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Post by momstime on Jul 16, 2015 14:03:39 GMT
I need you to tell me I can do this.
In a nutshell....we pay too much for cable. We have our cable bundled with our internet and pay over $200.00 a month. Our internet is not even that great (26mps down/3mps up with a data cap of 350gb) We watch about 10 stations on our cable line-up of well over 100 stations...many of those are over the air local stations. My kids mostly watch Netflix or Youtube. We have a Roku and an Apple TV
So, the dh and I started looking into what our lives would look like without cable. I put a paperclip in the antenna jack on the back of my tv to simulate a McGeyver type antenna just to see if I could pull anything of quality out of the air. I was able to get about 8 HD OTA stations with just a paperclip! I imagine I would be able to get even more with a real antenna...for FREE!
Here's the rub. I mostly watch crap tv...Bravo, Lifetime, etc. Can I live without Bravo? lol
Also, and probably more importantly, we have had a DVR for nearly a decade. We no longer schedule our lives around tv. We schedule the tv around our lives. Can I live without a DVR? I said to the dh...I can't imagine saying we need to be home by (such and such) to watch (such and such). That sounds foreign to me after all these years. He says we will just not watch much tv, and we will read more (which we both enjoy).
For sports that we can't miss, we will just head to a bar.
Can you tell I'm trying to talk myself into this?
If I dump the cable, we can increase our internet plan to include 50mps down and 5 up with a 500gb cap. Our internet only bill would be $80 plus all their fees. Big savings!
Honestly, we can afford the bundled bill as is...but every time we pay it we feel ripped off.
Anyone here dumped cable and survived happily? Sorry for the long winded post, but I'm processing this all as I type. lol
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Post by marzbar71 on Jul 16, 2015 14:11:24 GMT
I haven't had cable in over 20 years and I can't find the time to watch everything I have access to. I have Netflix streaming, Amazon Prime and a robust public library for DVDs. I don't feel like I have to watch something right away, so I'm OK being a season behind on shows.
I also have the benefit of getting more than 20 channels on my TV with just a digital antenna.
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Post by krazykatlady on Jul 16, 2015 14:12:41 GMT
Personally we couldn't do it. I hate paying the bill but we'd be miserable. Good luck!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 29, 2024 0:17:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 14:16:11 GMT
We're a household that has a least one TV on all.of.the.time. Often, multiple TV's are on. We cut out cable successfully! So, you can, too. You can do this!!
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suzastampin
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,587
Jun 28, 2014 14:32:59 GMT
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Post by suzastampin on Jul 16, 2015 14:23:17 GMT
We couldn't do away with it completely, as antenna reception here is pretty much nil. So, we dropped down to the basic cable. It has just the first 23 channels. Of those, 4 are the local affiliates, which was most important to us. That way I can get football in the fall, still have The Weather Channel, PBS, and a few others. We kept high speed internet and had already dropped the phone earlier. Our bill is now $73, of which the tv is $12.75. Sure beat the $200+ we were paying. We say we save over $100 of reruns and commercials. . We have ROKU and apps on my iPad. ETA: I missed my DVR for awhile, but I've found over the last year or so, there's not many shows that I even care if I see them or not.
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Post by scrapqueen01 on Jul 16, 2015 14:57:51 GMT
You can do this. Dh and I did 10 years ago and haven't looked back. Dd asks us on a regular basis to get tv but it's not happening. We have the internet so we watch Hulu and Netflix. You can now get HBO and Showtime without cable. I've even found movies to watch on YouTube. I admit it was difficult at first but we both adjusted.
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Post by txsweetpea on Jul 16, 2015 15:06:14 GMT
I am very tempted! With hundreds of channels, we find very little to watch!
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Post by melanell on Jul 16, 2015 15:11:16 GMT
In the past 15 years we have had cable for only 3. You can definitely do this. Trust me, there are oodles more options available now for those without cable than there were 15 years ago when we first went without cable. We stopped getting cable 15 years ago, then restarted it while I was on bedrest, and for the 1st 2 years of our older son's life. Then, annoyed at ourselves for how much TV we were all watching, we cancelled it again and haven't had it since. Now, I'm seriously considering asking DH to cancel Netflix again, too. For the same reason. Too much TV watching by all of us.
