Daily life
7 Months Without Television
I have gone seven months without television and I am still sane. This does not mean that I have not watched any television programming, it just means that I have not watched my television set for seven months. I have been watching the shows that I want to watch on Hulu and I find that watching online television suits me better.
I simply go online to find shows I might be interested and and subscribe to them via Hulu. When the show becomes available it is added to my queue on Hulu and I watch at my own leisure. No longer do I have to run home if I am out just to make it in time to see House MD. No longer do I have to stay up past my regular bed time to see NCIS. I do end up watching most shows one or two days later than they originally aired but I am not one for water cooler talk so that does not bother me.
I don’t think that not having the television on has made an impact on my electric bill because I now have the computer on more than I used to in the past. The good thing is that I am usually multitasking on the computer so I might be watching a show and cutting coupons or editing a document at the same time. Since I am able to work continuously without having to break at specific times to watch a program I think that I am being a little bit more productive…or at least I hope so.
JennaOctober 6, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Totally agree with you on this one. I don’t think I’m going to ever buy a TV. Maybe just a bigger computer screen / monitor!
seo services companyOctober 6, 2010 at 1:47 pm
i am shocked, how can u live without television 7 months..
i am not saying that television is necessary but it’s good source for fun..
i love television especially cartoon network…..
television is the source to get me refreshed..
keep sharing..
jacob lee
LuLuGalOctober 11, 2010 at 8:58 pmAuthor
Like I mentioned in the post..I still watch television programming, just on my computer instead of being chained to the cable schedule.
Laptop BriefcaseOctober 6, 2010 at 2:58 pm
I wish I could save money on a big expense like our monthly cable bill. Our problem is that we religiously follow our favorite sports team. It’s not yet possible to watch all of their games online. I have noticed a trend of more and more sports events being offered online. So maybe it’s just a matter of time before we can turn off our cable too. Still, sometimes watching on a computer monitor is just not the same as watching on a big high definition tv.
textbook rentalsOctober 7, 2010 at 10:28 am
At the rate it is going, sports will be next to be online. I wonder if anyone will cut down their cable bill tremendously, since watching online requires a fast internet connection, and many places have only fast internet through cable company. Maybe you can write about differences in internet connections to help people maneuver through their choices.
savvysavingbytesOctober 7, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Good for you! I haven’t gone that far yet but I managed to save a lot by returning my cable box and killing the monthly fee of their box and remote. If anyone’s interested:
EssayOctober 7, 2010 at 1:47 pm
There are many websites available which show you more than 200 channels through the software at your PC. The good point is that, they do not charge much.
Android tabletsOctober 8, 2010 at 5:56 am
I have hooked up my computer to my large LCD TV for this. Find it easier than just large monitors
LuLuGalOctober 11, 2010 at 8:59 pmAuthor
That sounds like a great idea but I do not have a large LCD tv. LOL. I have an old school tv that I bought ten years ago.
tiresOctober 13, 2010 at 5:33 pm
@LuluGal, you could always try to find an adapter online that will covert from your computer output to whatever your cable inputs are. I’ve been thinking about doing something like this myself, but I suppose it all depends what outputs your computer has for video.
Till then,
Jean
LuLuGalOctober 14, 2010 at 6:53 amAuthor
Oh I don’t have cable service at all and now that I use Hulu and watch tv on my schedule I cannot imagine going back to cable. Yes I miss some things that are not on cable but there is enough on Hulu that I like AND I have been getting into new shows that I would not have watched previously.
Laptop BriefcaseOctober 14, 2010 at 2:18 pm
I don’t think Jean is recommending to reconnect cable services. He is just saying that you can watch your Hulu shows on your tv if you get the right adapter. If your tv doesn’t have different inputs, you might still be able to go through your vcr or dvd player. We have this setup with a nice big tv and it’s a nice way to watch tv shows or movies from the computer.
tiresOctober 19, 2010 at 2:36 am
@LuLu, what I meant to say is exactly as Laptop Briefcase translated to
check out his comment on October 14, 2010 at 2:18 pm, its basically computer to your tv!
