I have never owned my own TV and haven't lived with one for 6 years-ish. Our apartment is pretty boring though so I can't say, "Life is GREAT!" without a TV but I do agree that watching TV means wasting a lot of time. I always end up watching horrible stuff like Keeping up with the Kardashians or something if I am anywhere near a TV so it's best that I stay away. I have a baby too and I don't want her to grow up with TV. She was HYPNOTIZED by Barney when we were watching cable at he grandma's house. Plus those evil commercials try to lure children into eating horribly unhealthy looking foods like flourescent colored cereals and blue french fries.
I do watch DVDs on my laptop though of LOST. LOST is my crack.
My wife and I gave our 32" TV to my mother in law whose last TV broke. We have since been TV free, mostly due to price, for the last several months. Our apartment provides high-speed internet free. We DON'T pay a cable bill! It feels almost criminal... But our home life is so awesome! My daughter and I are no longer passing ships in the night. My wife and I talk more and about more important things. My daughter is actively engaging in political discussions and other subjects of great importance. The list of the great changes that has occurred in just the last few months is long. I, and my wife agrees, we will never own a TV again. Its just not worth the financial, emotional, and time cost.
Hey Andrea. My fiancé and I have a TV, but only watch one show a week – and often we forget that! We love being TV free, and we love our local radio station (rrr.org.au) too – it has a real community feel. One of the presenters is even officiating at our wedding next year.
Quick tip: if you want to watch some of the best TV commercials, just do a search. There are quite a few sites that on them.
I got cable tv for $10 a year for basic; adding internet there was no installation (got from a call) & it was $32 a month plus $5 for modem; when I went to pay (KNOWING that they have "offers" I mentioned I might not be able to keep the internet as on disability & might go to dial up; she promptly offered me for $29 both internet & the TV & modem; so, I do have both for less than just the internet would have cost. I miss the newspapers but our local just wasn't cutting the mustard for news; so the internet gives me far more coverage than is seen on TV or local news media; (how sad); I also utilize the library which has local papers; get books from there to read (new ones) instead of buying new; however, I do maintain a membership to friends of the library which has lots of great books from small prices & every bit helps the libraries; I discovered Fred Meyer's has the least expensive chocolate chips around & just got 5 bags of them at $1.09; and made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies; they were awesome! I am with you on the chocolate! and homemade cookies are far better than store bought ones any day!
My husband and I don't own a TV, either. Our original agreement was to try not owning one for the first year of our marriage - we're busy people and we didn't want our precious moments of downtime together to get hijacked by the tube. Now we've made it past the year mark (June 2 was our 1st anniversary) and we liked our experiment so much we're continuing it indefinitely!
One of our favorite results of this lifestyle choice is that our friends know we don't own a TV so they invite us to watch favorite shows/sporting events with them. It's made our viewing experience a social one, and we in return invite those friends over for potlucks, game nights, etc. at our place.
Another perk that I'd never have anticipated is how our living room doesn't have to be oriented around a TV, so we can comfortably include much more seating in our tiny apartment. That means bigger parties!
Fair enough, I didn't read the beginning of the article all that much. So it IS mainly a self-control issue. I understand completely. If only there was a way to lock TV's out when there isn't an important reason for them (how about technology that keeps the TV off if there's only one person in the room, to keep it at least a mildly social activity!), so you could still have people over for watching parties, which, you gotta admit, is about as cheap as you can get.
Do you feel as though if you had TV, you wouldn't be able to turn it off? I understand the temptation, certainly, but it doesn't cost much to get a used TV off of craigslist (I lived off of multiple ones for 100 dollars combined for several years) if only to use it for those debates, sports events, or whatever else you could find value for. I can certainly understand ditching cable (though I wouldn't do it myself), but a medium sized TV seems like a relatively small investment compared to everything else.
Thanks for this recommendation. I thought when I retired 6 months ago that I would want to ditch goals once and for all. Now that I realize reaching for a goal is part of the fun, I need to think about some goals that are JUST FOR ME, not for career, not to escape my career, but simply for my own personal growth and happiness.
Actually, it IS the responsibility of the government to protect you. That's why we pay tax dollars to our government - so that the agencies that regulate imports will protect us from poisonous goods. While I appreciate self-sufficiency, there's only so much the modern American can do given limited time and resources to protect themselves from tainted imports. I'm sick of the "stop relying on the government" comments I keep seeing - we HAVE to rely on the government, and waht's more, we PAY them to do this job. It's not a matter of letting them off the hook, it's a matter of holding them accountable for ensuring our safety. THAT is there job.
The comments here just go to show how hard this sort of thing is to talk about.
There's no luxury so extravagant that you can't find somebody out there who considers it a necessity, while at the same time there's no necessity so basic that you won't have people coming out of the woodwork to point out that a billion people get by without refrigerators or electric lights.
