I am tempted to keep it. Our current set up, with a digital box, is $50/month. We have been getting it for free because we got a cable modem installed. So they threw in a free month of cable. But that free month ended yesterday.

We could get basic for I think $14.95, but I think that is only what we now get for free with our rabbit ears - the basic network channels. It's another $27 for the standard package, and we'd save something like $11 off the $50 if we gave up the digital cable piece of it.

HELP!?!?!?!??!

Just yesterday I was resolved to cancel, and to sell our TV's to boot. Now...I'm waffling. Jake picks up language from Maisy, Dora and Little Bear - I don't know if that's good or bad, really. And there are a very few shows that I watch that are very relaxing and enjoyable. We rarely watch movies on it. I wish I could just get Comedy Central, Trio, History Channel, and Noggin! That is all we watch.

{{{strength vibes}}}

Do it, do it, do it.

I wish dh would agree to this. I'm just so tired of the crap on tv.

Good luck to you, mama.

Wouldn't it be great if there were a way to sub to only a few channels? We would get Noggin, BBC America, Discovery, TLC, ESPN and Food Network. Those are pretty much the only channels we ever watch and we've cut our viewing _way_ down. The tv doesn't even get turned on every day any more.

Be strong. You could always keep a tv and VCR/DVD player so Jake can watch quality educational videos now and again.

THANK YOU!!!!

I did it. :) I did it. I did it. Hooray! :D

(shows you how much Dora has been on in the past month or so ;) )

Jake was so cute this morning...going "chocolat, chocolat, chocolat, mixa" from Dora while watching himself in the mirror. It's hard to give that up. But, we have videos - I am getting rid of 95% of them, though, and only keeping the absolute favorites/ones that have not worn their welcome.

When asked "why are you canceling," I said "because we are no longer going to watch TV." She was like, "Oh!" LOL. Took her aback a little, but it pretty much ended the conversation.

Yay to TV-free!!!!!

Have fun discovering the big cable-free world out there!:thumbsup:

If it helps any, it is so easy to get used to. When we moved into this house, the cable company had a bad reputation and the only way to go was satellite. We couldn't afford sat., so we did without.

When the big cable company took over a few years later and fixed all the problems, we considered getting it. But we were like, we have gone this long, why do it now? It has now been six years and we are happily cable free. Even my DH, who is the TV addict, doesn't say anything about getting cable!:D

Congratulations!:thumbsup:

Since June, the only TV program I have watched is half of a half an hour quilting show. My boys watch a couple videos now and then but no more than a couple hours total per week. It is so easy to become TV free. It may take awhile to adjust but you will love it in the end.

I saw on another thread that you were making gluten free bread. Where are you getting your recipes from?

:thumbsup: I wish I could just get the channels I want.Then I would get History,Noggin TLC,Discovery and maybe Animal Planet.Oh yeah,dh can't live without Comedy Central!

Congrats! I know giving up cable is hard but you'll be much happier down the line. We do still watch TV but are pretty much stuck on PBS. I let them watch movies also. However since we got rid of cable we read much more and play and do a lot of stuff we didn't before. Enjoy yourself!:thumbsup:

Thanks everyone!

We won't have any adjustment period, really -- we have been TV-free for quite a long time, except for local broadcast stations and videos. We only had cable for one month. It just...well, it is a drug, let me just say that. But after tonight, it will be off again. I rarely watch, but it's been a rough month and the kids have watched quite a bit of Noggin.

We used to watch PBS and the occasional video. I am considering going one step further and completely getting rid of the TVs. But, then we couldn't watch/edit family videos...and there are times when they are sick, when an occasional video is helpful.

OK, as I was typing this, the cable company called and they are giving us another free month of cable if we reconsider. LOL! Free month of digital cable with HBO, Showtime etc. How can I turn it down? LOL. I promise, promise, promise, I will not be weak - I will disconnect it next month. :)

Oops, Bobbi Jo -- check out the Special Needs board right here at Amity's. :) I have been asking the other GFCF mamas for them...there is a recipe thread that is a bit buried, but still on the board, a few months back. And some new ones on the first page.

I am using Michelle/mpeel's Banana Bread/Muffin recipe that is posted recently, and some recipes from GCCFRecipes@yahoogroups.com. In the files is a recipe for Tom's Celiac Light Bread. It is easy, relatively cheap, and makes a great sandwich bread.

Bette Hagman's books are also great. They are GF but I just sub milk-free/casein-free milks, ghee/coconut oil for butter or shortening, etc.

Oh no, Lauren, you got it again. lol

Ok, you HAVE to cancel next month. ;)

Maybe you can get them to lower your bill and keep it. Mine just got lowed by $25.00 a month just by calling them and saying I was going to switch to Direct TV.
HTH!
Mandy

As soon as Don leaves for the academy I am putting the TV in the basement. I have told him, and told him that he has no choice either... with these things combined I am SHE-RA! Lol... it is getting late... but I think that getting it paired down to very little tv is important, and I want to see what happens. Even if all you do is put it in the garage for 30 days... just see what happens!

