I've cut my telco expenses down to $52.99 a month. $45 a month for wireless on my iPhone (I use StraightTalk wireless which is $45 a month, no contracts, no B.S. - I bought the phone free and clear, unlocked direct from Apple, then put my own ST nano SIM in it). Then $7.99 a month for Netflix. Beyond that I use Apple TV for anything "on demand" that I happen to want to see, which isn't all that much. I probably watch a show a week if that and a a couple of movies a month (budget another $15-$25 a month or so give or take). I buy them all then I have them on iTunes whenever I want and no commercials. I have an antenna for "over the air" broadcasts but I really only use it for very occasional sporting events (world series, NFL playoffs once in a great while, stuff like that). I dislike the over-the-air broadcasts because of all the commercials - I value my time too much to sit there and be bombarded by pushy marketing efforts. No way. I can borrow all the movies I want from the local library, which has a fairly extensive DVD selection (great for kids stuff too). I also borrow their audio books a lot (currently working through Noam Chomsky's "Failed States").
I recently cut my ADSL too - I have a personal hotspot issued through work so I can work remotely or from home with unlimited data so I use that and tether my Apple TV, laptop and iPad to it. No need to pay for my own internet
That saved another $49 a month. I can't fathom how people feel the need to pay hundreds of dollars a month to AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner and all the rest - they all suck and the content is largely horrible and loaded with commercial B.S. Maybe you guys have time / patience for that but I sure don't! I want what I want when I want it and I want it clean and without a lot of B.S. and overhead cost. This system works very well for me. I could afford the "market rate" stuff but I figure why? What does it get me other than big bills? If I were paying for cable or satellite TV, a "standard" mobile phone text / voice / data plan, etc. and home internet, I'd easily be up over $200 a month, probably closer to $250. That's maybe $1,200-$2,400 a year in my pocket by simply not wanting to be ripped off and not watch commercials or waste my time rotting away in front of the idiot box. Heck, that'll pay for my hotel stay in Kauai for a week later this year, which I'd far rather spend the money on!