What does it cost to watch TV?

[b4freedom]

According to Comcast’s 2005 Annual Report, their “average monthly revenue per customer” was $84. That’s an average of $1008 per year.

What was your cable bill?

Is TV worth $1008 a year? What would you do with $1008 if you couldn’t watch tv?

Isn’t it cheaper just to subscribe to a service like netflix and get an endless supply of movies? Netflix is $17.99 a month or $216/year.

[parafly]

My cable bill is higher than $84, but it also includes high speed internet. The Netflix idea would be good for people who only watch movies on TV. Unfortunately, for sports lovers like myself, Netflix just doesn't cut it.

[Ima saver]

My cable bill is $35 a month. When I lived in Fla., I did not have cable. I just watched the 3 major channels. In the mountains, if you dont have cable, you don't watch tv. Not that there is much worth watching!!

[wwjdmsl]

Cable plus High Speed = 114.48/mo (Adelphia)

[boefixepa]

Absolutly no reception without the dish at my house...ggrr... so I have Direct TV - $42X12 = $504.00 -- and a few pay per view movies, cheaper than getting a membership to rent them so maybe $20.00 more over the course of a year. So $525.00....but I never go to movies (only dates and he pays) or buy DVD's...so I save money there.

Work provide the internet, so I don't see the point in paying for it too. Everytime I think about it I can't justify another $500 a year for it. So if it needs to be done I do it at work or stay after and dink around. I've even come in on a Saturday when I needed to do something on the internet.

[PrincessPerky]

No cable, but I guestimate the TV is on a couple of hours a night (hours on end when youngest wont sleep, not at all when life is good, averages out) so how much does that cost in electricity?

then I would have to add the odd cravings for weird foods cause I watfched a comercial...and some missed work due to being depressed about how much cooler the TV world is..

(we do have cable net..50 a month-I don't work, so don't get it there)

[mbhunter]

TV costs a lot more than the direct costs -- bringing it in to your home, the TV itself, electricity. There's the health cost of being sedentary (unless you exercise while you watch). There's the opportunity cost (could you take on another client, write another post, etc.) There's also all of the ancillary stuff that you are tempted to buy when you watch those ads.

[WellManicuredMan]

About $40 for DishNetwork and $42.50 for Cable Internet. My ISP sucks and they are over priced and charge me more for not getting Cable TV with them. There is a much better ISP in my city that almost everyone else uses, but there is a restriction in my apartment building that forces me to use the crappy one that I have. Seems illegal.

[Lemony]

We pay $109 for cable, internet & 2 cellphones. The cable portion is about $20. It's worth it because we're satisfied watching movies on TBS and having commercial-free programming for the kids.

[Bookie]

This reminds me of a call I got a year or two back. A very authoritative woman informed me that according to their records my household was not included in their cable network. Fortunately (for me), the company already had lines in the area, and they could remedy the situation as soon as I answered a few questions that she was prepared to ask while she had me on the line.

I told her I doubted that I would benefit from the service, and I was promptly treated to a recitation of the advantages they offered. Still didn't think I'd benefit, I protested. Exasperated by my intransigence, she demanded to know why not.

"Because I don't own a television set."

She had the grace to thank me for my time.

[lrjohnson]

Our "cable" is limited, so it's 10 bucks total. My share of Netflix is 9.65. So I pay 15 a month, not including cost of electricity, tv, etc. Fifty cents a day.

I remember a comic strip-if anyone else remembers this let me know I've been trying to find it for years.....

Guy says cables out. Next panel, wrote to someone or cleaned something. Next strip, bigger acoomplishments. Many panels later, writing a book, leanred a language, etc. on top of the world. Next panel, slumped in front of TV, cable fixed, Magyver (or some such) is on.

I watch too much bad TV. I'm reducing it-and also excercising while watching some (new recumbent excercise bike).

[Fillanzea]

In the book "The Overspent American," Juliet Schor says that every hour of TV watched increases spending by $200 per year! So, 15 hours a week of TV means an increase in spending of $3000 per year. Part of that, she says, is because of advertising--and part of it is because the characters in TV shows have nice lives that we want to emulate. So TV might be more expensive than it looks...

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by mbhunter

TV costs a lot more than the direct costs -- bringing it in to your home, the TV itself, electricity. There's the health cost of being sedentary (unless you exercise while you watch). There's the opportunity cost (could you take on another client, write another post, etc.) There's also all of the ancillary stuff that you are tempted to buy when you watch those ads.

