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Trying to be frugal: Movies and television
By Meg | February 21, 2008
This post is part of a series on the frugal things that my husband and I do — as well as some things we’re still working on. For more background information, please check out the introduction to the series. Other posts in the series will appear as links in the comments section.
My husband went for years without a television — unless you count the antique that he was using as a stand for his laundry basket in his closet. In fact, we did a lot of bonding over Star Trek Voyager at my mom’s place. Even after I moved in, it was many months before the television I brought with me got hooked up to cable.
Cut the cable or just reduce the pull?
Were it not for digital video recorders, we probably would have given up cable again a long time ago. I rarely watch anything on live t.v. except for the news, and I admit, it’s mostly for the sound (bad reason, I know). Had the writers’ strike not finally ended, we probably would have cancelled cable altogether this month.
However, we have reduced our month bill. My husband, being the handy guy that he is, finished making our own DVR so we no longer have to pay a monthly rental fee. It’ll take a while to pay for itself, so we have yet to see if it will save us money. Still, it’s nice to be able to modify it.
We’re also cutting out the digital channels that we rarely watch anyway. Those extra bucks add up.
In the end, we decided not to cancel cable altogether because we figured that we’d probably end up spending more money on movies. As it is, we very rarely rent movies or go see them in theaters. It’s easier and cheaper to just record some on the DVR. Plus, I can’t remember the last time that I enjoyed watching a movie at a theater thanks to bratty kids and even brattier adults ruining the show for everyone.
I love freebies
I’m still considering giving up cable, though. A lot of shows are now available online — free and legally.
Plus, our library system has a lot of movies. I just picked up The Queen this week after putting it on hold via the library website. Unfortunately, I’m still over a hundred people away from Spider Man 3. But hey, I just finally added myself to the list and not seeing it hasn’t hurt me yet.
The library also has an online video viewer that looks somewhat promising.
Another way we have saved money… our televisions. Both were given to us. In fact, I don’t think my husband or I have ever actually bought a television. They’re both good sized, too. One was new, the other was used, and both work great. Even if you don’t have such generous people in your family, check out your local Freecycle group before buying a television. You can often get a pretty decent one for free.
Fortunately for our piggy bank, buying the latest/greatest t.v. hasn’t been a high priority for us, though it will be nice to have a flat panel one day when we can really afford one. As it stands, the first t.v. that we buy might be a tiny flat screen for our kitchen — once we’re done renovating it.
Going to the movies doesn’t have to cost a fortune
I haven’t completely sworn off seeing movies in a theater. We don’t spend an awful lot when we do. I usually don’t get anything from the concessions, since they’re overpriced, unhealthy, and frankly, distracting. Plus, we get student discounts or go to the matinee.
I also tend to save the theater for those movies that I think will really benefit from the added experience. For that reason, I’ll probably try to find the closest Imax theater next time.
So, what do you do for television and movies? Do you have any favorite web sites for watching stuff free (and legally)?
Tags: Home & Garden, Saving Money, Spending Money
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February 21st, 2008 at 11:19 am
One of the questions we asked was whether it was more convenient to watch the shows on the tv or computer. Tv won hands down, since we can do mindless computer stuff while we watch them.
So we have basic cable and it works for us. Probably keeps us from watching more than we should…we just go with a few favorites. :)
February 21st, 2008 at 11:27 am
I’ve been without cable since I was 17. (Um, I’m 32 now.) We use rabbit ears to access 5 or 6 local stations. I am not usually regular about watching any TV shows at home because I am so often gone in the evening, but the good ones - Heroes, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Friends reruns are on the network, rabbit-ear stations.
The ONLY thing I miss is TLC - I like What Not to Wear and I used to like Trading Spaces. Now, I just indulge when I visit friends. Then, I leave, glad I don’t have cable, because I’d just be watching it all the time if it were at home.
For movies, we have a blockbuster movie pass. My husband easily watches a movie a day, so it has paid for itself over and over again.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
It’s funny, Kasmira, I didn’t have cable until I was 16ish. Really no tv at all. Our rabbit ears didn’t work.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Just cut the umbilical cable last fall. I grew up with very limited TV, but my guy had it as background noise & I was seduced.
But we finally said too much time & too much money & ended it. I watched What Not to Wear on TLC.com for a while until they rotated it away, but by that time I was mostly weaned.
But I’m still shocked at how little I miss it.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:46 pm
We don’t go to the movies often, and we don’t rent movies. Usually we borrow them from the library, or friends.
Also, I just watched Juno in the theater for free because a college radio station was giving away tickets - SCORE!
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Your husband built a DVR?
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Welcome, QuiteLight!
Good for you! I love watching What Not to Wear, but I don’t think I’d miss much. There are only a few shows that we just have to see, and even fewer look like they aren’t available online.
Anastasia,
Yep! He’s still working out all the bugs. We were trying to use Linux for the OS, but there were some things that still weren’t working quite right. I’m sure he’ll eventually get that working, but in the meantime we decided to go with software from *shudder* the company whose name shall not be spoken since we already had a copy.
Mrs. Micah,
The great thing about getting the DVR set up is that now we can watch stuff online through our t.v.
Shopaphilia,
Awesome!
Kasmira,
Really?! 32? I wouldn’t have guessed. I’d have thought that you were Ten Years Younger (bad joke, I know, but true).
By the way, we didn’t have cable for quite a while when I was growing up since we lived in the middle of nowhere. I remember when we did finally get it and I thought it was awesome, since we only got a few channels before — and two of them were Fox.