Well, y’all tried to make me smile — and I appreciate it. I’m feeling much better (seriously). But nobody made me laugh harder than my pal and colleague Jackie, whose email account got hacked.
She sent out hundreds of emails to people from her address book…former college classmates, family, professional contacts and more. All with a super pervy message. It may have made things more difficult for her, but for me — one of the best laughs I’ve had in a long time.
Guess what?
We did it.
We cut the cable cord, thanks in large part to your comments in this post: “Cutting the (Cable) Cord.”
Sorry for the flash - it was dark back there!
We are now the proud owners of:
- Two homemade antennas to get over the air HD signals (one upstairs, one downstairs)*
- A Playstation 3
- A Roku XDS
- A premium Netflix account
- A premium Hulu Plus account
- A new, faster Internet connection
*see how-to video from yours truly below
Together, those make a pretty sweet setup. And after 48 hours, I have to say — it’s a huge success!
We are saving about $80/month, and that’s with an upgraded Internet connection. We’re using that money for some key items that mean more to us than hundreds of channels (monthly pet insurance, savings account, travel money) and we’re already finding that going small is not such a big deal after all.
We still get the big networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, PBS) plus a lot of sub-channels. So I get the news, lifestyle programming, etc. And Netflix and Hulu offer just about all of the shows we’d be watching anyway.
Casey Anthony Trial: Now in HD (but still hard to watch)
A few drawbacks:
- No DVR — that’s tough (although Netflix and Hulu essentially replace the need for DVR)
- No TV Guide (we actually have to look up the shows we want to watch!)
- No clock right below the TV
- Some ugly wires (although there are a few things we can do to hide them)
I see you, wires!
I am sure there will be plenty of times that we wish we could watch Food Network or MTV, but not at $80 a month. I’d much rather spend that on fun stuff that we can do together.
I’m also recommitting myself to spending more time reading, working on my blog and other projects, being outside, working out, etc.
So, now you’re wondering — hey, Katy…I’d love to make the switch but I can’t make one of those awesome homemade antennas!
Have no fear. Your technology reporter is here. (Seriously! I do Tech Tips for Growing Bolder TV!) With the help of the amazing and talented @JasonGBCam, I made this video to prove that you can make your own antenna, for about $5, using stuff you probably have at home. Enjoy! (embedded below)
About Katy
I havent had cable in about 7 years…dont miss it
That being said I do watch some things online, have netflix and use hulu
We’ve been cable free for almost 2 years now. We don’t have netflicks, premium hulu, or X-box. We just have about 7 channels and the regular ole web. I do miss my HGTV, but that is a distant memory at this point.
As for the TV guide. Thee is an app for that. I have the TV Guide app on my phone and use it often.
Way to pull the plug!
Be well,
Carolyn
Carolyn @ Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well. recently posted..Hands Across the Sand
Carolyn —
You just rocked my world … this app is awesome!
I don’t miss cable at all… except on some lazy evenings when I want to lose myself in mindless Bravo programming. But then I just fire up my laptop and watch whatever I want online — yes, you can still watch The Kardashians.
I’m saving a ton of money and find myself reading — and SOCIALIZING — more when I’m not worried about ‘missing’ a show. Way to go, Katy!
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) recently posted..Thankful Thursday
Oh we’d soooo miss it! And I am embarrassed to admit that we have 3 DVRs. Not intentionally, but that’s a long story.
It’s a story I want to hear more about
Congrats on making the switch! I’m pretty sure I could easily go without our satellite (although I would desperately miss Food Network), but I know my husband couldn’t. We actually are about ready to cut our phone line (finally!) and it’ll save us about $30 a month, which makes me happy! Plus, we’ll get much better internet speed anyway!
Kristen recently posted..legally blonde at the muny
Congratulations on going cable free!! It’s a great feeling, huh? I find that having Netflix & Hulu takes up as much if not more time than cable ever did, though, so I need to find a way to curb that addiction
Katherina @ Zephyr Runs recently posted..Ways to Save: Vacations part 2
Hooray for making the big cut! It’s tough, but worth it. We’ve been cable-free for just over 3 years. While I’ll admit that not having a DVR can be a drag, going cableless gets us off of the couch and have more time to run, read, and travel.
And I love PBS! I don’t know if you get it, but we have channel 56.3 (weird number, I know), and it’s the PBS Create channel. Tons of great cooking, home design, and travel shows. It’s like HGTV, Food Network, and the Travel Channel all rolled in to one!
Megan @ On the Road Again recently posted..Pondering Utopia on a Solo Run
Create is my favorite channel now too. I still get my cooking shows! I now know who Rick Bayless is… and just ate at his restaurant in Chicago. There is even a vegetarian cooking show – Christina Cooks.
Carolyn @ Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well. recently posted..Hands Across the Sand
Carolyn and Megan…
You have no idea how much these comments made me smile. We don’t get CreateTV in Orlando BUT the show that I produce (“Growing Bolder”) debuts on Create today at 11:30am! We’ll be running for 13 weeks so I hope you check it out. I even appear in several episodes
We just recently did away with our cable as well, and while it’s been a little bit of an adjustment (HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON SYTYCD!?!?!) it’s really not that bad! And we’re saving a TON. I’ve been using hulu, and was always in love with my netflix streaming through my PS3 anyway, and my brother got a Boxee computer thingy so that the TV is basically just a big computer anyway. It works! Next step is to try to get the basic networks via the over-the-air HD stuff like you, but I’ll leave that to the bro’s far more technically savvy hands.
