apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We also got rid of cable. I watch things, on occasion, using either Hulu or Netflix on my computer. I've actually just sold my TV on Craigslist. The behemoth will be picked up tomorrow.

Yup...did it too. Love not being tied to the schedules of someone else. In addition to what netflix offers I can watch the majority of the NBC,CBS, ABC shows on their respective websites. My load has lightened. Great job.

My roommate...
...and my ex-boyfriend.
...and the wall-to-wall carpet.

Living alone is BLISS.

HA! We got rid of cable a while ago to save money. We have an xbox360 and netflix, so now we can stream the instant netflix movies and shows instantly on our television. I don't miss cable at all. Any of the shows that we actually like we can watch online, just hook the laptop up to the tv.

I just got cable.

And I f-ing love it.

We've utilized those resources mentioned above on our laptop but sometimes it feels too cramped on the couch straining to hear over the fans or AC. I've not heard of this magical box before so I'll be sure to hint to my husband that we need a TV and a magical box sometime in the next six months. Then we can have people over for movie nights!

We went Roku around Christmas time, ditched the cable and we haven't looked back!

I'd like to take the healthy suggestion of this post, but -- like teacupcake -- I love cable more than just about everything. Flove it. Hope to recover one day, but for now, cable and the dvr are my bestest friends..

I also 'gave up' roommates and have experienced a huge uptick in my quality of life (as much as I liked my former roommates, I infinitely prefer living alone).

Fashion and home decor magazine subscriptions. They're clutter and reading one usually made me feel like buying something.

i'm so desperate to get rid of my Time Warner cable but i can't - its my business. but they overcharge and the service is terrible but i'm stuck b/c i rent and the building doesn't allow satellites, which i didn't know before i moved in.

Just can't give up Sunday nights on HBO.

I can't figure this out from the Netflix site.

Can you watch current TV shows? TLC, Bravo, HGTV, National Geographic?

I'm guessing no, but can anyone confirm?

We don't have cable and ended our Netflix love affair a month ago. We love renting free movies from the best public library in the country [Cincinnati, y'all!], and also not watching TV. It's still, as always, an extremely ugly object that I simply hate living with. Somehow, watching the occasional TV show online on the laptop doesn't seem quite as ugly.

i love my Roku. it is a dream.

We're highly addicted to college football, so we tend to cancel the cable in january, then call and demand free installation in august.

Meh, I do miss some of the guilty pleasures of cable... all of those judge-shows and horrid dating "reality" crap. I haven't had cable in over 3 months and my husband and I survive off of internet/landline (no cells) and our precious Netflix...

Who knew I'd actually love that xbox360 so much?

I have been trying to convince my husband that we should get rid of cable. Then he turns it around and tells me that we should get rid of the internet...

On Netflix you can use the instant watch feature for many movies and T.V. shows' past seasons. If you want to watch current shows, many networks provide reruns online at no charge.

I'm so with you, Sarah! Sure, there are a few shows I miss, but I don't miss the 99% of TV that's pure garbage, the constant commercials yelling at me, or the rest of it. I find that it makes my life much, much more peaceful to not have all that noisy junk in it. People I work with are constantly telling me about all the mindless stuff they watch and I'm just appalled . . . I think to myself, "this is how you spend your time??"

I don't mean to offend people who like TV--to each her own--but I have found that living without cable has really improved the quality of my life. I feel strongly enough about it to be a bit obnoxious on the subject, I'm afraid. :)

I don't understand the anti-cable and pro- netflix/roku sentiment. Someone please enlighten me.

Paying for TV is, in my opinion, close to the ultimate scam. (Cell phone companies have the ultimate scam going.) If it were up to me, free HDTV and the public library is the way to go.

I got rid of my TV altogether. The news can be read on the internet; movies can be downloaded, rented or watched in the cinema; and there's always youtube if you missed something apparently very very important.

