Mar 09
10
Cutting costs by cutting the cable cord
Many of us are looking for ways to cut unnecessary expenses, and one area that many of us should look at is cable TV. Not too long ago those of us who did not have cable TV service were looked at as freaks, however there are new entertainment alternatives that can be considered as a substitute for cable, detailed in this article from Kiplinger’s:
- Digital TV – Like analog TV signals this will depend on where you live, however if you are in range of the signal the picture and sound for over-the-air digital TV are crystal clear. What a far cry from the old analog signals that could result in scratchy sound and flickering picture.
- Legal online streaming video sites – All of the major broadcast networks now offer streaming video of their shows, with the selection of shows expanding constantly. There are also tons of shows available to stream on sites like Hulu.com. And for you sports nuts out there, there is ESPN360.com, which offers streaming video of most ESPN programming if you subscribe to participating internet providers (AT&T is one of them).
- RedBox DVD Kiosks – Selection is limited to mostly new releases, but their rental rates are super cheap ($1 a night). Of course $1 is just too much in my eyes, so look for the free codes out there at sites like InsideRedBox.com. You can even get a free rental code direct from RedBox every Monday by subscribing to text message alerts.
- iTunes - If you are in a pinch, you can purchase a lot of content off of iTunes.
- The public library – The library here in Houston sucks, but libraries in many areas offer a good selection of DVDs for free checkout.
Online streaming services are great, especially if you have a laptop you can hook up to your TV so you don’t have to watch everything on a small screen. We originally signed up for satelite service mainly for ESPN, and now that we are no longer under contract we will likely cancel service now that we are sure the ESPN360.com will display on our TV through our laptop. Monthly savings = $53.26!
Of course if you aren’t ready to cut the cord on your cable, you may be able to reduce costs by changing your programming package (do you really need HBO?) or just asking for a discount.
We like free museums, North Texas Irish Fest and outdoor festivals) TV is a big part of our “entertainment” line item in the budget, and services like Hulu or other streaming sites really don’t cut it for quality, even on a “simple” 37″ HDTV. Plus, programs like MythBusters, Burn Notice, Psych, Modern Marvels and others either aren’t available online or aren’t available in even as decent a quality as Hulu streams.