Used to, but compared electric bills
Posted By: Florida MT on 2006-12-31
In Reply to: Do you shut your puter down overnight? - Cindy
I used to never turn my computer off. Then my grandchildren visited me for 3 wks. Because I did not want them playing on my computer (they had their own laptop), I kept mine off when I was not working. When the electric bill came it, it was almost $60 less, so from that point on, I began turning it off between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. plus my days off (and I get more done around the house as well) -- continued with the same savings. Figured I can buy a new tower for $720 a year in savings.
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Our electric went up 68% and gas sky rocketed. sm
I have gas heat and with the heat wave and humidity now and in the summer, my air conditioner will be running and my monthly bill is $380 just for air conditioning. My heating bill in the winter runs about the same.
That is $4500 a year for gas and electric. So, I would take your oil contract any day compared to my bills.
Wow, that's really high for electric
We have total electric (includes heat, air, and all appliances), and our bill is around $200 in the winter, $100 in summer. We get a break on the rate for having total electric. I feel lucky......
electric bill
Yes, our electric bills have been outrageous. Last month was $199.00, and my new bill came in and is $256.00 also! I too live in California, and we get shafted with the utilities in this state. During winter months my gas bill was as high as $175.00 which is almost five times what it used to be 7 years ago, and my paychecks keep going down in the transcription field!.
About $125 in PA - total electric, about
Pretty happy here, bill runs about the same in winter and includes heat :)
This is a good one compared to what I get
I get all the ESLs who can't speak English and the words are just garbage words strung together and they make absolutely no sense at all. Words appear that are not even spoken and when they are, they are not there. I would rather just delete the whole thing and type it myself. However, they have a limit on how many times a month you can do this and if you go over, you are in trouble. I think this is just a way to get our pay even lower than it was so that we match up with the Indians. I could type the whole report in less than half the time and do it correctly instead of dealing with this garbage that takes me twice as long-- for less than half the pay, of course.
I also am not a "computer whiz" and all these commands with "control shift this and control shift that" and jumping all over the keyboard drives me crazy. I would rather just type the whole report myself. I am very fast and could do it much quicker on my own.
I really used to enjoy transcription but it has turned into a dead profession and I don't see it getting any better any time soon.
I think those descriptions are for electric and gas (heat)...
Not internet. Internet is different because it is not based off of square footage. To me, that would sound like because my living room is larger than my office, I use the internet more in my living room, which is untrue.... Plus, I never use the internet in my bathroom or kitchen.
I write off the percentage that I use it, that is how my tax guy said to.... I mostly use the internet for personal use about an hour a night and a couple hours on weekends. Otherwise it is work only. That is where I get the figure for 75% work, 25% pleasure use.
Fantasia was fabulous compared to others...nm
/
Wow, I'm getting a huge break compared to others...sm
Through Cincinnati Bell, I have to have their broadband, which is also the ISP. As part of the bundle, I get Complete Connections which includes call waiting, caller ID, call block, etc. This whole package comes to around $44 and gives you 200 minutes of long distance. I recently asked to have unlimited added to my phone line, but it automatically goes on both lines. The additional charge for unlimited is $10. So I basically pay $10 for unlimited!
compared to what most places offer
This is very good. I would just clarify that time isn't rounded down to the nearest minute on each dictation. This is a good rate even if ESL as long as it is not one of those impossible-to-hear people. :)
I have a life and compared to my years in this
you are a newbie. First of all, people are not making the same money you made 20 years ago- most are making LESS. I have almost 40 years doing this type of work so no one can tell me about what they used to make. If you feel slighted, unloved, uncared for, as you say working your tail off, depressed, stressed, why in the world do you continue in such a dead-end job? A single mom to me means nothing more than 1 person working. If they need to make more money to live, maybe they should get another job as I did years ago when I was a divorced mother.
Ditto, electric went from $120 to $205 in this nonstop heat!- nm
x
But, yes to all that you have and the room, electric, heat, just remember though
you have to keep the house for at least a year or two once you start claiming it, if you think you may move in the next year, don't take the write off, just on your text books, software, computer, that you can but not the room itself. See your CPA for further details as to why.
$256.00 for June electric bill in Calif.
Am curious if anyone's else is outrageously high. Mine typically is $150-200 for summer months.
I keep temp at 82 during day, 78 at night. Temperatures here soar to 95-100 though. But, I live alone and have gas hot water, gas stove.
