Netflix: To Keep or Not To Keep?

1. Writer's Coin January 28, 2009 7:09 am

   I’ve gone through this debate a few times myself. I love Netflix, especially if I’m watching a show all the way through to the end (The Wire, anyone?).

   But I’m thinking I could probably do without. There is a redbox near me and they always have codes out there for free movies, so essentially you’re paying nothing to have a limited selection of movies, although they do have the newest ones usually.

   Beats the library’s selection, that’s for sure.

2. Karen January 28, 2009 7:44 am

   It’s great that you have so many options in your area. I went to a Redbox for the first time a few weeks ago, and there wasn’t a single movie available that I’ve ever heard of. I don’t know if it’s like that all the time, but it didn’t seem too appealing to me. Plus our library charges something like $2 to rent DVDs (but video games are free… go figure). So we just stick with the 2-a-month Netflix since we’re used to it. Probably not the most frugal decision, but it makes us happy since we never go to the movie theater now.
   Have you seen Feedflix.com? It helps analyze your Netflix usage and might help you with your decision.

3. Chris January 28, 2009 8:16 am

   You could also check out Hulu.com – free movies over the Internet! You just have to put up with ads during the movie. It’s kind of like watching a movie on network TV, except that you get to pick the movie and you get all the original content – no network censoring, cutting for time, etc.

4. Jennifer Rogdakis January 28, 2009 9:10 am

   Netflix is making huge strides right now! The HD Tivo boxes are now allowing you to get netflix movies directly to the box, as is new blue ray players and X box….Someday we’ll be looking to see if its even necessary to pay for cable with all the movies and TV shows you can get through Netflix. Especially if they can download instantly!

5. susan January 28, 2009 9:28 am

   I love the library movies. Our library doesn’t charge (well, other than our taxes), so I always grab 3 movies on a Thursday after work (if you wait until Friday night or Saturday morning, the pickings are slim). I can keep them until Monday, so I drop them off in the box on the way to work. I’ve watched some bombs, but most of the time I’m happy enough with the selection. I also expanded my movie watching horizons (since it’s “free”) and watched some great foreign movies and independent movies that I’d otherwise never select.

   I’ve done redbox a few times – but only with a free code.

6. MikeinMass January 28, 2009 9:44 am

   We’re not huge movie watchers, but I’ve been debating whether or not to join Nextflix since I cut our cable to the package between basic and extended basic (no ESPN, no TBS, no FX, Foodtv; History channel yes, etc.)

   To my pleasant surprise, our library system has quite a selection with an average delivery time of 4 days if the movie is not in-house. Of course, I still have to drop by to pick them up but it is no different than dropping by Blockbuster.

   For now, we’re sticking with the library and free code Monday through Redbox.

7. Jayme January 28, 2009 10:37 am

   i may be one of the few going in the opposite direction and considering starting a subscription with netflix. Recently the block busters in my area closed down, leaving the closest block buster/ movie rental location besides the library a 30 minute drive away. I can not see traveling 1 hour round trip with gas still some what expensive. For me the cost of netflix combined with its convenience far out weighs the alternatives i have.

8. Clever Dude January 28, 2009 10:42 am

   @Jayme, I think Netflix use ebbs and flows with people’s lives. As activities increase outside of the home, people need movies less. For us, as I mentioned, we kind of got through all the movies we really wanted to see and will cut the subscription for a few months to let the queue build back up. We’ll re-evaluate in the summer when we tend to watch more movies at night.

9. BillyOceansEleven January 28, 2009 10:58 am

   I’m a big fan of RedBox. It seems like they are all over the place here in Houston, and there are a lot of free rental codes out there at any given time. There’s a site called insideredbox.com where the codes are listed, and you can even have RedBox text you a free rental code every Monday. And the codes are limited to one use per credit card, so if you have more than one card you can get multiple free rentals with the same code. As long as you return the DVD by 9pm the next night, you pay nothing! The only drawback is that selection is limited to new releases only, but you can’t beat it for the price.

   We did the Netflix thing a while back but encountered the throttling issue (where they delay processing returns and shipments to customers turning around movies quickly) and cancelled. Also tried BlockBuster online, but their mail service was so slow and once they no longer did unlimited in-store exchanges it wasn’t worth dealing with. And I’m not going to pay Blockbuster in-store rental rates out of principle.