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LeaP
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,939
Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
Jun 26, 2014 23:17:22 GMT
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Post by LeaP on Jul 16, 2015 15:18:43 GMT
Since moving to Canada last year we have not had TV. Sadly, I miss it, but not enough to get it again.
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Post by kckckc on Jul 16, 2015 15:19:54 GMT
We got rid of cable about a year and a half ago. I was very surprised at how little I miss it.
We get about 10 antenna channels - CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, PBS, CW and a few channels that play reruns of old shows/movies. We subscribe only to Prime - no Netflix or Hulu. We don't watch sports so that is not an issue. We still have plenty to watch.
We have never had a DVR, so I don't miss it. There are only a couple of network shows that I make a point not to miss and those are available on the network site shortly after they air.
Give it a try - if you really miss it, you can always go back to cable.
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mela280
New Member
Posts: 6
May 7, 2015 14:05:42 GMT
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Post by mela280 on Jul 16, 2015 15:25:01 GMT
We cut the cable cord 4 years ago, no regrets! We have 60 up and 5 down internet speed for $60. Have you checked out Hulu Plus?! They carry many networks and shows (including Bravo) as well as the Criterion collection of films. You said you have a Roku and Netflix. Between Hulu Plus and Netflix you'd be pretty much covered. We have monthly subscriptions to: Hulu Plus $7.99 (of interest to you they carry lots of Bravo shows and Lifetime's Project Runway), and most networks except for CBS (they have their own subscription streaming channel Hulu Networks CarriedNetflix: $9.99 - Great original programming - House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Bloodline, many tv series with all but the current season. The current season can usually be found on Hulu Plus. Lots and lots of movies. Amazon Prime $99 annual (prorates to $8.25/mo.) - The only streaming service that carries FX Network. Releases newer movies that are no longer in the theaters on the same schedule as iTunes and pretty close to cable on demand schedule. Many movies and tv series for free or low cost rent. Low cost for purchase and stored in the cloud as opposed to DVR storage. As an FYI (though we don't subscribe): CBS Streaming - $5.99 Showtime Streaming (can be added to Hulu) $11.99 HBO Now - $14.99 We do resubscribe to cable for about 4 months for the presidential election cycle which covers the summer Olympics and for a month during the Winter Olympics. They charge us $30 for the visit to hook us up again (a mandatory fee), but since we do this for a short period every two years it's still cheaper than our former monthly cable bill. Costco carries an HD antenna for about $40 that will pull in your OTA stations. We also cut the landline. We have six smartphones in our household. The only thing we lost were the telemarketers!
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Post by jumperhop on Jul 16, 2015 15:38:23 GMT
At the beginning of 2015 I read a tidbit on how this was the year to cut the cable. That companies were going to offer cable channels online. I haven't seen any online subscriptions that meet all my needs. But I did give up cable and miss my DVR and Bravo. Honestly I don't know if it's worth it if I add up Netflix, Hulu, prime, and factor in that I am still not getting my favorite shows I think I would rather just pay the cable bill. Jen
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 29, 2024 0:17:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 15:53:20 GMT
I moved recently and decided to give up my cable. It was summer time anyway, so all my favorite shows were just reruns. I figured if I found it too hard, I could get cable again when the fall shows start. At first I just watched my dvds I already had when I was in the mood to watch tv. After about a month, I caved and got internet only. But instead of going for the highest one they had, I dropped down a step. So I no longer pay what I used to pay...almost 180 per month. Then I got Netflix, and that's been ok. 1st month is free, then I kept it and it's about $9/mth. Still way cheaper than I used to pay. Still don't know if I will cave in the fall when I want to watch my favorite shows. But I think most of what I want to watch is available for free by going to their website? Maybe I'll have to wait a day to watch, but I'll see what happens.
Bottom line, it's doable. Give it a try and see. You can always go back, but I bet you won't want to.
