So it has now officially been two weeks (and 2 days!) since I watched any television! My poor friends definitely heard me protest in the early days, but somehow it is beginning to feel normal! I should explain that there is also no way to watch tv on the computer, so I really am on quite the media fast. At first the plan was to watch dvd’s from the library, but you know, after the first one I really couldn’t get into them, I really found them a distraction and I wasn’t all that interested.
I think my problem is that I’m a bit of an all or nothing sort of person, if I have a tv I enjoy it as background noise, I enjoy a chuckle while I’m knitting or something to take my mind off what I’ve just seen at work. I’m not someone who could own a tv and not have it on at least the majority of the days of the week, on the other hand since I’m a multi-tasker I don’t feel it stops me from reading, knitting, phoning friends etc. I’m not sure what the right balance is, I’m not sure what decision I’ll make in the new year (it will be at least January before I am in a place to get a new (or more correctly new to me) tv) but for now it feels right, it feels like a lesson maybe I needed to learn and that’s a good thing!
How about you? Do you watch TV? Have you ever tried a complete TV fast?
I gave up owning a tv about 10 years ago. One of the best decisions I ever made. I just wasn’t able to be disciplined about how much I watched. Once I gave it up, the side benefits were amazing. My spending and desire for ’stuff’ dropped immediately. I really had no idea how much impact the commercials were having on me.
Whether it’s a short fast or a long one, I hope you find this to be a good time for you.
By: Erin Wilson on November 18, 2009
at 7:16 am
Wow Erin, that is great!
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 8:50 am
I do watch television but I am generally very selective. We don’t have a television in the lounge area so that limits watching too. I don’t think I could give up totally but my children turn into zombies when the set is on and that is not ideal. So TV will be rationed/supervised for a while to come.
By: Suzan on November 18, 2009
at 7:27 am
That is a great idea Susan. I wonder if it might work if I had mine in a cupboard I kept closed, I think seeing it there makes me think to put it on!
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 8:52 am
I stayed somewhere without a tv for a week once and I thought it would drive me crazy but it wasn’t so bad. I did bring a small radio so I had the music as background noise which helped a lot.
By: Cathy on November 18, 2009
at 8:30 am
Yes Cathy, a radio helps enormously! I’m a BBC Radio 4 Junkie when in the UK and a CBC radio Junkie when in Canada and a NPR Junkie when in the US of A!
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 8:53 am
Last year I tried to cut down on how much telly I watched to 2 hours a day (or the length of one film, if longer – it got really technical LOL). 2 hours sounds like a lot anyway, but compared to the old “entire night in front of the telly” days it was a bit of an eye opener.
I really enjoyed it, I suddenly discovered extra time! But the boyfriend could never keep to it so it disappeared – alas!
By: Kat on November 18, 2009
at 8:42 am
MEN! LOL
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 9:02 am
My mother limited my TV time growing up, so I’ve neve been a big tv-watcher. But I love HGTV and can very easily find myself flipping it on too often. There are a couple of shows Jason and I watch, but we always end up watching them online after they’ve aired.
By: thisthriftedlife on November 18, 2009
at 8:55 am
Oh I can well understand HGTV obsessions!!! I’m the same way, I also love cooking shows. I am quite madly obsessed with the British Chef James Martin and when I’m out of the country I miss his Saturday Kitchen show terribly!!
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 9:02 am
Oh I can well understand HGTV obsessions!!! I’m the same way, I also love cooking shows. I am quite madly obsessed with the British Chef James Martin and when I’m out of the country I miss his Saturday Kitchen show terribly!!
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 9:01 am
We went for about six months without a tv, and I sure got a lot more done (not that I watched a lot anyway). Now that we do have it, I really don’t watch anything during the week, I spend my evenings reading, crocheting, etc. and hubby and I will usually watch something together on the weekends. I think that balance has worked out really well for us.
By: Jennifer on November 18, 2009
at 9:09 am
Ah, this post made me smile! I haven’t had a tv for years, and I don’t miss it. I do occasionally watch something on iplayer, now that there’s that option, but life without means more gets done – be that work, walking, knitting, reading, creating…..
