They turned off our cable yesterday. Previously, our cable/internet bill was $86.26 a month. Without the cable, the internet bill will be $46. We're trying desperately to get our finances in order, and have been looking for ways to cut back where we can. The internet isn't really an option, but the TV? I can live without. I can't believe that's true. I was a tv-holic. I used to have shows I watched religiously almost every day of the week. I've watched Days of our Lives for probably 18 years. I love the TV.

That is, until I had kids. I'm not one of those crunchy earth-muffins that think the TV is the devil. In fact, I did enjoy it. (And it let me take showers by occasionally babysitting Ally, so I'm forever grateful.) But when you have a kid you run out of time for stuff like TV. I can't even remember the last time I got to watch an entire 30 minute sitcom without hearing "Mommy..." let alone an actual movie. With the addition of a second kid, my TV time went right out the window. I even quit watching DOOL back in the fall sometime. (And I still suffer from withdrawl - but I'm dealing) There just wasn't even enough time for me to watch it in fast-forward. Not if I want to play with the kids and do the dishes and laundry and vaccuum and eat and shower and stuff. I used to tape my shows and catch up on them after the kids went to bed. Eventually, most of the shows I watched went off the air. I never picked up new ones. I've only been watching random stuff and reruns lately, so I didn't think it would be too hard to give up.

I had to convince Rob. He used to hate the TV. Now, he sits down at night to relax and he's got the remote in hand. He gets watching a (stupid, boring) history channel special, and his ears tune out the rest of the family. It's annoying as hell. Especially since I can't do the same. It doesn't happen all the time, and I don't usually complain about it, but at $40 a month, it's worth doing something about. After looking at the budget over and over again, and with spring finally here, he's agreed. The TV is non-essential. Good-bye cable.

So for the last 3 weeks, I've been taping 3 or 4 hours of Ally's favorite cartoons a day. I now have 15 tapes full of various cartoons. She watches them over and over anyway, so I think those tapes will last us a while. plus, she's getting older, and can start to watch movies, and I've got plenty of Disney movies. I don't want our money-saving to deprive myself of showers, you know? although, maybe then I'd lose some weight haha.

Yesterday they turned it off, right on schedule. So after the kids went to bed last night, Rob and I had to find alternative entertainment. I think I'm going to like this after all....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget to enter the contest!