I love you!

Love Val

PS did you get my long a$$ email?

PPS and another thing... I got paid to get cable! No joke... when they told me that I was paying More to hook my cable internet back up per month I asked why, and they said because I did not have the "added account" discount. So with Cable tv (regular 30 channel one) and the internet I actually SAVE $5.99 a month. AND the guy said that it was too f-ing hot (his words) to go back up that pole to put the filter on so we only got a few channels... so now we get them all (except for the "extra" ones like HBO and stuff) for -$5.99... lol! We actually watch it LESS now that we have cable, and I never thought that would happen.... but there are 4 episodes of Dora on each DVD and only one at 10am on NickJr... so there we go. Depends on where you are... and I have only had it for a week. I will let you know how it goes in a month. REMEMBER that the library is your friend... books on tape are espically good at keeping kids away from a screen. I LOVE the Little House books on tape and Anne of Green Gables, and White Fang... check them out... You'll be amazed at how little screen time you have all of a sudden.

Val, I just got it, and read it - it is 3 am here, I went to bed at 8:30 so that means I am ready to start the day. :eek:

Jake doesn't watch much TV, really, can take it or leave it. Katie is an addict, I swear. It's a struggle to regulate it with her. But even this extra month, I am going to regulate it more. They will be in school so there will be little opportunity to watch, and when they come home the TV will be blanketed and off -- maybe even unplugged. We'll reserve watching for maybe a little on Saturday mornings and maybe a show a few evenings.

Laurie, Jake is on the mild end of the autism spectrum, and he picks up language from TV - not *bad* language, just language in general. About 80% of what he says is from a video, even when we were only watching a couple of videos a week. He picks up chunks of phrases from videos and books. Though a lot of it is kind of talking to himself as he plays, he also uses them appropriately. I'm just not sure if this is a good or bad thing from an autism perspective. Everyone I've talked to doesn't consider the option of NOT having the TV...they just kind of shrug and say, "that's what they do."

Yeah, we'll be fine. :) Thanks for the moral support though.

Also, although this is summer and outdoor weather for most of the rest of the US, here in FL we are stuck inside, except for swimming, which loses its appeal after a few hours. So this is our "winter." In the fall, winter, and spring, we live outside, so TV isn't even an issue. It's just during the hot/humid season that it is even tempting.

Originally posted by mamabear
Yeah, we'll be fine. :) Thanks for the moral support though.

Also, although this is summer and outdoor weather for most of the rest of the US, here in FL we are stuck inside, except for swimming, which loses its appeal after a few hours. So this is our "winter." In the fall, winter, and spring, we live outside, so TV isn't even an issue. It's just during the hot/humid season that it is even tempting.
I hear ya mama! I am so tired of being stuck in this house! I find myself watching alot more tv:( .

Man, they are like drug pushers. One free month didn't get you addicted so they try again.

Yeah, LOL...Matt and I were joking about that. The first guy who called (yes they called AGAIN today to ask why we wanted to cancel) *sounded* like a drug dealer.

But my will is strong, I swear! :)

And here I was thinking I was getting a good deal, but in truth, they are most likely setting me up for the kill after a while. I won't even notice unless I check my bill... and then I bet ya they start charging me for it... and wouldn't you know it, that 1 - 6 months of "free" cable got someone hooked. With these design and cooking shows, it could even be me! Ugh... Well at least I have a long standing plan that when Don goes to the academy it is going in the basement. Then my home will be out of sight, out of mind tv... again. lol...

Love Val

LOL! I love that, Laurie. So true.

And bleh, makes me feel sick, I spent $$$ at Target yesterday for back-to-school stuff and new underwear for me. It's been five years so I think the $20 on undies was justified, but man I hate to fork it over.

I love the design and cooking shows too.

Laurie, that is Lidia! She does have a book. Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen. My mother bought it for me. It has all the recipes that my grandmother and my mother made, all my life. It is very authentic. She talks like my grandmother - same phrasing and intonation - there is just something about her that so reminds me of my grandma.

Just wanted to lyk - and this is coming from word of mouth, not first hand experience - that when you have cable modem, they can't block the very basic (local channels) from coming through, so you'll still get them with no rabbit ears. For like when the hurricane they say is going to hit this year actually does so you can keep up with it :rolleyes:

Originally posted by mamabear
It's been five years so I think the $20 on undies was justified, but man I hate to fork it over.


Me too! I kept telling myself that I'd want to sew my own. But then I never made the time. Finally my dh told me he'd be embarassed if I wore those undies with the wear holes to the doctor's office. So...I bought some yesterday - 7 pair for 6 bucks. Not so bad. And I think given my time, probably a good exchange of time for money.

though I was telling myself how luxurious it would be to have organic fabric for undies....