Yes! We got rid of cable about a year ago. We have an xbox with netflix. Our next upgrade will be this thing called an Argosy Pocket TV Media Player that allows you to use torrents and watch stuff on TV--my husband's the brains for getting that set up.
I think this stuff is really great, especially if you have a young child whom you're trying to shield from the increasingly disturbing commercials (for example) that they show on tv. Also, I like the freedom of watching stuff when I have the time. I love computers and hard drives! Added bonus-I no longer have piles of dvds everywhere.

Yup, totally agree. I've been using my computer in the bedroom as my primary source of TV entertainment for about 2 years now. Moving shortly with the plan to do with my Mac Mini roughly what you've done with the Roku. Either is a great solution and a solid internet connection should cost much less than monthly cable internet.

I thought you were going to get rid of that rug instead. haha

I'd get rid of cable, but then I'd be forced to watch the shows I like online - in front of my cramped desk. It's so much easier to stretch out on the couch and watch TV - and probably better overall for my eyes. Plus our internet is through the cable - with Comcast, you have to have two of their services.

I think the best thing I've ever parted with was a much too large entertainment center - scaled it down to a TV stand.

Wow, I was really excited to read this thinking that you got rid of your television. I'm kind of disappointed :( I would say that getting rid of my TV has been a great improvement. TV's are ugly and obtrusive, especially in a design-obsessed home.

umm wow... from the looks of that living room, i'd say you got rid of comfort! bet you didn't even notice. the rug looks like barefoot fun tho. and ya, all broadcast tv is a nightmare of wasted time. hulu with windows mediacenter = good focused short term entertainment options.

design and architecture porn mags are a VERY good option to lose as well, as slowdown mentioned, they just make you feel sad and less than...

oh, and pare your book collections down to stuff you really will read again, otherwise it's just a space hog and people will "get" that you're well read by talking to you rather than perusing your wall of fame. use a book trading service or donate to church or school libraries.

yay, hearts and stars everyone...

Moved in March to a house that gets decent broadcast reception, so we got a converter box and watch free tv. The irony is, my husband is a television producer!

We got rid of cable a couple months ago- put an antennae on our roof and pick up OTA HD for local tv- we also got a Roku box. We love it. We have the box set up wireless and it works great. It is mainly what our kids watch now (with the little tv time they have) It's nice for the kids to get away from commercial tv.

We don't have a TV, and that's pretty wonderful. We know ourselves well enough to realize all our time would be sucked up if we had one.

I love cable.

We removed our land line in April....it has been a very liberating experience. Also, last September we cancelled our cleaning service. It was taking too much energy picking up before they came. It drove my husband nuts. I have found that our house is neater and cleaner than before, and we have enjoyed the extra money.

I did not know about this Roku Box and I have Netflix learn something new everyday. I do not miss cable once boyfriend moved out so did the cable.

We never had cable. Got rid of the TV/DVD/VCR combo two years ago because we never used it. No cellphones either.

Actually, I don't think we have any extra stuff in the house, and yet it looks somewhat cluttered. Cluttered minimalism.

I bet it would be solved if we actually had a dresser or two, nightstands, end tables, and some kind of storage for the good china. But we don't have money, and moreover, we only buy things we really love, which means we search for every single thing forever.

I love my cable AND my internet...I don't understand people who could live without either one.

We got rid of cable, and I don't regret it. Its a great way to save money, and now I spend my time doing something OTHER than sitting on my ass.

If I use the tv, its just to watch a movie.

Love cable and internet, but can understand feeling tied to both. Biggest thing i did was to actually convert the spare room into an office. That way I can get away from the "sit-in-front-of-the-tv-and-work" ...which always leads to watching bad reality TV. (Seriously...explain why I should CARE about two guys in a glass box surrounded by lions...)

We got rid of the television. We now only watch exactly what we want to, NO MORE COMMERCIALS!! :)

And because it's not as easily accessible and we never turn it on when we're not watching, it's de-cluttered our lives.

I would love to get rid of our cable, but then Mr. sfumato wouldn't be able to watch the Red Sox, and that would kill him.

Sigh.

I don't watch TV shows, I watch movies... and I would much rather watch a movie on a TV than cramped in front of my tiny lap top.

