More On "The Big Project"

I've been updating you all on "The Big Project", check out my other Big Project Posts.

One of the ways I mentioned we'd be saving, is by cutting out our Dish Network bill. I love having satellite TV, but for the amount we're paying ($82.89/month with HBO and 200+ channels), we're not using it enough.

We also have a Netflix membership, but have recently switched from the 3 at a time, to the 1 at a time membership. We still get unlimited DVD rentals per month, so this will be perfect for us.

Another perk of netflix is the ability to watch movies instantly on your computer. This only works if you have a high speed connection though. We've used that a few times, but I strongly dislike watching TV shows on the computer. I'll do it if I have to, but I try to avoid it. So, in addition to that perk, you can buy a "Roku" unit, which connects to your entertainment center and allows you to watch your Netflix movies instantly on your TV!!! You just need to have a router and WiFi (which we have so my hubby can use wireless on his lap top when he is home).

The Roku unit is awesome. We use it more than we watch regular TV actually. And since Netflix has over 12,000 movies in it's instant library, there are countless choices for us to watch. I have about 90 items on our "menu" right now, including seasons 1-3 of Doctor Who, tons of movies for the kids, lots of shows from The History Channel and BBC, The Wiggles, and loads more. My kids have begun to watch shows like "Inspector Gadget", and the original "Mario Brother's" cartoon. Remember those? I was just a kid when those came out!

Since most of my favorite shows aren't available on Netflix instant, and are new episodes on TV, I have plans to just keep buying iTunes cards and buying the shows as I need them. I don't watch a lot of shows, so it might be maybe $15-20 a month, if that. I can probably watch several of them online on ABC.com too, if I choose.

Anyway, back to the point: we will be canceling our Dish Network account at the end of May, and relying solely on our DVD library (I just joined the Disney DVD Club again), Netflix and our Roku, and any shows I buy on iTunes. If we cut out the $83/month for Dish, and half of the Netflix bill (1 DVD at a time costs about $10 with tax, and we spend $18.42 right now with Tax), we will be saving just over $91/month towards The Big Project. I am not counting the iTunes cards in the new budget because I include those with the grocery budget. We're also looking into changing car insurance companies too, and seeing if we can't get a better rate.

That $91 from Dish and Netflix in turn will save us $1200 in the next year!!!

Check back soon for more posts on The Big Project!

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I wrote this post last week before my husband's accident. Unfortunately the savings has to be put on hold for a short time, as we're out of income for a couple weeks or so. I expect to be back up to par really soon. We'll just have to work harder this summer to make up for the lost income. It's just a minor set back, and we'll get back to saving in a few weeks.