Monday, June 05, 2006

Netflix makes me buy more movies

Having Netflix has increased my overall spending on movies. I didn't buy movies at all before Netflix, and I used to see movies on the big screen maybe once per month. Since I joined Netflix in January, 2004, I have increased my attendance at the cinemas to once a week, and I have bought 48 movies, on DVD and VHS. I have been spending so much time, energy, and money on my hunt for the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the ones I can't get through Netflix, that I've spent less time watching the movies in my Netflix queue! That's wrong.

Has Netflix increased your spending on movies or TV?

4 comments:

  1. Not at all for me. Since I only watch a movie one time unless I don't get the jokes or it's complicated, I never purchase movies. I almost always have a Netflix or public library movie on hand, so I'm not going to the theater maybe 4 times/year. I look at it as a money saving venture.

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  2. If I want to "own" it, I just rent it...if you catch my drift.

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  3. I'm not interested in owning movies I rent from Netflix, Josh. I have to buy movies I can't get from Netflix.

    Rachel, I think Netflix is a great way to save money, but it increased my appetite for movies.

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  4. Being a Netflix subscriber hasn't increased my DVD purchases, but I'm surprised it hasn't curtailed them. This is especially true with the sharp drop in retail DVD prices over the last few years. Now, if I see a good price on a movie on my queue, I buy it. Of course, when you're on a limited plan and you have enough queued movies to take you through 2011, it helps if you can reduce that in other ways. Plus, I've developed a nasty habit of becoming a fan of TV-on-DVD, in which case I like to watch multiple episodes throughout a weekend, or view a season opener again after I've watched the season ending---both of which are tricky to do when renting through Netflix, so I often buy those items. Sometimes I think I should downgrade my Netflix membership so that I can take advantage of the stuff I already own, but then I realize that there are things that can only easily be found through Netflix, so I like to think the purchases compliment the rentals. (This is another reason I don't see either DVD purchases or Netflix-type services being obsolete due to streaming video or downloading.)

    But overall, I think you're right, Becky...having Netflix has increased my appetite and appreciation for movies.

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