Working at home has its pluses and minuses! Leaving the air off for 8-10 hours a day while I was at the hospital working saved me a lot of cash in this utility bills.
I use an electric afghan, safer than a heater
Hi: I paid about $35 for an afghan-size warming blanket I think on Overstock.com. I just make a little semicircle of blankie and keep the foot pedal in there. To warm my hands, I use 2 gooseneck lamps from Target, they were $10 each, one on each side of my desk, amazing how much heat from a light bulb. Wise
Very nice features, compared and love it.
//
I lost money doing VR compared to straight
Before VR my line count was about 375 to 400 lph. After VR, my lines were about 400 to 450 lph. The lines produced went up slightly, but the rate in pay was decreased by 40% and the platform was so bad it took me longer to produce the 400 to 450 lines than it did straight typing. Total loss of income was about 38% to 40% working 8 hours a day instead of 7 to 7-1/2.
That is great! My best so far is about 1600 but I am a snail compared to most - nm
xxx
I just bought a new electric can opener at Wally World
and, get this, it comes with a "Users Manual."
This is the el cheapo $6.74 can opener and I'm thinking "hmmm, am I missing something here?"
My take on this is that if you don't know how to plug in and use a $6.74 electric can opener, there is a very good chance that you probably can't read to start off with.
It's 4 pages!
HOW TO USE: (Page 3)
1. Raise lever, place can under the guide bar and against the geared wheel (See DIagram A to identify parts)
2. Press down on lever to pierce lid of can (Daigram B). This automatically starts thye cutting action. the can opener will continue to cut until the lid is completely severed from the can.
3 Grasp the can, then raise the lever to release the can.
4. Carefully slide the lid away from the magnet, using caution to avoid being injured by the sharp edge of the lid.
I'm sure they do this so some stupid bozo won't sue the company because they weren't instructed on proper use of the can opener. 
Electric motor repairman. I'll never match his pay.
But the more you make the more you spend.
The old clunkity clunk electric typewriter days
Way back when, I didn't even know it was "transcription." I did some transcribing as a secretary at a clinic with 8-10 docs. Office manager showed me how to use "a tape player that you operate with a footpedal." (never heard the words "transcriber" or "transcription"). Only had a Dorland's Med. Dictionary and IBM Selectric. Wasn't until several years later at first actual medical transcription job, realized previously had already been doing medical transcription, "typing" the doctors' chart notes and letters (plus answering phones, sorting/distributing the doctors' mail & journals, bookkeeping/accounts payable, payroll, etc.) for ridiculously low file-clerk type pay for what was really an administrative assistant type job.
You wanted a laugh though: One time, in a hospital transcription dept., me & the other ladies were in the breakroom, giggling about something in the newspaper, someone made a great joke about whatever the subject was, & we were laughing so hard, the security guard came running down the hall and into our breakroom to see what was going on (he thought he heard screaming!) When he saw us all cracking up, he just shook his head, laughed, & told us to get back to work!
% of mortgage, water, electric, gas, trash pick-
x
WE ARE RICH compared to REAL third world nations
like those hit in the tsunami. Do you live with three generations in a dirt floor hut? Are you a farmer, fisherman, or hard laborer? Do our people have malnutrition and low fetal birth weights? Do you worry about where your next meal is coming from? No, we're the fattest nation in the world. We have a lot to be grateful for but people still want more. You can sit there behind your computer screen in your heated house while drinking lemonade and tell us all how poor you are, but I don't believe it for a minute. Your life could be a lot worse.
It'll be tough with so many new drugs, etc. out there. Figure out what you used to do compared to
,
Yes. It's expensive compared to a single visit for electrolysis but
I have found it very effective. For me it is more painful than electrolysis, but the visits are over much more quickly (takes me about 5 minutes for upper lip, chin, and cheeks). Because hair must be within the growth stage to work, it takes at least 3 visits to finish, spaced about 6 weeks apart, and you can't tweeze, depilate, or bleach while you are having it done. That includes for a few weeks before you start, or the first visit will be a waste. You can shave, which sounds odd to most people, but works just fine during the process. (You will be shaved before the treatments anyway, because the hair melts onto the skin otherwise.) No matter what the ads say, it does still work best on darker hair and light skin, because the melanin affects how the laser works. Another thing you won't hear about before hand is when used over areas of dental work there is an additional zing of discomfort. I put my tongue over the teeth in those areas, which helps some. My technician stopped providing anesthetic cream because of possible allergic reactions, but you can order it over the counter at a drug store or online. I have just toughed it out each time. My face is red for a few hours after treatment, but no burning. There will be a few strays, which they will handle as needed at a lower rate after the agreed upon series of treatments.
