One other thing you can keep in mind is that if you have to rack up credit card debt to buy something, it is NOT cheap! Even if you buy something for 20% off, if you end up having to pay 15% or 20% credit card interest until you are able to pay it off, you are not saving money. I agree with the person above who talked about the dangers of credit cards, but I do almost all of my shopping online and I can't imagine not using them. You just have to be very strict about always paying them off at the end of each month.

What I do:

1. Is this a tv show? If so, how often will I realistically watch it? Generally, if it is a tv show you are buying it just to have it. Let's be honest, how likely is it you will watch M*A*S*H Season 1, Buffy, ER, etc. on dvd rather than watch those when they normally come on? Odds are you will watch tv shows when they are normally on rather than on dvd. Save your money.

2. Is this a movie you are getting just because or one you will tend to watch over and over? If it is just because, rent it for a couple days. (I use the Albertson's $1 special.) NetFlix or other rental programs can be another money saver.

3. Use sales. That's what they're there for.

4. Research prices. Forums such as this are awesome as they help you to know what's on sale where.

5. Use your descretion. Is this something you need to own now or can it wait? If it can wait a few days or few months don't buy it for $15 or $20. Wait until it goes down to $5 - $10.

By choosing not to buy various DVDs I have saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. I have rented them instead. If I were to buy the dvd I could have generally rented it 5 - 10 times. I only buy must owns as defined by me and not by groups. I'll buy the Star Wars SE trilogy when it comes out though would much rather buy the OT. Therefore I'll be holding onto those tapes. Do not be afraid to be picky. All those things will help save you money.

BTW, never put dvds on credit cards. If you can't pay cash for them skip it. The interest alone will make it double or triple the price.

staying off the bargin forums definately helps but alas I keep coming back.

have your spouse/significant other place you on MORATORIUM

I say spend every penny you have and then some. make sure you own so many DVDs that you could build a home out of them. since there isn't such a thing as a DVD reposessor yet you will atleast have somewhere to live when they take your house/car back.

Yes, and if you lose the shirt off your back you can even make clothes out of DVDs, a la Jenny McCarthy on that DVD awards show.

Only a suggestion:
just get one dvd at a time...when you get the bill pay it off and then you can buy another one if you want to....but just one...you will have more control of your spending that way-- dvd's always be there-they aint going no where and there are always sales all the time. Other than that I suggest you take on reading more often

I can't reccomend the trade forum enough. Instead of buying new items, trade for them. Find the DVDs in your collection you haven't been watching and deal them for things you want. Just keep rotating your collection that way.

I think that's my next plan of action except:
- she will have to cancel my debit card and not let me see the new one.
- give me a weekly allowance just for dvds.

Buying regular R1 titles/boxsets isn't the problem. I can wait for Columbia House, sales, price matches, etc.

Import Titles are the ones that are killing me, especially these damn limited editions. You have to be quick to buy otherwise it'll be OOP before you know it.


The bright side to my dvd disease/disorder is:
- I don't spend money on drugs
- I don't spend money on alcohol
- I don't spend money at strip clubs

After buying about 100 DVDs last year and then selling them in January of this year because of bad decisions I decided to go by this set of questions:

1)Do I like it?
When I see a movie/tv show I like, for instance I caught Mystic River a little while ago and really enjoyed it. I let it gestate on me on whether or not I really want it or not to cure my "trigger" finger for hitting the buy button. If I choose yes I put it on a wish list in Word and go onto the next question.

2)Is there a new version in the horizon?
I check the rumor list in the DVD Talk section of the forum then I check www.dvdcompare.net to see what new features on are on it. Usually if there's a new one within 3-6 months I just wait (like the original series Star Trek movies).

3)Does CH carry it?
If CH does and it's going to be an enrollment in 3 months I just wait like Last Samuari, Fargo etc. For others that will never become an enrollment I use those as fufillments if the price is reasonable like Lord of the Rings Extended Editions ($24.95 after the $5 webcoupon). Otherwise I goto www.dvdpricesearch.com and check the prices and make note and proceed to the next question.

4)How badly do I want it?
If the price is reasonable on dvdpricesearch and I want it badly enough I'll pick it up immediately, otherwise I'll wait for a sale (like the recent 20% off or some other sale).

Lack of a real job for several months has done wonders for me. Now to buy a coveted new release DVD, I have to roll a homeless person for his bottle money.

Only buy what you can watch. I currently have 25-30 unwatched DVDs which is way too many for me. I like to keep it around 10-12 so I always have a nice selection depending on my mood. I'm still working on stuff I got for Christmas.

When I first started collecting, the temptation was to buy everything that caught my eye as soon as it was released. By exercising a little self control and only buying what I can watch, you'd be amazed at how many things I've simply lost interest in before I get around to buying it. I think that's helped keep the quality of my collection pretty high.

As others have said, you might be saving a little on sales when a DVD is first released. But if you're charging them, you're probably loosing more in credit card interest.

If all else fails, get married. My 300 DVDs would easily be 2000 if I wasn't married.

My thoughts

Be Decisive- When you see a Dvd on sale buy it. When you read deal threads showing what others are buying. Buy what they are getting if more than 2 people are buying it- It must be good.

Be firm. Once you get more than 10 titles in your cart submit and reload.

Be Smart. Join the herd! Remember you can always BK and start again. You can never go back and get in on a deal now gone. What are you going to say in those your best deal you every got threads? You saved some money

Be focused. Buy. Buy. Buy.