10. Jennifer January 28, 2009 11:10 am

    I love redbox, but I hate having to take them back to the store the next day. Netflix still requires me to swing by a post office box (my mail man won’t take them from my apartment mailbox), but that is at least on my way to work.

    I’ve currently got my Netflix account on hold while I focus on other things, but I suspect it’s something I’ll keep going back to. I tried Blockbuster Online this month, but am so far not impressed. I’ll probably be canceling before the next billing cycle. And just so you know, if you do cancel Netflix, instead of using the hold feature, they’ll still keep your queue and account information. I canceled my account for quite awhile, and was able to log in with my old information, renew the account, and everything was still there.

11. Grant Baldwin January 28, 2009 12:11 pm

    We love Netflix but only use it in blocks of time each year. We put our account on hold and build up our queue until we’ve got enough movies in there to last us a few months. That way we’re not wasting money each month on stupid movies just to keep getting something.

    The challenge we’ve had with Redbox is the hot movies are almost always sold out, although I’ve heard you can reserve a copy.

    Good post!

12. $ Money Savin' Momma $ January 28, 2009 12:33 pm

    Okay, I’m a librarian, so I have to comment about the library portion of your post. Not only can you request movies from other library branches, you can get movies from virtually ANY library in the country through interlibrary loan, which is free at most libraries. (This is where your local library requests the movie from a library in another town or state, and then the movie is sent to your local library. You pick up and return the movie to your local library.) So even if your local library doesn’t have the movie you want, you can often get it free through interlibrary loan. And some libraries even mail out materials to patrons for free. And you can’t beat free! So definitely look into your local library further and see what they can offer!

    $ Money Savin’ Momma $
    Feature blogger at Engineer a Debt Free Life

13. Craig January 28, 2009 1:23 pm

    I am a huge netflix fan, but I also try to watch the movies right away to get the next one. I really try to take advantage of it. I think it’s great for any movie fan, or even casual because if you get 1 dvd plan and get 2 per month it pays off. I try for 6/month, and they have a huge blu-ray selection which I really want.

    I just read this article http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/netflix_instantwatcher_a_netflix_mashup_for_impatient_people.php
    telling of how you can easily find instant movies to watch. Knowing this makes the service even more valuable if you don’t mind watching on a computer, or have the wires to hook it up to a TV.

14. kristen January 28, 2009 1:48 pm

    You could just cut out one of those meals you eat out during the weekends and keep your netflix. $15 bucks is well worth the trip to and from the movie store. And I’d rather support Netflix than Blockbuster any day.

    Here’s a little background story that 60 Minutes did.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/01/60minutes/main2222059.shtml

15. Matt @ StupidCents January 28, 2009 2:42 pm

    I’ve been a Netflix member for almost 7 years now (and I’m a shareholder). The only thing that I have issues with is that they tend to ‘hold’ new releases for newer subscribers. It usually takes a few weeks until I actually get the new releases in my queue.

    The library for streaming Netflix is limited other than the TV shows so I don’t utilize that benefit at all.

    I do a combination of renting from the library and Netflix. For casual movies that people have recommended, I’ll check those out at the library and wait.

    Stupidly Yours,

    Matt

16. aa January 28, 2009 2:43 pm

    My local McDonald’s and Walgreens on my way home have RedBox. They’re even closer to the postoffice or library.

    I’ve used RedBox for more than a year and haven’t paid a dime yet. Tons of free codes and credit cards to use. LOL.

17. Mike January 28, 2009 2:59 pm

    I love Netflix, but I’m currently using Blockbuster due to a 6-month free membership I picked up. I used to use Redbox heavily but only with free movie codes, which are abundant.

    I actually just happened to write a lengthy article about watching movies for free on my blog, which may interest you: http://moneytld.com/2009/01/27/ten-ways-to-watch-movies-for-free-without-breaking-the-law/

18. Shawna January 28, 2009 3:38 pm

    I have used Netflix, the library, rental stores, and Redbox. Netflix was great for us because we have kids, and therefore would take full advantage of the unlimited rentals.

    Then we moved and had to cut costs, and Netflix was the first to go. We tried the library, but found that many movies (expecially kids movies) were very scratched and wouldn’t play, though we still have a vhs player, and do use the library for vhs movies.

