if you are near a library, check out this book:

“Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television”

definitely will make you think.

–Joe

Instead of buying a bagel every couple of days at the stand, I’m now buying a package and some cream cheese at the store. I get more bagels, they’re better, and it saves me time and money.

It sounds silly, but a lot of these small lifestyle changes really start to add up.

There are so many other ways to get information… newspapers, internet, and just going out and SEEING the world. I would encourage any parent to get rid of their television… you not only save money but you become more aware of the world around you! Also, for the first time a week ago, my son actually suggested going to the public library and while we were there he went wild picking out his books… I don’t think this would have happened if we had the t.v., cable, dvds, or video games. In the long run, everyone wins.

I’m not bashing TV, it’s just amazing how much more time we got back than just saving money. We do spend $5 a month for basic reception – same stations you mentioned – they give it to us for such a tiny amount with our cable modem.

Good luck!
Amanda

The $1095.96 that I will save over the course of the year will be put to a lot better use. Also it would free me up to keep things up around the house and read some of the books that I haven’t gotten too as well as my fitness level.

My wife and I have been talking about it and I just called today and found out that I am out of my contract in May. At that point, I am going to pull the trigger.

Anyway, I think that’s an easier cut, unless you really use the magazine. My husband get Bon Appetite and keeps them in a three ring binder. He really uses them, and typically makes 4-6 dishes from each edition when it comes. He’s a trained chef though, so it makes sense for him. Same thing with hobbiests I suppose.

I agree that there are no ultimate or hard and fast rules, it’s what works for you and what you love and want out of life.

Amanda (sometimes guest blogger)

What’s too frugal for one, is not frugal enough for the next.

In response to your post, I think it is all about cutting back where you can first, and where it hurts later (if need be). Some would say to absolutely cancel netflix because it’s a waste of money, where I think it’s a good way to have access to a wide library of movies without having to buy everything you want to see (but only end up watching once). So in my eyes netflix is a way to save money, or if not “save” in the literal sense make a more financially sound purchase.

Likewise, doing something as simple as not buying books, but instead using the library. I just started doing this again myself and I’m amazed that I ever stopped going. There is so much good stuff there, and 90% of anything I would ever want to read is located in my library system somewhere. How often do we really read books anyway, and whenever you would want to chances are it will still be at your library.

Maybe this will change over time, but I’m all about the baby steps now.

maybe a bit too radical for some, but how about cutting the tv itself?? so much toxicity comes through that little box.

if you need something to do with all your spare time, put in a small garden bed, maybe just 4′x4′ to start.

it will take five years to learn the how-to of efficient organics and is a good place to invest for when the fdic does tank.

Some things, though, you really have to do cold turkey. Getting off the sauce is one of them. Like handworn, I made the decision that I would stop drinking for a month (a year sounded a bit extreme). In the past, I’ve thought I would limit the swiggles to one a day or even one a week–laughable!

Setting a day to quit and then just doing it worked spectacularly. I’ve felt no particular desire to run out and buy another bottle of wine or beer. And for some reason there sher is a lot of money left in my checking account this month.

The month is up on the 29th. But I think I’m going to continue the new teetotalling lifestyle indefinitely. It’s mighty nice to have 80 or a hundred bucks left in the bank. And it would be even nicer to lose those ten pounds handworn reports!

just gotta keep it in moderation because the game can get pretty addicting =O

We hear a lot about recurring monthly expenses, but for me the change came when I could walk out of a Target having spent $4.29 on cat food… and not a penny more. I had to practice little by little, but I eventually trained myself to stop WANTING. That ended up saving me more in the end than changing my Netflix plan from 2 to one movie at a time.

And just like losing weight/getting in shape, it required a change of lifestyle — a change in perspective, rather than just simply cutting things out.

This year, I made a New Year’s Resolution to drink no alcohol for a year. Yep. Haven’t touched a drop in almost three months. I rarely feel the lack; other stuff came in to fill that space in my life. And I’m not spending $40 a month on beer. (Also, kind of as a perq, I’ve lost ten pounds!) I highly recommend it.

I wonder what that old man is doing on his walks.

Most of us don’t get a personality or life transplant when we want to change something in our lives; we have to work with our lives and who we are. Some changes will work for us without much effort, some will take a lot of experimentation and adjustment, and some just won’t fly.

They are trying to be an Internet bank, but they aren’t. Long-distance banking is inconvenient if you need to do anything complicated. It’s not entirely their fault; we just don’t work well together.

Cutting out that $4.00 Latte every morning won’t make you rich and it won’t wipe out that $10K in cedit card debt, but over the course of a year, combined with other small changes can really add up.

But if I could just get my employer to let me work from home. I could give up paying for gasoline (or at least reduce that cost by a significant amount)…

The worst part of the “cold turkey” approach? When you do collapse, you’ll fall into a hole deeper than you were when you started. You just won’t be able to help yourself, and it will be that much harder to get out of it again.

For some people, ‘cold turkey’ is good approach and gives amazing effects. But not for everybody. Then it is good to take opposite approach.

But is it a magic of ‘thinking small’ or rather ‘small steps’?