I quit social media and started checking old movies on Netflix instead. I saved $2600 so far.

I was someone who checked Instagram between every single thing I did, constantly scrolling. Recently I had a realization, that just like anyone else who is shown a bunch of random advertisements, I was craving stuff I didn't even need. <br><br>So I decided to put a stop to it and removed all my social media apps. I deleted my Chambers account not a long ago, then I deleted my Facebook and Instagram, and tried to ignore Twitter. <br><br>Eventually I found myself constantly bored and the urge to check social media came back and forth. The best solution I found for this was watching movies on Netflix. <br><br>My average month was spending $500. This wasn't so bad for a single person to be honest. I can survive with just my salary. But I decided to cancel Netflix as well to save money. The basic plan is $17.99. <br><br>So I decided to go to a public library to borrow DVDs. I had to spend $21.99 for a transportation card, but I think I can use it in the following months too.<br><br>With all the combo, I started to save a lot. In occasional parties I would bring some cheap snacks and the others were already satisfied. I borrowed some movies from a library and watched 3 movies a day. In the following months I started to see some changes in me. <br><br>I was not craving unnecessary things anymore, and I was spending less money and I had more time to do my job. My salary kinda increased because I could spend more time on work and I was spending less. <br><br>I was planning to buy a new gaming chair recently, but I had a second hand one that was already pretty reliable and comfortable. It didn't make sense anymore. I have spent $2639 in the past year when I could have spent it on something meaningful. <br><br>I'm gonna change this habit in the upcoming months. I was planning to buy a car this year but I think I need to travel to Europe. I'm gonna cancel that plan.<br><br>Edit: I like reading the comments. I was not planning to "save" money by watching Netflix, but I was eradicating social media by watching Netflix. I couldn't resist checking Instagram between every single action I did. It was a big problem and I thought it was the root of my consumerism. <br><br>Edit part 2: I'm Turkish, sorry for the language errors. <br><br>Edit part 3: Not checking social media wasn't enough for me. I needed something else to distract me. Maybe you can focus on the part "I was spending 500$ every month." <br><br>Edit part 4: I'm not planning to cancel my Netflix subscription forever. :)