Why ditching your TV license makes sense

amorphix

If you struggle to manage your monthly outgoings and are looking for ways to make savings so you can retain more of your valuable income, one of the first things to consider is ditching your TV license. That's a £145 a year saving right there! If your TV is due for renewal soon, consider throwing it in the bin and saying "no thanks" to live TV. And while you're at it, you can sell your TV too and the digital tuner box!

What, no live TV?! How will you cope without those constant adverts, your daily intake of depressing Eastenders and the constant "world is going to end" news updates?

Well I cope pretty well. Giving up live TV viewing is one of the best things I ever did. It's amazing how much time people waste sitting in front of the TV, watching it just for the sake of watching it.. even when there's nothing on worth watching half the time.

With most of the channels now offering TV-on-demand services (BBC iplayer, ITVPlayer, 4oD etc), you can watch most of the programs you normally watch anyway online after they've been broadcast, without needing a TV license.

Thinking beyond TV, there's so much entertainment online now as well, with many media websites like YouTube full of TV shows uploaded from official (and unofficial) sources. There's more than enough entertainment to fill gaps in your time.

And if you still find yourself wanting for something to watch, why not use some of the money you saved on your TV license to join a site like Lovefilm.com. Just £5 a month gets you unlimited instant streaming and you can choose from thousands of films and TV shows. And if you get bored, you can cancel it and then resume again whenever you like.

Or you can use some of the money you save to buy second hand DVD's cheap on Amazon or eBay and resell them when you've finished with them!

Every year you don't renew your TV license, that £145 saving is accumulating up! You'd be surprised how quickly it mounts up to a useful sum of money if you put it into a dedicated savings account or keep a tally on it.

What will you spend it on in 3-5 years time? A much needed holiday? A new electric bicycle? Maybe even turning a hobby into a business! And think of all the fun you'll have between now and then, by changing your viewing habits and exploring new things to watch..rediscover all those old classic TV series..watch new films every week without it costing you a penny over your budget!

:beer:

VoucherMan

amorphix wrote: »

With most of the channels now offering TV-on-demand services (BBC iplayer, ITVPlayer, 4oD etc), you can watch most of the programs you normally watch anyway online after they've been broadcast

Wouldn't this require a decent internet connection which , for most, will cost considerably more?

[Deleted User]

VoucherMan wrote: »

Wouldn't this require a decent internet connection which , for most, will cost considerably more?

Good point, but for anyone who currently pays for both internet and TV, it would still be a saving to give up the TV.

I think it's a rather bizarre suggestion personally.
I think I'd ditch internet before TV if money was tight.

C_Mababejive

VoucherMan wrote: »

Wouldn't this require a decent internet connection which , for most, will cost considerably more?

Not really...i run a sony tv box off a 7mb line and it works fine...

CustardAndPickles

This is a brilliant idea.

I don't watch any TV when it's broadcast - I'm a shift worker and it's easier to watch it on demand. But if I'm honest with myself, I don't watch any on demand either - I watch some stuff on netflix now and again, but that's as far as it goes. I get my news from radio / newspapers when I want it.

I didn't realise how little TV I watched - when we moved into the new place we automatically signed up for a Sky package, but that's going when the contracts up (three months to go, yay) and then no new TV licence - when you think Sky is £30 a month its actually a very large amount to be paying just so we can go "urgh theres nothing on" and turn it off again! :rotfl:

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Ditch the TV Tax.

If you only watch downloaded or catch up TV, ditch the TV Tax.

All you have to do is disconnect your aerial input and that is it. To make it more difficult, I use a tie wrap to wrap it back to itself, so it cannot be inserted.

Ignore the crapita demand letters, they have no right of access and have to prove that you watch live TV.

martinthebandit

.....although, of course, you do need a TV licence if you watch or record TV while it is being broadcast via the internet.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

martinthebandit wrote: »

.....although, of course, you do need a TV licence if you watch or record TV while it is being broadcast via the internet.

And if you do not watch Live TV

DITCH THE TV TAX

Osarkon

When I moved into my own place I decided I wasnt going to pay for the TV license.

Over a year later I don't miss watching tv at all. I watch what I want on iplayer etc.

I'll buy boxsets of series that I can't once they're released.

One of the best things I've done.

System

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Not really...i run a sony tv box off a 7mb line and it works fine...

Sorry but 7Mb is decent.
There are still a lot of areas outside the major conurbations where 3Mb is considered good.

Lots of exchanges (mine for one) don't have the luxury of ADSL2, LLU or 21CN, they are mere pipe dreams. 7Mb is the maximum that you could hope for if you are close enough to the exchange.

ragz_2

This thread is just what I was looking for! Been on at hubby for a while that I want to give up TV license, for many reasons. We have netflix, lovefilm (will give up one... which?) and internet plus a mountain of videos as people are giving them away!