Back to Basic

This week I decided to cancel my extended basic cable television subscription. In my area, extended basic gives you channels 23-72. The extra 49 channels were nice, but after the six month discount period, the price jumped from $19.95 to $39.95 per month. This increase along with the increase in cable Internet, brought my monthly bill to $105.

There is something about paying over $100 dollars a month for cable that exceeds some kind of reasonable boundary in my mind. I will miss the SciFi channel, Spike, and FX, but you can only watch Planet of the Apes so many times. Now that spring is here, I will be spending more time outside. Cable TV is also a big distraction if you are trying to get anything else accomplished in your life. Every hour spent watching TV is time that could be spent improving your life in some way.

One of the ways I'm going to use the extra time, is doing the final edit on my girlfriend's novel. I also have a new web site in development for a fire protection company. Obviously the goal is to generate more income to offset the rising price of food and fuel. Like many Americans, I am looking for ways to cut expenses. I started taking my lunch to work, saving eight miles of driving each day. I rarely drive anywhere unless it is absolutely necessary. Cutting back isn't much fun.