For years I've been one to voice how quickly I would “cut the cord” when given the chance. I figured my wife was holding “the keys” – and until she said the word – cable was here to stay.
So when she told me that she was ready to get rid of cable, I was elated.
“Sweet! Let's do it!” I exclaimed.
That was several weeks ago. Sadly, we have yet to cut the cord. I guess I got to thinking about the programs I would be missing (and the goofy early termination fee that we'll need to dole out to Comcast):
- Gold Rush
- Bering Sea Gold
- PGA Tour golf tournaments (basically, the Golf Channel)
Not to mention all the other reality shows we sometimes like to watch. Cutting cable is going to put a dent in our lifestyle and it is going to make us think creatively. Heaven forbid!
Now I know many of you have already done the deed (or never even had it). For that, I applaud you.
For many years, I lived without a TV and cable – and life was great! During that time, I was a lot more relational, managed to get out of debt and was able to spend time on other worthwhile projects.
Perhaps it is age or laziness (probably the latter), but giving up cable has been a lot harder than I had anticipated. For me, it is so easy to sit and “vege out” than to use my mental capacities to think of other things to do. OR to just sit and read, or be still. Being still is hard in our culture and very underrated.
Setting a date
All that said, my wife and I have finally set a date. After Labor Day, we'll be calling it quits.
Granted, we'll still have our internet connection (thank you Jesus), so we can stream entertainment on demand as needed. Which leads me to another situation: Can you actually spend more money after slashing cable by signing up for Netflix, Hulu and the like just so you don't miss those “must see” shows / movies?
We've already been scoping out where we can see some of the shows that my wife and I enjoy. Many of them are available online – some are not. We'll make do.
My wife and I are already prepping for the change. She has started some online classes she's wanted to take, we've done a puzzle together (a puzzle!) and I'm gonna start making a list of books to read.
I'm sure we'll go through some withdrawal. But, I'm looking forward to keeping more money in our pockets and being still.
Was cutting the cord hard for you? How do you spend your time, post-cable?
12 Comments
I’ve never actually cut the cable, so can’t really comment on that. But what I do know is that the satisfaction one gets from reading a book, and making a movie in your mind yourself, beats any movie or TV show out there :)
Since I don’t watch sports, cable TV is not a must for me in any way.
I got a nice HDTV and a good antennae and watch only the over-the-air channels now.
I also have Amazon Prime and a Fire Stick.
Anything else I can get on Hulu, Netflix, RedBox, etc.
I also buy cheap DVDs at thrift shops and yard sales and have a case that holds the DVDs and liner notes, so I can get rid of the plastic DVD cases and save a lot of space. I watch a DVD once before I toss the plastic case and only save the DVD it if it is a keeper. I send the rest on to friends or donate them to charity stores.
Way to be thrifty!
We cut cable about 2 months ago. It was hard, but what made our decision is they will only give out deals to new customers. We called and tried to give us a deal that still ends up costing more, or they will give you channels you don’t want for a lower price. I think if cable wants to survive they should let you pick your channels, say the first package comes with 25 channels for $30.00/month, etc. In this day and age the consumer should have a say about what they are receiving. They can have a sports package available, reality TV package, etc. You have to change with the world. Cable TV is too expensive for what they want to offer consumers.
Sounds like a great idea Sue – I would totally support something like this (along with others, I’d assume).
My wife and cut the cord well over a year ago. Best thing we have done to save a lot of money. This has been a very positive step for us. Not only are we saving money, we have now been exposed to many other television shows we were not aware of, especially from the BBC or Canada. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon cost far less than cable TV. If we want to watch live TV, there is always the over the air channels which are quite plentiful where we live.
Is there a antennae that you recommend to folks?
I have had good luck with the Mohu Leaf. It took some trial and error about where to place it on the wall for the best reception.
We just cut out our Dish but I am wondering where we can see our NFL and NBA games? Any ideas?
I think the sports channels are really holding the key on all this – if they got together and maybe made some type of online streaming service, they’d probably make a lot of folks happy (and make some decent $). Sling TV might be an alternative – and carries ESPN.
That must be hard to do and it takes a lot of courage to let go of the cable. But thinking of the savings you can make out of it, it’s doable and it’s a must do!
I don’t know about courage per se. But it’s amazing how the cable companies really have you reeled in. As my wife discovered yesterday, now you have to “log in” to your cable provider to access certain shows online. They have to get their money some way it seems.