Markporium

Hi all,

My stepson recently gave me the idea for a store that has everything I care about.  It would be wildly random, with these sections (that I can think of)

a) Fly fishing and hand tied flies
b) Spin fishing, maybe eventually handmade rods
c) Philosophy and HMTCA Rogue Book club books
d) Legos
e) Computers and computer parts, with a place for donations that would be repurposed for @gr8fullyfeclub
f) Math and math education
g) Computer help desk
h) Math and computer tutoring
i) Smart Phone frugality (how to use your phone to make money or save it)
j) Gardening/garden tools
k) Road and mountain bikes
l) Thule racks
m) Rock Climbing
m) Used and traded in gear for everything above

GoogleFi

Hi all,

I've just learned I've been doing it wrong.  My googlefi is on a Samsung note9 (unlocked from AT&T) but I'm only getting the Tmobile towers that way.  I need to try googlefi on a googlefi phone to get the true measure of the service.  Apparently, on a GoogleFi phone, it switches from TMobile to Sprint to US Cellular, depending on the service strength. 
https://support.google.com/fi/thread/4727480

If you'd like to try it, feel free to try the link below:

https://g.co/fi/r/YMY8CK

I will say that even on a Samsung Note 9 without the tower switching capability, the data on my GoogleFi phone vastly outperforms the data on Sprint.  However, the voice quality is lesser than the sprint service, and both of them aren't quite as good as AT&T (Sprint has worse data, GoogleFi has worse voice).  They ALL have dead spots between Winsted and Hartford, for both voice and data.   

So.  Now I have to try a GoogleFi phone with GoogleFi service, even though the specs on the Pixel XL aren't as good as the specs on the Note 9.  Maybe this will lead to the best service overall?  I'm optimistic, but not idealistically so. 

Fully sustainable life? @goalzero @Atlis @tinysolar #solar #sustainability @tesla

Hi all,

I've been thinking about being fully sustainable for a while now.  I suppose many people go "off the grid" to prove their sustainability.  I'd like to stay on the grid, but I think the product I'd like doesn't exist yet.  There are a lot of van life posts on instagram and youtube, and they take a diesel or gasoline powered van and turn it sort of solar.  I'd like to take an electric vehicle, make it as solar powered as it can be, and tour as much of the country as I can during my summer break.  I think the right vehicle for this would be the Atlis truck with a camper on the back, powered by goal zero and a system by #tinysolar.  In full sun/best situation, I think the camper could fully power itself, and (MAYBE) feed some power back to the truck itself.  If my base camp has a solar bank and a solar wall from Tesla, I could get full recharges for free. 

If this is possible, then road trips would be almost free!  This triggers my cheap button . . . but also my sustainable button.  I'm sure there are some engineering problems I haven't thought about.  I also don't know what kind of camper top I'd like/need to augment the Atlis.  The best option would probably be an Atlis van, if such a thing does/could exist, which is full 4wd, dually, and looks a lot like the mercedes vans. 

I'd love anybody's take on this - I know somebody's thought about doing it before.  It's probably a pipe dream, but it seems like a nice dream.

Have a great day all,

Mark

Two phones? Weird, but still cheaper than ATT or Verizon

Hi all,

For many reasons, I left AT&T and Verizon as cell carriers.  They're the largest, and therefore their towers are better, but they are cost prohibitive, the bills fluctuate too much, and their business practices leave a lot to be desired.  I did some research, and found the following:

a) Sprint's voice is ok, but their data is not fast enough.  I couldn't get Waze to work consistently, or send texts well, or get data, in the rural areas of CT where I live. 

b) GoogleFi has some problems with voice, but their data is great!  I'm getting about twice the speed in most areas vs. Sprint.  I still have to do the tests vs. AT&T and Verizon in some spots, but I am satisfied with the speeds of data in most places. 

So.  I pay $36 a month for the sprint lines (each) with 3 note 9's and two Motorola androids (they're terrible but they mostly work), including EVERYTHING. 

I have yet to get the first GoogleFi bill, but

People	Line cost	4G LTE data
1	$20	$20 w/2GB $40 w/4GB $60w/6GB+
2	$20 + $15	$20 w/2GB $40 w/4GB $60w/6GB+
3	$20 + $15 x 2	$20 w/2GB $40 w/4GB $60w/6GB+
4	$20 + $15 x 3	$20 w/2GB $40 w/4GB $60

I have 1 line, and I haven't been restricting the data.  In fact, I even use it as a hotspot to support my sprint phone's data.  So MAX, I will pay 96 for both phones.  It will probably be less.  

