Living Without TV: The Benefits of Life with No Televison

You've had dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, now the house is still and it's time to relax. You and your husband prop yourselves in your favorite chairs and turn on the television to stare blankly at the screen for the rest of the night until you fall asleep in the chair then stumble to bed, barely mumbling "goodnight" to each other. This is a common picture in households across America. Couples and families trade quality time with each other for time in front of the televison. The average home has televisions in almost every room including the bathroom. Sitcoms, crime dramas, and reality tv has taken the place of conversation. With all the tv watching, couples don't even have to like each other anymore.

With everyone feeling the pain of an economic downturn many families are opting to cancel cable and satellite subscriptions to save money, but what they are finding is that turning off the television has many other benefits as well.

Without televison to drown each other out, families have more time to spend together. Family game nights take the place of American Idol. Mom and Dad get a chance to really listen to their kids and what is going on in their lives, not to mention they get to listen to each other. Taking time to talk to one another can rekindle the feelings you felt early in the relationship when you spent hours talking and getting to know one another.

Living without television gives reading a chance to take center stage. Trips to the library can be fun family outings that don't cost a penny and everyone can bring home something just for them. Without televison to monopolize your time there is no reason not to dust off the summer reading list and make it last year round.

It is a proven fact that couples that remove the televisions from their bedrooms have a better sex life and sleep better too. Televison can be a big distraction in the bedroom and can create feelings of frustration and tension. The bedroom can become a place of peace where a couple can shut out the world and be alone, the way it was intended to be.

Shutting off the cable or satellite service cuts back on expenses by eliminating a monthly bill, but it saves money in other areas as well. Companies spend millions of dollars a year on commercials trying to convince the viewer that they simply must have their product. Without exposure to all these ads it is much easier to stick to a budget. If you don't know what "wants" are out there, you can focus more on your "needs". You'll see your expenses drop in things like going to the movies and eating out because you haven't seen the advertisements to convince you that it is something you need to do.

Living without television can be a huge lifestyle change. It may not be easy at first, but as with anything new after a little bit of adjusting it will become commonplace and you'll be amazed at how little you miss the little black box.