Pay Day

So it was pay day on Tuesday. Hence I’m writing this post today to give myself a better overview of my money situation.

Income after taxes: 10,768.46 kr. ($1,957.90)

Amount left after the fixed bills are paid (not including electricity, phone bill, public transportation, et.al.):  4,229.56 kr. ($769)

Snowflaking toward debt: 500 kr. ($90)

Snowflaking toward savings: 500 kr. ($90)

Budgeting for presents this Christmas: 850 kr. ($154.50)

Buffer: 300 kr. ($54.50)

Week 1: 400 kr. ($72)

Week 2: 400 kr. ($72)

Week 3: 400 kr. ($72)

Week 4: 400 kr. ($72)

Week 5: 400 kr. ($72)

This post probably makes more sense to me than to any of my readers. But I really needed to break it down in the above manner. For my own sake. This probably isn’t the most exciting post, so feel free to browse around my sidebar and my archives for more informative posts. This post was, admittedly, solely for me and my overview. And for my peace of mind.

Annual Overview Of Incoming Bills

I decided to do a post on here with an annual overview of the bills that I receive during the year listed by month. This is to give myself a greater and clearer perspective. So they no longer come “unexpectedly”. Because some of my bills are paid quarterly and annually as opposed to monthly. This list will be a work in progress because I will continue to add to the list as the months progress, adding the “unexpected” items as they arise. But right now these are the “known” items.

 

October:

Public Service TV License: 1140 kr. ($207.50) (quarterly)

Unemployment Insurance: 1173 kr.  ($213.50) (quarterly)

 

November:

Electric Bill: 1051 kr. ($191) (quarterly)

Industry Publishing Listing: 625 kr. ($124) (annually)

 

December:

Real Estate Waiting List: 305 kr. ($55.50) (annually)

 

January:

Public Service TV License: 1140 kr. ($207.50) (quarterly)

Unemployment Insurance: 1218 kr.  ($221.50) (quarterly)

DN: 247.50 kr. ($45) (annually)

Real Estate Internal Waiting List For My Apartment Complex: 200 kr. ($36.40) (annually)

 

April:

Public Service TV License: 1140 kr. ($207.50) (quarterly)

Unemployment Insurance: 1173 kr.  ($213.50) (quarterly)

 

July:

Public Service TV License: 1140 kr. ($207.50) (quarterly)

Unemployment Insurance: 1173 kr.  ($213.50) (quarterly)

Update: Internet Service Provider

I called my internet service provider today to lower my broadband speed. (To see why I had to do this you can read the original post here.)

I changed my speed from 12Mbit/1Mbit to the cheapest speed they had (which was 4Mbit/512kbit). And by doing this I save $6 every month. Which isn’t so much, yes granted. But it’s a “sacrifice” that I don’t notice. Because I honestly don’t notice the difference whether I’m using a 12Mbit or a 2Mbit speed. My needs are always the same, and these don’t seem to exceed the 2Mbit range :)

So I’m happy. I’m saving $6 every month by doing nothing really :) And those $6 will accumulate and save me a whole lot more in the long run! :)

Photos from: Ikobo Money Transfer and Tommy Hill.

How much do you spend on your internet bill?

Can you save money on it?

Got a letter from my Internet Service Provider

I got a letter from my internet service provider today.

And the title of the letter read: “Your broadband will be faster and a little more expensive”. Yes, it does actually say that. I couldn’t help laughing a bit and thinking ‘of course, not surprising one bit’. :)

The rest of the letter goes on to tell me that they will be increasing my broadband speed from 10 MB/1 Mbit to 12 MB/1 Mbit. And charging me of course for it. I can however still manage to revert to my old speed - and if I do it before June 30, 2009, it’s absolutely free. You can sense the irony I have in my voice here don’t you ;)

What a band of sneaky, low-life people behind such an endeavor.

They do this a couple of times a year. Switch my broadband speed to a something higher. It’s always free to begin with, so you won’t complain. Then they begin to charge you. However this time there’s no “free trial period”. It’s just up’ing it right away.

I’ve had this internet service provider for 2½ years and I ordered 2 MB/512 kbit back then. And I still want 2 MB/512 kbit now. But in the meantime they’ve managed to change my broadband speed probably 8-9 times. I’ve called them and changed it back 4-5 times. Whenever that I could see that I had to dish out more cash. And I’ll definitely be calling them about it this time (so I guess that’s 6 times then).

I just want an internet service provider that could give me 2 MB/512 kbit back then and keep giving the 2 MB/512 kbit until now. Steadily and stabile. Not all this up and down switching of prices and speeds. I pay my bills to them stable and steadily every month and have done so always throughout these past 2½ years with no exception. I’d at least think I deserve the the common decency to get this sort of stability in return. Man, if I paid my bills the way they switched their prices I’d definitely be going to court by now.

Well, I guess that’s just the way of the free market, and something we’ll have to live with. They have a right to change their prices as much as they want (and thank goodness for that:) as long as they give the consumers a choice - as to whether or not they want to buy the product.

They do make it difficult though ;) As difficult as possible. And sometimes as confusing and non-transparent as possible. But with a little critical judgement and old fashion common sense, you can very often quite quickly see and spot through all the bullsh*t and see what they’re really saying. And what it is they want. From you.

** Here’s a reminder to self to call them on Monday.