-Jean
Sourish @ Jailbreak Iphone 4October 27, 2010 at 11:43 am
i got a tv this festive season and use it with my desktop to play games , and blogging on my laptop ….
Keep My IP » The DoughRoller Weekly RoundUp (Wal-Mart Changes Benefits Edition)October 10, 2010 at 11:46 am
[...] 7 Months Without Television @ How I Save Money: No, this isn’t a horror novel, this is an account of how one PF blogger has successfully stayed sane after seven months of no television. I wonder how long I could make it without television? Probably black-out on hour #12. [...]
ReliablechicOctober 13, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Hi there great blog! I went the first year and half without cable. I had a netflix account and cancelled that. I watch all my shows online for the most part! I finally gave in and opted for satellite instead of cable. So I got the cheapest package and a roommate, but I find that the electric and water bill have gone up. Which makes sense beause of the addition of another person using the utilites. I think this winter I will set the heat at 68, never touch it and wear lets clothes in the house. I’m even considering going outside and flipping the main breaker. If this winters anything like last winter, there is no cause for concern with the frigde/freezer. It wld keep cold for 9-10 hours.
JasmineOctober 15, 2010 at 3:42 am
Wow, that’s a great achievement. I would go insane even one day without television I think.
Cheap Teeth WhiteningOctober 15, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I understand that Windows 7 has built-in internet TV support and also enables you to project your PC screen onto your TV. I’m just not sure how all this would tie into Hulu. Have been tired of paying for Comcast cable tv especially with all the endlessly repeated movies. Does having Hulu dispense with the need to pay for a cable tv subscription and leave you with only an internet bill?
LuLuGalOctober 16, 2010 at 11:17 amAuthor
Why don’t you sign up for a Hulu account and see if you like it and then you can make the decision. Hulu is FREE!!!!!! Well there is a paid subscription as well but I only use the free one. It takes a few minutes to search for the shows you watch (like House or Glee) but when you find the show you hit the subscribe button and every time there is a new episode it goes into your queue.
Try Hulu for a few days and see if you can get all the things you watch and then you can give up your cable. There are a few shows that are not available on Hulu, like CSI but you can watch those from other places online.
car batteryOctober 16, 2010 at 8:01 am
Congrats, that is quite remarkable. Most people cannot live without TV. But it is a good point about online TV nowadays. With most shows being available online, one doesn’t really need the TV that much unless they follow a lot of programs on a regular basis. But for the casual viewer, it might not be that important to be able to watch TV often.
LuLuGalOctober 16, 2010 at 11:12 amAuthor
Well it was hard for me at first but I made the decision to give it up during Lent as a sacrifice so I guess all the Catholic guilt helped me. Not being chained to the television is a mental process and I think television is addicting. You have to go through a mental shift to be able to use Hulu as your sole source of ‘tv’ but once you do it then you wonder why you were not doing it before.
I currently have about 12 programs in my Hulu queue to watch but the beauty of it is that I can watch them at my own leisure….so it works for me.
textbook rentalsOctober 18, 2010 at 1:04 pm
I have never had a problem with not having TV. I have always been a movie buff so if I need something to watch I am never in need of a good DVD.
Sourish @ Jailbreak Iphone 4October 27, 2010 at 11:41 am
television is the primamry source of entertainment for me , as i stay indoor most of the time , blogging about my passion , gadgets … cant live more than a week without the idiot box
Sourish
Chris FosterNovember 1, 2010 at 5:31 am
Nice post. I’m also not watching TV anymore. i only watch TV shows using my laptop in my room, during travel and even at the office. it’s more convenient.
ExhaustAugust 6, 2011 at 12:37 am
you were unable to get good reception using an antenna with a new digital TV, then you will have the same problems with a converter box. That’s because a converter box has basically all the same “guts” as a digital TV, except there’s no screen.