Life Without Cable TV
Something occurred to me during my monthly flight from San Francisco to Baltimore this past August. I was coming back to my seat from the back of the pane. As I walked down the aisle, I noticed that about 75% of passengers had a tablet or computer on and were watching something. Not reading, mind you, but watching. This observation really gave me a pause and got me thinking about the fact that I haven’t watched any movies in quite some time. And then another thought came. When was the last time I sat down to watch TV? I couldn’t remember!
What also occurred to me is that it’s been over 6 years since I stopped subscribing to cable TV. I still have a flat screen TV set that just sits in my living room serving no real purpose. Once in a while, my husband and I will watch a movie on Netflix.
As I sat down in my seat and continued thinking about what I just observed, I realized that I haven’t actually been missing it that much. The only aspect of not having cable I missed was watching morning news while getting ready for work. I used to love watching “Good Morning America.” When I moved to the West Coast, the time difference completely distanced me from this habit.
Now here’s the question. Have I been missing anything during the past 6 years? Fill me in, because I would love to catch up. I stay current with the news by reading my Twitter feeds daily and by reading magazines on the plane. Once in a while, I’ll watch a movie that is actually worth spending time watching.
The decision not to have a cable TV subscription came about because I was studying for CFP® certification and my husband was working on his CPA license and we wanted to eliminate any distractions. What has evolved out of this is I started reading more! Thus, a new habit was born:)
I remember while growing up, my mom had to force me to sit down and read for 30 minutes per day and I hated it!
As I continued sitting on the plane and writing this blog post, I wondered how much money did we save by not having a cable subscription? Or should I say “didn’t spend?”
I remember Jim mentioning to me that he pays about $60/month. So then my calculation is: $60 x 12 months x 6 years = $4,320 of money we didn’t spend.
The decision to not have a cable subscription was a conscious decision to eliminate distractions, but it also not only allowed me to develop a new habit of reading more, but also revealed a savings opportunity we weren’t aware of.
What decisions have you made in your life consciously or unconsciously that brought you to where you are today? And saved you money?