The key, as you've demonstrated here, is to be thoughtful about your choices.
Whether people agree or disagree with the your lists means nothing. The point is the process of making the decisions in accordance with your own values. (Of course, you already know that.)
I figure since I'm staying indoors more, I should be able to enjoy the creature comforts.There are some days you just don't want to read, clean, etc. I can enjoy playing internet games, chat with people or watch movies on cable.
I do know that the premium channels will be first to go should things get worse. However, I have a wonderful (scarcastic) satellite company that will punish me with a fee for canceling my subscription if under two years.
I thought this was a great list and agree with nearly every point. I wrote a short snippit about the current market. I think if everyone took responsibility for their own decisions, the economy would not be in the current mess. my post is at http://frugalnyc.blogspot.com/2008/10/hiding-under-rock.html
I, too appreciate your candor and willingness to be "beheaded" for the chance to help others. :)
Everyone has those things they appreciate most.. and even when times are tough, they are the last to go. You are admirable in your effort to analyze what you value and what you don't. That is being financially responsible.
It is not the responsibility of the government to protect you, it is your responsibility, that is what is wrong with our country. People need to depend on and take care of themselves and their families. We are screwing ourselves when we look to the government for a solution.
A short sale (or a pre-foreclosure sale) is the best way to avoid a foreclosure. It still hurts your credit score, but not nearly as bad as a foreclosure. This website has a lot of good information on short sales. Click Here
I spent over 10 years working in my father's company. He is an amazing man and accomplished some amazing things, but then he lost his mind. I say this, partly joking, but it seemed (and still sometimes seems) true. The idea of turning over control of his empire to his children was beyond anything he could grasp. As a result, his businesses now struggle and no children are involved in the upper management of the businesses.
man, this is like a hat trick for me. the tub needs cleaning. i just spotted baking soda at sam's club, 12# for $5.83. and, the best part....I JUST REPLACED MY TOOTHBRUSH SO I ALREADY HAVE A SACRIFICIAL ONE! i know what i'm doin' while my husband is working on his bike tonight. thanks for doing the legwork and reporting the results, linsey. you've made my day.
Try this diet: Lose 9 lbs. every 11 days
A good diet shows you how to eat the right foods. You can train your body to increase its metabolism. It works and it makes you feel good. Try it!
Great post. Most people would be much happier and much wealthier if they put this much thought into where and how the spend money. Splurging on things that you value can be a great deal while getting a bargain on something that you don't care about is a bad financial decision. Among the things that my wife chose not to spend money on are cable TV, a second car, soda. We are much better off for it. We spend more than many of our friends on travel and on groceries (especially cheese), but those are worth it to us. If your spending matches your values you are in good shape.
There are always people who are not happy with their planner or advisor, but because of inertia, they don't move until the pain becomes too great. Many people could avoid this if they found the right financial advisor from the beginning. Our company - http://www.claroconnect.com - matches individuals to unique financial advisors- many people don't realize there are advisors who focus on divorced women, union employees, teachers, Hispanics, Socially Responsible Investing, etc. We are seeing more interest than ever before from individuals looking for new advisors.
I spent several years trying to live ultra-frugal, eating junk and canceling the gym memberships. Looking back, I wish I had cut other areas and kept the healthy diet and gym workouts. Your health is priceless--after all, if you check out early it won't matter how much you've saved.
Gels not for marathons but for long bike rides; for example, my 3-day trip (half of my vacation time) to raise money for low-income families who couldn't otherwise afford childcare.
Thanks for your thoughts and comments Myscha, Mrs. Green, Kav, and others. My priorities have changed as I've gotten older so my list may not be as relevant to those in their 20s or 30s or even early 40s and maybe even beyond; but now that friends who are younger than me are being diagnosed with heart disease, it makes sense to me to do what I can. You'll notice that half of my list was health-related.
I have considered these expenses including Internet access, which as I mentioned, can be a key to economic development not just for me but entire communities (see info about e-NC Authority to increase access in rural areas). My mother-in-law's dad worked in the postal system during the Depression and was one of the few who were able to keep his job; my access allows me to work with those in the government (the property managers in DC), who, presumably, will have money to spend later on.
While it's true that you can spend loads of money on vacation, wine, and food, etc., you don't have to: Wise Bread is a great source of info on how to best use your money.
