Building a Home: Budgeting in Rural PA

[ChefMoore]

We are building a house in a really rural area in PA. I'm trying to come up with a budget for when we move into our own house and have a mortgage and everything, so we can start living that way now to get used to it. (right now we live with my parents to save $). I've been looking into tv and internet and was wondering if anyone else lives in a small area and has a company they are happy with that they are not paying too much for. Any suggestions?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

We are building a house in a really rural area in PA. I'm trying to come up with a budget for when we move into our own house and have a mortgage and everything, so we can start living that way now to get used to it. (right now we live with my parents to save $). I've been looking into tv and internet and was wondering if anyone else lives in a small area and has a company they are happy with that they are not paying too much for. Any suggestions?

well, since cable around here is so regulated, we don't really have any choice - we get Comcast, or nothing at all......there are other internet providers - but Comcast offers a bundle deal that is hard to pass up.....and the internet provider we had before only offered dial-up for our area - and not even high-speed dial-up eek: ) so I had to go with Comcast......

 

[ChefMoore]

I was looking at Comcast, but I don't know what to consider a good deal.

 

[pamperedpals]

We live in a rural area of Washington State and we have Internet through satelite. The company is HughesNet. We also have satelite TV through DirecTV.

We were just able to get voicemail and caller ID call waiting where we live. There isn't an option of high speed dial up for the internet, so this seemed the best for us.

 

[lkprescott]

I live in PA... TV service is either Comcast or DirecTV... We have Comcast basic service (non-digital) and broadband. Total bill is $62/month. They're also running a promotion of phone/broadband/TV for like $99 or some such. Other than that... you'll want to find out who provides phone out there.. could be Verizon or D&E (used to be Conestoga)... Verizon of course provides phone and internet (DSL) and D&E provides both too (DeJazzd is the online service). Make calls now or check rates online to get an idea of what your budget should be for them. Another option for phone is to have broadband and have a VOIP phone (voice over IP - it's an internet based phone) like Vonage... those rates are very competitive price wise when compared to a phone company like D&E but won't work if the internet is down or the power is out. We have a Vonage line for our computer business... it's great, free long-distance to anywhere in the US any time but if internet/power is out, we have no business phone. You're wise to do your research now!

 

[crystalscookingnow]

We have high-speed (faster than dial-up, but not DSL superfast) through At&t. We live in a rural area as well & this was our only option. It works really well for us, plus I can switch between the laptop & desktop without any trouble & when we're on vacation or on a trip somewhere, I can take the laptop & have internet on the road. Really great for when you're going somewhere & think you know where you're going, only to find out that you don't.

 

[pamperedalf]

I live in a small area in Northern Cali. and we have Comcast. We have the option of Satalite or Cable. what I found w/ Satalite is that it would cost us almost $400 to get everything going, way too much for my blood. Comcast will give you a deal for a year usually when you sign up. I have been happy with them so far.Oh we pay $109 a month for a bronze package/internet. That includes a lot of sports channels & the speed channel(the only reason we have that package) and then our cable internet.

 

[Kodeysmom]

Well we have satellite because our driveway is about 1500 feet long and it will cost about $2000 to get cable run up to our house, so we have Dish network. And maybe i shouldn't say this but my husband works for Comcast- I know married to "the cable guy" and we have satellite.
But comcast system ends about 2 houses down from us so that puts us in Charters area. Well my husband came home yesterday and just got enough "feeder" to run to the house. Now he just needs to get a trench dug and the cable layed.
Satellite is okay but really sucks when the wind blows a little or a storm comes through then it goes out.