Cutting the Cord: Cable, not the Umbilical Cord
By Kate Rhoten
Well, we did it. Maybe I should say that I did it. On August 27, I finally mustered up the courage to cut the cable cord in our home. This had been debated for nearly a year. I made a big deal about it because I was the one with the reservations. However, after the Olympics and at the end of the billing cycle, the day came and the call was made.
Why did we do this? There were few things we watched live since we could record our favorite shows and we certainly did not watch all the channels that were packaged with the U-verse plan we had. I finally realized that this expense just wasn’t necessary and it was time to ditch the service. Besides, we are busy almost every night and weekend so why pay to record shows when there are other options. Here’s why we did it and how we will survive.
Our plan easily had over 200 channels (albeit some were high definition versions) plus an additional forty or more music channels. The only ones we watched with any regularity totaled no more than eleven channels, which included our local networks. We like shows on USA, TNT, SyFy, and HGTV. The kids like Nickelodeon and we watch sports on the Big 10 Network and ESPN. With that being said, our monthly bill with taxes totaled $89.65. Extrapolate that in a cost per channel and we were spending $8.15. If you take out the local channels that can be received via antenna, the cost is $11.20 per channel. The annual cost was $1,075.80.
Doesn’t sound like much, but when I started evaluating the overall cost and the fact we have other solutions already available to us, it made sense to break up with cable. Alternatives to cable are varied. The first step for us was to make sure we could receive all four of the networks over the air. Through trial and error, we found an antenna that worked for us. We can catch our local news and sports without a problem.
Our new monthly cost for TV viewing is now $24.53. That is a monthly savings of $65,12, $781.44 annually.
That’s money back in our pocket.
As far as the network programs go, they are generous with viewing options. Most shows are available online or through subscription services with an external box. Roku is what we have for these services. Through this little black box, we have access to our Netflix streaming option to partner with the single DVD plan, Hulu+ and Amazon Prime. This magic box lets us access most of our favorite traditional network shows the next day. Amazon Prime provides a lot of programming free if your household is an Amazon Prime member.
CBS is the only one not playing ball with their newest and most popular shows. We only watch one sitcom and the Amazing Race; we will just have to watch it live if we are home or look online. The adjustment for us will be the waiting for our favorite cable shows that are not available through Hulu+, but we will look forward to those on DVD later on as well as a lot less sports programming.
The initial one-time cost of the Roku is reasonable and then a subscription to Netflix and Hulu+ is necessary on a monthly basis. Our new monthly cost for TV viewing is now $24.53. That is a monthly savings of $65.12, $781.44 annually. That’s money back in our pocket. Another benefit of the post cable world is that we have discovered shows that were available before on cable but we never stumbled upon. It’s great because we don’t have to wait between seasons from cliffhanger to season premier.
If you want to learn more about these different options, please visit my webpage on how to ditch the cable. And, in case you were wondering, there were not any noticeable side effects or withdrawal symptoms in our household. I guess it wasn’t that big of a deal after all. cg
Kate is a financial expert of what to do and not do with money as well as owner of 4 Walls Financial, A Coaching Focused Company. She has attended and completed Dave Ramsey’s Counselor Training. Follow Kate on Twitter 4WFCoach, reach out to her via email at kate@4wallsfinancial.com or visit www.4wallsfinancial.com. Feel free to share ideas or questions for future articles.
