Things taken for granted no more

As we get near year-end and people and business start making plans for 2010 I thought it made sense to review some of the things we take for granted to see if really should continue to assume we have to do business these same ways in 2010

• Phone Service - At our houses most people still have land lines or VOIP services directly associated with their homes, while more and more of our voice usage is via cell phones. At what point will your land lines / VOIP go away and you will rely totally on your cell service? For me, the only folks who call my home phone are the many telemarketers I ignore based on their CallerID. Once my last child heads off to college this coming fall my VOIP service will be gone (sorry Vonage).

• Satellite Radio - A few years ago, it seemed like Satellite radio was the way to go for getting commercial free radio and the programming you wanted. Today the progress that Internet Radio has made makes Internet Radio a viable option for many homeowners and small business. Take a look at your ROI for picking up a dedicated Internet Radio device or just connecting an old PC to your existing sound system vs. paying those monthly fees to Sirius / XM.

• Cable Service - You may or may not be ready to cut the cord with your cable provider (unless they are also your broadband service provider) in lieu of getting your TV shows via many of the Internet options available. But you may be able to at least cut back some of the channels you subscribe to as they may not really be used or moving to the web makes more sense.

While I have listed only 3 items above, tis the season to review not only these items, but also look at all of your recurring expenses and make sure you are not paying for services you no longer need or can get in alternative and potentially less expensive manner.

Share your ideas on what expenses you are reviewing as there are now better ways to perform this work or service.