    Then more costs had to be cut, so we cut cable. There is a Redbox across the street, so we used that for up to 5 movies per week. It was fine, and a good alternative, but we found an even better way! 2 actually!

    We now use Hulu for almost all of our tv watching. We hooked the tv up as a second computer monitor, and we watch tv shows and movies for free.

    Also, my husband was looking for work at the time (hence the cost cutting). In his infinite wisdom, he took a mgt position at a local Blockbuster store. Now we get up to 5 movies per week absolutely free. AND the best part is that we get the new releases a week before the general public! We may never use cable again!

19. J. Money January 28, 2009 4:54 pm

    Oh man, you gonna leave my Comcast On Demand out like that? Pshhhh – ON Demand all the way baby! Hundreds of movies refreshed all the time for ya sure you might pay more for your cable (okay, alot more) but my damn does it feel good getting all your fav. HBO/Showtime shows anytime you want w/ a click of a button.

    of course, i’ve never tried NetFlix so i could be way off here…

20. Aaron January 28, 2009 5:08 pm

    This may have been mentioned, but couldn’t you downgrade to 1 DVD at a time unlimited NetFlix plan for $8.99. You’d save $5 a month.

21. Clever Dude January 28, 2009 5:12 pm

    @J Money: I did forget about OnDemand. I got it for $1 per month on top of our $20 per month basic cable. I get dozens of free movies at any time. I think we’ve only ordered movies from it twice at the cost of renting from Blockbuster. Good tip.

    @Aaron: Not mentioned and I overlooked it as an option, but we’d have to watch 3 movies per month to make it more affordable than just renting from Blockbuster. It’s definitely an option worth looking into, especially if we want access to the movies/TV series that they offer.

22. Sara January 28, 2009 9:06 pm

    I’ve been a Netflix subscriber for 9 years and I love it. I consider it a substitute for cable TV, because I can get just about any TV show I want to watch on DVD. The nearest Redbox, Blockbuster, and library are 5-7 miles from my house, so the convenience of getting and returning the discs by mail with Netflix (not to mention the gas savings) is a huge advantage over the alternatives.

    I suggest to anyone debating whether or not to renew a subscription that they try a trial unsubscription — go without it for a set period of time (e.g., one month) and see how much you miss it. If you do miss it, you can always resubscribe later. My problem with Netflix is that I get a special deal (4-at-a-time for the price of 3-at-a-time) because I am a long-time customer, but if I unsubscribe or even put my subscription on hold, I can’t get the same deal again.

23. Kristy @ Master Your Card January 28, 2009 10:52 pm

    You know, I went through this debate not long ago and decided to cancel my Netflix membership. But, I also canceled my cable, too. My biggest challenge with canceling Netflix is that I bought more DVDs. I spent $200 in DVDs alone this month and totally blew my budget out of the water. I didn’t do that when I had Netflix, because I could just rent them anytime I wanted. I’ve reinstated my Netflix membership, but as I’m in school as well, I’ve also lowered my plan to the 2-at-time. Some things to consider:

    1.) You’d save more money by keeping Netflix and getting rid of the cable.

    Most of the shows you watch can be seen online. And if you’re computer savvy, you can hook your TV up to your computer and just watch them that way. The only station I’ve had any trouble with is NBC and that’s because their online format is crappy. Fortunately for me, the shows I liked on NBC were canceled so it doesn’t matter.

    2.) You can watch movies instantly from Netflix.

    And, they’re adding more and more to this ‘instant play’ list everyday. You can do one of two things here, either buy the box which is like $100 (not for me), or hook your TV up to the computer and watch it that way. Either way, this is a good way to get that “on demand” included with your Netflix package and not wait for that turnaround on your DVDs.

    The deal for me is that I’m a movie buff and I’d take movies over TV shows any day. In that sense, Netflix makes more sense than cable. However, there are certain shows I really like…and I buy on DVD. So, since I’m buying them on DVD, I don’t feel the need to pay for the cable to watch them. I simply watch them online and buy them later. But, so I don’t go crazy with the buying of the DVDs like I did this month, I have Netflix to help tide me over until my budget allows me to spend the money.

24. fern January 29, 2009 5:15 pm

    Did i misunderstand you when you said you’re down to 2 netflix movies a month at $14.83 after taxes?

    I get 2 movies monthly and pay $5.29.

