The most life-altering decision you can ever make: Canceling Cable.
I know, it sounds terrifying, but believe me, it can be done. There comes a time in one’s life when they have to learn to let go…not of the internet of course, that would be silly! No, get that power-robbing, money sucking leach off of your entertainment unit, and strap into a world void of…cable.
The average cable bill in the United States is now approx. $150/month…a month! That’s $1800/year, for CABLE. That’s $54,000 in 30 years…for CABLE. It certainly isn’t like cable rates are getting any cheaper either; in fact, as providers lose subscribers, they are passing the increase on to their existing customers. We un-plugged from the cable warden over a year ago, and haven’t looked back since; we still have our cable internet connection, a high speed affair, for a mere $50…1/4 the price of the last bill that forced our hand in this cable war.
The real question is; can I live without cable TV? Of course you can, it’s just a learning process like riding a bike, getting your neighbor to shovel your driveway, or buying shoes online…the first few days are the hardest, but you eventually succumb to the numb.
How does it work you ask? Well, there are many types of media outlets clamoring for our un-plugged attention; my personal favorite is ROKU, a media streaming device that can stream video via the interweb at 1080p resolution. ROKU has voguishly changed our lives from waning over astronomical cable bills to watching an entire five year television series in 4 days. ROKU retails for about $99, is the size of a small portable hard drive, and connects to the internet either by hard wire or wireless network. It has a channel store which you can select your favorites from, such as Netflix ($7.99/month) HULU ($9.99/month) plus lots of free channels and other content to explore.
Netflix and HULU are the major streaming channel providers, with the most content, and HD resolution programming. You can also stream media through Boxee Bee, Apple TV, Google TV, your XBOX, personal laptop computer. With a solid broadband internet connection, you can enjoy endless programming without paying for a small house in the process. For those with children, there is a multitude of family and cartoon channels to select from as well.
Check your internet service before you pull the plug on cable; make sure your connection can handle streaming media. A solid cable modem set-up is recommended for optimal performance. With three small girls, aged 6, 2, and 6 months, we have had a seamless transition into a life without cable, and you can do it too!