Be Selective. Do not buy everything. Some things are not on sale. If it is then buy it!


I think this will help you out.

sracer thanks for the great point starters. Any dvd tips for DDD

Though really not in the right forum, this is a quite interesting thread. It seems like many of us are compulsive, or have been and found ways to deal.

I guess my big difference from may of the other posters is 1. I love tv and snatch up tons of shows since I work weird hours and seldom see tv 2. I collect for the long run - if I do not watch the movie now, but it is something I want like Alien Quad. I will buy it and let it set - some movies have been on my shelf for 3 or more years but someday I will have time and want to see it. I'll admit though I am much more picky now that I pay only cash. Blind Buys are way down, On occasion like Bad Santa I will buy without seeing it, but I rent more now and wait till I catch a little on tv to peak my intrest.

That's a good point, too. Don't put DVDs on credit cards unless you have the cash set aside to pay it off before you're charged for using it. In other words, only buy DVDs with cash if you can.

I dont...

You're not "saving" money with the DDD sale if you're putting them onto a credit card and then paying interest.

Going into debt because you don't want to miss a sale is silly (and counter-productive). That's the best way to control your spending... don't buy what you can't afford.

word.

but, i feel sorry for people who go into debt to get dvds.

--
as for not using cc's, that's not necessarily good advice. i get cash back on my credit cards and b/c i don't carry any balances, i earn money by using them.

same here. plus, using CC's helps you keep track of what you're spending money on.

This thread is timely, as I just splurged for $125 at the 20% sale at DDD--which, BTW, was my budget. Some thoughts on spending...

1) Always check B&M's on release dates. Whether it's through their flyer or in this wonderful forum, many times the high-profile, big-budgeted release of the week will have a killer price point. Best Buy is good at this when they want to be.

2) Always check the Bargains forum. Always. Daily. Several times if you can. I can't tell you how many deals and discounts I've learned about that have randomly appeared in this forum. Many times sales or greatly reduced markdowns will appear late at night or on weekends. You never know. Also, this site is terrific at monitoring B&M's.

3) Check the DVD Clubs section. I'm not an ongoing member of CH, but about 3 years ago, they had some sick deal, like 7 dvds for $70 or something. (That's back when Armageddon:Criterion was part of the introductory offer!) Lately I've taken advantage of the HDL TV deal, which is get one TV box set for $9.95, get one free, then buy 2 more at $19.95 or more. Did that twice and cancelled right after. Deals like that are fabulous.

4) I've become much better with my "DVD forecasting", which is figuring out when certain catalog titles will be on sale. Example: Whenever a sequel hits the big screen, look for the first film(s) on sale at a B&M. (a la Spiderman, Riddick, Harry Potter, etc...) Also, wait for a sequel to hit the store shelves, which also may involve the other film showing up for cheap. This occasionally works for TV box sets too.

5) Pricematch. Whether it's online or at a B&M, find the retailer that does it, and scan for deal. While I hate them, the Walmart across the street from work does this no problem. You never know who's selling what for what.

6) Join Best Buy's Reward Zone program. I was one of the lucky ones who got it for free last summer and it's helped me immensely (sp?). I've accumulated about $175 in GC's over the year, which was largely from a laptop I bought, but still, that's a boatload of FREE DVDs. And I only use them for DVDs. You bet I'm reupping for $10.

7) Keep lists. I write down release dates and MSRP in my Palm Pilot for the titles I want. This may seem anal, but it helps me have a sense of budget for the upcoming month(s). For example, there's not much on my personal radar until July 20, when Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Boomtown and Starsky and Hutch come out. Let's just say I know now to save up.

8) Keep up with release dates and info. I check DVD File, The Digital Bits, TVShowsonDvd and the DVD Talk forum every day for release info. Not only will you get date and MSRP, you can also check on the special features, find out if the studio has other versions in the works far off (Hellboy) or released day and date (Shawshank 10th Anniv.) Many of these sites are also very reliable on gossip regarding upcoming SE's and updated versions of existing titles. (Speaking of, where's that Fifth Element SE I've been waiting for?)

9) Buy films and shows that will entertain you forever. DVD's will last fovever (ideally); you should buy something that will stand the test of time. I rarely watch titles when I get them, but I know someday, sometime I WILL watch that film and go through the extras. I will have kids someday, so I know I need some of these Disney classics. "Homicide" is one of the greatest TV shows ever, and now I can watch it whenever I want. And you never know when you're going to be home sick with nothing to do.

Long, but I hope it helps.

I try to be selective and only buy titles I want to collect? For example, LOTR, some TV series, Star Wars.

I basically ask myself: Is this something I want to own or is this something I will watch only once and I don't really need in my collection?

Just to play devil's advocate (since I am a justifier), the way I look at buying is that even if renting (from BB) we're talking half the cost if you order from CH ($3-5 to rent, $7.50 to buy). So I basically just buy anything I want to see from CH, and if they don't carry it, I'll rent or wait for a deal to come around. That said, I spend far too much of my income on these shiny round things.

There is a huge difference between want and need.

I buy what I like to watch repeatedly and I am fortunate enough to not care what that may cost.

For what it is worth I have been buying DVD's since the original introduction of the first 12 from Warner and I doubt I am over 250 at this point.

Control....? I do not know this word. Control?

Lots of good suggestions here. I will also add the new BBV trade in program. Trade in your non-essential titles for credit towards rentals. This way you are cutting down your collection and increasing your rentals (which will hopefully cut down on buying).