all that PLUS, when I started 13 years ago, electric typewriters were still used (smile!) no message
xx
Wow! I'm in North Central Florida. Last month's electric bill was $165. sm
I have electric everything and keep the thermostat set at 73. Some folks here with a different electric company have had bills triple to quadruple their normal. You may want to do some investigating.
deduct telephone, electric and portion of house payments.
Hope this helps!
Celine, although excellent, will always be a pretender to the throne compared to Ms Streisand. :) nm
x
Ummm 10.00 per month compared to earning 800.00. No not free, but might as well be. BUT look aroun
server software IS free BTW: I find my solution EXTREMELY simple!!
My mother lives with us. We bought small electric space heater for her (sm)
as we usually keep the furnace at about 68 and keep a humidifier going. Makes a big difference. Older people get cold, so I have told her she might want to make sure and wear warmer clothes and don't hesistate to use the space heaters to provide comfort level in the family room and her bedroom for her.
I pay all of our bills but I never would
He makes money and I make money and we should each be able to spend some of that on ourselves if we desire. The only time we really consult the other on any purchase is if that purchase is over a certain amount. I do not ASK him if I can buy anything for my business. If I need it and we can afford it, I buy it. If it is a major purchase that might involve a credit line, I would definitely discuss it with him but not ask his permission. It should be shared. When you get married, you are sharing, not one person owns you/controls you or vice versa. I would be willing to bet that at some point during his little outings, he has chipped in for beer. I doubt one person would be willing to supply all the beer for all the guys every single get-together. My DH used to play softball and there were lots of times they'd hang out and have a few beers after and all the guys chipped in for their share of the beer. If he's telling you the beer is always provided for free, I would have a real hard time buying that. Sounds like you are an understanding wife and you deserve time out to go to lunch or do whatever (and some of that time should be without your kids to give you some alone time, too). If he can't see that, he needs a reality check! Leave him at home with the kids for a weekend and see how fast he wants to run out that door once you get home! lol
Can you really pay your bills with only 29K though???
nm
If you have bills to pay you take whatever
you can get. You can refuse a job, but the work will just go to India or some other country and the company can get rid of all but a few MTs who will edit the work.
I have been in this business at least 20 years. I make better than most people these days, but I have not had a raise in 5 years. I have been offered at least 8 positions the past 6 months and not one of them offers what I make now. I test very well, usually getting at least 98 on the highest level of testing, I can do any ESL given to me, I do all Op notes, so I would be an asset to any company, but none will offer me what I am making now, much less offer me more.
Light-colored makeup or glitter is such small potatoes compared to what's coming. I agree with ch
s
The line rate sounds pretty good compared to other places - by "punch the clock", you mean
it really is not a flexible schedule, even for an IC? That's what I need the most.
Pay bills or make a
list of things I need or want.
Do you have bills that NEED to be paid?
If there is no other job but those with companies that send work offshore, are you going to refuse to work for them? How do you feel about stores that sell merchandise that was once manufactured in US and now outsourced to another country? How about the very merchandise itself. Do you check to see if Liz Claiborne or Nike or other favorite brands are outsourced and decide against buying them, hoping that somehow you are going to force these goods to be manufactured in US and are you willing to pay higher prices to justify American workers wages?
What bills could we possibly have?
That was exactly what one doctor said to me when he called wanting my services and I told him what my charge was. He was in a town 15-20 minutes away and since tapes were the "in" thing", I charged for picking up and delivery, minimal charge.
Well, he thought that was ridiculous and told me I didn't have any "expenses" associated with this job, so what was I charging him for other than doing the reports. BTW, he got my name and number from his partner in the office who thought my charges were more than reasonable and willing to pay for it to get what he called "great" service.
Of course, we have no expenses, we live free, not having to eat, buy gas, pay all the same bills they do. You know, the necessities of life!!!!!!
Go figure!!!
we did just the opposite, but now bills alone about 2,500.....
