So far, August has been a month of company dissatisfaction around the Harris household. This is how the Queen of Procrastination operates–I put things off for months and months and then when I finally get fed up, I take care of everything at once. So why am I feeling guilty for cutting several companies loose? Some of them have been with us for nearly two decades. All I can say is after suffering in silence for so long my mantra has changed from 'I'm a Doormat' to 'Money Talks and I Walk.'
So why do I feel guilty for canceling the garbage pickup service that we've had for almost 20 years and signing on with a new upstart? Everyone else in the neighborhood is changing companies so why shouldn't we? The old company has been steadily raising their prices ever since we started with them, but I figured we were stuck. Who else wants to come out to the suburbs that are on the opposite side of town from the dump which is about 16 miles away? When constantly adding surcharges to make up for the price of gas didn't do it for them, they decided to cut us down to once a week, but they sure didn't drop the price.
We probably would have kept them because (1) I'm lazy, (2) I'm a coward who hates confrontation, and (3) I worry I'll hurt their feelings. They're a business that probably has thousands of customers and I'm sure they couldn't care less about us, but I still feel like a very bad person.
I contacted the company most of our neighbors seem to have signed up with and they were way less expensive, so I bit the bullet and signed up.
Next on my list of longterm companies we're fixin' to drop is our alarm company. I have no grievances with them except for the fact that they have gotten way too expensive as well. We've also had them for nearly 20 years and I guess they think it's okay to keep jumping our bill up until it's ridiculous.
Don't these companies know we're on a fixed income here? Apparently, they couldn't care less.
The satellite provider we've had since the first-time satellite television came to our little town and moved with us to our new hometown has also gotten so high, pricewise, that if it weren't for the fact that I'm addicted to certain television programs and the ability to record everything so I can watch them when I want, I'd ditch them in a minute. (Not so fun fact–I lived here for a few years before it dawned on me that I could record the morning news and watch it at my leisure. I'm a little slow catching on sometimes but I get there eventually.)
I guess I could see if our provider has a cheaper option containing the channels, I feel I can't live without but that would require me getting off my duff and doing it. The Queen of Procrastination still lives here after all.
Our satellite system has been messing up badly for the last few months and I've spent more time rebooting it than watching, or so it seems. Rebooting seems to be the only 'fix' the people on the other end of the phone know how to do. Pretty soon that is not gonna work anymore and then there will be some serious fit throwing going on around here. If they want to keep holding us hostage to their prices they better come up with a better solution.
Just this last week I canceled the internet company that we've had for four or five years. I think that showed incredible patience for really lousy internet service. They had plenty of time to make it good and when it never happened, we cut the virtual cord and changed companies– again. This is probably the fifth company we've had since we moved here. They all start out great then go down the tubes, service-wise, really fast.
We've been discussing changing cell phone providers lately. We had another popular provider but changed when the iPhone came out because they weren't offering them yet. I remember feeling bad about that, but our son begged me for the newest phone, and I acquiesced (translation: I caved). I can barely answer the phone while sitting in my recliner without the other party saying I'm breaking up. I get almost no bars! In my own home! Unacceptable, I must say.
I have never embraced change as I've always been a creature of habit and if you treat me right, I'll stay by your side forever. Is that because I'm loyal, lazy or a doormat? Or, perhaps, a little bit of all three. Naw–I'm still the Queen of Procrastination.