Who lives without TV?
Last night as we clicked through 150+ channels with nothing worth watching, my lovely wife points out that we are paying close to $80 a month for this junk, and why not just get rid of it. It has me thinking all day, and I'm really getting to appreciate the idea. All I would miss are movies, so a NetFlix membership would fill that void nicely.
So, who here lives without network/cable/satellite TV, whether you never had it or just gave it up? I'm curious to hear.
The most valuable thing I've learned about fly fishing is just how little I really know.
"With integrity, nothing else matters. Without integrity, nothing else matters." ~ Winston Churchill
For a relatively small investment you can put up an antenna and return to the days of free T.V. Mine can go months without being turned on but sometimes their is something worth watching. It is handy for local news and weather coverage at times.
I can think of few acts more selfish than refusing a vaccination.
we disconnected cable a year ago but have local over the air channels for news and 2 1/2 men, total cost. $34.95 (one time) for antenna.
"There's more B.S. in fly fishing than there is in a Kansas feedlot." Lefty Kreh
I can't say about fly fishing but there's a lot of feed lots in Kansas.
Wes' Pattern Book
http://www.flypatternbook.net
I'm sure some of your Amish neighbors could give you some input.
Heck I don't even have a computer.... wait I mean I don't have a fancy one like Joe has......
TV cost is really high and I have as you Val been thinking of changing over to a Comcast bundle for all my data and tv services we pay $ 70.00 for just the TV now
plus ATT, Verision ect.. , funny I had the same exact thought as you Val just two day ago...
Wife is on it tomorrow... I will chime back in with any huge savings, hopefully so anyway....
Be saFE
Relaxed and now a Full Time Trout Bum, Est. 2024
We have lived without TV for most or our married lives (30 years), through kids and all. We still watch rented movies occasionally, especially in winter, and aren't above going to friends and neighbors for a current event or some special occasion. It is sort of like smoking,once you quit you can't believe you ever did it. TV in general is so crass and the constant advertising really takes away any real experience that a good show might have. I read the news online and do it to excess for sure but to get your news without the hype and phony drama that comes with the network talking heads is really refreshing. It seems like TV just has to make everything so exciting, otherwise they are afraid no one will watch. I could go on and on but I better not.
We didn't have cable for about 8 years. Only got it about a year ago because it was a "2 for the price of 3" services through Mediacom....we "needed" the internet and land-based phone, so it was like getting the Cable for free. We rarely watch it. We do use our TV to watch rented movies or free movies from the Library, however. Even with the movies...about 1/2 the time I will just tie flies or go fishing in the dark rather than watch it.
David Merical
St. Louis, MO
We do !
Years ago we had one of those giant old dishes that made it look like we were in command of the Mars rover. In our homes over the years, we've had cable, or should I say various cable companies have had their way with us.
About five years ago, not wishing to become a permanent slave to cable, I decided to go with a good old fashioned set top antenna. But then that whole digital thing started. So I went out with coupon in hand and bought a converter box.
Wow, for a while the new digital signal was as good or better than any cable system we'd ever had and the number of channels available went from a fuzzy twelve with the old rabbit ears to twenty nine crisp clear channels, but we still couldn't find much worth watching.
Then one day the new digital converter box crapped out and we went tubeless, sort of.
Interesting side note, none of the stores around here that originally carried converter boxes, carry them now. ( Insert conspiracy theory here. )
It's been a few months now and neither of us are in any rush to change the way things are. Although we have an ever growing d.v.d collection of around 400 titles.
If anything happens in the world that we actually need to know about, of course there is the radio ( mostly NPR ) and the infernal machine that I'm typing on right now is capable of tuning in to every network news source we would've turned to with the TV.
Of course, I'm the guy who rides his bikes more miles each year than he drives a car.
That damn hippy, Dave
Valhalla,
I haven't owned a TV in 6.5 years since I moved out of my mom's house and I don't miss it at all. Even when I was at home this summer with my family, (they have a big screen and cable with tons of channels) I didn't feel the need to turn it on because any entertainment I found on it would certainly be less enjoyable and productive than fly tying or spending time with my family, or reading a book I enjoyed, etc...
You could just do a trial with no cable for a few weeks and see what happens. The cable company certainly wouldn't prohibit you from signing up again. lol, and that's almost $1,000 a year saved. Think of what you and your wife could do with $1,000.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
In '07 we had an ice storm here in SW MO. The cable fell off the pole. It'd been a couple years since I cut it off my house w/ wire dikes. Don't miss it a bit. All they ever did was give me attitude & a big bill, leave wheel ruts & trash in my yard. I miss 'em like a tooth ache. The cable that lay in the yaed got cut off the pole w/ a hatchet. Cable company ,"Have a nice day!"
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