I tried an experiment this month. I quit TV. Which really means that I quit using all of my TV streaming services because I actually cut the cord a long time ago. I like using my time better without TV. Therefore, I’m going to continue staying off the services. Should I cancel them entirely? Would that save me money?
Why I Quit TV
I didn’t quit TV in order to save money. Instead, I just wanted to get my brain back. Like so many people, I was spending a ridiculous amount of time on screens. Often, I’d play games on my iPhone while also watching TV on my iPad. Quitting TV for a month allowed me to stop procrastinating a bunch of stuff, stop just zoning out for hours and hours at a time, and begin to reengage with my life. It feels really good, which is why I’m going to keep it up.
The Cost of Streaming Services
I didn’t quit my TV streaming services during the first month. After all, it was only an experiment. But now that I think I’ll really stay off of TV for awhile, it makes sense to consider canceling those services. Here is what I currently pay each month:
- Netflix: $13.99
- Hulu: $9.99
- Philo: $20
- Discovery Plus: $6.99
I also have an Amazon Prime subscription, so I watch TV and movies through that as well. Therefore, not counting the Amazon Prime shows, I spend over $50 per month on streaming TV shows. Note that I already canceled the CBS app, which cost me about $6 per month.
Why It’s Hard to Cancel Streaming TV
If I’m not going to watch TV at all anymore, then I should be able to easily cancel those four services, right? Wrong. It sounds easy but I find myself coming up with excuses not to cancel. Some are valid.
For example, my Hulu and Spotify accounts are bundled together. I can’t cancel Hulu without canceling Spotify. And I use Spotify almost daily so I don’t want to cancel that. It would cost the same to only have Spotify so it doesn’t make sense to cancel it.
My family and I are on a shared Netflix plan that I pay for. I don’t want to take that away from them. Therefore, I’ll probably keep that one.
Truth is, though, that I don’t have any reason that I can’t cancel Philo and Discover Plus. I have them because I love reality and competition TV way more than I should. But those things aren’t serving me. So I should cancel them. And that’s the plan. At least I’ll begin saving over $25 per month right away.
Quitting TV Makes Me Money
I’ve also noticed that not watching TV makes me money. I’m more productive and more creative. Part of that is simply due to working or creating instead of watching TV. But also TV forms ruts in the brain that cause me to stagnate a lot over time. Reading and doing other things instead is helping form new brain connections that allow inspiration to enter in new ways. As a result, I’m more productive. So I think that even if I’m only saving $25 per month right now (which is still nice!), I’m also going to make more money overall if I’m watching less television.
Read More:
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.