Technology, Hulu, and Rainy Days

I know, quite the combo!  

After the sticker shock yesterday’s research, I am continuing to look into other cell phone options. When I told Hubby how much AT&T wanted, I think his jaw all but hit the floor. It is easy to forget how much these contracts can cost when you haven’t had one for several years. Of course the reps you speak with always try to upsell their plans by suggesting you add TV, etc. Not going to happen. I refuse to get locked into a two-year contract with a crazy monthly payment. I’m not a huge television watcher, and there are far cheaper options available for when I do want to watch.  

Hubby said that for the time being, he would live with the quirks of his current phone. When it dies, we will look at other options. Oh, how I wish Republic Wireless worked better where we live as getting another phone through them would be a no-brainer. As for when work does disconnect my phone, I am now looking into what Walmart has to offer. We’ve used their Straight Talk no-contract plans in the past, and their prices were decent. I’ll hold off on doing anything until I receive an official date of shut off from my boss. One thing I’m not so sure she is aware of is that my work-provided phone is under contract until next May. Unfortunately, given how irritated she acts about me having this benefit, it wouldn’t surprise me if she would opt to pay to get out of the contract.

Yesterday I took advantage of a nice little money maker from Swagbucks. For those who might be unfamiliar, Swagbucks is basically a search engine in which you can earn cash (via PayPal deposits) and gift cards from doing simple things like searching the web, watching short videos, taking surveys, etc. While like many things you do from home, it won’t make you rich, but every little bit does help. I feel this is especially true when you are trying to dig out of a mountain of debt like yours truly. It’s not for nothing I call this blog A Dime at a Time!

Anyhow, as for the offer from Swagbucks, the money maker comes from signing up for a month of Hulu. This offer is on their home page, and I believe it is only good through this weekend. Signing up for one month (I chose their cheapest plan of $7.99), you will earn 3000 Swagbucks, which has an approximate value of $30. This 3000 credited instantly. I took 2200 of that 3000 to cash out for a discounted Lowes gift card valued at $25. Swagbucks discounts one gift card per month. Woo hoo, another $25 towards the snow blower we need! Factoring the $7.99 I spent for a month of Hulu, I still netted $25, and have a month of TV to watch. I made a note to cancel the service before getting charged again. I thank One Family for pointing this offer out to her readers. At some point, I do plan on writing a blog post on how I’ve earned extra money via Swagbucks. For those who might be curious, here is a screen shot of my earnings to date. With one Swagbuck roughly equivalent to one penny, I’m not far from hitting the $4,000 mark in earnings. Not bad for passive income!

With our forecast calling for several rainy days, we have perfect weather for watching Hulu. Thankfully I am nowhere near Hurricane Harvey, but for those who are, you are in my prayers. Stay safe!