As a customer of Network Solutions, I can answer this: without persistent legal threats and follow-through, it's impossible to transfer a domain out to a cheaper provider. The transfer form doesn't work. Emailing doesn't work. Calling doesn't work. Ultimately, it's just not worth it to bother.

This may include the cost of inexpensive hosting.

Probably not, given that hosting was itemized separately.

>> In particular, paying something like $35 a year for a domain name, and maybe $5 a month for online hosting, is way, way, way beyond the commitment most people want to make.