HOT PURSUIT

Each month when I pay my cable TV/phone/internet bill, all bundled into one, it just pains me to fork out as much as I have been.

First, I must admit I don’t watch much TV. So, it always seemed ridiculous to me to be shelling out the kind of money I was for cable service. Give me the local channels mostly to watch news programs and a few sports channels, and I’m good.

With a few “discounts” applied, it has still come dangerously close to the $200 mark. I was already having ulcers thinking about what would happen when those discounts were set to come off next month.

I’ve tried to reason with the cable company in the past, but to no avail. They are head strung on keeping my cable bill off the charts. And, of course, to their greedy benefit.

A few weeks ago, while attending a home show at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, I came across a Verizon representative that quickly unwound my anxiety, well kind of. Verizon, which I utilize for cell phone service, had a grand plan to get me internet service and provided me with a couple additional options for watching TV without cable service.

It eerily sounded a little too slick, but they had my wallet busting at the seams in no time with so much extra cash.

I ordered the internet service through Verizon and within a couple days they shipped me a new router to operate the internet. This part saved me about $50 per month from what I had been paying.

Next, I headed out to the electronics department at a store to find an antenna to pick up local channels. The internet service that Verizon offered was going to give me a couple streaming channels on top of everything. And when the Twins season kicks into gear, I’ll be searching for a sports channel for minimal cost.

This is where the real savings kicked in. By ditching cable service, I made a one-time purchase of $50 for an antenna, and now I’ll be saving an additional $75 per month. In case you’re keeping track, I’m now saving $125 per month.

But it gets even better.

For the first time in my adult life, I am going without a home telephone. It has quickly become peaceful without the constant barrage of telemarketers calling my home, though it seems a little bit scary making such a plunge. I’m sure I’ll adjust, however.

Of course, the home phone was the cheapest of the bundling package coming in at just $15 per month. But add that onto the $125, and now I’ve just put an extra $140 in my pocket.

After cancelling my cable service late Friday, my phone rang right away Monday morning. Guess who? Why, it was the cable company looking to bring me back because they already missed the expensive love affair we had going on.

To keep me satisfied, they extended an offer of less than half of what I had been paying for several years. Too late as I’ve already moved on with my new romance with Verizon. It’s a courtship that only seemed appropriate to have started in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. I’m thinking Cupid is blushing about now.

Besides the cable service’s newest offer is still would be more than what I’ll be paying Verizon.

Sometimes it pays to go in hot pursuit of tackling cable companies who love to gouge consumers.