Advise me: What activity should I replace my TV with?

[Binky]

Alcohol.

 

[DaveReading]

If you pay ITV £60 you can get ITVx free of ads but there is a crafty alternative re all of them for 3x the cost, along with a PVR annd aerial/sateliite dish lead, called the TV licence.

If only the TV licence was an alternative to adverts ...

 

[derrick]

I have had a TV since the early 1980s.
After all the years, I want to end the habit.
£180 now, which I will not be renewing

I like reading non fiction books.
I have a couple of bikes.
A car
I can walk.

My concern, I live alone I'm in my mid 60s,no family around, and I do not know what effect it may have on me, especially the long winter nights.

Berate me/advise me or sugest things
Thank you.

Learn a musical instrument, i took up the saxaphone and Ukulele at the tender age of 73, hardly watch any tv now, you live alone so no one to annoy, unless you have grumpy neighbours. good luck.

 

[Electric_Andy]

It seems like you want to drop the TV just because of the license fee, of which there are ways around, if you don't receive BBC content as explained above. So my first suggestion would be video games or Youtube (hear me out). You can watch some very interesting channels on your chosen theme, without being bombarded by irritating presenters and ads (if you pay, which is actually quite expensive). And it can give you suggestions about what sort of things other people do as a hobby. Or if you have something in mind already, there will be 9 tons of videos on hints/tips/tricks and how to get into it on a budget.

Computer games are also good value for money; some are free but even if you pay £60, they represent potentially thousands of hours worth of entertainment. But these days you'll need a half decent PC for that option.

Do you have a shed or garage with space? Maybe try a new hobby like woodworking or simply just fixing stuff. Or create a project like re-vamping an existing space. Youtube will give you lots of ideas ranging from budget friendly to multi-thousand pound renovations. It's still possible in winter with a heater or just a jacket and a hat!

Or would you like to get into music creation? Even if you don't play an instrument, there is software where you can make your own using just a virtual keyboard on screen, virtual drum beats etc. Again, a lot of the software is free or very cheap.

With any of the above, you can get a taste of it fairly cheaply, if not free, just by putting up with some ads or maybe some used physical items. Then if you develop a taste for it, you can spend as much money as you have (+more that you don't have). As an example, I got into woodwork simply by remembering how I enjoyed it at school, then watching videos of someone making a chopping board, then buying some cheap tools to get started. Similarly with music, I'd not recorded anything for years and discovered that with "Reaper" you can create studio quality recordings for free*

*it's free to try forever if you want, but most people end up buying the license for £40 odd

 

[colly]

Radio.

It's a bit like telly... informs, entertains, educates, but you don't have to look at it.
Radios are cheap. You can have one in each room, garage, shed and garden so you can keep listening as you potter around.
I prefer talk radio in the day. I don't really listen to it... it's just background noise filling the void until something grabs my ear.

When working, almost always alone, I would listen to Radio 4 all day everyday for years. Then sometimes Radio 5 live. Music just seemed to irritate me and break my concentration, even if it was music I liked. 10 or 12 years ago I kicked Radios 4 and 5 into touch and started listening to pocasts. I have the radio on now but not so much. I'm more inclined to listen to music (not often) now I have retired.
TV is on and I do watch it but not much keeps my attention. Some of it can be brilliant, mostly not though.

 

[DaveReading]

It seems like you want to drop the TV just because of the license fee, of which there are ways around, if you don't receive BBC content as explained above.

The ways around the requirement for a licence only apply if you don't watch any live broadcast TV. That means content from ITV, C4, etc as well as the BBC.

 

[cyberknight]

Alcohol.

i was going to suggest a nymphomaniac but alcohol could work but both probably work out more expensive than a tv licence

 

[Binky]

i was going to suggest a nymphomaniac but alcohol could work but both probably work out more expensive than a tv licence

And waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more entertaining.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

You could look at volunteering in the local (or not so local) area

There are always organisation looking for people to volunteer to help out

all sorts of things from helping in a local shop to visiting people in hospital who have no-one else to visit them

or whatever

I am off to help someone this morning with a computery thing (it tends to change when I get there!) via AgeUK
but they have loads of other "opportunities"
(Advert done!)

but I would certainly say that having a rescue dog will keep you busy with walks and the like - and get you out on the dark evenings!


I would avoid alcohol is I were you - it tends to creep up on you and get out of hand!

