The myth of the indulgent flatscreen TV society

chewmylegoff

Fella wrote: »

I think this is cheap:

http://www.johnlewis.com/231400528/Product.aspx

Quite seriously. Comes with a 5-year-guarantee so that's not much more than 50p a day over 5 years. Since many people spend more of their freetime staring at a TV screen than doing anything else it's quite a sensible purchase IMO.

i agree it is cheap. i paid £2,500 for a pioneer kuro about 5 years ago, should last another 5 years. given that people pay £150 a year for a TV licence just to be able to watch a TV, and £600 for SKY, it is not really particularly extravagant to pay £250/year for a television.

Percy1983

My Samsung M87 cost me £995 5 years ago and its still looking great.

SingleSue

Emy1501 wrote: »

Flat screens arent cheap especially 42 inch plus ones which people seem to buy now a days and you are looking at £400-£1000 for one of these.

32 inch TV's are bedroom ones now for most people I know.

Also the cost of Sky, broadband, mobile phones etc probably add £200-£300 to the average family monthly bills which were not there when I was child and thats not adding on the cost of all the technology people own.

You also have to remember these things are are not built to last or are outdated within a couple of years. Just look at the Iphones, Laptops and many TV's.

As for Mewing, I remember a TV show on the BBC a few years a go where a bloke was mewing every 2 years to fund his lifestyle of the above items plus a few others including a hotub.

I have a 14inch old style portable in my bedroom...not that it works very well. Youngest has another 14 inch old style portable in his bedroom, with a crack in the casing.

We have a 32 inch in the frontroom (flat style one) and the big 32 inch CRT version which it replaced under an insurance claim in the two elder boys bedroom (albeit with a blooming great hole in the top..still works though!)

Anyone get the idea I am not a follower of buying new technology? My ex hubby would hate it now...he liked all the gadgets.

Graham_Devon

I rarely seem to have problems with electronic goods (touch wood!).

My LCD in to the living room is starting to go....dark patches all over the screen and afew missing pixels now, but it's done well. Paid around £600 for it, and it's of an age where it doesn't have freeview built in and only one HDMI in etc.

My CRT TV that cost £350, and I had it because it had stereo....well that won't die. Can't switch it off standby anymore, as the switch has gone, but just turn it off at the wall when I can be bothered. Actually prefer that TV to the one in the lounge, seems a better picture than the earlier LCDs.

The only electrical items I have issues with are toasters and the likes. Oh and my Xbox did the ring of death thing, but didn't bother replacing it. Other than that, most of my stuff is years old. I'd like ot replace it, but theres no need, so don't.

Eellogofusciouhipoppokunu

Graham_Devon wrote: »

If you were trying to hide your reno status...you've just blown it!

Maybe you are not trying to hide it?

Nice try, but you didn't answer the question... :cool:

troubleinparadise

My husband is truly MSE gold - when we first married and money was verrry tight we had two tellies....

one on top of the other, because one had a picture and the other had the sound, and he wouldn't buy a new one (or rather, get one from a car boot) with both functions working!

He and son returned from a "finally replace the car boot telly with a new one" shopping trip with one the size of a dining table. I was horrified at first - but now I love it! All my trash stuff in enormous high definition - one happy ironing bunny these days and it keeps the room warm!

Loughton_Monkey

troubleinparadise wrote: »

My husband is truly MSE gold - when we first married and money was verrry tight we had two tellies....

one on top of the other, because one had a picture and the other had the sound, and he wouldn't buy a new one (or rather, get one from a car boot) with both functions working!

He and son returned from a "finally replace the car boot telly with a new one" shopping trip with one the size of a dining table. I was horrified at first - but now I love it! All my trash stuff in enormous high definition - one happy ironing bunny these days and it keeps the room warm!

That's what I like to hear. True parsimony in action. Well done!

Of course I would have considered that luxury. We could not afford to buy - new or second hand. Were forced to rent a black and white for a year or so before I'd saved up for a reconditioned B&W portable that we could take from lounge to bedroom.

Graham_Devon

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

That's what I like to hear. True parsimony in action. Well done!

Of course I would have considered that luxury. We could not afford to buy - new or second hand. Were forced to rent a black and white for a year or so before I'd saved up for a reconditioned B&W portable that we could take from lounge to bedroom.

Another baby boomer who hates young people as they spend on technology coming out and stating they "had to" rent a TV.

Couldn't wait and save up...oh no no no..."forced to" rent

Might start a babyboomer thread just to wind you up and let you go on about how the youth want everything now

FTBFun

I have a 26" Samsung I bought 5 years ago which is still working great. Good make, Samsung.

EDIT: was only £350 back then.

N1AK

homelessskilledworker wrote: »

I picked this TV yesterday like I said after winning a bid on ebay for little over £100, perfect working order and it now sadly is a prominent part of my furniture in my living room.

The argument, not that I subscribe to it, is that a lifestyle epitomised by expensive electronic goods is what stops many from being financially well off.

It will be true in some cases and it will be true to some extent in many others. The only person I know with a 3D TV is one of the lowest paid (household income less than 1/2 ours with 2 children to support) and has a debt management agreement. Having family in social working the examples of big tvs, new cars blah blah are annoyingly common (both because I hate the bias and because it is in fact not that rare).

A 40" HDTV by a decent brand will cost considerably more than yours did. Combine that with spending on expensive phones and contracts, fully featured sky packages etc and you have considerable expense. Then stick that expense onto a typical credit card and you have considerable interest. Quickly you reach a point where even very frugal behaviour can't solve the problems you have created for yourself.