Why Did We Decide to Go Cable Free?
We were paying almost $50.00 a month for VERY basic cable with a service that was unpredictable in rain, snow or wind. We also very rarely watched any channels except the main stations (NBC, ABC, PBS, CBS, FOX). Basically, we felt like we were not seeing $50.00 worth of value in our cable so we decided to bite the bullet and cancel our service.
What Do We Use Instead of Cable?
We have a $7.99 subscription to Netflix streaming service. We had this while we had cable too. We use this to watch older TV series, documentaries and sometimes movies. They also have a great selection of kid shows and movies for Drake.
After we got rid of cable we subscribed to Hulu Plus (7.99 a month). The great thing about Hulu is that they run shows a day after they air so we can stay caught up with Grey's Anatomy New Girl, The Office and Modern Family. I'm not super impressed with their movie selection or kid shows but being able to watch current shows only a day late makes this subscription so worth it.
How Do We Stream?
We bought a Roku about a year ago and had been using that on our downstairs TV to stream Netflixs. When we decided to get rid of cable we moved the Roku upstairs to our bedroom and bought an AppleTV ($99.00) to use for streaming in the family room.
What About Local Channels?
I love to watch the news and the morning talk shows so I knew that we would without a doubt want to figure out a way to still get our local channels. Our downstairs TV would not receive any local stations and our TV upstairs has a built-in antenna and some stations came in but the quality was not great. We ended up buying 2 antennas (we actually bought the cheapest ones they had at $14.99 each and they work great) and hooked them up to both of our TVs. We now get about 20 stations including all of our local stations that come in with a wonderful picture.
Cost Breakdown
Before-We were paying $58.00 a month for our cable and Netflix subscription
After- We are paying $16.00 a month for our Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions.
Savings-We are saving $42.00 a month by cutting cable. I think most people would actually see a much more substantial savings than that just because of they have larger cable packages.
We also had the upfront cost of a $130.00 for the Apple TV and 2 antennas. We will make that cost up in less than 3 months by not having to pay a cable bill. We already had our Roku but I think we paid about $60.00 for it a year ago.
Would We Recommend Going Cable Free?
Absolutely. We seriously have not missed having cable for one single second. I really thought I would miss not having a DVR, but in reality we very rarely sat and watched a TV episode on the day it actually aired so waiting an extra day for it to come on Hulu Plus is no big deal.
The only time that I think we might miss cable is during College Football season. We are big Iowa Hawkeye fans and most of their games air on the Big Ten network. Anybody else given up cable but found a way to watch their favorite college team?
Have you given up cable? Do you have any tips?
We did the same thing a little over a year ago and haven't looked back! I really don't feel like I am missing anything and I'm not watching as much junk tv anymore!
ReplyDeleteWe also gave up cable about a year ago, and rarely miss it. We have the same set up, Netflix, Hulu and antenna, but use a Wii for streaming. Since we also have smart phones, tablets and laptops (my husband is a software engineer, so the rest of us get his cast offs when he upgrades), we stream on those as well.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I would add is that many networks have their shows on their websites, as well as mobile apps. Disney has some shows episodes that won't be on Netflix until the next season. ABC has it's own player, as does NBC, though I usually watch those shows through Hulu+
I wish we would have done it a long time ago Stacey!
ReplyDeleteYes, MaryAnn! I totally forgot about the network websites. We actually watch all our CBS shows on their website because Hulu Plus does not carry many CBS shows.
ReplyDeleteSo I have thought about this however my husband bleed black and gold so its have cable or loose him every saturday to Buffalo Wild Wings and every basketball game. Which I have a feeling the cost would come out a wash:) If that weren't a factor I would totally ditch our cable. But I love him being able to watch his games on dvr after the kiddos are in bed or during naptime. Plus I also have to think we don't have smart phones (gasp - I know) so I bet what we pay in cable is offset by what we don't pay in our cell phone bill. Anyway bottom line I love that you trying to find ways to cut back and really looking at what you use/don't need.
ReplyDeleteYeah, my husband loves the Hawks too, so this fall could be interesting!
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