I whole-heartedly agree with this assessment. Although I have enjoyed cable TV in the past, I now no longer own a TV, much less cable. However, I do splurge for internet service, and that's currently $35/mo.

[bama20]

DirectTv 45 a month, Bellsouth DSL 40 a month, 2 cell phones 85 a month, home phone 45 a month. that totals 215 a month and 2580 annually. that sucks, but we kind of need them all. any suggestions on cutting back on costs here? we have the package deal with Bellsouth for home phone, internet, and directtv and our cell phones are through verizon. they definitely give us the best coverage and we get 1000 anytime minutes for 2 phones, free mobile to mobile, free long distance, free roaming, and free nights and weekends.

[WellManicuredMan]

Originally Posted by bama20

DirectTv 45 a month, Bellsouth DSL 40 a month, 2 cell phones 85 a month, home phone 45 a month. that totals 215 a month and 2580 annually. that sucks, but we kind of need them all. any suggestions on cutting back on costs here? we have the package deal with Bellsouth for home phone, internet, and directtv and our cell phones are through verizon. they definitely give us the best coverage and we get 1000 anytime minutes for 2 phones, free mobile to mobile, free long distance, free roaming, and free nights and weekends.

Me and my SO share 1 cell phone with Verizon and only pay $47 a month with the lowest plan they offer of 550 anytime minutes, free nights and weekends, free long distance, etc... and they give us a brand new phone for free every 2 years. No land line phones either.

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by bama20

DirectTv 45 a month, Bellsouth DSL 40 a month, 2 cell phones 85 a month, home phone 45 a month. that totals 215 a month and 2580 annually. that sucks, but we kind of need them all. any suggestions on cutting back on costs here? we have the package deal with Bellsouth for home phone, internet, and directtv and our cell phones are through verizon. they definitely give us the best coverage and we get 1000 anytime minutes for 2 phones, free mobile to mobile, free long distance, free roaming, and free nights and weekends.

What do you mean by "kind of need them all"? The truth is, we don't need any of this. Even the cellphones, though they are more justifiable in my opinion.

DirectTV can go, Internet can go (though yes, I have it too ), and even the landline can go if you plan on keeping the cellphones. In short, simply cancel BellSouth's entire "Package Deal" and be done with it. If you really want to keep BellSouth's DSL, I know they can be downgraded to as low as $25 per month. I know this because that's what I use too (but yes, I did upgrade to their $35 per month bandwidth. )

To make further cutbacks, the cellphones can be downgraded or you can shop around and switch to a cheaper provider or go pre-pay.

The biggest obstacle and enemy to personal financing is usually our own selves though. We have to truly understand what is a "need" versus what is a "want" and only think we need.

Even if you choose to spend money on something you want but not need, at least let there be no illusions as to what you're spending with your money and why.

$.02

[shengmei]

I love History channel. The education is priceless.

[abowers]

It started at about $51 a month for "expanded basic" which has all the networks and comedy central, vh1/mtv, a couple movie channels, etc. here in NJ.

Prices went up to now about $54 at the beginning of the year. We are moving the first week of July (Same area, different apartment) and we think we're gonna end the cable when we move and wait until the fall to get cable again (the boyfriend needs the football games...)

We tried just going with the antenna -- we'll try it at the new place - but all we got was PBS. So it's PBS or $50 cable here. We are half way between NYC and Philly -- all networks are NYC based or Phila based. no local stations. so that's probably why the antenna does no good.

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by Broken Arrow

What do you mean by "kind of need them all"? The truth is, we don't need any of this. Even the cellphones, though they are more justifiable in my opinion.
$.02

I'll ditto that..specially the land line thing..we canceled ours and keep the cell..just one, we can share .

Now you would have to twist my arm to get me to get rid of the internet, but it is a luxury, just one I enjoy..a lot!

[cbmeeks]

I've pondered that question too. Plus, I wonder how much of it is used for the electic bill?

My step daughter sleeps in the den and uses the TV as a night-light. Literally 24/7. Plus, we have three TV's. One in the den, one in her room and one in the livingroom. I have come home many times and saw all three tv's running with only her there. Jeesh.

My cable bill is $95/mo but includes high-speed internet. I HAVE to have internet for my job so we are basically wasting $50/mo on cable. But I have to admit, I love watching star trek and it's only on G4.

From my total spending, $50/mo is puny compared to other bills