 

[Pblakeney]

I would avoid alcohol is I were you - it tends to creep up on you and get out of hand

I should hope so too.
All of my alcohol goes in my mouth. 🤣

 

[ColinJ]

For example, a few days ago there was 1000GB per month until Feb 2028 for ~£67.

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/th...ntil-february-2028-with-code-business-4867549

We bought a 500GB SIM at Xmas for ~£90 that expires July 2028 and put it in a ~£190 TP-Link NX200 5G router from Amazon.

Loads of data for TV streaming, albeit that a 4ktv will use ~8GB per hour iirc (don't have one myself, still on HDTV from 2009 which uses ~3GB per hour iirc).

I was wondering how much data I use so I just had a look at the stats on my router.

There is a lot used by my phone, tablets, and laptop, plus those of visitors, but the smart TV is the biggest user. That is almost entirely for Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.

Since 1st July last year I have used about 2,000 GB on the TV and 1,000 GB on everything else. That is for moderately heavy usage since I am online one way or another probably 8-10 hours a day.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

A few people have suggest photography and I think that is a good idea if you fancy it

I did that for a few years some time ago and a friend pointed me to this site
https://www.blipfoto.com

It is based on the idea of taking a phot every day - or whatever days you can manage.
It grew from a thing that a lot of photography students are encouraged to do called "the 365 challenge"
This is an idea of taking a photo - any photo of anything - every day for a whole year
People do it for all sorts of reasons
some do it to document the changes to a new baby
some do it to practise their skills and develop them for a course or just because....

When I did it it was because I was ill at teh time and it was something to get me out of the house
you can use anything that takes a phot - phones are fine
but a camera gives a lot more flexibility

I ended up taking all sorts of rubbish on some days
and other days I would spend ages getting the framing and lighting right
and sometimes I even took it home and used things to change the lighting and contents (i.e. photoshopping - but using a system called GIMP - and yes I know - but it is damn good!)

but it does give you an aim and reason to do something


warning - photography is one of those hobbies that can lead to a lot of spending on gadgets and new equipment
like some other "hobbies" I could mention (he said looking at the forum title!!!!)

The site also has a sort of social aspect as people can comment of you images and you can comment on theirs. While I was on there I ended up as part of a small group of people that commented of each other things occasionally
It si a small site and generally only people who are interested and does not attract "the other kind"

Up to you - just thought I would mention it as it helped me a lot for a few years!

 

[Pblakeney]

A few people have suggest photography and I think that is a good idea if you fancy it

I did that for a few years some time ago and a friend pointed me to this site
https://www.blipfoto.com

It is based on the idea of taking a phot every day - or whatever days you can manage.
It grew from a thing that a lot of photography students are encouraged to do called "the 365 challenge"
This is an idea of taking a photo - any photo of anything - every day for a whole year
People do it for all sorts of reasons
some do it to document the changes to a new baby
some do it to practise their skills and develop them for a course or just because....

When I did it it was because I was ill at teh time and it was something to get me out of the house
you can use anything that takes a phot - phones are fine
but a camera gives a lot more flexibility

I ended up taking all sorts of rubbish on some days
and other days I would spend ages getting the framing and lighting right
and sometimes I even took it home and used things to change the lighting and contents (i.e. photoshopping - but using a system called GIMP - and yes I know - but it is damn good!)

but it does give you an aim and reason to do something


warning - photography is one of those hobbies that can lead to a lot of spending on gadgets and new equipment
like some other "hobbies" I could mention (he said looking at the forum title!!!!)

The site also has a sort of social aspect as people can comment of you images and you can comment on theirs. While I was on there I ended up as part of a small group of people that commented of each other things occasionally
It si a small site and generally only people who are interested and does not attract "the other kind"

Up to you - just thought I would mention it as it helped me a lot for a few years!

The main benefit of photography is often overlooked. It gets you out of the house and takes your mind off whatever else is going on.
Sometimes I go out and don't even take a photo. Experience has taught me not to take snaps just for the sake of it.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The main benefit of photography is often overlooked. It gets you out of the house and takes your mind off whatever else is going on.
Sometimes I go out and don't even take a photo. Experience has taught me not to take snaps just for the sake of it.

That was one of the main advantegs of the BlipFoto site to me
You only have one shot perday - and it checks the date
so you can't just go out and snap 100 different things at random and have to work out something specific

as I said - that was me and then

different people work different ways

 

[Gwylan]

I haven't watched the box for 10 years now, although SWMBO is addicted to the damned thing. Thankfully the house is big enough for me to read my ebooks in peace elsewhere 🙂

Has a familiar ring to it.