Hope all’s well with you FT!
By: Pebbledash on November 18, 2009
at 9:10 am
good for you! my kids’ school held a tv-free week challenge and it was great. much easier than we had expected. the kids were completely enthusiastic about it. nit sure how we’d all do with no tv indefinitely, though.
By: AG Ambroult on November 18, 2009
at 9:58 am
I don´t like background noise, so I even turn on the radio only when I´m going to listen (while cooking, sewing or something similar). And when I turn on the tv before 8 pm, I feel like a total slob. S o that doesn´t leave much time for watching tv!
By: Hilde on November 18, 2009
at 10:12 am
I honestly could take it or leave it. My work colleagues think I’m crazy that I don’t watch X-Factor, Strictly etc.
Giving up my computer though…….that’s another matter.
By: Anna on November 18, 2009
at 10:57 am
I lived without a tv for 5 years until I got married in August. I found I read a lot more, went out more, called friends more. If I wanted to watch a movie, or check out a tv series I could get a dvd from the library or netflix.com. The beauty of this was when a show was over, it was over and I’d have to get up and do something else.
My husband is really resistant to cutting back on our cable or getting rid of the tv entirely.
He doesn’t have a problem with too much tv but I have since I was a child so no tv is ideal for me.
By: GC on November 18, 2009
at 11:30 am
We haven’t had a TV for almost five years. We do watch DVDs on our computer, and certain shows that I really love- River Cottage etc.
I don’t miss it at all- although I do enjoy watching TV in hotels when we are away, but mostly just to remind myself that I am not missing much and how irritating ads are.
I find though that internet time has filled previous TV time and I am trying to cut back on that now. It might actually be worse because like you I would knit or sew and watch TV, when I am online that is all I do.
I love to listen to audiobooks in the evening now while I am creating my Christmas presents.
By: Looby on November 18, 2009
at 11:33 am
I haven’t owned a television since 2001, and I love it! It may take you a little time to get used to it, but once its gone for good, you’ll find so many more rewarding ways to spend your time.
Good for you!
By: sneaux on November 18, 2009
at 11:41 am
To be honest, I found this quite an odd post from you. To use a TV as background noise when doing something else is a very expensive way of living. Radios (non-DAB) use less, of course, but still do push up the bills.
There is a great deal to be said in doing things, to use the Buddhist expression, mindfully. It means that you get the full pleasure and relaxation benefits of doing one thing at a time.
I’m not anti-TV, but I only watch it when I actually want to watch what is on.
Reading or doing craft work in total peace is wonderful when you get used to it, as others have obviously found.
It will be interesting to hear your views on this in a few weeks’ time!
By: Linda on November 18, 2009
at 12:55 pm
I agree Linda, although it wasn’t every day, more Saturday nights – relaxing in front of the telly while knitting etc. Hope that makes sense? I think because it wasn’t an every day thing I wasn’t necessarily making the connection. I am an avid radio listener though!!
By: Frugal Trenches on November 18, 2009
at 2:06 pm
Although I am only 30, I grew up without a TV in the home which was a great thing for me. Now that I am an adult my husband and I own a television but have never paid for cable. We used to get 2 or 3 channels over the air, but with our new TV we don’t get any reception at all. We do watch a fair amount of DVDs though, including some television shows on DVD. This way we only watch what we truly choose to watch, and we are not subjected to commercials hawking products we don’t need.
By: Canadian on November 18, 2009
at 1:11 pm
[...] Read a rest here: Two Weeks No Television « Notes From The Frugal Trenches – A … [...]
By: Television » Two Weeks No Television « Notes From The Frugal Trenches – A … on November 18, 2009
at 2:54 pm
My family never had a television, and now I’m married, we still don’t have one. We don’t miss it. I always wonder how people can watch tv and still do everything they do (or should do). Also, there is A LOT of crap on television. Personally, I don’t think watching tv makes you a better person.
