Comments on: 5 Massive Benefits Of Not Having A Television

By: Dean

Dean — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:43:15 +0000

Awesome Tony. Nice to hear other people spending more quality time with their family.

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:54:12 +0000

I thought I’d do a search on going without TV. Pretty interesting. I’ve thought about it for some time, but haven’t. Kids grades are down some this 9wks also, but my wake up call, last night my daughter asked me to help her with a play practice script & I put her off because I was watching a game & today I feel bad about it as I should. The tv is going out tonight..

By: Lauren

Lauren — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:35:48 +0000

I haven’t watched a program on TV regularly in quite a few years! Occasionally, I’ll watch a cable program, usually National Geographic or a documentary at a friend’s house, and when I do get to watch a program, it’s a real treat. We’ve never had cable TV at my house because I was always concerned about my kids watching something I didn’t approve of when I wasn’t there. None of my kids are in the TV habit. We have plenty of things to fill our time. We do rent movies sometimes but I can choose the content. None of us misses TV to tell you the truth. We never got a digital TV converter box or bought a new TV when broadcasters started broadcasting in digital instead of analog; we really didn’t care. Amazing the things you accomplish when your time isn’t sucked up by passive TV viewing!

By: Dean

Dean — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:37:21 +0000

Awesome story. I know what you mean about commercials. I’m glad you made the life changing switch.

By: Keldorn

Keldorn — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:35:26 +0000

I only watch TV when I want to enjoy a movie (Like A DVD with no commercials). Other then that I haven’t watched actual “TV” probably since 6 years ago. What really drove me away was the amount of commercials, then they started sticking commercials in the bottom of the screen while your watching the show! I just decided at some point in 2005 to stop watching it.

By: Dean

Dean — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:05:17 +0000

I’ll admit it is hard to convince people to give up their TV. But you could do a 21 day challege and make a reward if they complete the challenge. After the 21 days they could see how it is without TV and make the decision for themselves.

By: Josie

Josie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:57:48 +0000

I want to get rid of all the 3 tvs in my home, I am sooo ready for this, the only thing that is keeping me from doing so is my husband and my 12 y.old son, how do I convince them? I think I will pretend there is no tv and go do stuff my self, they will get curious and join me, then, i’ll disable the tvs…:)

By: Jan

Jan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:46:56 +0000

We ditched our TV service a couple of months ago, in an attempt to shave $$$ from the budget. Cox raised the rate on Basic Cable Television $2.50, and we decided we weren’t going to pay more for something we didn’t watch anyway, so we called to cancel it. DH said the cust. serv. rep. tried to tell him that it wasn’t possible to drop TV and keep Internet service, but DH told him we have friends in KS who have done just that, plus the local rep. at the Cox store said we could. The guy on the phone said, “Well, we only recommend that for customers with high Internet usage….” and looking at our bandwidth usage on the account, sighed and continued, “…and that would be you.” DH replied, “Got it in one, Neal!”

We have a DS who will be two next weekend, and we joke about what his reaction will be the first time he’s at a friend’s house watching TV–”Hey, what happened? A what? Commercial? What’s that? Where’s the show? I want to know how the story ends!”

We use the Internet to download our entertainment, sometimes storing them on shiny round things for portability to the car or Grammy & Grampy’s house. And I love WINamp for my iPod; no more iTunes taking 3 hrs. to scan the HD, or running the risk of viruses coming through it!

DH told me that the cable companies are wising up to the number of customers they are losing when they try to keep TV and Internet tied, and in this economy, are more inclined to keep some money coming in than to lose an account altogether. And since DH spent 17+ years in broadcast, he also sees this as being a bad thing for network television, and local stations in particular.

By: Lance96816

Lance96816 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:03:11 +0000

I stopped watching tv when reality shows kicked in.
None of the new shows held my interest, so I just quit.
I used to be a TV Addict. TV was on just to prevent me from missing anything. Something would always catch my attention and I would end up watching it.
Now I have news feed on my Cell phone and computer. And that is all I need.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:06 +0000

I’m a bit cyclic personally—going a few weeks with no TV and a few weeks with, repeat, repeat. I have noticed, personally, that television can take an awful psychological toll!

