Before the Radical Experiment started I was seriously analyzing what expenses I could do without for 2010. You can't really tell your mortgage, student loan, utility and credit card companies you're going to take a year off. That left me with cable, internet, cell phone and gym. My internet and cell phone are on a contract and my cell phone is my only form of communication with my family so those two are out. However, I did drop my text plan from unlimited to like 500 or 1,000 a month which is saving $5 a month! I will go crazy without a gym membership and if I canceled it it would cost much more each month if I joined later and I would be under a new contract.
So, that left cable. Several months ago I canceled the Directv box in my bedroom. I thought that was going to be a tough thing to do because I have a DVR in there. But I honestly never watched TV in there anyways so I figured why not save the $5 a month and cancel it. I haven't missed it once! But, WOW, I have a two year old HD TV with DVR in the living room and although I'm not the type of person to sit around and channel surf all the time, I do have my favorite shows recorded on a "season pass" on my DVR and I thoroughly enjoy watching them. I love fast forwarding through commercials and I love that I don't have to be home at a certain time to watch them. I have had a DVR since Tivo first came out and I can't really imagine having cable any other way.
Sounds pretty spoiled and selfish doesn't it? I mean really, single and 30 years old, why do I need TWO DVRs? I never really thought about that, if I want something and it will make my life easier then I get it, but the Radical Experiment is just one year of sacrificing for urgent spiritual and physical needs, it's not for forever. Plus, with all the Bible reading we are doing I don't guess I really have time to sit around and watch TV, do I? So not having cable would actually help me by not distracting me when I need to be reading.
So, with the help of my good friend Christa, who doesn't have cable, I picked out an antenna and suspended my cable for 6 months. I had no idea Directv would let you just suspend your account instead of just canceling it all together! The maximum period of time is 6 months at a time. That is perfect, though, I doubt I will miss it much during tax season and it will be turned back on in time for football season! Hardly seems like a sacrifce when you think about it like that. Yet, I am able to save close to $70 a month for 6 months! Yeah!!!
Plus, I can always watch my favorite shows for free on the internet, go to the gym and watch them, or if they come on one of the 5 or so channels I get with the antenna I can still watch them on my TV I just have to watch them "live" and sit through the commercials!
I kept my cable on until after my family came to visit for my 30th birthday. Somehow I just couldn't see 7 people in my house, in the winter, without cable for 4 days. It was just disconnected on Thursday.
Never in a million years would I have thought I would do something so selfless and radical like cutting off my cable, even if for only 6 months, I mean I LOVE my DVR, but I guess that just shows how powerful God is. He can change your heart and make you do things you never thought you could do. Then when you look at how little some people have it kind of makes you ask the question: Do I really "need" cable?
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