A couple of years ago, Melissa and I joined Netflix. It was pretty slick because we could watch as many movies as we wanted for $10 per month. On average, we could consume perhaps eight movies per month.
Mostly, Melissa and I would agree on which movies to get, though I tended toward oddball documentaries and old Bogart movies, while she occasionally selected chick flicks.
On occasion, it would take us a couple of weeks to get around to some movies, especially if it was a selection that one of us wasn't interested in.
A few weeks before we headed to India, The Caine Mutiny showed up. It wasn't anything Melissa was interested in watching, and I didn't get around to seeing it before we headed off to Chennai.
Life was a whirlwind when we returned, and I forgot all about the movie in the red envelope. Around Christmas, Melissa came across it in a pile of stuff and suggested I watch it so we could send it back. Sounded like a great idea - except I couldn't seem to get any TV time with Mary Poppins & Co. dominating our daughter's viewing needs.
A couple of months ago, we ordered a DVR, which cost an additional $15 per month from the cable company. I told Melissa we could cancel Netflix, so we'd be out only $5 per month. Again, I forgot to watch it.
Finally, last week, Melissa ran across it, got online and canceled our Netflix account. Suddenly, I had a deadline to watch the movie. So I stayed up late one night last week and watched Bogey in one of the greatest films of his career.
Meanwhile, at $10 per month, The Caine Mutiny cost us only $100.
D'oh.
Comments
We do the same thing!
Only we have Blockbuster. And you would think I learned my lesson once?
I cancelled our account since we watch maybe one movie a month lately. Then they enticed me back and I thought I was making a decent choice by going with their lowest movie out per month option. "The Good Night" - which is really awful and we have only watched a quarter of, has been in our possession since the end of April.
Same here...
We have the "Last King of Scotland" costing us even more at this point.
Must go cancel Netflix...
Actually I'm glad we're not the only dunderheads about that sort of thing!
V.
Another dunderhead
I'm not even a parent yet and I've got a couple Netflix movies collecting dust in my living room -- after I read this I calculated the tab and they're up to $80-something now! Sheesh. But, what about using Netflix for kid's movies? Too much of a hassle?
Monica
Netflix for kids
Monica,
I was thinking the same thing. However, Niranjana will want to watch the same movie 97 times in a row - and is mighty unhappy if she cannot. Therefore, it's cheaper just to buy them for $10-$15 each for the three to four months she's fixated on the movies.
Fortunately for us, Melissa has been collecting Disney films since, oh, before we were married, so we already own many of the classics. Niranjana's current favorites are Aladdin and Lion King.