Most commercials are DESIGNED to make the consumer feel that something is wrong with them, that what they have is subpar, that they need more more more. (I really feel a sickness in the pit of my stomach when I think about that.)

I have noticed that the less TV I watch, the better I feel about my physical appearance. I’m sure it affects a minority of males the same way.

Feeling insecure? Low esteem? Toss that TV right out the window.

By: Gregg

Gregg — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:43:15 +0000

I donated my 3 tvs about two years ago and probably will never go back. After not being exposed to the bombarding of negative news programming (why do you think they call it programming)I am feeling like I can live again. I exercise more, socialize more, read more books and feel so much better. I must say that it is one of the best things I have done in my life. I f I feel like watching a movie…I just go to the movies. There is so much natural beauty in the real world…much better than seeing it through a screen. You may want to try it for yourself!

By: Dean

Dean — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:57:38 +0000

Hi Charlize,

I tell people to throw out their TV and start living life but I think your boyfriend took it to the next level. I totally agree with you Best Buy warranties are a scam. Good to hear you are freeing yourself from the “zombie box”. Thanks for the comment. Aloha, Dean

By: Charlize

Charlize — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:54:30 +0000

Hey Dean -

It’s funny, I read this article like a day before my boyfriend broke out t.v. I had been telling him we shouldn’t watch so much because we are really letting it take over our lives, but that’s hard when it’s still around.

Our internet modem was malfunctioning, my boyfriend lost his temper and threw the modem – which hit out our t.v. and cracked the screen. I was furious because the t.v. was still under a year old, we had bought a warranty for it, but that only covers “dusting nuts and bolts every two years”. Best Buy pretty much deemed our t.v. worthless and the $60 warranty was a scam – my boyfriend threw the t.v. in the store and shattered it everywhere. He told me about this and I could tell it must have been liberating. We are forever done with Best Buy!

It’s only been a few days but I don’t think we will be ever be getting a t.v. again. We are so full of energy and we sleep so much better – late night shows always kept him up. Our friends have a t.v. so it’s not like we won’t ever watch t.v. shows again, but since it’s not in our home we can keep within moderation.

I love your site! In trying times like now frugal is the name of the game.

By: Big Cheezz

Big Cheezz — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:25:31 +0000

That was a fantastic job on the article. It is truely inspiring. I myself have left the old habit of watching T.V, now i have to tackle my time on the computer.

I would get on the comp, having the intention to do some work, but I get carried away, thanks to all the opportunity the web has to offer.

But i would really like to get on and do my work only and get off, so i can actually work out, raed, and enjoy what life has to offer.

By: Dean

Dean — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:04:51 +0000

Awesome, I’m glad you unplugged. Sounds like your quality of life has improved greatly by doing something most people wouldn’t dare to do.

By: MILLIE

MILLIE — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:50:19 +0000

I have not thrown the tv out but I went back to only basic cable and no dvr. At first I was stressing about missing shows, not being able to record them and watch later.
Now I get out of the house more, sometimes just sitting on the balcony to read or going for a walk. I am actually going to the library more. I have also found time to organize paperwork and receipts, hang pictures, send notes or cards to friends and try new healthy recipes.
It’s great!

By: 7 Great Ways to Spend a Friday Night - Free or Cheap : Mr. Cheap Stuff

7 Great Ways to Spend a Friday Night - Free or Cheap : Mr. Cheap Stuff — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:41:42 +0000

[...] Off the TV and Be Creative. Turning off the TV could be one of the best things you do for yourself and your family. The best things in life [...]