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likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
Aug 16, 2014 17:52:53 GMT
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Post by likescarrots on Jul 16, 2015 16:11:35 GMT
We did this a few months ago and we are fine. The biggest disappointment for me is no more boxing. The only show i watch "live" is dancing with the stars and only because it is on when i exercise, otherwise i can watch it on Hulu when i want. If you are really concerned about it, Tivo makes a broadcast tv dvr. I don't know how well it works.
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Post by kellybelly77 on Jul 16, 2015 16:53:27 GMT
What do you all do about sports? I watch hardly any tv. I schedule 2 shows on the DVR, Big Bang and SVU. Both are out for the summer so I never even turn on the tv. My kids mainly watch Netflix but they do occasionally watch cartoons.
Dh though, he watches sports every day. It's all he watches almost. I asked him about getting rid of cable and he said no because he would never be able to watch all the sports he likes to watch. We pay $200 a month also and I feel like its such a huge rip off so we can watch baseball, football and Nascar.
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Post by padresfan619 on Jul 16, 2015 16:56:52 GMT
I can get my Bravo fix on Hulu Plus. They don't always have the newest episldes, but they do have full seasons of Real Housewives.
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Post by Really Red on Jul 16, 2015 17:36:11 GMT
I hate my cable bill with a passion. It makes me INCENSED that I spent over $2400/year for cable. It's wrong. It's not worth it and as soon as my girls leave for college (end of August), the cable is going (internet stays ). I will miss Bravo. I'll miss some shows that I cannot otherwise see, but I bet that I will be able to move on relatively quickly. There are some days I just want to plop down in front of the TV. I will be sad for those few days, but I cannot stand the money I am wasting.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Jul 16, 2015 17:57:40 GMT
We cut cable a few years ago and never regretted our decision. We weren't watching that much TV, so it wasn't a big loss. We saved a lot of money.
We have Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime - that covers whatever we need. Sometimes my husband misses sports, but he wasn't watching much anyway. For any significant sporting event he goes to a bar or a friend's house.
If you have Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, or any other service - you save money and don't need the DVR. What service you sign up for depends on what you like to watch. Hulu is good for keeping up with current shows (not everything is on there, but a lot are). There might not be older seasons and sometimes the episodes "expire", but it's current. Amazon Prime and Netflix are good for watching older seasons and movies. I have found there are plenty of options.
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Peamac
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea # 418
Posts: 4,218
Jun 26, 2014 0:09:18 GMT
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Post by Peamac on Jul 16, 2015 18:10:31 GMT
We are still thinking about doing this. We have cable, internet, and house phone bundled at a little over $200/month. We have unlimited long distance for our phone, which we need for DH's job (cell phone only is not an option- poor reception, heavy fax use, etc).
I did get some helpful information from my local yard sale facebook group- it was good to hear about different options that work or don't work for my area. You may want to ask there, if you have one.
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Post by k8smom on Jul 16, 2015 18:34:10 GMT
I am taking baby steps toward this myself... someday. I just called Comcast last week because my bill is just too high and spent an hour on the phone. I was able to lower my monthly bill for tv/internet/security by $30/mo. without losing anything. Call first, but be prepared to follow through with canceling. I've heard that sometimes too when you are transferred to the "cancellation dept" they are authorized to make you a sweet deal to keep you, but I didn't get that far.
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Post by GamGam on Jul 16, 2015 19:23:28 GMT
What do you all do about sports? I watch hardly any tv. I schedule 2 shows on the DVR, Big Bang and SVU. Both are out for the summer so I never even turn on the tv. My kids mainly watch Netflix but they do occasionally watch cartoons. Dh though, he watches sports every day. It's all he watches almost. I asked him about getting rid of cable and he said no because he would never be able to watch all the sports he likes to watch. We pay $200 a month also and I feel like its such a huge rip off so we can watch baseball, football and Nascar. We use Sling TV for sports. We get ESPN plus watchESPN, and get all the basketball games we want to watch plus football in the fall. We pay $25/ month for our sports coverage.
