyed it overall. I took a road trip and there was a section of the florida panhandle where i had no signal but i am unable to say if i would have had service with verizon as i have not been through there with it. Probably a 10 mile stretch of I-10. I have had 3 calls dropped, 2 on the road trip and i believe one randomly driving, but i am not sure. I would say that sometimes the phone calls are less than perfect, but it is not so troublesome that I would want to go back. Internet speeds have been just fine on my 4G phone and my wifes phone connects to 5G just fine but i am not sure what the speeds are. I bought a 6 month plan and will enjoy not having a bill whatsoever over the next 5 months.
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Sea Speed
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In reply to YouBet • 12:28p, 3/2/22
AG
YouBet said:
I've updated my OP with additional items originally forgotten about and cleaned it up to simplify.

Of note, Prime just announced a 17% price increase yesterday so that service is now $150 per year with tax. That is a 40% increase just since 2018.
quoting you since i know you were interested in switching to mint. Look at my review one post above. I would make the switch again.
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YouBet
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In reply to Sea Speed • 7:12p, 3/2/22
AG
Sea Speed said:
YouBet said:
I've updated my OP with additional items originally forgotten about and cleaned it up to simplify.

Of note, Prime just announced a 17% price increase yesterday so that service is now $150 per year with tax. That is a 40% increase just since 2018.
quoting you since i know you were interested in switching to mint. Look at my review one post above. I would make the switch again.
Thanks. I'm still holding on this particular switch until I understand a job situation I'm waiting on.
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gvine07
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9:30p, 3/6/22
AG
After quickly scrolling through, I didn't see any mention of Apple's bundle. https://www.apple.com/apple-one/

Apple One includes:
200gb or 2 TB iCloud Data
Apple TV+
News + (Includes WSJ, Houston Chronicle, and dozens of other papers and magazines)
Apple Music
Fitness
(Other stuff I don't use)

It's cheaper than the WSJ sub, and probably worth it if you're already paying for iCloud and Apple Music
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YouBet
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In reply to gvine07 • 10:45p, 3/6/22
AG
Good callout. Will check into this.
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YouBet
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3:14p, 3/7/22
AG
Ran the numbers on Apple One based on my current sub expirations. Will replace WSJ in April with Apple News and then when my 1 year free of Apple TV runs out, I will let that ride.

Will save $31 per month starting in April and then $26 per month when Apple TV free trial ends. Because I really like my workout app it doesn't make sense for me to fully commit to Apple One because I would not replace my app with Apple Fitness so it would be more expensive for me to go to Apple One rather than just staying unbundled.
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jamey
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3:26p, 3/7/22
AG
I rotate my live TV service whether it be Fubo or YTTV with Netflix and others.


Live TV is for football season so I cancel it after the college national championship game.


Then go back to a rotation of Netflix, HBO, AppleTV..etc
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YouBet
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9:34a, 4/9/22
AG
Summary update of where we are right now. Added even more that wasn't in original post that I had forgotten about.

Damage: 22 subs that add up to between $300-550 per month depending on when it hits. Crazy town.

Monthly:
Apple Data Plans
Apple Music
Apple TV
BarkBox
DMN
Hulu Basic
MS GamePass
MS LinkedIn (2)
Netflix
Sirius Radio (2)
TexAgs.com
Todoist
Veritas
YouTube TV

Semi-Annual:
Molekule
Pvolve - workout app for wife

Annual:
Amazon Prime
Disney+
MS 365
Shred - workout app for me
Tiller - new but replaced Quicken

Cancelled ($554/yr in savings):
WSJ - $42/mo
Bitdefender - $50/yr

Plan To Cancel ($1,040/yr in savings):
Molekule ($140/yr) - air filter sub that will probably get cancelled now that big dog has passed
Veritas ($75/mo) - local wine club
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bmks270
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10:49a, 4/9/22
AG
This reminded me of a few annual subs I need to cancel.

I've got Microsoft
YouTube
Apple
Audible (which I keep forgetting to cancel).

Then a few more niche subs to content creators I need to cancel.

I'm probably around $1200 a year in needless subscription junk. Not including phone.

But in terms of hours of entertainment and learning content, still getting good value in my opinion.

I wouldn't even use YouTube if I couldn't pay for no ads.
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AGGIE WH08P
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7:40a, 4/10/22
AG
On the Amazon prime stuff…
I'm sure many of y'all live in cities with plenty of Amazon trucks. If so, you might consider comparing how long a non prime membership delivery really takes. I have never been a prime member, but try to make all my orders over $35 for free shipping. It always tells me ship times will be 3-4 days, but most of the time it's delivered in 36-48 hours. I'm assuming that they are just too efficient of a company and knowing that an Amazon truck is coming down my street 2-3x a day, mine gets here sooner.
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YouBet
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In reply to AGGIE WH08P • 8:59a, 4/10/22
AG
AGGIE WH08P said:
On the Amazon prime stuff…
I'm sure many of y'all live in cities with plenty of Amazon trucks. If so, you might consider comparing how long a non prime membership delivery really takes. I have never been a prime member, but try to make all my orders over $35 for free shipping. It always tells me ship times will be 3-4 days, but most of the time it's delivered in 36-48 hours. I'm assuming that they are just too efficient of a company and knowing that an Amazon truck is coming down my street 2-3x a day, mine gets here sooner.


This is actually a very good and valid point. Depending on where you are in their supply chain it might simply make more sense for them to just move your product as Prime because it would create other inefficiencies for them if they didn't.

It's a form of arbitrage and if you have figured that out, then good on you. Might work for me as well considering I'm only a few miles from their north Texas DCs on 635.
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AGGIE WH08P
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10:28a, 4/10/22
AG
Yup. I'm just west of you.
If anything, I think Amazon intentionally makes me wait for a few hours or a day before they "process" my order. Obviously since I'm not a prime member. Once it's processed, I get it within 12-24 hours.
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