One of the best decisions I ever made came from a place of necessity. After my divorce, I had to find some ways to save money so one of the first things to go was my very expensive dish bill.
I don’t recall how much we were paying for tv but it was close to $100 a month. It bothered me at first that I couldn’t afford what I considered a very basic utility and right.
But you know something? I didn’t miss it for very long because it quickly became clear that I didn’t watch shows so much as I flipped channels. I had so much more free time on my hands because I wasn’t mindlessly flipping between HGTV and ALF reruns.
I live in the country where internet options aren’t great so I don’t use any streaming services but do have an antenna which gives me access to some fabulous entertainment. I’m listening to a great PBS concert while writing this and have access to a vegan cooking show, documentaries, some neat reruns and, of course all the modern stuff brought to us by the brilliant minds of network television executives today.
If the tv is on in my house, it’s to watch something specific and not to kill time. And since I’m not flipping through hundreds of channels all evening long, I have more time to read and to do other things I enjoy.
Not to mention, many tv shows (I’m looking at you Chip and Jo) and all commercials are designed to make you feel dissatisfied with yourself and your life. Plus, there’s just not much on television today that’s worth the brain cells you’re killing by staring at the thing. By minimizing my tv exposure, I have actually increased my happiness.
Thinking about cutting the cord? I say do it. If you’re on the fence, add up how much you spend on tv in a year and think about what you could do with all that money! Even if you invest some in a streaming service, you will be saving hundreds and possibly thousands a year!
It may feel weird at first but I promise you won’t regret it!
I have cable. Most of what is on today aren’t worth watching. I probably have 4 favorite channels out of the thousands that’s available. Recently my computer died. I found that I can get along without it. I use my phone and watch YouTube videos which I enjoy way more than the junk that’s on TV. With the warmer weather, I am outdoors more and have started scrapping as a hobby and a way to make extra money. I trash pick and actually enjoy it.
Picking sounds like an interesting hobby. I use my computer for photos and sometimes for writing. Like you, everything else is done on my phone.
I cut the cord when I divorced, too — in 2004. I haven’t had cable since.
Actually, I could have lived without cable before that, too, but my first wife considered cable to be a required utility like electricity or water. At least I got to watch some cool cartoons with my kids while they were small.
But after I cut the cord I didn’t miss cable. This was before streaming was a thing!
My ex husband that it was as important as utilities, food and air combined. 😉
I watch a lot on YouTube as well. Good point about many shows just making you feel dissatisfied. Soon there won’t be a lot of new shows anyway as the pandemic catches up with things that were filmed last year.
This is true! I’ve been wondering what the tv landscape will look like soon. Regardless, it all seems to be designed to make you want a bigger house, thinner body, prettier clothes…. we are never enough, it seems.
We quit TV a long time ago. When the library is open, we check out movies and documentaries. Mostly we read or have other activities to occupy us.
I read a lot. In the summer, time is well spent on the porch. After the divorce, I gave myself a small monthly budget to buy movies or tv shows. I still do that sometimes but not that often and they will sit here for a long time before being watched. Life shouldn’t revolve around tv.
Absolutely!
I doubt I’d miss having a TV at all I watch so little of it. This past few months I’ve not watched a single show. I do stream some thing off amazon, but over the past few months my DVD collection has kept me entertained – mainly history shows, Time Team and lots of old BBC sit-coms from the 80’s and 90s.
It really was a good move for me. Sometimes I turn on the tv for background noise and I am addicted to the Closer and to the CBS Sunday Morning Show. Otherwise…. meh…. I’m good!
😀 Background noise – that what old DVD’s are for!
Lol. I listen to a lot of music too.
Yes that’s not a bad idea either!