Our overall telecom expense has become a major element in our monthly budget. It might be a good idea to get an overview of the telecommunications scene periodically to see if your mix could be tweaked profitably. For instance, most people assume that they need a landline phone, DSL, and a cell phone to get the services they want – but we know folks who have eliminated the expense of the landline phone and use a cell phone plus radiowave internet (and the cell is needed for a business, so it’s a tax writeoff, too).

Need to save cash? You probably don’t need caller ID or call waiting… even though they might seem a nice convenience.

You might not even really need both a land line phone and a cell phone. The idea of jettisoning one or the other could be worth looking into.

How about those great package deals that got you hooked in and went up in price after the first year? (Are you sure your favorite channels aren't in the basic package anyway? The cable companies may not even have told you about this "broadcast-only" option.) They say you can negotiate a reduction in your network fees if you talk to a few supervisors (after all, they don't want to lose you to another provider).

By the way, there are free online services that allow you to download a lot of TV shows. Try www.fancast.com and www.hulu.com - and some of the TV network websites.

For that matter, perhaps you could read more (borrowed books) and save a bundle on cable! (Add the monthly expenses up and multiply by twelve… Wow, huh?)