How to Live Without TV

I don't know how much your cable bill costs you every month, but I

 know how much mine costs. It costs $0.00. With a little ingenuity (or maybe a major paradigm shift) yours can cost $0.00 also. 

First of all, (and this is the hard part) you need to call up your cable provider and cancel. Do it now. I'll wait.

. . .

     ...

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Are you back yet? Ok.

"Now what?" I hear you ask. Well, there are other, freeer sources of TV that you may not have tapped yet.

The Internet

• If you just want mindless entertainment, sites like YouTube have plenty for everyone. 
  
• Most major networks have full episodes of your favorite shows available. Try the following:
  
• NBC : Click on Watch Video in the main menu, then select those shows with the green circles. These have full episodes to view
• CBS : Click on "Watch & Chat" and there will be a selection of full episodes to watch. These are arranged by"room" where you can discuss the merits of the content with other avid viewers.
• ABC : Click on the menu item that says "Free Episodes", and watch free episodes of all that they have available.
• Cartoon Network : Click on "Video", then "Shows", then select the one you want to watch. They are only available for a limited period before new content replaces it.
• Check out other video sites like hulu.com or made-for-web cartoon sites such as homestarrunner.com
  
  

This is assuming that you have an Internet connection (since you are reading this blog.) If, however, you access the Internet at a public spot, such as a library, you might want to bring a set of headphones (if you have them.)

The Library

I could really do a whole post about the library and how wonderful it is, butI'll just focus for now on film selections. Many libraries have extensive DVD and video collections, some of them with newer TV seasons.  Or, you could try branching out and watching older BBC or PBS specials. There might even be some classic films with people who are pretty and good at acting. Who knows, you might even learn something! Scary thought, huh?

Your Friends

Whether you realize it or not, your friends might be an excellent source of TV.  For those of you who watch Gray's Anatomy or Heroes just to be able to talk about it at the office the next day, why don't you find people you'd enjoy discussing it with during the commercials? Commercials are better when you're not watching them, anyway.  If TV is truly a social event for you, share it with somebody with a bigger screen and a better cable budget than you have.  It's a great way to get to know people and maybe share something you love with someone new.  Plus, your friends might have an extensive existing DVD collection of shows you haven't watched yet.  Chances are if they are excited enough about a show to buy the DVD, they will want you to borrow it, watch it and share in the wonderfulness that you might be missing otherwise.

Netflix

I hesitate to mention this because Netflix does, in fact, cost money, but if you already have a Netflix account, you are already spending the money anyway. Do you realize you can get seasons of your favorite shows through the mail? It's amazing! They play in your DVD player and everything. If you don't already have Netflix (or insert media service of choice here), you might find that it's cheaper to get a basic subscription than pay for cable. I know, I know, it's a "spend less" mindset rather than a "spend none" mindset, but I mention it because it might be a cost-saving option. And it might be the "gateway" into just foregoing your TV altogether. 

Watch Less TV

This is actually my favorite TV option here. There are about a million things to do besides watching TV.  Maybe even a million and five. Anyway, there are a lot of alternate activities. You can go for a walk, play with your kids, start a novel, read a novel, learn a new skill, pick up some freelance work, put a few extra hours in to get that promotion, find a new job, learn to sew, learn to draw, volunteer, get more sleep, take a long bath, etc. I don't know -- go crazy. If boredom was seriously your main reason to watch TV, then you might be pleasantly surprised...

Well, even with all those options you might find that it is just too hard to cancel your cable. If the TV is too tempting, have you considered just selling the box altogether? Then you'd get extra cash, extra space, and one less bill every month. Plus, it might cut down on arguments about TV watching. But maybe that's not for you. I'd just as soon keep it for movies and games, personally. Living without the cable bill (not to mention extra channels, pay-per-view, DVR, other various add-ons) is enough for me.