We live in a fast paced world. You know this and I know this. Everything we do, we’re always looking for something that’s better, faster, quicker, cheaper. We don’t take the time to do the old fashioned things anymore – take long walks, go out to eat at restaurants and see a long movie after.
Ok, some of us still do this, but the majority doesn’t. The reality is, grabbing something quick to eat and coming home to watch something, when we want to, is way more appealing than planning a time to go to the movies.
Alternatives to Traditional Brick and Mortar
That’s when glorious mail order and instant streaming services come in handy. These not only save us time, but money as well.
So what kind of time & money will it save me?
- Driving time
- Gas money
- Late fees
- Opportunity cost of having to watch the movie right then and there
- Convenience (just as important as time)
- Discount sites and promos to save on streaming service
For one, no more driving to the movie store.
I know, I know. We don’t really take this into consideration, but when you don’t have a movie store that’s within 5 miles of your house, it can seem like an extremely long hike to spend 5 minutes in the store. And when driving to the movie store, you’re also wasting gas.
Movie stores also give you the option of renting for 1 day, or 5 days. OH THE PRESSURE! I usually take the 1 day option because I feel like I want to go home and watch it, but then…
I get too tired, or too lazy, or I simply don’t want to watch it then. So, I wait until the next day and end up getting the late fee.
Then, once I know I’m already being charged the late fee, I tend to take forever to return it. It’s a vicious cycle, and something that mail order and instant streaming services can alleviate.
Also, if you’re not sure about taking the big jump into signing up for a mail order or instant streaming service, you can always look around online. There’s a ton of resources to find promotional “try this for 30 days” deal or even get a cheaper subscription. Places like subscription.com (who would have thought! Ha)
What instant gratification fun is out there?
I am going to go over some of the different services offered. The best part is that most of them offer free trials so you can see how you like the service!
Netflix
THIS IS THE MECCA OF MOVIES. I have a blu-ray subscription on there so I can get whatever bluray movie I 
want. You can have your movies sent by mail, and they only take one or two days to get to your house.
You can keep it however long you want. Which is perfect for impulse watching. They also offer online streaming called “Watch Instantly” so you can just browse around at your house.
The current rates have just changed. You can sign up for a streaming only plan at $7.99/month, or for a range of plans where you can stream AND get movies mailed to you for between $9.99/month and $27.99/month depending on how many movies they send you at a time.
Click here for a FREE Netfix ONE MONTH Trial.
Blockbuster
You may not know if you don’t go into Blockbuster (and considering the rate they are closing down their stores, that is most of you!), but they also have a mail order and instant streaming service ala Netflix. 
I haven’t tried this out so I can’t vouch for what I think of it. However, one of the obvious perks is that Blockbuster has brick and mortar stores which allow you to return the online movie rentals.
Blockbuster doesn’t offer streaming, but they do get some movies before Netflix and also offer game rentals. The plans range between $11.99/month and $19.99/month depending on how many movies they send you at a time.
Click here for a FREE Blockbuster Total Access Two Week Trial.
Hulu
I can’t leave out Hulu of course… cause it’s free.
You can grab free movies or television shows to watch on there, as long as you have a decent internet service provider you won’t bog down your service. Some service providers in other countries are starting to cap internet service (regressive!), so this could wind up costing you a lot of money if that is the case.
Also, with the introduction of Hulu Plus, a lot of content is now behind a pay wall on Hulu, which may make this a less viable option. The current rate is $7.99/month for access to this premium content.
Click here for a FREE Hulu Plus 1 Week Trial.
To Switch or Not to Switch?
There are tons of reasons why people choose to use online and streaming providers to watch movies and shows- and there’s also other ways to watch streaming shows using game consoles- do whichever works best for you.
If you really think about the benefits (unlimited time to watch them, not having to stand around in a movie store looking, not having to DRIVE to a movie store period) I think the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.
I'm MLR. After graduating from college debt free, I decided to write a blog encouraging people to adapt responsible and sensible personal finance rules.
January 6th, 2011 at 11:48 am |
Watching movies online has saved me a bundle, thanks to no late fees! Nice post!
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MyLifeROI Reply:
January 6th, 2011 at 5:44 pm |
@Michal,
It’s also saved me a bundle by allowing me to cancel my cable plan! :)
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January 6th, 2011 at 8:36 pm |
Gone are the days of DVD rentals i think, give it a few years, and they’ll be completely extinct. Streaming videos is awesome — saves so much time, and is instantly there. I’m MORE likely to rent now, because of it.
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January 22nd, 2011 at 9:45 pm |
I agree with your opinions twentysomethingmoney as now in the present many of us do rent any much dvd anymore and if this trend is growing then, as you said it, dvd rental could extinct soon.
xbox rrod´s last [type] ..Possibilities of getting xbox ring of death fix in under 40 minutes
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November 19th, 2011 at 8:23 am |
As explicitly asserted by both Rome treaties, the Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union. Moreover, a protocol to the treaty of accession of Denmark to the European Communities stipulates that Danish nationals residing in the Faroe Islands are not to be considered as Danish nationals within the meaning of the treaties. Hence, Danish people living in the Faroes are not citizens of the European Union (although other EU nationals living there remain EU citizens). The Faroes are not covered by the Schengen free movement agreement, but there are no border checks when travelling between the Faroes and any Schengen country. (The Faroes have been part of the Nordic Passport Union since 1966, and since 2001 there have been no border checks between the Nordic countries and the rest of the Schengen area as part of the Schengen agreement.) The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 major islands about 655 kilometres (407 mi) off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway, the closest neighbours being the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland. Its coordinates are 62°00′N 06°47′W. Its area is 1,399 square kilometres (540 sq. mi), and it has no major lakes or rivers. There are 1,117 kilometres (694 mi) of coastline.[2] The only significant uninhabited island is Lítla Dímun. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly cliffs. The highest point is Slættaratindur, 882 metres (2,894 ft) above sea level. The Faroe Islands are dominated by tholeiitic basalt lava, which was part of the great Thulean Plateau during the Paleogene period.
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December 16th, 2011 at 3:35 pm |
Yeah i highly doubt dvd’s will be here for much longer. They’re getting rid of cd’s and are going to start doing everything with music related sells on online sites such as itunes, so I’m sure dvd’s is there next step.
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December 26th, 2011 at 3:53 am |
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January 6th, 2012 at 12:27 pm |
Very informative article. Been wanting to find some new places I can order and watch movies online. Thanks!
D. Perry
Watch The Latest Movies Online for Free
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January 12th, 2012 at 11:49 am |
Thank you verry much for your article. Verry informative one.
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January 28th, 2012 at 11:01 am |
Now a days, streaming movies online is the way to go.
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