No, I don’t, I am fine with the way I am, living without Netflix for last 5 years. I ask you to think about your plan too. Do you really need to keep on subscribing to Netflix?
This is one of the businesses that is striving on our disposable income, you go to your friend’s house, and seeing him/her using Netflix, you order your’s own, without realizing if you really need it.
On the other hand you may be one of those 11M subscribers, who orders Netflix to save on cost of movie tickets at theater, then this article is to let you know that you can save further. You can enjoy new DVD releases with much lesser money or even for free.
Let’s take a quick look at Netflix’s price structure (per month) after the recent increase.
Unlimited Streaming = $7.99
Two DVD at a time = $9.99
One DVD at a time = $7.99
Let’s say you are interested in one DVD at a time, how many times you will order a Netflix movie in a month? Probably not more that 4. You will pay $7.99 per month for 4 movies from Netflix. Now let’s see what options you have..
Option 1: red box or block buster online, rent you DVD at $1 for 24 hours, for 4 DVD’s it’s going to cost you only $4.24 (including tax). If you watch lesser than 4 movies a month, saving is more.
Pros: saving
Cons: drive to kiosk, You get to keep the DVD for only 24hrs and limited availability if you are late to pick up. But if you can wait for 3- 6 months to see the movie, can’t you wait a few more days
Option 2: Bring DVDs from local library, absolutely free. Generally libraries order 10 -20 copies of a new release, your’s turn might come late, but do book your movie as early as you can.
Pros: total saving
Cons: Drive to library, a little extra effort to book the new releases in advance, wait time
If you even have $9.99 plan and rent out two DVDs at a time, how many you could use? If you are seeing more than 9 movies per month, you are making a loss subscribing to Netflix.
If you have unlimited online streaming service for $7.99, my question would be, what you watch on streaming that is not available on net for free, personally I don’t watch movies online with a price on it. All my online entertainment needs are fulfilled by YouTube and a few other sites.
You can explore Hulu streaming or soon to come YouTube paid streaming services which offers pay per view pricing.
In my opinion, we order Netflix because we hate to do hard work during leisure and prefer not to indulge in physical activities like driving to a local DVD kiosk or the library.
Some people might have already realized this drainage of money, but still, are too lethargic to take an action.
On average, going away from Netflix, can save you $4 – $5 per month. Making it $531 in 10 years (by using recurring deposit rate calculator) at 2% interest at local credit union.
Extreme frugal approach would be to fully rely on library DVDs and booking through free coupon codes from Red box. Then you can save around $1000 in 10 years. Will you act now?
Pro Netflix will argue that this money spent brings entertainment along with comfort to them, I will ask why don’t you out source grocery buying too? And yes, every Wal-Mart has Red Box kiosks (at least which ever I saw), and your local grocers has block buster kiosks, in all probability. It’s not a money spent for comfort, its money spent because we are not wise enough.
This post is not about Netflix vs Redbox or Netflix vs Blockbuster, this is about common sense.
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| SB is a husband and working as a software professional for a Fortune 100 corporation in Florida. Thanks for visiting the blog.
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i like netflix, and i don’t necessarily plan on canceling my subscription right away. i probably won’t even reduce it. i like netflix because i can get movies and tv shows that i cannot find anywhere else.
you make an excellent argument against it and i do use some of your suggestions already, such as the library. i’m there every week as it is to get books so i don’t mind the driving. but i like the convenience of netflix, expecially the no late fees. i have a terrible memory and often forget to return things on time; having a netflix subscription helps to balance out inevitable late fees.
if you watch around 7 movies per month or more, Netflix makes sense. I believe you are one heavy movie/show watcher
I do not have netflix nor do I plan to get them. My DH and I had been considering it but with the recent increase and the letter to subscribers that accompanied it I am not will to spend my money there. I use free streaming, go to some movies and occasionally get a red box. But honestly, how much tv/movies do you need to watch? I barely have time to watch 3-5hr per week and even with that I am doing something else as well.
if you don’t watch to much shows or movies, Netflix is not for you. Even if you watch more, know how to watch for free
I don’t either!
welcome to the club
We use our library all the time. It takes forever to get a movie, but we can put 15 on reservation so we’ll get something eventually.
The great part is we get to keep the movies for 3 weeks. Even then, we barely had time to watch the movies.
do you know tip by which we can be the first in the list for library list? Always my wife finds herself after 500 others
Oh, I love Netflix, even with the price increase it is waaayyyy cheaper than cable. I guess if you are using for a cable substitution, with the streaming, it is worth it, but if you are using it for DVD rental than maybe it is not worth it.
We on average will get two DVD’s a week, using the one at a time plan, so even then getting eight DVD’s a month is worth it to us.
We also will get DVD’s from the library occasionally, but we live in a small town and our selection may be big, but it isn’t varied. I like weird movies.
yes if you watch 8 DVDs per month Netflix makes sense. Where I live in I get almost every DVD in my library.