By: Elizabeth on November 18, 2009
at 3:08 pm
No television here; the only person who misses it is my husband. We gave it up when we moved two months ago, although it was never plugged into a cable or aerial. Movies/TV shows on DVD are watched on the Mac or laptop. Our kids don’t seem to mind.
By: Cath on November 18, 2009
at 3:24 pm
I’ve never been a huge fan of telly as such, even when a teenager. It could be because I have always been a bookworm and we didn’t get a TV until I was 14. When I got married we had a deal that we would not have a TV and I would not knit. Luckily for me I do not knit well but ex couldn’t live without the TV for long so when my first child was 4 we got one. After that it was on all the time. As soon as he got up or came home it was on. I didn’t want my kids brought up by the media watchdogs. I want to be able to mould their morals myself. I can’t see any sense in changing channels to find the ‘best’ of bad programs and most of what is on portrays people with attitudes I do not like. So, now he is no longer there, we have a telly in the house but it is not connected to the aerial and is only used to play DVD’s. Having survived 19 years of a terrible marriage, I also see movies as a whole lot of impossible imaginatio, ie. would never happen in real families, or else I bawl my eyes out so I am not a real movie buff either. Cherrie
By: cherrie on November 18, 2009
at 5:36 pm
I admit it, I’m a tv junkie, I can’t miss Coronation Street or Eastenders!!!
Gill in Canada
By: Gill on November 18, 2009
at 6:21 pm
For the last year we haven’t used our TV to watch anything except movies and play video games… granted I still watch a few things via hulu, but I no longer spend copious amounts of time channel surfing and it’s great!
By: Molly on November 18, 2009
at 6:33 pm
Hi
While I like certain shows on TV I’m quite happy not to have it on unless I’m watching it, I much prefer the peace and quiet of no background noise. My husband on the other hand prefers some background noise so it might be on when he’s inside but generally he prefers to potter outside so it’s not a huge problem for either of us. Occasionally I do find it a struggle once I’m sitting there to switch it off and go and do something else but not often enough to consider getting rid of it, that’s for sure!
Cheers
Judy
By: Judy Yates on November 18, 2009
at 7:06 pm
We have been tv-free since we married over 11 years ago. I am so glad. It is not missed.
Everyone comments on how peaceful our home is and I believe that not having a television is one of the biggest reasons. It is peaceful. We listen to beautiful music all day, mostly instrumental.
I find all the tvs in public places so distracting. My little boys become zombies around anyone’s tv that I know this is the right decision. It also cuts down on the $$ spending.
By: Kimberly on November 18, 2009
at 7:41 pm
I have a TV, but I’ve never had cable, so I find I can fairly easily do without it. But, even without cable, if I started watching it, I found I’d watch it more than I wanted to, especially since I’d just watch whatever was on next. So, I unplugged it, and now I stream shows I like online. I find this works better since I’m more likely to watch just what I want – I have to actually choose something else to watch it, rather than something else just coming on, so I’m more likely to just stop when what I want to see is done. Currently, I only watch a few shows a week, which is nice for me, and I find I’m getting more work done.
By: Jenn on November 18, 2009
at 9:22 pm
I love TV and always have. However, I am a big reader and only watch TV at night for select shows, no channel surfing or anything like that. My husband and I usually watch 1-2 hours of TV on any given night. Our favorites are Antiques Roadshow and Extreme Homes on HGTV.
By: karen Hartford on November 18, 2009
at 9:41 pm
I actually think TV sucks out your soul!! WE do have one, but am very keen to get rid of it. I use it sometimes to get bub to stay out from under my feet when I do cleaning or something. But actually he watches a DVD anyway. The plan is to get rid of it when the licence comes up. I can’t understand how anyone can do anything when it is on. Its not like radio as you have to look at it! commercials are totally annoying and while there is some good entertainment – you can wait for the DVD of the series and you don’t have to sit through hours of commercials. I think that without it life will be more mindful. And – well I have always been impressed by the quote ‘ you have to make your own fun – otherwise it is just entertainment’
By: mo on November 19, 2009
at 2:53 am
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