Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Netflix Is Finally Cheap Enough

I've been tempted to join Netflix for a long time. Most of the movies I like to watch are foreign films and other odd things that don't tend to make it to my local Blockbuster. But when I looked at how much I tend to spend on movies, which was $133 in 2005 and $135 in 2006, including a couple of movies seen in a theater, I just couldn't justify joining Netflix. I think at first it cost $19.99 a month, or maybe $14.99? I don't remember exactly. But for someone like me, it was definitely more than I tended to spend already. Then they started offering a plan for $9.99 and I began to be seriously tempted, but I still wondered if I'd watch enough movies to make it worthwhile. Some PF bloggers have actually analyzed whether Netflix saved them money and decided that the answer was no.
But the price kept dropping: when I moved, I got a coupon in the mail inviting me to sign up for Netflix with plans starting as low as $5.99, so I stuck the coupon on my fridge and kept meaning to do something about it. But last night, when I saw an ad online offering a $4.99 plan, I immediately clicked over to the website to find out more. The catch is that you're limited to one movie at a time, and only 2 movies per month-- not a problem for me! That is probably close to what I average throughout the year anyway. And at $4.99 for 2 movies, the cost is less than my local Blockbuster. If I want to watch more than 2 movies a month, I'll still go to Blockbuster (or my beloved indie video store near where I lived for part of the summer, which is far away, more expensive and only allows you to keep a movie for 2 days, but has an incredible selection of classic, foreign, and independent films). But the Netflix subscription gives me access to a lot of things Blockbuster doesn't carry, so I'll be catching up on all my French movies and other relatively obscure things in between. All in all, it seemed like the perfect way to see the movies I want to see, cheaply and conveniently. So unlike Flexo, who recently blogged about it being time to dump Netflix, I just signed up. I can't wait for Etre et Avoir, the Blue/White/Red trilogy, My Neighbor Totoro and Gimme Shelter to start arriving!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

We're on the two-at-a-time plan, and since we probably watch at least 12 movies a month, Netflix is absolutely worth it for us. (We also don't get TV.)

Anonymous said...

Hi Ms. My Open Wallet,

I follow your blog regularly and after reading your post I am curious how much do you spend after Cable/Internet, Phone, Utilities, etc?

Thanks.

P

Unknown said...

I think I remember reading that she doesn't have cable.

DivineMsN said...

I am a long time Netflix subscriber. Last month I joined Blockbuster to compare the two services. I thought that I would take advantage of the fact that BB lets you go to the store and get additional movies for free. But as it turns out, I never made it to the store. (Call me lazy). I couldn't justify keeping the membership. I kept the Netflix but just downgraded my membership.

Anonymous said...

I still have a blockbuster embership that will end this summer. Everyone including my parnets have Netflix but I hate my postal service. 3 months ago I never had a bill sent to me even though I changed my address in the post office. I can't sign up at all because I don't trust my zipcode post office!

Anonymous said...

I learned last night that Netflix will let you view movies online also - as many hours each month as you pay in dollars.

An interesting option if you want to watch that third or fourth movie with your $4.99/mo subscription, or maybe throw in a few TV shows.

mOOm said...

Over the Christmas period Snork Maiden and I tried out the Blockbuster mail thing combined with the store. Only problem was that several of the movies that came through the mail were scratched. Never had one from the store like that...

Anonymous said...

My sister is very happy with NetFlix, and she's been telling me to signup. But I'm not into movies too much these days, mostly because contemporary movies don't interest me. I'd rather stay home and watch old movies on TV.

Adventures In Money Making said...

i tried the blockbuster for 2 weeks last november. I saw about 12 movies during the 2 week free trial and then i cancelled. i think its pretty good if you pile up your movies like I do and then watch them all in one go!

I have about 10 movies I got from thailand (for $2 each) that I haven't had time to watch. I'll probably end up watching them all in 1 week when I do.

Anonymous said...

Another one of my favorites is He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Enjoy Netflix!