There are other options. I get free movies with Crackle and other free channels that are offered on the Roku player. I canceled Netflix a little while back when they did the first price hike.
very wise decision, can you give some more ideas about Roku free streaming? might be beneficial for our readers
I have streaming only and intend to keep it. We are slowly weaning ourselves off cable and plan to use Netflix exclusively. My son watches TV shows and movies on Netflix several times a week, so I feel like the streaming option is worth the $8.
I’m with you. I canceled my netflix subscription last couple of months too, and I feel great with all the savings I get. Good point here: “It’s not a money spent for comfort, its money spent because we are not wise enough.” I totally agree.
We have never used a subscription movie service. We just got satellite TV about 4 years ago (that means for 36 years we saw nothing but over the air tv!) and don’t even do the pay per view movies on it.
However, I can see why it might be attractive – and cost effective if you don’t have cable or satellite.
Watching TV is pretty much our ONLY entertainment (yeah I know, I need to get a life), so we don’t spend much elsewhere (not even eating out).
Spending a few dollars a month on a subscription movie service as opposed to going out to a theater or a concert or even a festival is pretty cost effective entertainment in my book.
as said by others in earlier comment, Netflix is a good choice if you are regular show/movie watcher. But for people like I am, who watches 2 -3 movies a month perhaps, a redbox or BB express is far far better. I often get red box coupons and watch for free over the week end
We have never had Netflix and have just recently gone to satellite tv. We decided we would watch the free movies on tv until we ran out of good movies to see. There is the occasional night where we don’t find one we like, but who needs to watch movies all the time? We are retired, so we have more time to watch than most people, but we are fairly active. Not saying we won’t succumb to Netflix eventually, but for now we are happy with the situation as is!
You know what? If you are in to too much shows and movies, probably Netflix is the cheapest option if you want to access content in legal way.
Netflix is a terrible use of money. I can’t understand why anyone would subscribe over Redbox.
At $18/month, that is $216 per year. In order to pay for that with investments returning 4% (reasonable dividend return), you would need $5400 saved up. No reasonable person would pay this, if they realized the real cost.
Welcome to the club of Netflix haters! Although Netflix is great option if you can substitute over cable television
Better yet, I’ve dumped cable also. I bought a $40 antenna that gets ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and PBS in high definition for free. I don’t watch much TV, but for anything else I use Hulu.
Further, I have an old desktop computer set up running Windows Media Center that acts as my free DVR
Netfix is ideal if you have little children. They Childrens shows are all the same as on Dish/Direct and Cable. I keep my subscription since it is much cheeper then cable. Redbox doesn’t always have the best Childrens selections.
I know my neighbor going to library once every 5 days and picking up 10 -15 children show/movie DVDs. I will suggest you try that for a month, and then continue with netflix if you like. I am asking you to see the other side of cable and Netflix if you can. Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting.
We live in a rural area and for us to drive to a Redbox place, we would have a minimum of a one hour 45+mile round trip drive. It’s the same thing for theaters, and other places of entertainment. For us, Netflix is worth the money. Just one trip would equal almost the cost in gas of one month of Netflix for us.
Complaning about $216 per year to watch Netflix? You or someone else would spent more than that on cigarettes every month!!!!!
There are several options since Netflix is increasing their price in September. I plan on going with Blockbuster since they have so many deals going on right now. With my provider/employer DISH Network you can Blockbuster free for 3 months. Blockbuster is offering a kids summer pass for 4.99 month right now also. Check out this link for the promotion through DISH http://bit.ly/iH7nwg. Blockbuster seems like the best option with them restructuring their prices. They have lower prices then Netflix now with their price increase. I plan on moving on from Netflix and going to Blockbuster.
thank you Rose for your time and comment. This information will be very helpful to our readers who had expressed an affiliation with Netflix
Great review! You actually touched some curious news in this post. I’ve got to admit that I already subscribed to Netflix. Now thinking of stopping as we dont often watch more than 3 to 4 per month. you were right pure waste of money.
we use Hulu and uiet satisfied, my son likes to spend his time ob books rather than TV, good we don’t pay on Netflix
GREAT REVIEW! I agree with pretty much all you said in your post, especially at the end of your article. I don’t need Netflix either. Isabella S.
The library idea is a good one most people probably don’t always consider, but overall, I think Netflix streaming service is a great value for the cash. $8 for tons of TV without having to dig around the net for it. And you get complete seasons of shows, not just a few here and there like Hulu and others offer.
Don’t get too used to the library option. Cities making budget cuts are trimming their hours and services. DVD.s, recordings and magazines will be the first to go with reduced budgets. Having Netflix send you a physical disc means you are not burning gas or time, time has a cost anytime not put improving your life or making you more money is wasted time. You really want to save money do it in the grocery store the biggest money sucker there is.