And anyway, I don't think the internet is any better than cable... there are ads on every single website you visit... I waste WAY more time on the internet than the TV. But ahhhh... I love Apartment Therapy.

I am totally with slowdown on this one,

I quit getting fashion and home decor magazines and it has saved me a bundle, not just because of the cost of the mags, but all the crap they are designed to make you want to buy.

I find that my satisfaction level with my home is much more consistent when i am not urged to buy new crap every month.

plus my live in boyfriend is thrilled that there are no more stacks of mags lying around everywhere.

I'm an addict to internet and TV, so I went cold turkey to give myself some more time ot get things done. I lost internet when I moved to my current apartment last fall. Threw out the TV in January when I got into grad school. My local library sells used magazines for 20 cents, so I pick up decorating tips that way. But here I am in Panera to do some homework and I can't stop looking at AT!

We got rid of our dishwasher. It came w/the house but we never used it because we weren't used to having one, and didn't want to spend extra cash on the considerable energy necessary to run it. In the space where it used to sit, we put a nice little chest of drawers (curbside find, repainted) to hold kitchen linens ... a much better use of space, more in line w/our eclectic style, and more *green* to boot.

Oh my Gosh!!! This is amazing! I'm totally switching from Satellite to this in just a few weeks! I feel like a complete idiot for not realizing this existed. The only thing is i dont thing it has the news.. :-) but who needs it anyway?

Oooo, nifty! And much cheaper than Apple TV which is what I was looking at to solve the problem of cramped screens. (It's really annoying when my hubby and I are watching the same show on two different computers with two sets of earphones. Hello, reality check!)

I got rid of cable three years ago when I went back to school, and never got it back.

But best thing I've gotten rid of... well, I just gifted my first set of mismatched inherited dishes to my sister and we bought our first ever set of every day dishes. Just four place settings- very simple.

Other than that... cable was really the best thing I've dumped. I'm about to go downstairs, watch some public TV, and knit some socks. Peaceful!

we got rid of cable. then we decided to kick the tv habit all together. Our apartment is happily television free and we're loving the design possibilities now that we don't have to worry about where the tv has to be!!

I'm hoping to find an apartment with a breakfast counter whenever I move next, since the dining table and chairs take up a lot of room and I never entertain (they also look like crap because my old roommates were party animals...*sigh*). For me, I think it would make more sense not to have them and to use the space for my design equipment.

Cut out the cable about 8 years ago and had nothing for years except the internet. Weird that the kids seemed to be able to pick all the cultural icons of their generation without television ads. And also people will talk about commercials and I'm just lost when they go there. We've recently started viewing shows with Netflix and Hulu and it's been positive. Latest thing I've given up is buying bread. Instead of always having a loaf sitting around I'll make one in the bread machine when we want some.

A couple things:

A. Got rid of the ex-husband! He was such a downer and negative thinking person. Found a new man and he is my life, my love and my world!

B. The TV in the bedroom. New Hubby suggested it, and even though I've had a TV in a bedroom for a long time, I don't really miss it. I have to have a radio in the bedroom though!! Hubby just bought me a clock radio w/ an iPod dock and boy howdy I'm lovin' it!

If you have a new TV with an HDTuner inside (pretty much all TVs since 07?), then its even easier - buy an antennae at your local BestBuy, Target, etc. Plug it in and pick up HD Channels for free. I get ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX - including some local channels all for a grand total of 30 dollars. That's one 30 dollar payment, and no monthly bills. If you don't have the tuner... well... then ya gotta get one of those HD Tuner boxes of course, not sure if you can still get the government coupons for it either. Still though, $30 price of Tuner Box = $100-120

I thought this post would be about getting rid of tv altogether too. We have been tv free for years... don't miss it at all.

I thought I'd be miserable without cable, but then I got used to not having it. I just moved again, and I have to admit that I forgot how much I love BBC America and the History Channel. I don't know if I'd want to live without them again.

This in combination with the digital converter box for the local channels seems like a great combination.

