Wait! Don’t run yet. You’ll want to read this. I’m not advocating giving up television. After all, it’s America’s favorite pastime. Nor am I going to talk about things to do instead of watch TV (though it could never hurt to cut back). Instead, this post is about getting by without that expensive cable bill.
My family and I live a cable-free lifestyle. A lot of people constantly tell us we’re crazy, and ask us how we manage to get by without television.
The truth? We don’t. Just because we don’t pay for cable anymore doesn’t mean we never watch television! Indeed we still watch all our favorite shows. Getting rid of cable didn’t really change much about our TV habits actually. Instead, we just tried to find cheaper ways to enjoy the same experience.
One of those ways, is with a Netflix subscription. When most people try and save money they usually chuck the Netflix subscription and keep the cable. Personally, I think that’s crazy. Cable usually costs 3+ times more than a simple Netflix subscription! We decided $8.99 a month was definitely the better price for us.
But how does a DVD subscription replace cable? Easy. With unlimited access to the Instant Watch library (this comes with the $8.99/month subscription, you also get 1 DVD out at-a-time which you can exchange as often as you want.). If you have an HDTV with HDMI port, or own any of these devices, you can access Instant Watch directly on your television as effortlessly as cable.
Other sources we use for entertainment are:
Thrift store movies – we still own a VCR just so we can watch all the Disney movies I constantly find for under $1)
Hulu – we just connect our laptop to our TV via HDMI, it sounds over technical but it’s really very simple (Watch this video, OR if your TV and laptop don’t have HDMI, consider these options)
Cable network websites – Many networks offer the last few shows in a series on their website in case you missed them. This is a great way to watch an entire series if you don’t have cable, or catch up on shows if you do. (Examples: Syfy, Nickelodeon, and Discovery)
Children’s sites – Sites like Sprout, Kids AOL and Nick Jr are all great sources for children’s shows. (Oh and did I mentioned that the Netflix Instant Watch Library has a plethora of Barney, Kipper, The Backyardagins, Wow Wow Wubbzy, Wonder Pets, Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder, Caillou, Spongebob, Thomas the Train and more?)
But what about the news?
Everyone knows you can read the news from your favorite paper or station online, but did you know most of them offer videos of the broadcasts as well? If you’ve become attached to a certain station or news anchor, you can bet they have an online news presence as well. These can be found with a simple internet search!
Still not sure you can survive without cable? Don’t cancel just yet. Try using alternative TV sources for a week (or even 30 days) and see how you like it. If you find it’s as satisfactory as cable, that’s one more bill you can get rid of! Frankly we find it more enjoyable because there tend to be no commercials when you watch through Netflix and other websites. Even Hulu (which does have ads) doesn’t have as many commercials as the average half hour of basic television.
Does your family have cable? Are you thinking of taking the Alt-TV challenge? Leave me a comment and share your thoughts and suggestions!
Happy Savings! ❤
P.S. If you came here looking for the Always Free series, you didn’t come to the wrong place. I decided even though I advocate Netflix (which isn’t free) many of the resources listed here are Always Free. Even if you don’t make a change in your cable habits, you’ve now discovered new free entertainment resources!
Free & Easy Living 
I’d love nothing more than to kill our cable bill (I’m ashamed to tell you how much – we got the souped up DirectTV package so that my now Philly-based husband can get all of his NYC sports.
We’d cancel for sure. DH just needs to have all of his teams – his Yankees and Giants and Rangers – and the only way is to get the fancy DirecTV package. When will all teams stream live over the internet? I look forward to that day. Until then, we’re stuck with it.
I’m not a big sports fan myself so I’m not sure if this will cover all the games your husband is looking to watch, but have you considered ESPN3? Their website offers the ability to watch games live online if you have internet with a participating service provider, and the list for providers is pretty extensive. You can learn more here at the FAQ page – http://espn.go.com/espn3/faq#1
At the end of the day, I guess your husband and you just have to decide how much being able to watch the game is worth to you?
Amanda, if you’re looking for more great content from Free & Easy Living, be sure to head over to our new home at http://freeandeasyliving.net I’ve left this blog up in case anyone stumbles by, but all new content can be found at the new site. 🙂