In contrast, I had AT&T - Same number of lines, unlimited data (but they started throttling the data speed after 2 gigs).  Here's what they say they cost:

https://www.att.com/plans/wireless.html

So 48 per line, they say.  BUT they will add device payments for each phone, plus fees and other things, so I was paying $500 a month for 5 lines of unlimited.  I cut my bill in half (at least) and I have two note 9's for my own use.  

I admit, this is a bit weird/overkill.  But I like my flexibility.  I get good data and good voice by the phones combined, and I still pay (MAX $240 for my 6 lines with 4 note 9's, an S8 and a motorola (it still sucks)).  So far, neither google nor Sprint have been hitting me with any weird fees.  They said a number and the bill has been the same as they said.  

One Caveat: I did have a one time unlock fee for a few of the old AT&T phones.  It cost about $30 a phone at https://www.doctorsim.com/us-en/

So even with that one time fee, and a few days wait for each phone, 3*30=$90, I'm still saving a ton of money for the same or better functionality.  I get two note 9's, my fiancee gets a note 9, her son gets a note 9, her daughters get a note 9 and s8, respectively, and we still don't really use the motorola (it sucks).  

So anyway, that's why a frugal guy like me has two phones.  Hope this helps you, and I'll keep you updated if AT&T or Verizon has better speeds.  I'm not thinking they will . . . . but I'll try it and see.

Have a great day all!

~Markspark

sustainability, solar trucks and cars, @audi, @atlismotorvehicles, @biolite, @goalzero

Hi all,

It's been a while since I've written about smart phones and their frugality.  I suppose that's because I think they aren't very frugal lately.  I finally got my bill below $200/mo., but the service isn't as good.  So I tried googlefi, and it's FANTASTIC at data, but not great at calls.  So . . . dual note 9's for me.  I'm a dummy, but it's kinda neat having a fast data phone and a mostly for calls phone.  I also assume GoogleFi will fix their issues and team up with another carrier (they're currently on TMobile, but I think Tmobile gives their customers priority on their towers).  I also assume more wifi will be available, but the tech will have to be fantastic to keep up with a driving caller.  I'll reserve full judgement until then.

However - here's my solar dream.  I want a solar wall from Elon Musk.  I also want solar panels on my roof that are enough to power my car(s) and my home for free.  The cars I want: Audi E-tron https://www.audiusa.com/models/audi-e-tron?ds_kid=43700035130525685&CSREF=SEM%7C10770960%7C3118667%7C144106565%7C315947276%7C0&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsJfhBRCaARIsAO68ZM4imF_mB5eD9bzjZXwI2dmXdC5pq_8T0fPzBwzJp0ffKTTwCaUvpqUaAnfLEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

and this: and http://www.atlismotorvehicles.com/xt-truck/

I'd also like to take a cheap gooseneck trailer and solarize it, like this:
http://www.truckcamperadventure.com/2017/05/building-a-great-solar-powered-truck-camper-rig/

I'm pretty sure, that with that and @goalzero and @biolite, I can make a rig that almost never needs fueling.  The regenerative braking and the solar panels on the camper will keep me going during the day, and the biolite stove will keep me going at night.  Add a few wind turbines and this truck won't ever need to stop rolling. 

At any rate, that seems like a pie in the sky dream right now, and of course being totally off the grid isn't what the larger companies would like for us, because it keeps us from buying more stuff - like oil, natural gas, propane, gasoline, and all the things those power.  However, I'm pretty sure I will need new solar panels for this rig from time to time, deep cycle batteries, bulbs, antennae, and other stuff.  I'll also keep buying computers, cameras, phones, and other things that are technologically advanced, as well as high speed, mobile data for my rig.  In other words, I will consume differently, but I'll still contribute to the economy. 

Anybody want to try this with me?  Maybe @goalzero and @biolite? 