By: Mohammad

Mohammad — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:00:24 +0000

I glad to read this article today. My wife and I canceled out Dishnetwork service yesterday and going to stop watching TV for at least 6 months or more. Yes my 50 inch wedding gift TV will be missing me, but who cares. I read Getting Things Done by David Allen and yes very helpful. Thank you for sharing.

By: Doc

Doc — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:45:07 +0000

If I threw out my TV, I would have just enough time to think up and deploy a website describing the benefits of throwing it out. I’ll keep mine since the work has already been done. Thanks

By: Dean

Dean — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:23:09 +0000

Awesome, I can see made the unemotional decision of getting rid of your TV. I wish more people would be as bold and give it a try. Now if I can only spend less time on my computer

By: bjk

bjk — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:05:18 +0000

We have not had cable for years and love it. We do enjoy to watch movies so we still have a tv in the house. But it is nice, we have to say to each other, hey want to watch ____ and say yes lets do it tomorrow. We play more games as a family and my kids will read for HOURS!!! I love it. We to, can not get into the talk about what happened on whatever show. But we did not normally watch the shows they all watched then so it did not bother us much.

By: 10 Frugal Questions With Jason White From FrugalDad.com : Mr. Cheap Stuff

10 Frugal Questions With Jason White From FrugalDad.com : Mr. Cheap Stuff — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:31:44 +0000

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By: Dean

Dean — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:02:29 +0000

Great point on watching the news Diana, many news stations offer online condensed versions.

As nerdy as this sounds I am researching how to watch TV at 1.5x or 2x speed. For some shows this does not work but for shows like news it is awesome. Sort of like listening to a podcast or audio books at 1.5x or 2x.

By: Diana

Diana — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:38:17 +0000

I would chuck the TV in a heartbeat if it weren’t for the video game players in my home. They simply outrank me 7/1. =) That being said, the new TV is the internet. You can watch everything from your local news to your favorite TV shows to movies. You just need to know how to access the information that’s freely floating around.
Check your local news stations website, you might be surprised to find that they offer video service of their latest news broadcast.

By: Kim

Kim — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:26:48 +0000

I have a television but only play the same DVDs over and over again because I am too cheap to purchase a dish, antenna, etc. and I do not prefer most of what is offered on the tube. Over the past eight years without “normal” viewing at my home but at a friend’s, I became a t.v. junky. Now, it is when I visit someone’s home and their television is on and if we decide to watch some of what is being shown to the masses, it makes me very aware that it is really is a distraction and is one of my greatest downfalls to living life without wasting away all of my time. So, it really true that without television we can lose the pounds. Over the past 2 years, I went from the mindless couch-potato, 246 pounds, down to a nice 150-160 (not sure)and counting. I am enjoying life so much more now, that I have no desire to return to it. As far as the computer is concerned, I only use as needed but it, like the t.v., is no longer attached to my side.

By: Jenny Bunns

Jenny Bunns — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 01:59:09 +0000

While I still enjoy watching DVDs at home, I hadn’t had cable since college, and don’t plan on getting it. I keep myself busy already, and if I had cable, I’d be too afraid I’d greatly lower my productivity level. And it’s a wonder to me when people can spend so much time not only watching TV, but talking about it as if it’s the only thing bonding one person to another. Small talk is great and all, but not having a TV has also gotten me to develop less superficial interactions with the people around me, as well. Thanks for this article!

By: Compare TV Electricity Consuption

Compare TV Electricity Consuption — Sat, 05 May 2007 02:03:31 +0000

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By: Mr. Cheap Stuff

Mr. Cheap Stuff — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:48:42 +0000

Yeah, less TV = More fun in the sun or time on my darn computer.

By: Cam

Cam — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:34:47 +0000

Haha! You gotta see the TV in my room, it’s still in the box sitting on top the tv stand since we’ve moved into the house this past August. I agree, there are a lot of benefits to not watching TV. Let me know when you’re down for some bodyboarding.

By: Mr. Cheap Stuff

Mr. Cheap Stuff — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:45:16 +0000

Nice story Hosea, it really is “water under the bridge”.