I was inspired by Jetjockey787 to sort of explain my setup. I was "impressed" a number of years ago by an off-hand evaluation that many of my employees were spending as much as 20% of their salary (pre-tax) on phone/cableTV/internet, etc. and have always found the practice to be nuts.

Back in 2011 I decided to realign everything (never did have cable TV, but still had a land-line).

I was able to use an interface (just discontinued by the manufacturer, but mine is still functional) to attach my analog landline phone system to the internet. Then I ported my landline phone number to Google Voice (using a cell phone as an intermediate hop as they wouldn't transfer a traditional landline, but would a mobile phone number). SO, since then, I've still got the same landline phone number we've had for decades, my phones still ring thee same, have the same dial tone, I now even get text messages to my "landline" as well as voicemails as emails. Basically, I get everything and more - except a phone bill, as it is a free service.

My TV is received "over the air" and I think we get around 40 free channels (though, to be honest, I generally watch PBS (Public TV) which comes in on (at least) 8 different channels (we live on the top floor of a building in NYC).

My Mobile phone is on Google's Project Fi which charges $10 a GB (to a max of 4, I think and then its free, but I never get that high), so with taxes, other services, etc. brings the bill to an average of about $34 a month. The main advantage is that it functions in nearly every country (we spend 6-10 months a year wandering) at the same data cost and international roaming costs about $.10 a minute. My wife (who uses her phone as a Fitbit clone and the occasional call to me or the reverse) has been using a pre-paid T-Mobile SIM for years that we keep alive with an annual donation of $10 to her account.

And, like Jetjockey787, I hold an annual negotiation with my cable company (Optimum) for a high-speed internet connection at $25 a month (over which my newfangled VOIP "landline" is connected.

So, other than web-hosting costs (not part of the discussion), my datacom and TV costs run about $60 a month for international data/phone, internet, landline phone and TV (and standard AM/FM radio).

Jeff