Can I Live Without Cable?
The short answer to this is Yes, the long answer is probably No. I will tell you what I am talking about…
We currently have a cable package bundled with our internet that comes with an insane amount of channels. Movies, sports, celebrity, you name it, we got it. In college one my room mates worked for Dish Networks and we literally had every single channel there was. All of them. A thousand I think. How many did I watch? About 4. Of course we split it and he had a discount so it was actually the cheapest route you could go but that can’t last forever.
My argument comes from the fact that it costs about $50 a month to watch television that a majority of are free. If I had my way, I would get an over the air tuner and watch the local channels (in HD mind you) and get to see just about all of my favorite shows. The local channels in your area are all broadcasting over the air and all it takes is a one time payment of an OTA tuner. But what about the other few channels that interest you? Even those are probably only holding a small select shows that are going to be coming out on DVD or you could grab them from iTunes. Now lets talk numbers:
Regular cable package
All the TV you can stand and a lot you can’t
$50 a month
Annual Total: $600
Just OTA, some additional bought content
$169 – one time OTA purchase
$2 - per episode (figure you buy three seasons of a show per year: add yours up, I dare you to post them)
$15 – (Rented at RedBox)
Annual Total First Year: $328
Annual Amount After: $159
Savings after first year are over $440!!
Now, comes the hard part. You think you are able to do this. You think you could invest that money and gain interest and be a little more ahead of the game but there is a problem. Your significant other would completely laugh at you and then when you aren’t laughing with them, they will quickly stop laughing tell you that you are crazy. Then they are going to go watch some obscure show just because they can. Loudly. Trust me. This happened to me just a few minutes ago while writing this.
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Comments
I have never, since leaving home at 17, had cable. I watch fuzzy network TV. What does the box do? Just make the network channels clear? I don’t think I’ll ever get cable but that box looks cool.
TV is like a drug. It’s tough to give up. I know, I’m addicted. There is a lot that’s not worth my attention but a lot of the smaller stations I do like – the Discovery and TLC stations for instance. And I can always throw on SportsCenter! I probably could do without it though. We actually cancelled our premium channel, HBO, and signed up for Netflix instead. This way we control what movies and shows to watch. TV is also a productivity killer that I have to work on cutting back.
And yes, sometimes you watch something you may have seen a thousand times just because it’s there now.
I would love to live off the airways, but I’m like The Dream and FFB–I’m not sure I could go without the sports. I would like to see a cable company create a package where you pay per channel and you can pick and choose the channels.
We all seem to forget cable was a luxury until about 15 years go. I never had cable growing up (my parents only got it about 10 years ago). It’s a “need” now. Funny how that is.
There are more benefits to nixing cable than saving money.
1. Mr Chiots and I read more books (which is better for the intellect, keeps your brain active)
2. We are much more productive, we rarely watch TV, so all those to-do lists that have been piling up for years finally all got finished.
3. We also spend more time talking now that we’re not watching TV every evening, we used to watch all kinds of stuff because we wanted to get our $50’s worth out of our cable, now even though we can watch all the free network channels in HD, we don’t because we don’t need to since we’re not paying for it.
4. We’re also more creative about what we do watch, getting old shows from the library, often British or foreign shows (Good Neighbors, Battlestar Galactica, Jekyll (series from the UK), many documentaries), these shows are often more interesting, better writing and production value. Plus sometimes it’s fun to watch through the complete run of Seinfeld in a month.
5. Not to mention, you don’t have to watch commercials, so you’re not tempted by all the ads you see on TV. Not to mention, this time of year – NO POLITICAL ADS – yeah!
6. I’m sure it’s also better for children to not watch TV so much and not be exposed to marketing & reading is much better for their minds.
I am happy to see such a lively reaction to this! 
@The Dream: I know what you mean, I am a bit of a sucker for college football as well as a few other things (like I somehow find myself watching golf before the cut.)
@Emily: That box will take in the digital signals that are flying around and pump them in to your TV. Preferably HD and all free. Its basically a fancy new set of rabbit ears.
@FFB: Discovery, Nat Geo, TLC, DIY, I would miss out on all of those. Granted you could probably buy them on DVD but that might get pricey as well. I sometimes catch myself looking at PS3’s and that Earth series on BluRay as well. Good call on the NetFlix as well. You hear that Microsoft is going to stream them through XBOX Live?
And as far as a productivity killer, I think I agree. I have to tear my self away to do contract work. It would be much easier to get motivated knowing that lounging wasnt an option. I guess we need some release though I would like to get outside more.
@Frank: Should I write back to you here? I guess your at lunch but anyway, it would be cool if they set it up like they are going to set up Sirius XM where you pick your own channels. Maybe that will take off and they will emulate it.
@Susy: These are all wonderful points! You ever watch Fawlty Towers? That was good on DVD as well. Commercials themselves drive me through the roof. If we didn’t have a DVR I would NEVER EVER watch TV. Hmm…
What cable bundle cost 50/mo?? Ours is 120/mo for cable, phone and internet. Sheesh.
@Danielle: Who is your provider?? IS it combined with something else like an internet connection?
That sounds like a good idea for some, but for people like me that watch lots of sports cable is the best way to go. There are way too many college basketball games on ESPN and ESPN2 that I like to watch.