We had a place similar to yours on a slough with lots of wildlife...loved the wildlife. Used to sit out on the deck and watch the great blue heron, raccoons, muskrats, ducks, etc. But never got it paid off as we kept building on as kids came along (3). We were there 30 years and finally sold to move out of the flood zone and into a new, easy-maintainance one story with smaller yard up near the hospital. The other place was so hard to paint and maintain that I knew we had to move before we couldn't take care of it anymore. Problem is our mortgage alone is 900$ month! Not as steep as others on this posting, but lots for us as the MT thing is not bringing in the money I expected! The house is worth lots more than we paid for it, and I keep saying we should sell it and rent until the big housing "adjustment" that I keep predicting, but family won't budge!
Keep the bills out of sight--sm
For me they are the biggest distraction. I can ignore the phone, tune out the noise but those stinking bills in my line of sight are the worst. I either have to go online and pay them or call so and so and tell them why I am late. I don't pull them out until after I am done or before I start. Otherwise, they stay in the drawer. Now, I keep the paid receipts on top of the desk to remind me why I work like a mule!
High bills
In Georgia, it's not unheard of for the power bill to exceed $300 during summer. In fact, it's expected. I can't believe the posters with two-digit bills. My water bill is $65! Everything around here has gone up in the last year. My doing MT was supposed to be for extras and fun money, but it's not turning out to be so.
I have plenty of bills to pay...
Hubby had open heart surgery and was off work during the busiest season last year. I now handle ALL the bills except his truck insurance and truck payment to the tune of at least $5000 a month and that doesn't include the $75,000 hospital bill that the insurance doesn't pay. I couldn't do that if I didn't stick to my guns. Sure, we're not in the best of shape right now, but we are scraping by with a little ingenuity and things will get better for us...but I surely will not work for peanuts,never have, and never will...and neither should you.
You have to prove you're worth it that extra $.01 or so,(ahem), but in reality, we really need to stick together. Fighting amongst ourselves doesn't solve the problem.
that's determined by your bills!!...
There is an easier calculation but I think most companies require 1200 lines a day nowadays. Some 800 to maintain fulltime. One way to figure it is that you take the amount of lines x cpl and divide by 8. If you typed your other stuff in word, check the line count to see what you have done on a good day when paid by the hour. Hopefully you are getting paid characters and spaces as opposed to just characters.
If you figure you can put out only 800, which is still a good bit, 800 x 0.08 cpl divided by 8 would be $8/hour. 1200 lines would be 12 an hour. So, if you are currently making 10 an hour, you would have to put out 1000 lines a day for $10 an hour.
It can be done.
What? Not only easy, but I did it Still pay bills.
But I do make what I need to pay my bills
so I am satisfied and like I said, just work part time, not full, work the time I want.
Compared the price offered by Cobra with a local BC or Regence Blue Shield plan. Chances are..
If you have a lot of medical issues your preminum wont be pretty but if it's temporary go with an extremely high deductible if you can. I have one that is $7500 deductible but has a $25 office visit copay and prescription coverage so it helps me since I just go to the doctor. Now, if you needed surgery or something that would be different.
for tracking congressional bills
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Kansas utility bills
Hi, I live on the Kansas/Oklahoma border have a 3000 sq ft home (2 levels) and 2 boys who don't know how to close doors. Anyway, our last electric bill was $260.00. This was keeping thermostat at 80 upstairs with ceiling fans going in every room. If it gets too warm, you just go downstairs where you have to wrap up in a blanket as there is a good 10 degrees difference in temp. I have to admit, I thought mine was high but am now thinking we don't have it too bad. Good luck to all and hopefully, we will still be able to pay these next year at this time and the rates won't have put us all in the poor house.
arkansas utility bills
Wow. I live in a 6 room house and my last bill was 328.00. We have very high rates here.
I keep the unpaid bills on my desk
and put the college tuition bill right on top. Money motivates.
Single person and bills
How does any single preson today make ends meet as an MT? I work a 2nd job and still way behind in bills. Job-hunting for a full time position other than MT is fruitless, as employers take on look at all of your years in transcription and ask you how you think can do anything else. It seems like a curse. The dreaded "transcription" word is getting me nowhere fast when it comes to breaking in to other clerical work. Had I know this would be the case, I would have left the MT field years ago. I can do SO much more than transcription if given the chance. Maybe I should lie on my resume and not mention all the years of transcription.
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