Summer is here, the kids are home more often, and it feels like your life just turned into a 24/7 Waffle House with young, angsty customers calling out to you every 5 seconds for more food. Summer can be a stressful time for families! The “norm” of the school year has been put on hold and some parents are desperate to find SOMETHING for their kids to do.
Streaming is the norm.
Streaming services have become that answer for many families. It makes sense! It’s already there in the home, you don’t have to set-up anything new, and the big one…it will keep your kids occupied for HOURS! Which means you and the microwave get a little break.
Though our kids should be learning the pros and cons of using tech, it has started to become an issue for our families, our pocketbooks, and our ability to save! Check out some of these stats:
- According to STATISTA, the average daily time we spend watching both Traditional TV and Digital streaming TV is 6.05 hours. That total number will go up to almost 6.5 hours by 2025.
- According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2024, “children ages 8-12 in the United States spend 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours.”
- The AACAP also warns that too much screen time can lead to “sleep problems, lower grades in school, weight problems, mood problems, and poor self-image.”
Who doesn’t love a good Netflix show?!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good Netflix movie or show any day, but when I start to FORCE myself to watch it because I’m too comfy on the couch, what am I actually doing? Nothing! And most of the time, I get made at myself for WASTING time, which I’m always so eager to get more of. Can you relate?
So how can we change this summer dynamic and SAVE money in the process?
It’s a bit radical, so hang on…
CANCEL your streaming services for the summer months! Do you need a paper bag to breathe into? Are you still with me? Should I call someone?
Hear me out on this! The average American household spends around $61/month on streaming services (could be more if your kid is a gamer). If you took May – August and canceled your services for those months, you could save almost $250!! What could you do with that?
- It could help offset grocery costs for having your kids home more often.
- You could use that for an end-of-summer family day trip.
- You could put it into a High Yield Savings Account and let it grow for an even bigger trip next summer.
- You could use it to fund a summer allowance program for your kids. Give them a money amount for chores and let them earn as much or as little as they choose.
- Throw a big summer party!
You get the point! And here’s another thing, most good shows take a hiatus in summer, so it’s not like you’re missing any episodes. And even if you do…it’s streaming! You can watch them in a few months.
The goal = more money in summer!
The goal is to get MORE MONEY in your hands during the summer months and canceling streaming is an easy way to do it. And it’s not forever, unless you find that you don’t actually miss them…or maybe you just get rid of 1 or 2. Take the summer to get away from the screens, save some money, create memories by having adventures, and teach your kids some life skills you know they aren’t getting in school. Let’s make summers about family memories again!
Do you want to save more money and introduce JOY in your budget? I’d love to help you out! That’s the one thing I love about building a budget around a Financial Roadmap (focuses on your financial goals and dreams), your JOY is always the focus!
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