Cutting cable from your budget can be quite easy and is a quick way to reduce your spending. Even with the number of cable alternatives available today, it is still quite hard for some people to cut cable because it means that they have to change what they are currently doing, and, let’s be honest, it takes some research to find out where to find the same programs to continue viewing elsewhere. Let’s explore how to cut the cord!
Is cutting cable worth it?
If you cut the cord, then you have the potential for saving a lot of money per month, so yet. Plus you can see watch a lot of the same content. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Quick Ways to Save Money Now, we cut cable at the start of 2018, so it’s now been four years without it. My husband and I debated eliminating cable for a few years. Now, we regret not doing it sooner! The biggest thing that held us back initially from cutting cable was figuring out how we would watch football! How would we survive without it? Well, we are doing quite well. If we don’t get a game that we want to watch through our antenna, then we head over to my parents since they have cable. In general, I’ve found that I am much more productive without cable.
We still have Internet (since I work from home) but overall eliminating cable reduced our monthly budget by $80/month, a pretty significant amount! Our Internet and cable totaled $155 per month, but after cutting cable it went down to $75 per month. Over the course of four years and a couple of months, we have saved $4,000 dollars from cutting cable!
Over the years we have explored multiple streaming TV services as a replacement. When we first cut cable we purchased a digital antenna. This was a quick way to save lots of cash! There are so many different cable alternatives out there though. The best thing to do is to evaluate the channels and content you like and actually watch, and then find a service that offers those at a cheaper price.
Let’s explore some options and see if there is a cheaper alternative for you!
How to Cut Cable and Be Cable Free
1. Get an antenna and get free TV!
You can purchase a digital antenna (for about $50). We are able to get about 10 stations for free in our area. This is a quick way to save lots of cash!
There are apps you can download on your phone to find where the stations are in your area and how far they are from you. I live in a valley so the landscape around me is somewhat limiting but I still manage to get a basic amount of stations, including the local news. If you are just seeking basic service, this is a great option. Depending on your area, you could actually get a lot of channels.
2. Cut cable and get SlingTV!
SlingTV is a really popular option to replace cable. There are 700+ channels from the most popular networks. Many people seem to be pleased with it.
3. Get cable and get Amazon Prime Video!
If you are already an Amazon Prime member, then you already have free access to the Prime Video library. This option might be enough for you. Alternatively. there is also the option to purchase Prime Video as a monthly subscription.
If you do not have a Smart TV, then you can still stream this service by using a Fire TV Stick. We did for a while until we got a Smart TV and it worked really well.
4. Cut cable and get Hulu!
We really like Hulu. The kids really enjoy watching the shows through it. I feel like it’s somewhat redundant to Netflix so I actually canceled it, but they discounted it so we now have it for the bargain price of $3.17/month.
5. Cut cable and get Netflix!
Netflix is where we watch a few of our favorite shows such as Ozark and Cobra Kai. We go through periods where we will cancel it and then sometimes we renew. Right now we pay $10.39. We subscribe to the basic $9.99 package. It’s good enough for us!
Now go ahead, and cancel your cable. Try something different! Your budget will thank you for it.
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