NetFlix is frustrating, the tv series are fine simply because many shows and series I missed over the years. However they seem unable to grasp the real quality movies in all genre that have been around for yearS…the quality action and drama films that are of the higher production value seems to be a serious problem…(example Borne Identity, Lara Croft, Jurassic Park etc. many R.Deniro, these movies are 5 to 10 plus years old and may only be available, maybe by DVD if at all. NetFlix updates streaming so slowly, I now alternate monthly with HULU PLUS vs Netflix every other month… and I also source new release or movies NetFlix does not have for free on various online free streaming websites like Justin.tv…..HEY NETFLIX IF YOU THINK YOU ARE….INDISPENSABLE STICK YOUR CORPORATE FINGER IN A BOWL OF WATER, THEN REMOVE IT AND SEE HOW QUICKLY THE HOLE FILLS ITSELF IN!
First of all, Youtube, Hulu, and Netflix have very different content. Second, Redbox has a number of extra costs to it, driving costs money, it costs you time to go and then maybe wait in line behind the kiosk, and then if you have any semi-busy schedule it is usually pretty inconvenient to go return the movie the next day. (a lot of people take the $1 hit so they can return the movie an extra day later) Once again, Netflix and Redbox do not offer the same content, Redbox is full of crappy movies, Netflix you can get whatever movie you want. (if it’s brand new you may have to wait a week)
If you are talking about being ultra frugal, then yes you shouldn’t get Netflix, but you have to be ultra frugal to be unwilling to spend $10 per month on entertainment.
Netflix is pretty good for instant streaming service but I have noticed a decline in content recently when searching for movies. I canceled my cable tv to help save money and I think Netflix instant streaming is good if you like a lot of documentaries and don’t mind waiting longer for tv show seasons, but Hulu instant streaming is better if you like to see new tv shows pretty quick… Netflix can take a year longer it seems to get out a season of a show while Hulu has new episodes just days after the air date… however Netflix is commercial free… but the Hulu commercials are less intrusive than cable. They both have pros and cons. But not enough cons to make me go back to cable… as cost is a huge pro. If you also have a RedBox nearby, you might be fine to just cancel cable, Hulu & Netflix combined for instant streaming would only be $16/mo… if you like to watch the news, I just use iTunes and subscribe to news podcasts, you can use AppleTV to watch them on your TV… the only thing you would be missing out by canceling cable is sports.
I LOVE Netflix! All kinds of movies I can watch whenever I want. When I leave the room I pause. All for just 7.99 a month. At which I can afford. aqnd the best thing of all… NO ADD’S! Just the movie I wanted to watch! I Love Netflix!!!!!!!!
Well, our Netflix subscription has been a recurring Christmas gift from my in-laws so I’m not planning to ask them to stop! If I had to pay for it myself, I would keep the streaming only option and forgo the DVD mailings. We watch quite a bit of TV – we probably have it on a few hours per day – and we watch exclusively Netflix streaming during the summer and a mix of Netflix streaming and Hulu when new shows are coming out. We don’t pay for cable or any other subscription services and go to a movie about once every two years. I personally think we’re getting a lot of value from the streaming service since we like to watch old TV shows. For TV shows, getting one DVD at a time no matter what the source is way too slow. Did you know that all of Saved by the Bell is on Netflix?! That clinches the argument for me!
I have no complaints about Netflix. After all what is $7.99 per month?…..and lots of nice old movies to watch. I know people who spend $400 per month on cigarettes.I guess it is not worth for those whom want to watch the late releases.
We have four people sharing the rent here, as the home owner I add Netflix Internet and cable as bonus features.
Netflix is handy because it’s so portable, the cable with the DVR is confined to the living room, Netflix works on any computer or even a cellphone.
I love Netflix. How is 8 bucks a month a waste of money. I have it on my iphone, ipad, and stream with my HD TV too. The shows you stream in HD are in 1080, it’s awesome! I only get 720 usually on dish.
With 4G LTE I can watch anything anywhere on my phone.
I guess the writer must be on a tight budget or something.
My fiance and I just got netflix and we love it. And we are on a tight budget but we are cinemaphiless and for eight bucks a month it is so worth it. We watch something almost every day. It has a ton of stuff we cannot find anywhere else but my fiance is heavy into anime and it is the only place where we can get a ton of obscure ones for free. It is not something you can get at the library or redbox or even online without paying anyway so it is totally worth my eight bucks.
the guy that wrote this article is a miser. l imagine he eats leftover hamburgers from mcdonald’s trash because only a fool would pay a dollar for a mcdouble when the garbage has them for free…and fries,maybe even a chewed up apple pie.
my time is worth more to me than spending all day scouring redboxes and libraries (which aren’t free in memphis ) or watching low res pirated videos online. 8 bucks? that’s like taco bell money.
So what if you’re a teenager like me and you watch about 35 movies a month via netflix at least and stream about 4 hours of TV a day?
And no I don’t watch too much tv lol I like having movies playing they help me work. I get distracted in silence.
You should not stop using Netflix. This article talks about people who are in same boat as I am in. No offense on Netflix, it’s good for people who are in to movies in a big way.