by Caryna St. John

Created on: June 01, 2009

How to save money by getting rid of the television

If you are like most North American, getting rid of the television may sound like a ridiculous proposal. In fact, the idea that you can save money by getting rid of the television may even sound preposterous. First of all, doesn't everyone need to have a television? And secondly, how on earth can it help you save money. Isn't it a cheap form of entertainment?

Unfortunately, this has been the wisdom of the masses ever since television became the popular. Most families in North America have at least one television set, and many have two or more. What most families believe to be a cheap form of entertainment in fact has many cost associated with it. If you were to eliminate television from your life, you would reap savings in a number of areas.

No Television Commercials

The number one way that television is costing you money is through the impact of advertisements. If you had the typical upbringing, by the time you graduated from high school you would have seen 350,000 commercials. Though you may never have stood up after a commercial and announced that you had to have "such-and-such" an item, chances are that your lifestyle has been subtlety influenced by what you have seen on television. From the clothes that you wear, the beverages that you drink, and the car that you drive, all of these may have been somehow first introduced to you through television, either in a commercial, or by a character in a show.

No Monthly Television Costs

Although television can arguably be a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment if you stick to the basic cable or satellite package, there are few among us who have the willpower to do so. Before you know it, you are spending close to or more than $100 per month for lots of extra channels that you rarely watch. Then there are the one-time sporting events that cost extra. If you start to add up the monthly costs of television you will realize that by cutting TV out of your life there will be instant savings.

No Television Repair or Replacement Costs

Unless you regularly replace your television, chances are good that at some point it will start to malfunction. You might notice a green haze, a stubborn power button, or one day it might just die. Regardless of the specific demise of your television, you will of course decide to repair or replace it. These days, since technology moves at the speed of light, you will convince yourself that buying the biggest and best television on the market

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