Julie, I thought your lists were interesting...as for the haters, I really don't know what to say. I guess we all wish that we could be as perfect as you and not spend a dime on anything. Total budget: $0. Yeah, that would be awesome. =
I have never owned my own TV and haven't lived with one for 6 years-ish. Our apartment is pretty boring though so I can't say, "Life is GREAT!" without a TV but I do agree that watching TV means wasting a lot of time. I always end up watching horrible stuff like Keeping up with the Kardashians or something if I am anywhere near a TV so it's best that I stay away. I have a baby too and I don't want her to grow up with TV. She was HYPNOTIZED by Barney when we were watching cable at he grandma's house. Plus those evil commercials try to lure children into eating horribly unhealthy looking foods like flourescent colored cereals and blue french fries.
I do watch DVDs on my laptop though of LOST. LOST is my crack.
My wife and I gave our 32" TV to my mother in law whose last TV broke. We have since been TV free, mostly due to price, for the last several months. Our apartment provides high-speed internet free. We DON'T pay a cable bill! It feels almost criminal... But our home life is so awesome! My daughter and I are no longer passing ships in the night. My wife and I talk more and about more important things. My daughter is actively engaging in political discussions and other subjects of great importance. The list of the great changes that has occurred in just the last few months is long. I, and my wife agrees, we will never own a TV again. Its just not worth the financial, emotional, and time cost.
Thanks for the great post. A little searching on this topic led me to a Web site with additional info:
http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-mold.htm
Hey Andrea. My fiancé and I have a TV, but only watch one show a week – and often we forget that! We love being TV free, and we love our local radio station (rrr.org.au) too – it has a real community feel. One of the presenters is even officiating at our wedding next year.
Quick tip: if you want to watch some of the best TV commercials, just do a search. There are quite a few sites that on them.
I got cable tv for $10 a year for basic; adding internet there was no installation (got from a call) & it was $32 a month plus $5 for modem; when I went to pay (KNOWING that they have "offers" I mentioned I might not be able to keep the internet as on disability & might go to dial up; she promptly offered me for $29 both internet & the TV & modem; so, I do have both for less than just the internet would have cost. I miss the newspapers but our local just wasn't cutting the mustard for news; so the internet gives me far more coverage than is seen on TV or local news media; (how sad); I also utilize the library which has local papers; get books from there to read (new ones) instead of buying new; however, I do maintain a membership to friends of the library which has lots of great books from small prices & every bit helps the libraries; I discovered Fred Meyer's has the least expensive chocolate chips around & just got 5 bags of them at $1.09; and made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies; they were awesome! I am with you on the chocolate! and homemade cookies are far better than store bought ones any day!
My husband and I don't own a TV, either. Our original agreement was to try not owning one for the first year of our marriage - we're busy people and we didn't want our precious moments of downtime together to get hijacked by the tube. Now we've made it past the year mark (June 2 was our 1st anniversary) and we liked our experiment so much we're continuing it indefinitely!
One of our favorite results of this lifestyle choice is that our friends know we don't own a TV so they invite us to watch favorite shows/sporting events with them. It's made our viewing experience a social one, and we in return invite those friends over for potlucks, game nights, etc. at our place.
Another perk that I'd never have anticipated is how our living room doesn't have to be oriented around a TV, so we can comfortably include much more seating in our tiny apartment. That means bigger parties!
I highly recommend life without your own TV.
Fair enough, I didn't read the beginning of the article all that much. So it IS mainly a self-control issue. I understand completely. If only there was a way to lock TV's out when there isn't an important reason for them (how about technology that keeps the TV off if there's only one person in the room, to keep it at least a mildly social activity!), so you could still have people over for watching parties, which, you gotta admit, is about as cheap as you can get.
Do you feel as though if you had TV, you wouldn't be able to turn it off? I understand the temptation, certainly, but it doesn't cost much to get a used TV off of craigslist (I lived off of multiple ones for 100 dollars combined for several years) if only to use it for those debates, sports events, or whatever else you could find value for. I can certainly understand ditching cable (though I wouldn't do it myself), but a medium sized TV seems like a relatively small investment compared to everything else.
Thanks for this recommendation. I thought when I retired 6 months ago that I would want to ditch goals once and for all. Now that I realize reaching for a goal is part of the fun, I need to think about some goals that are JUST FOR ME, not for career, not to escape my career, but simply for my own personal growth and happiness.
i play i am lvl 72 im always poor everybody is always poop hard to lvl up!
Actually, it IS the responsibility of the government to protect you. That's why we pay tax dollars to our government - so that the agencies that regulate imports will protect us from poisonous goods. While I appreciate self-sufficiency, there's only so much the modern American can do given limited time and resources to protect themselves from tainted imports. I'm sick of the "stop relying on the government" comments I keep seeing - we HAVE to rely on the government, and waht's more, we PAY them to do this job. It's not a matter of letting them off the hook, it's a matter of holding them accountable for ensuring our safety. THAT is there job.
The comments here just go to show how hard this sort of thing is to talk about.
