The price of cable is outrageous isn?t it? We have DirecTV, though on a lower plan. We have some friends who?re spending well over $100 per month, just for their cable alone and that doesn?t even include what they?re paying for their Internet and cell phone bills. If you want to trim some fat from your budget and are looking for some relatively cheap alternatives to cable then hopefully some of these ideas will help you save some money.
Use Netflix to Cut Your Cable Costs
Netflix has been around for years, but their service is definitely top-notch and it?s affordable! The monthly cost is only $9 per month and there is a wide variety of shows, documentaries, and movies for you to choose from. There is also a slightly more expensive service that allows you to rent a certain amount of recent movies through the mail, though you should be able to take care of your needs with the streaming service.
The great thing about Netflix is you have a number of ways you can stream it. My close friend uses Netflix and he streams it right through his PS3. If you don?t have a game console, then you could still benefit from this service on your computer or your phone. If you want to watch it on your television, many smart TVs today have Netflix aps you can download for free or you can always go the [easyazon_link asin=”B00DR0PDNE” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”wisedollar-20″ add_to_cart=”yes” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”yes”]Google Chromecast[/easyazon_link]?route.
Amazon Prime
If you have ever purchased something from Amazon, you have had the option to sign up for Amazon Prime. This service gives you free two day delivery on many products, but it also gives you access to their online shows and movies. Amazon does have a number of original shows, which have been relatively decent from what I?ve seen and adds another benefit of going this route. The subscription for Amazon Prime currently is $99 per year, which equates to only $8.25 per month. At that price, it could be worth a look at depending on your situation. You can also throw in the new [easyazon_link asin=”B00GDQ0RMG” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”wisedollar-20″ add_to_cart=”yes” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”yes”]Amazon Fire TV Stick[/easyazon_link]?to stream shows as well!
Watch Your Shows the Day After
How often do you DVR your shows so that you can watch them later on in the week when you have more time? If you do this regularly, then why not just cancel your cable and watch the shows on their network website the day after they air?
The option to do this varies by some networks, though is generally free. For some networks the show is available 24 hours after airing and you get to watch for nothing. On ABC however, it?s the same 24 hours but you have to sign up to be able to watch it. You may not be able to store your favorite shows this way, but can be a good alternative to cable none the less.
Use Your Friends and the Local Pub
If you are like many guys, then you probably only care to watch sports on TV. Not only this, but you really only turn the TV on when March Madness or the US Open is happening. If this is the case, then don?t waste your money on cable every month! Just get together with friends that are watching the exact same thing (which makes it more enjoyable for you anyway) or head to the local sports bar to watch the game there. By using this technique, you probably won?t miss watching TV at all when you?re at home, and you?ll be saving nearly a thousand bucks a year by cancelling your cable!
Have you cut the cord on your cable? If not, how much are you paying? If so, what alternatives are you using to watch your shows?
Photo?courtesy of: Mr. TinDC
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I cut my cable since 2012 and very much satisfied with this. The start with no cable was hard but we get used to it. We just watch our favorite shows on the Internet like Netflix, though we have to wait for a while before we get to watch the series we want. I still consider this very worth it.
Sounds like you’ve got something that works well for you Jayson, nice job on the savings!
I always watch the TV shows “later” on my DVR, this is why I’m planning to cut cable once my “contract” is up. I’ve done the math and it’s cheaper for me to keep paying for TV for the next couple months than to break my contract early at this point. I will still keep Netflix and maybe get Hulu since they have different shows than Netflix sometimes. That’s still a ton cheaper than keeping my Dish service.
Yep, satellite can definitely get expensive. We have DirecTV and if it weren’t for getting away K-State games and HBO we’d cut it yesterday. There just needs to be an ala carte option. 🙂
We cut the cord on cable this year and we have not missed it for a moment. We have actually found that we watch less tv and the tv we are watching is more mindful. We have gotten into shows through Netflix and Hulu Plus that we never would have watched before and we love it.
That’s awesome Shannon! If it were not for what I mentioned to Kayla above we’d be doing the same exact thing. 🙂
We have a Roku with Netflix and Hulu. It’s actually a great set-up for kids. All they have to do is turn is on and click around until they find something they want to watch.
We don’t have Hulu, but we do have Netflix and it’s a bit scary how easily the kids can navigate to get what they want.
I use a combination of these. Netflix is my go-to source for entertainment, with Prime adding some extra shows to the mix. I also will go out to a pub if there’s a big game on. One other thing I use if there’s absolutely nothing on and I must watch something is spending a little over a buck at Redbox.