As a kid, cable television was my life. One of my friends did not have cable, and I thought how crazy her family was. Seriously, how could she not want to watch cartoons every second of the day?
Now as an adult, I do not have cable, and I love it. I love saving over $100 a month in unnecessary costs, and I love that I have one less thing to tempt me as a distraction. Before you think I am crazy, you may be interested to know that I watch a few popular television shows each week. In fact, if I wanted, I could watch every show you watch.
With one of these three tools, you too can cancel your cable bill, pocket the $100+ a month, and still enjoy your favorite shows and movies.
Your Computer or Laptop: There are several devices that you can purchase that will allow you to stream your favorite Internet shows. The cheapest one is your computer or laptop because you most likely already have this device, and it comes with the cheapest options. Anyone can stream Hulu.com through their computer for free and watch Youtube.com videos for free. You can also buy the streaming online option from Netflix.com for less than $9 a month. The only downside to relying primarily on your computer or laptop is that it is harder to watch shows with family and friends.
Xbox 360: I use an Xbox for video streaming on our large flat screen. It is our favorite device to use. However, to access Hulu.com, Netflix.com, and more channels, you must be an Xbox Gold Member. This can cost you between $10-15 a month, depending on where you buy your subscription cards (Amazon and Ebay usually offer the best deals on these cards). While this is an added expense to many families, my husband was already utilizing this with some of his gaming.
Since Xbox streams video to the television, you have to pay for Hulu.com’s prime membership, as well. This cost $7.99 a month. You can get two free weeks of Hulu Plus when you sign up here. In my opinion, it is well worth it because they offer dozens of new and popular shows each week, and they are in HD. Another bonus of streaming through Xbox 360, is that Xbox is adding new channels constantly. For example, they have a pretty impressive ESPN channel with almost every sport you can think of, as well as the recently added SyFy channel. Xbox 360 also has movie channels, such as HBO and CinemaNow, but those do cost extra.
Playstation 3: Like the Xbox 360, the Playstation is another device that allows you to stream video. The PlayStation 3 System does not have a monthly membership like Xbox 360, but it also does not come with all of the extra channels that Xbox 360 comes with. You can still stream Hulu and Netflix for a monthly cost though.
Roku Box: Another favorite for streaming video and channels is the Roku Box. The Roku Box has several more channels and apps available than the Xbox 360. Some big channels include the Disney Channel, the Glen Beck Channel, and Amazon Video (which allows you to rent movies and even see free movies with an Amazon Prime account). The Roku Box does not have a membership fee, only for some channels, such as Netflix, HBO, and Hulu. You can also use apps, such as Facebook and Pandora. Roku also has games such as Angry Birds and Soduko. The Roku box can cost anywhere from $49.99 to $99.99, depending on the model you want. This makes it the best value for your buck.
With these four devices, cutting cable is simple and easy. You will still get all of your favorite shows, as well as many other cool shows and channels you may have never heard of. Because I now stream channels, I was able to discover some BBC shows, such as Sherlock or MI-5, which I would have never known or searched for on cable.