There's no luxury so extravagant that you can't find somebody out there who considers it a necessity, while at the same time there's no necessity so basic that you won't have people coming out of the woodwork to point out that a billion people get by without refrigerators or electric lights.
The key, as you've demonstrated here, is to be thoughtful about your choices.
Whether people agree or disagree with the your lists means nothing. The point is the process of making the decisions in accordance with your own values. (Of course, you already know that.)
I figure since I'm staying indoors more, I should be able to enjoy the creature comforts.There are some days you just don't want to read, clean, etc. I can enjoy playing internet games, chat with people or watch movies on cable.
I do know that the premium channels will be first to go should things get worse. However, I have a wonderful (scarcastic) satellite company that will punish me with a fee for canceling my subscription if under two years.
I thought this was a great list and agree with nearly every point. I wrote a short snippit about the current market. I think if everyone took responsibility for their own decisions, the economy would not be in the current mess. my post is at http://frugalnyc.blogspot.com/2008/10/hiding-under-rock.html
I, too appreciate your candor and willingness to be "beheaded" for the chance to help others. :)
Everyone has those things they appreciate most.. and even when times are tough, they are the last to go. You are admirable in your effort to analyze what you value and what you don't. That is being financially responsible.
Thanks again.
Linsey
It is not the responsibility of the government to protect you, it is your responsibility, that is what is wrong with our country. People need to depend on and take care of themselves and their families. We are screwing ourselves when we look to the government for a solution.
A short sale (or a pre-foreclosure sale) is the best way to avoid a foreclosure. It still hurts your credit score, but not nearly as bad as a foreclosure. This website has a lot of good information on short sales. Click Here
I spent over 10 years working in my father's company. He is an amazing man and accomplished some amazing things, but then he lost his mind. I say this, partly joking, but it seemed (and still sometimes seems) true. The idea of turning over control of his empire to his children was beyond anything he could grasp. As a result, his businesses now struggle and no children are involved in the upper management of the businesses.
man, this is like a hat trick for me. the tub needs cleaning. i just spotted baking soda at sam's club, 12# for $5.83. and, the best part....I JUST REPLACED MY TOOTHBRUSH SO I ALREADY HAVE A SACRIFICIAL ONE! i know what i'm doin' while my husband is working on his bike tonight. thanks for doing the legwork and reporting the results, linsey. you've made my day.
Try this diet:
Lose 9 lbs. every 11 days
A good diet shows you how to eat the right foods. You can train your body to increase its metabolism. It works and it makes you feel good. Try it!
Great post. Most people would be much happier and much wealthier if they put this much thought into where and how the spend money. Splurging on things that you value can be a great deal while getting a bargain on something that you don't care about is a bad financial decision. Among the things that my wife chose not to spend money on are cable TV, a second car, soda. We are much better off for it. We spend more than many of our friends on travel and on groceries (especially cheese), but those are worth it to us. If your spending matches your values you are in good shape.
RDS
http://financialvalues.blogspot.com/
There are always people who are not happy with their planner or advisor, but because of inertia, they don't move until the pain becomes too great. Many people could avoid this if they found the right financial advisor from the beginning. Our company - http://www.claroconnect.com - matches individuals to unique financial advisors- many people don't realize there are advisors who focus on divorced women, union employees, teachers, Hispanics, Socially Responsible Investing, etc. We are seeing more interest than ever before from individuals looking for new advisors.
I spent several years trying to live ultra-frugal, eating junk and canceling the gym memberships. Looking back, I wish I had cut other areas and kept the healthy diet and gym workouts. Your health is priceless--after all, if you check out early it won't matter how much you've saved.
Gels not for marathons but for long bike rides; for example, my 3-day trip (half of my vacation time) to raise money for low-income families who couldn't otherwise afford childcare.
Thanks for your thoughts and comments Myscha, Mrs. Green, Kav, and others. My priorities have changed as I've gotten older so my list may not be as relevant to those in their 20s or 30s or even early 40s and maybe even beyond; but now that friends who are younger than me are being diagnosed with heart disease, it makes sense to me to do what I can. You'll notice that half of my list was health-related.
I have considered these expenses including Internet access, which as I mentioned, can be a key to economic development not just for me but entire communities (see info about e-NC Authority to increase access in rural areas). My mother-in-law's dad worked in the postal system during the Depression and was one of the few who were able to keep his job; my access allows me to work with those in the government (the property managers in DC), who, presumably, will have money to spend later on.
While it's true that you can spend loads of money on vacation, wine, and food, etc., you don't have to: Wise Bread is a great source of info on how to best use your money.
Julie, I thought your lists were interesting...as for the haters, I really don't know what to say. I guess we all wish that we could be as perfect as you and not spend a dime on anything. Total budget: $0. Yeah, that would be awesome. =
Thanks again for the blog, Julie :)