Once in a while the area I live in has a tornado. A really, really bad tornado. All the tv stations get interrupted to tell you whether you are in the tornado's path and whether you should run for cover.

If there was a local news subscription that went along with Netflix and Roku that would be perfect. I do like several tv shows, not many, but the re-runs are not posted online. Thanks to chaunceyd for mentioning the tv antenna/converter idea. I'm going to try that.

So I'm waiting. I would be thrilled to give up the expensive satellite tv subscription; I'm paying to be advertised to! Yuk.

BTW I recently got broadband wireless for internet. There is a radio antenna on my house and it's better than cable for speed and reliability and costs $40/month for unlimited useage.

When I first moved into my house four years ago, I did not have a TV or internet connection for several months. I lived alone at the time and found this experience to be one of the most peaceful, focused and productive times in my life. Ah, sweet memories...

We dumped the TV a few years ago and couldn't be happier. I think we're a happier family after doing so.

we have been tv free for roughly 7 years now, and before that i've never ever had cable. people ask me what i do without a tv but i don't ever miss it. i always preferred to read or go to movies.

recently i sold my huge round table for 8. i had some vague notions i'd be hosting dinners for all my friends but because we have been renovating for what feels like years, i'd never muster up the energy for more than a meal for the two of us. getting rid of the table has taken the guilt away.

i love getting rid of things. we are about to move again and so i set up a pick-up station for friends to drop by and go through the stuff i want to get rid of to a good home.

what i will NEVER get rid of: my art or my books (and i'm kind of fond of my husband)

I am inspired reading this since I'm planning on moving in the next few months (Lord willing!) and need to start purging now. I have a beautiful table, chairs, and console that I got from Ethan Allen when we closed one of our locations. It's nice, but not really my taste. I'm thinking seriously about selling it because it's going to be tricky fitting such a large table in the next space. I don't think I'll miss it, it's too big to suit my lifestyle right now anyway.

My coffee table! Being such a design freak, one can't help but become obsessed with coffee tables. In my constant self-evaluation to minimalism, I one day said...Why not have just one or two end/side tables rather than a space hog of a coffee table. The coffee table was also a burdon in asking people to not use it as an ottoman and to use coasters with their drinks. I'll see how it goes. But its like my living room is on a diet!

Funny, people don't realized they don't need cable to watch crystal clear local TV and 90% of television shows... there are exceptions but most is available online.

I have a hidden computer hooked up to my large flat-panel TV. When I want to watch news or any real-time ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, public television, I get it in absolutely clear digital TV. It is free, from the air!

Then when I want to watch my favorite shows or shows I missed I can watch them on Hulu, I have them qued up so I can quickly look to see if a new one came out. Really 99% of the shows are on hulu 24 hours after they air on television. This is still on my TV, just through my computer, nobody knows the difference though, the quality is the same!

For movies, most (not all...yet) are available on netflix streaming. So again, no one sees the quality difference, watching what I want, when I want, from my couch on my nice big TV.

netflix: $12/mo
hulu: free, & half the commercials
internet: free...thanks neighbors!
digital network TV stations: FREE from the air oooo magic

The most it will cost me will be $12 plus the cost of internet when my neighbors move. Still saving $50 a month!

But if you watch food network or some of the others, I havn't checked but I know they are not on hulu, but they might be on the networks websites? Either way it might cost a little time to download those shows but they are out there....

best thing I've ditched so far is a big vacuum. I'm moving to a carpet-less place and I love it.
all I'll need is a stick vac, if that, for a couple area rugs.
Next would be furniture that was a hand me over when my brother died. Needed that gone from my life. And a table that was meant for a family of six.

I sold an old, poorly-made futon on Craigslist. After two months, whatever mattress we put on it was not thick enough to protect our butts from those stupid metal bars. I have never felt so good about seeing an item leave as I did when that futon pulled out of our driveway!

Most of this comment section reminds me of that Stuff White People Like entry about not watching TV.

Wall to wall carpeting. I hated it. It gets dirty, catches dust, yuck. I switched to Pergo and never looked back.