Also, YES PET INSURANCE. So important. So, so important.
Gretchen @ Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen! recently posted..Boulder or Bust!
I should have given you a h/t in the post, because we bought insurance through the company YOU recommended a few weeks ago!
We have spent *so* much money on emergency visits in the last 5 years that it just doesn’t make sense for us not to have the coverage.
YAY! Embrace! I was gonna ask which company you went through. They’re the best, seriously. Admittedly a little bit more expensive than some other pet insurance providers, but none of the others can compare to their coverage. I just convinced my sister to get it for her new puppy too! Even just the “emergency fee” from taking your pet into an emergency hospital will be covered (80% or whatever reimbursement percentage you chose), so it’s soooo worth it for the super paranoid pet parents like meeee, hahaha.
Gretchen @ Honey, I Shrunk the Gretchen! recently posted..Boulder or Bust!
My roommate and I didn’t have cable for over a year and we didn’t even miss it. Now that I live with my Fiance I have cable, but still, I never watch tv. I’d rather have a rockin’ internet connection than cable anwyay… Plus, I managed to burn through all 248 episodes of SVU when we had netflix
Mary recently posted..A Whirlwind Day
Oh Katy, you entertain me daily and I’m so glad you don’t have to turn to your cable box to entertain yourself! Congrats on the big CUT and I’m super jealous! My roommate thinks it’s a necessity, YUCK!
Just gives me more time to blog, right
Oh, and train for races, of course…
I would love to cut the cable – especially because it is so damn expensive! We watch too much Disney on Demand though. Ha ha. Maybe in a few years when we aren’t so dependant (for my sanity). I RARELY watch anything that’s truly “cable” (ok, except for the The Hub channel!) anymore. We also have a PS3 and netflix. They.are.awesome.
Michelle @ Crazy*Running*Legs recently posted..SYTYCD – Week 2
We had no cable for about 3 years…..AND then our provider offered us a bundle with free cable….so I caved
I want to get Netflix, but they don’t have many tv show, do they??? Like reality shows??
Love this post!! <3
xxoo
Kris | iheartwellness.com recently posted..Banana Chocolate Protein Souffle – Low Fat Dessert!
I have only had cable TV for one year of my life. Sophomore year, college dorm.
No desire for it.
Would take the interwebs over cable any day
The Hubz and I have some rabbit ears. They work just fine.
Holly @ RUST BELT RUNNER recently posted..Stuck in the Middle
Congratulations on making the switch. I grew up not knowing what life was like with out cable until I moved in with my Fiance in 2008 and he didn’t have cable. I thought I would miss all these shows on cable that I loved (like you w/ Food Network and MTV). I found that I didn’t miss them much at all. Now we seek out shows we actively want to watch and can watch pretty much anything on a set up similar to yours.
A few weeks ago, I stayed the night at my parents house and was so excited about being able to watch cable. Then when I went to find something to watch, there was nothing on that I wanted to see! It made me realize how much better it is that we are not spending all that money on cable.
Good luck!
Ah, I have thought of this many times over the past year. Every time I get my cable bill I die a little inside, particularly because I know that I mostly watch absolute garbage on TV. I have thought about cutting the cord, but I have a few concerns about catching the things I do really love:
HGTV — I do enjoy a good block of real estate based programming. I also like to take a nap on Sunday afternoons with HGTV in the background. But I SUPPOSE I could learn to live without it.
The Daily Show — Jon Stewart is my TV husband, and we have a daily 11pm date. I know I can watch online the next day, but I feel like the episode is not quite the same once other people have laughed at it. It sounds weird, I know. But it makes a lot of sense in my head.
Judge Judy — I’m dead serious! I love my JJ.
NY1 — this won’t make sense to anyone outside the NYC area, but this is our local 24-hours news station and it is AMAZING. Really interesting, quality news stories and totally wacky anchors and reporters. Plus it’s just about the only reliable place to find out what’s going on with the subways. The MTA sure as heck doesn’t know.
We have gone back and forth with cable. At the moment we have basic cable with mostly local channels, but even with basic cable I almost never watch regular TV…maybe once a week, if that? It is all because of Netflix. Netflix is pretty much the only thing we watch – we can pick what we want to watch, there are hundreds of documentaries, Teen Mom is now on Netflix (so I can rot my brain more, for less money) and even with just one TV we can both watch whatever we want, at the same time!
There is one draw back…since I rarely watch “real TV” I know very little about the news. Honestly, I have not yet watched anything about the Casey Anthony trail – nothing! Everything I know comes from Twitter and the occasional news website!
Today is our last day with actual cable…we are moving out of state and are currently unemployed, we need to save money everywhere we can, even if it is just $20 with the basic cable!
heidi @ runaroundaroo recently posted..This is for real…really for real!
I find myself often reading an article of yours, then going back to an earlier article you linked in it. Such is the case again. I’ve long thought about getting a Netflix account. I will look into that now definitely! Thanks for this post and the Matcha reference. My television options just less restrictive!
Calvin recently posted..Supplement Review: GNC Ravage