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Welcome to Triangle Saver, The News & Observer’s new weekly feature on consumer news in our region. I’m affordability reporter Renee Umsted.
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Every Wednesday, I’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at my reporting, point you to great stories from The N&O newsroom and beyond, and highlight some pretty crazy, informative numbers. You’ll probably want to tell me your opinions or ask questions, both of which I welcome. More on that below.
Last week, I shared a terrible tale of canceling my Spectrum internet service.
A few readers who have also felt my pain wrote to me to convey their sympathies. Some had it much worse.
One reader, Robert Brown, told me that a few years ago, he decided to ditch Spectrum internet and his cell provider at the time for AT&T. The process took not 25 minutes but 62 days (!), requiring multiple technicians coming to his house and visits to stores of all three companies.
Durham County resident Mike Hunter wrote in with some strategies for canceling your internet. Here are his tips:
Thanks to everyone who allowed me to air my grievances, and thanks for writing in with your own experiences.
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In the near future, I’m working on two other timely projects.
Here are some recent affordability and consumer news articles by N&O journalists, including me:
Here are some numbers from the Federal Reserve’s newly released Survey of Consumer Finances that tell an interesting story:
Here’s some other consumer news that I’ve been reading:
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed Triangle Saver, tell your friends. Be a friendly consumer and use the gift link. See y’all next week.
Got a tip, question or opinion? Let’s talk. You can reach me at [email protected]. And be sure to join our new Triangle Saver Facebook group to keep the conversation going.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.