And failing miserably.
While our house-hunting trip in April was a success - we did find a house, after all - it was all so down-to-the-wire that there was no time left over to do anything about lining up services at the new house prior to our move. So now I'm trying to do them from here, and I'm finding it rather daunting.
There are SO MANY options! Too many. And so many opportunities to feel ripped off.
Home phone - Do we want to switch to something like Vonage? (Although we had a truly horrific experience with them here in Colorado Springs, I hope it would be better if we went with Vonage right from the get-go.) Should we all just have individual cell phones? But then, how would we send/receive faxes? (You'd be surprised how often we use our fax machine. I know I am.)
Internet - there are now something like six different service options - and that's if we go the phone-provider route! If I choose one of the cheaper options, will the family rebel against me and lament about dial-up speed? "I have to go to my friend's house, Mom. Our internet is too slow, and I have homework to do."
TV as well... cable vs. digital vs. satellite. And don't even get me started on cell phones. And school registration. And university registration. Oh, yeah, and finding a job - which I will need if we're going to pay for all those services.
I remember the good old days, way back in 1984. All we had to do was contact the utilities (and there was only one service provider) and Bell Canada (another monopoly). The biggest stress then was facing all the astronomical hook-up charges. And all that was stressful enough.
Reflecting on all this, I'm glad I've quit my job early. It's going to take me several weeks, I think, to sort it out. In the meantime, I think I'll just curl up into a little ball here.
Whimper.
Or I'll make a table. Yeah. Spreadsheets and tables are always reassuring as they break things down into manageable parts. So clean, so organized, so discrete. Each element with its own line. All the information in one place. This SO appeals to the OCD in me. There. Even just thinking about organizing the information has calmed me. Sigh.
If this adds any to your burden, consider a conventional phone line with a conventional tethered phone (ie non-portable). The problem with VoIP and cell phones is that when the power goes out, you have no phone. You can't order a pizza, check on loved ones, call 911, if the batteries are down (or the service isn't working because there's no electricity). Traditional phone lines have a current, which is why we're always warned about using the phone during electrical storms-- but it means that they'll work when there's no power. Even if the fancy features like call display don't. This is also a consideration if you have an alarm system.
ReplyDeleteThe other options are great as an add-on, but personally I'm sticking with basic Bell, and then use other options for long distance, cell, internet, cordless phones, etc.
Hope this helps...