Those who are frugally minded have a tendency to skimp on many things, but it gets really hard to keep the costs of entertainment down. Rising cable costs make it difficult to stay up to date on the latest favorite network series, not to mention the ridiculous pricing for the premium movie channels. Most people who are really good at living frugally in other areas tend to fall prey to the high cost entertainment trap. Wait! There is good news, you can still have your cake (or some it) and eat it too!
Online Viewing
It seems like everyone has a favorite network television series, and it seems there is something for every taste. But if you don’t want to pay the tariff for cable or the newer fiber optic television packages such as Verizon Fios you can still watch many of your favorites online. Say, for example, you really love USA’s Burn Notice and want to see what Michael, Sam, and Fiona do when faced with a seemingly impossible mission, but you don’t want or can’t afford the cost. Go to USA’s website and watch the full length episode online for free! There are a number of networks that are making their series available to watch online for free. Not all series are like this yet, but chances are you will be able to find a couple that you like. It is worth the effort to go check out your favorites.
If the network that hosts the series you want doesn’t offer full episodes yet, check out a couple of other sources that might be of help. Hulu and Sidereel often have a number of series available at no cost to the viewer. You will have to watch some commercials, but the same holds true if you were to watch it via the cable company.
Netflix is a great and inexpensive way to watch television series’, documentaries, and movies on your computer at home and now you can use your gaming system like Wii or Xbox to stream these movies and series to your television as well. There is a cost associated with Netflix, but it is a very reasonable price when compared to cable. The only drawback to Netflix is that there is a delay in the availability to view recently aired movies or TV shows. You may have to wait a while for the one you want to become available. But in the meantime you can have your own mini-marathon at home. Add the first 4 seasons of MythBuster’s to your online queue, then settle back with popcorn and soda in hand and watch without commercial interruption. By the time you get finished with your marathon, chances are you can find other series that might interest you. Not to mention movies. When you consider the costs associated with going to theater to watch a movie, Netflix is the better deal! Now consider all of the other advantages to viewing at home, like food, drinks, ability to pause if you need to use the restroom, no crying children, and the list goes on!
Maybe your budget (or frugal mindset) will not even allow for the small cost of Netflix, hope is not lost. Many people are surprised to find that they can ‘rent’ a lot of movies, TV series, and even video games for free if they have a library card. Many public libraries have media center at which you can find almost anything you need in the way of media entertainment. Older movies, newer movies, and more are available for the renting. The only inconvenience is that you have to make sure to get the DVD’s returned on time to avoid any late fees. It isn’t very frugally minded to rent something for free and then have to pay a late fee, that isn’t much different than going to a standard video store.
Whatever your budget, there are ways for you to stay frugal and still have television entertainment. All of the options listed above are better than doing without. With the availability of video content online the only thing we should have to really do without today is the high cost of a monthly cable bill!