25. Sandra January 29, 2009 5:15 pm

    We cancelled Netflix after every movie for 3 months arrived scratched. I don’t know what the deal was, because other people I’ve talked to love Netflix. I won’t do the other one because my mom worked at one of the processing facilities. They worked the people like dogs in the morning, then made them take 2-3 hour (unpaid) lunches until the afternoon mail came in, then worked them like dogs again until they were finished. My mom’s retired so it wasn’t a big deal for her but I kept thinking what about people who had to have childcare and have to pay for that during the day when they’re not actually getting paid themselves.

26. Clever Dude January 29, 2009 5:49 pm

    @fern: Yes, misunderstanding. I get 2 out at a time. It’s “unlimited” per month, but it really comes out to about 20 movies max per month (2 every three days for 30 days).

27. DD January 31, 2009 1:13 am

    I had this same debate with myself this past August:

    http://www.thehappyrock.com/2008/08/26/just-canceled-netflixtrimming-the-budget-fat/

    The shakes went away after a couple of months.

    Seriously though, we weren’t using it at all. If you’re still getting 6 movies a month I’d keep it.

28. Debt Hater February 3, 2009 10:11 am

    My guy has souped-up cable (HBO, Showtime, On Demand) AND we get Netflix. We even still go to the theaters (yes, upwards of $10 per ticket, I know). I would ditch the cable in a second, but he wants it for reasons I don’t fully understand. You guys, however, might do well to suspend your account because you only go through 4 – 6 movies a month. You could see how much you miss it for a month and then make your decision.

29. Danielle February 4, 2009 8:08 pm

    Stick with Netflix, its the best! Not only can you put it on hold for a couple of months if you are not utilizing it, but also if you stop netflix service I have heard they keep your queue around for 2 years.

    You can’t beat it for winter in MN, even the closest redbox is too far when its -20. Sometimes if we are not going out even the mailbox seems too far!

    Why?
    cheap entertainment, convenience, blu-ray upgrade for $1 a month, no extra trip for returns…

    Why not!

30. Shadox February 6, 2009 3:28 am

    We never really ever run out of Netflix movies in our queue. We go through about 4 movies a month, but our queue keeps growing. Now that they have the “watch now” streaming option included with the subscription, I am thinking about getting one of the netflix dvr services. We love this service.

31. Jennifer February 11, 2009 12:56 am

    Hey Cleverdude, I read that you were thinking about putting your account on hold while you’re trying to save a few bucks. That seems to be the popular trend right now in this country.
    Just incase you aren’t aware, if you place your account on hold with Netflix, its only a 90 day hold at max unless you continue to extend it out. If that 90th day comes and you forget about it, but dont want to reactivate yet, it’s going to automatically reactivate…may catch you off guard.
    But, if you cancel your account, the remaining movies in your queue will stay on file with Netflix for up to 2 years. And your ratings and history and everything else will remain on file as well, so you dont have to worry about losing that information.
    When you reactivate the account after an indefinate time, just log out and back in and viola!

32. Sue G. May 19, 2009 3:31 pm

    Catching up on older CD posts…

    I am just now giving Netflix a try. I have been using my public library for 4-5 years for DVD’s (in addition to books, etc.), with the assumption that I would eventually run through everything they had to offer and want to start using a pay model again. And honestly, that really hasn’t been true. I tell my friends I use “Libflix” – it’s like Netflix except it’s free (at my library anyway) and you don’t have the exact same delivery control.

    A feature that my library offers through the online catalog is Suspending your Holds. Say for example, you’re going on vacation; you don’t want items to show up when you can’t use them, so you freeze your holds. This keeps your ‘place in line’ and you can un-suspend the hold when you are ready for the item. Most library users in our system also use this feature to control when items come to them, not unlike a Netflix queue. Sure you have to wait a few weeks until you are the #1/next person in line for the latest, popular movie but if you have enough items in your hold list, and you keep feeding your hold list with forthcoming titles, you will eventually catch up and have more items available than you can reasonable watch. I hope that made sense. In essence, you end up with a long line of things on hold and while you’re going through one chunk of materials, the next is freeing up.

    At this point, I’m looking for things that the library or even our amazing independant rental store doesn’t have, so I’m giving Netflix a try. I don’t think I’ll give up the library but just supplement it for awhile. I am so glad to find out you can place a hold on Netflix instead of just cancelling (and re-upping later). Very cool news. Thanks!!

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