Wireless Service . . . . #sprint all the way. #byeatt

Hi all,

Before I start my rant, I should let you know that I've been a wireless customer for about 14 years.  I started with ATT, moved to Verizon, then back to ATT, and am currently with Sprint.  I'm very upset with ATT's business practices, for a number of reasons.  I will say though, that in NW CT, where I'm from, their service is better - even than Verizon.

a) They sold me too many phones, direcTV lines, and home security systems.  I didn't need anything but 2 lines and 2 lines for watches.  That's it.  They kept bundling and getting discounts until I had 13 total lines, a directvNOW, a samsung TabE, ipad, 2 Samsung s7 actives, an iphone 6+, 2 watches . . . and a bunch of free phones.

b) When I realized I had overpurchased, they didn't let me back out of it.

c) When I realized they wouldn't give me the money I needed for my Verizon Last Bill (which they promised) I tried to back out again.  Again, they refused to pay, or to let me out of my contract.

d) Once I finally paid off all the devices and all the lines, and had whittled down from 13 and 2 watches to 6 and 2 watches (which took 2 years) - I switched a line with a device payment so that I could have my teenage stepson not get 5 spam calls a day.  They promptly charged me the $400 device payment in the next bill, after not telling me they would be doing that.

e) When I asked them about it, they said there was no way they could fix it.  Not even for a customer who had paid them 24*600 (approximately) over the past 2 years.  For some reason, this $1000 bill was the straw that broke this camel's back.

f) I went to #sprint and fixed it.  They sold me 3 Note 9s, as well as 2 free phones (for the 6 year old, basic motorola androids), reduced my bill to $180 a month, and still gave me unlimited data, without selling me DirecTV which I didn't want in the first place.  Why didn't I do this 2 years ago, when ATT was charging me approximately $600 a month and not letting me kill the devices I still had payments on?  I spent $14,400 on ATT's service . . . at least.  Some months were higher than 600.  Ugh, what a fool I have been.  My data is a little spottier . . . but not terribly noticeable.  But my bill was cut in thirds.

g) AT&T then sent me a bill for $2800 . . . . for closing my plan with them.  Sore losers they are.  In addition, they did nothing to try to keep the service.  Ah well, hope this helps somebody else.  I'm off to get another job to pay for my cell plan I don't even use anymore . . . . LOL.

Trickle down economics (for schools)

Hi all,

I work in a school.  When people donate computers, or when title 1 funds give us free computers, we always put them in the computer labs, which are the first things the students break.  Instead, I'm advocating that we give them to the teachers to use to project their lessons, have students print, etc.  In this way, we could have student usage of the machines without the tragedy of the commons that indubitably will happen if the best machines are left in the most vulnerable, unclaimed areas.  This will work sort of like trickle down economics of the 80s, but it will actually WORK.

For instance, if I get a brand new machine for my room, my teacher machine either a) replaces the computer in the computer lab or b) goes to the back of my room for a learning center/student station.

Now what, pray tell, does this have to do with smart phones or being frugal?  Well, here's the connection.  I have a Samsung Galaxy s8, but the way I distributed the s7 actives and such was very trickle-downy.  My friends and family got all the upgrades, and their old phones went to people around them (or me) who had worse phones.  All told, my plan still has: 2 s8s, 2 s7actives, a note 5, an s5 active, an iphone 6+, a J3, a Samsung tab E, and an ipad mini.  I still have room for one more device, but nobody wants to give me old phones.

Anyhow, the nice thing about the trickle down is that I am able to upgrade everybody I know.  My uncle has an s7 in an otterbox which charges wirelessly, my gf has an s7 active in camo which is also in an otterbox, and her son has a note 5, which was leftover after my friend got her iphone 6+.  I gave the s5 to a friend of mine, who will give me his j3 to put on another unlimited data plan so I can use the 10 gigs of wifi hotspot.  My girlfriend was able to give her old s7 to her daughter, who passed her old j3 to me.  I then gave that to a friend of mine so she has a working phone (her iphone broke).  Oh, one last thing: I traded my gold s7active for a broken gold s7active, so another friend of mine had a good one.  All these things were possible because I have this stupidly large cell plan and am willing to help people with their trickle down.  Speaking of which, if anybody wants to trade an iphone for a used s7active (a few scratches), I can upgrade my other friend with the J3 so she'll be happy with her iphone.  If it's an iphone 5 or better, I'll trade for the s7active.  Then, I can be sure I'm helping everybody the way they want, and I can use the J3 for somebody with no phone who will appreciate it.

So, I want to take this idea to the big time.  I have a charity called @gr8fullyfeclub which does this with Computers, Bikes, canoes, cell phones, and (hopefully soon) cars.  I just need people with funds.  I can only support this on my back (and my bank account) for just so long.  Every time I upgrade, I give the old stuff to people who need it or will appreciate it.  In this way, my "hoarder communism" can make peoples' lives better, while not affecting my life too badly.

Have a great day, and spread the wealth!

~Mark