TST: Just Record It!

Today we're going to be starting a weekly series call Time Saver Tuesdays, or TST (guess which day of the week I'll be posting these). The Bible tells us to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:15-17), so I'm going to be posting tips every Tuesday on things you can do to save time. Unlike most resources, we all get the same amount of time, but we have to decide how we're going to spend it. If you have anything that you do to save time that you'd like to share, just let me know and I'll add them to the list. Today's tip is to record those shows you want to watch. Use that DVR, DVD-R, or VCR (yes, I know people that still use a VCR) and record the shows. This'll save you loads of time. First off, you get to skip the commercials. Did you know that the average 1-hour show is really only 42 minutes long? That means that roughly every time you watch an hour-long show on TV, 1/3 of your time is spent watching commercials.

Second, you are now free from the time constraint of having to sit down and watch a show at a specific time. You don't have to be at home in front of the TV every Wednesay from 8:00 - 9:00 PM watching LOST (yes, I like LOST). You can watch it later and be able to pause it when life happens (phone rings, kid gets sick, etc). Clarinda and I have gotten into arguements because I want to get home and watch LOST and she wants to keep socializing with people after Wednesday night service. Come on lady, something deep and unexplainable is probably happening right now on ABC! You have to ask yourself (like I had to), which is more valuable: watching TV or building relationships (if only I had other friends who liked/watched LOST, then I could do both!)?

Finally, you can avoid the biggest time kill of all when it comes to TV: watching the NEXT show too. TV executives know that you are most likely to watch a TV show that abuts a show you are already watching, so they advertise the shows that are on immediately before and after. So, while watching an 8:00 show, the commercials are mostly concentrating on the show coming up next (9:00), with a slight mixture of the show that was just on as well (7:00). Yes, they advertise other shows too, but their biggest concern is getting you hooked on the following show so you stay tuned into their channel. This is the most noticeable during the beginning of a season because they want to get you hooked early on. If you record the show and watch it later, you won't run the risk of watching the next show as well.