We are not what you would call ‘Luddites’ when it comes to technology but it did take us a long time to stop buying CDs and DVDs! We have quite a large collection of CDs and DVDs. We even have VHS tapes and LPs (records) from years gone by.
I think our reluctance to change this habit is because of the memories and emotional responses – we associate life events with certain music and movies. I still remember the day my mother took me out of school one afternoon to go and see Mary Poppins at the movies and the day I bought my first ‘Queen’ Album. Such special moments!!!
But also, back in the 60s and 70s, the only time we could afford to buy a record was at Christmas or on birthdays. So those records became linked to something special! Going to the movies was also a treat so years on, when it became so easy to own your own movie, we jumped at the chance.
But of course times change and whilst I don’t advocate change for the sake of change, there are some very good reasons to stop buying the physical copy of a CD or a DVD and move to digital. And that is what I want to share with you now.
Reason No. 1
Its time to de-clutter and stop buying stuff!
One of the big differences in my mind between the house I grew up in and the one I live in now, besides the fact that my current house is about 3 times as big as my childhood one, is that we had less ‘stuff’ in those days. There was less money, there were not as many shops around and we went for the homemade approach for clothes, food and sometimes furniture and toys. These days, all sorts of ‘stuff’ including CDs and DVDs are cheap and can be found in so many different shops. We are constantly tempted to spend our hard earned cash just because we can.
But, think about it this way, when you buy a CD or a DVD you add to the ‘stuff’ in your house. Whether you are a parent with young children and a house full of toys, a single person living in an apartment or other small space or older parents who are trying to downsize – we all have too much stuff! Its time to stop buying or else next time you move house you will regret it!
Reason No. 2
You need variety? You can have it with digital media!
How many times have you wanted to watch an old movie or listen to an old piece of music but couldn’t find what you were looking for? The days of video shops where you can rent for a day or so are well and truly gone so what options do you have? You could pop out at 11 pm and try a 24 hour shopping centre ( if you are lucky!) or wait until the shops open and spend money on something that you probably don’t really need!
There are many movies and music albums that we wouldn’t ever want to buy but may just want to hear or reminisce about. We did it just the other day – we wanted to hear Steve Wright’s Evie Part 1,2 &3. We wanted to hear it not buy it!!! With digital music that’s easy to do.
Reason No. 3
Convenience and portability
Do you like to watch a movie or two when you travel? How do you cope when you arrive in a hotel that has only the local channels and terrible reception? Or what about in the car, what happens when you move out of the city and have poor radio reception?
Not that long ago we would carry a basket full of CDs and DVDs – everyone had to have their choice included. But over the past few years we have found that cars no longer come with CD players and hotel seems to forget to tell you that their rooms don’t have DVD players any more.
I guess you could just play cards every night or go to bed early. But when we go on holidays we like to treat ourselves, don’t we? Back to the notion of movies being a treat. See nothing ever truly changes.
With digital media you have choice, convenience and portability.
So what’s stopping you from making the change? Still attached to the ‘stuff’ or the memories? The memories are the same whether you watch a movie on a streaming service or take it out of a box and put into a machine. Same goes for CDs They are just all gathering dust.
We will talk more about the choices we made for movies and music and help you review your options. We also want to help you to navigate the choices out there so you find the best service for you.
We hope you will also join us at Helpful By Nature by subscribing to our email list. We would love to hear from you, take your questions and provide answers if we are able.
Until next time,
Gillian (and Andrew)
