Life on a Budget

Sometimes saving money can unfortunately mean giving up something you really love. But sometimes it opens up a door that you never would have explored and you can find yourself pleasantly surprised. This was the case when I decided to cut back on my movie renting. I was a subscriber and huge supporter of Netflix and loved everything about it – except the cost. Not that the cost is unreasonable by any means, the only fault was that there was a cost. So I made the decision to stop my subscription and to start getting my movies from the local library. That’s right, the library. At first this didn’t seem like a good compromise at all as the selection of movies didn’t even compare to that of Netflix or any movie rental store, but after a little time and a bunch of great movies I was hooked. The thing I love the most about the library is there is no reservation in picking a movie – I go and just pick out any movie I think has potential. In doing this, I’ve seen so many excellent movies that I had never heard of and probably would have never picked out from a selection of blockbusters. And I hold no regrets for the handful of bad movies that I have picked since it didn’t cost me a thing. My library also has a waiting list for newer movies so you don’t miss out on the popular titles. Oh, and did I mention that it’s all completely free?

How much money can you save?

Approx: $60 - $170 a year vs. mail services

Approx: $208 a year if you rent on average one movie ($4) per week from movie rental store or pay-per-view

Tip: If you do rent movies from you local movie rental stores, make sure to use a coupon.