3 Reasons to Cut Cable

3 Reasons to Cut Cable

Walking Dead, Vikings, Real Housewives and Spurs games. All very good reasons to want to keep your overpriced cable provider, but is the cost really worth it?

About a year ago, we reevaluated our finances and realized that we would need to make some significant changes. Of course, the first thing on the list was the cable bill. At little over $150 per month, it was a decent-sized expense.

What were we gaining by having this expense? What would we lose if we cut cable?

3 Reasons to Cut Cable

3 reasons to cut cable

 

In the end, it came down to three considerations: cost, value, and necessity. We weighed all of our options and cut the cable. We’ve suffered no significant loss as a result, and we’re saving $150 a month. Are you on the fence about cutting cable?

Here are 3 things to consider when reevaluating your need for cable:

1) COST- The obvious offender. How much do you pay for your cable per month? We were paying a little over $150 and that was just for basic channels. None of the fancy-schmancy sports, Showtime, Starz or HBO packages included. At $150 per month, you could be saving $1,800 a year… nice weekend getaway, anyone?

2) VALUE- How many channels do you have? Do you watch them all? Better yet, how much time do you spend watching TV per week? I’m pretty sure the answer to these questions are as follows: 100+, no, and a few hours. Of the 168 hours allotted to you per week (less if you sleep or work full time), how much TV do you actually watch? Maybe 3 hours a day at most?

I would venture to say that it isn’t feasible to pay $150+ per month on something that you spend very little time doing. How many of those 100+ channels do you use? Is it a few channels and/or shows that you stick to- maybe only 20% of what is in your channel package? Seems wasteful to pay for stuff you are not using.

3) NECESSITY- In plain terms, cable is not a necessity. There is no real “need” to have it as much as there is a need to have, let’s say, internet. (You can watch most of your shows for free on the internet, btw).  There are those of you out there who will argue that you simply need the TV for going to sleep at night, for family movie night, to watch the games/fights, for the kids, etc…

Now you might see having cable as a reward for your hard work or way to relax at night, but how many hours did you have to work to earn your basic cable channels- most of which you don’t use- this month?

Life Without Cable

When we got rid of our cable, I have to admit- I was a bit nervous. Watching tv at night became a part of my “me time” ritual. How was I going to relax and find out which house they chose on Property Brothers or watch the latest scandal unfold on Housewives? I will also admit that I am guilty of using it as a babysitter when I needed to get things done (if we’re going to have dinner, something needs to control my Velcro baby so I can cook).

But my wise (and frugal) husband made a good point- we don’t NEED it. We’ll sleep eventually and the kids will entertain themselves eventually, too. It’s not a necessity and we’d find ways around it. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. It turns out that having cable has added no significant value to our lives and we are perfectly fine without it.

Think Savings…

Needless to say, we’re saving $150 every month. Again, that’s $1,800 per year that we can use for family experiences/outings instead of tube time. Imagine having an extra $150 each month to save, spend on doing something together as a family, for date night, or just to spend on yourself. That seems like more of a hard-work treat, doesn’t it?

Cutting the cord has been wonderful for our family and I have no regrets, but I will tell you that we cheated a little and are still able to watch the shows we love. Want to find out how? Check it out here.

Also, if you wanted more money-saving tips, check out my posts 10 Ways to Save Money Now, Saving with Groupon Coupons, and How to Save Money on Kids Clothes.

 

Cut the cord on #CableTV & start saving thousands each year! Here's how: Click To Tweet

 

What are you paying for cable? Are you ready to let it go? What would you do with the extra money?

Pamela is a Freelance Writer, Blogger, WAHM of 3, and Veteran Military Wife living in Southwest Texas. Raised in the Northeast and having lived a few years in the Pacific Northwest, she likes to write about mom life, parenting, frugal living, experiences, and WINE. (Lots of wine!) When she’s not busy chasing toddlers around, you can find her on the blog or on social media. Check her out on Instagram: instagram.com/wineandlavender



2 thoughts on “3 Reasons to Cut Cable”

    • I know how you feel!! It’s a little difficult the first few weeks, but after a while, you get used to it- and a lot of the shows can be found on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, etc… And think of all the money you’ll save!! Thanks so much for stopping by!

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