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Post by momstime on Jul 16, 2015 19:58:28 GMT
I went on reddit and found a cord cutters subreddit. They had a wealth of information. There are so many options for getting streaming content, and many options for OTA dvrs. I am definitely cutting the cord. Thanks everyone for the push. If I regret it, I'll go back. I'm guessing I won't.
PS. One of my good friends told me he cut the cord back in '98 and never looked back. That was before streaming. He said now with streaming he could sit and watch tv all day long if he wanted to...which he doesn't. He said he sometimes struggles to find playoff games, but if he can't find a source (which is rare) he and his wife go to a sports bar to watch. Win/Win!
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Jul 16, 2015 20:10:00 GMT
We are big cable watchers. We do watch Netflix and Amazon but we have our shows we watch regularly on cable. We have 2 dvrs and we record everything. We then can watch them any time. I am usually awake during the night and I watch tv while husband sleeps. We have 60 mps of cable we only pay $45 for the internet. Our total bill is $174. To us it is well worth it. We can watch or not watch. The other night I went out to the hot tub and we were watching a show. He stayed in to finish show I went out to hot tub. My body was killing me and I needed much more time in the tub that night then he did. He saved the show we were watching so that I could finish watching it. If we didn't have cable we wouldn't have been able to do that.
You just have to choose what is more important to you.
We are home bodies. We don't like going to bars. we do like our tv. We don't even go to that many movies in theaters we usually wait until they are on DVD, On demand, Netflix or Amazon. This is just who we are and what we like.
We did how ever take daughters DVR back to the cable company so that we aren't paying for it while she is in Hawaii for who knows how long. I know it isn't that much money but still it will add up over the months.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jul 16, 2015 20:16:23 GMT
We are bundled on Comcast. We pay about $160 a month for TV, landline and internet. Every year or so they try to raise it, I call the Retention Department and get it lowered. We watch all local 49ers, Warriors & Giants games as well as LSU football games and weekly golf tournaments. Our town has no TV reception without cable or an antenna. Good luck to you in trying to cut the cord. We wouldn't do it.
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Post by papersilly on Jul 16, 2015 21:13:22 GMT
my internet and my cable are non negotiable to me. you might almost (almost) be able to wrestle my cleaning lady away and I suppose I can be forced to color my own hair, but do not think of taking away the internet or cable.
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Post by meridon on Jul 16, 2015 21:22:58 GMT
For sports, we have AppleTV and use the ESPN app to stream from that. We've also gotten good at getting invited over to other people's houses for football games! We have Netflix and of course there's Hulu. You might also be surprised at all the full episodes of shows that are available on the network's websites or on YouTube. For us, it just wasn't worth the money and we quit getting cable 7 years ago. Not having TV also gives us more time for our hobbies. I hate it when people say, "oh I wish I had the time to xyz"...well maybe you do! How much time do you spend just sitting in front of the tv? Not to be judgy--if you love TV and don't mind paying for it, that's totally fine. Just not how I like to spend tons of my free time.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 16, 2015 22:46:28 GMT
Most of the stuff I like is only available on cable and DH likes to watch sports too much so we will be keeping cable but I hate to spend so much.
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Post by pmm on Jul 17, 2015 3:27:26 GMT
I had to dump cable my second year of single hood. I just couldn't afford it. I did subscribe to netflix. I will never go back. I don't even really watch it. It is background noise while I'm doing other things. You can do it.
Remember, that you can always go back if it is too painful without it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 29, 2024 0:17:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 4:13:42 GMT
We "need" cable because "The Golf Channel" and that's the only reason we have it, I think. We (the royal we) also like to be able to watch the National (Canadian evening news) at 8 pm instead of 11. This is a huge thing, too apparently. (Keep in mind i don't know how to turn on the TV). I think we have ESPN, too. That is also a must-have).
Ok there are 3 reasons why we need cable so I guess that's what we have it.
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 17, 2015 4:56:54 GMT
I could not do it due to sports. During the hockey season, I have a hockey game on almost every night.
For those of you who stream only, do you not have a limit on your internet? We have satelitte internet and we have a monthy allowance. If we streamed everything, I think we would go over.
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