Saving Money By Cutting High-Cost Entertainment

The sad fact of our culture today is that we are addicted to cheap-thrill entertainment.  I’ll admit it, I am addicted to roller coasters.  I love ‘em.  I don’t go to the amusement park every weekend, but I don’t mind spending the money when I do go.  I’m also a junkie for action-packed movies.  There’s something very relaxing for me about watching a movie that I don’t have to think much.  I can just enjoy the speed boats blowing up and the stunt actors performing moves that Jackie Chan can barely do.  But let’s face it, high-cost entertainment eats away at our lives and our pocketbooks.

One of the most addicting forms of entertainment is probably sitting right next to you.  You might be watching it right now.  Your television is getting more expensive to buy and maintain every year.  Not only is there a huge push for the flat panel TV that can run you anywhere from $1000 – $5000, but cable has sky-rocketed over recent years.   The standard cable package in my area is $48 not including all of those ridiculous taxes.  But many people don’t bother with standard cable anymore, it’s all about the digital cable.  You can add on-demand channels, sports packages, the NFL ticket and more.  You name it, and the cable company will hook you up.  By the time they are done with you and you throw in high-speed internet and an internet phone line, you could easily walk-away paying $150 – $200 a month on your cable bill. Broadband internet is another luxury item that I am addicted to, by the way.

Think of the price of movie tickets.  Just when i was in middle school, it was $4.00 for a matinee show, and now it’s $7.00 for a ticket in the afternoon.  Going to concerts has become unbelievably expensive.  Billy Joel nose-bleed section seats go for $87.50!  That’s the same with U2, but at least U2 is involved in a lot of charities.

My point in all of this is for us to be more mindful of some of the luxury entertainment that we spend money on.  I am a huge proponent of having fun every once and a while and enjoying your hard-earned money.  However, we have lost the art of finding low-budget entertainment.  There are a plethora of outdoor activities to do that cost little to nothing at state parks and community facilities.  Spending time with friends and family in an environment that encourages conversation rather than the movie theater will help you save a ton of money.   Remember when you are trying to squeeze some money out of your budget that you need to look at the cable bill first.  Stop paying $100 a month on cable until you can truly afford to blow $100 a month.  Reading will stimulate your mind and educate you far beyond any educational program or action-packed movie on television.  Not watching so much television will also encourage more family time and more time for exercise.

Wow, I sound more and more like an old man every day…

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