anybody go completely cableless?

[neatokimmo]

I had channels up to 70, modem and HBO for $84.84. I tossed the TV part and kept the modem and downgraded it to the 19.99 package. I can't tell a difference in modem speed (my PC is super old so it probably never went as fast as the access I was paying for).

I have digital rabbit ears. I get ABC nice and clear and another off channel.

Don't miss it a bit! The $778.20 I am saving is going into a beach condo fund. I'd much rather have a place at the beach than mindless tv at home.

 

[budbeerlady]

We got rid of our in 2006, it was enough to pay for a chunk of our cheap disney trips at $58 a month. Dd thought she would die the first month but she is still alive....

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We got rid of our in 2006, it was enough to pay for a chunk of our cheap disney trips at $58 a month. Dd thought she would die the first month but she is still alive....

That's exactly how I explained it to my DD - a trip to POP during FD is about $1,200 for us and that's about what we're spending a year of cable . She got it after that.

 

[sarahrip]

I've been thinking about cutting back on our cable starting this summer, when we are not inside much anyways, so that way it won't be so hard and if we get use to it which I'm sure we will then I will leave it and we also have netflix too so we will use that more often. The money we save we can put towards our Disney trip next yr. =)

 

[mbfqueen]

I love my one channel! (CBS) No cable here!

Same problem as another with the dish .. cable was too much (1989) and have not given in since!

All the kids did at least one sport, so we were rarely home .. but again like another when we travel (with the kids sports) and have to stay over, my gosh you would have thought we won the lottery with CABLE in the hotels! lol .. felt like the Beverly Hillbillies at first lol .. now we just laff about it ..

But man the money we have saved!!

A perfect example, my son is going to college near UC Davis, where he was rooming they said the boys all go in together for cable .. (while we were touring) .. cause most of the kids can't live without it .. besides his major, he won't have time .. but my son didn't grow up addicted to it .. so it's no big deal .. and we watch ER, One Tree Hill, House .. just through DVD's or online ..

Best thing we didn't do, that we couldn't afford lol .. love it!

 

[SandrA9810]

I never had cable growing up... well we did for some short period of time when I was like 5 cause I remember the Disney channel.
When I got my first computer at 16, I had the internet through the phone company. Paid like 150$ a month for phone and DSL, but it was worth it to me at the time.

Since moving out on my own, we never could afford cable or internet. Got along ok without it for 5 years. Now that we have a room-mate, we had to include it because no one wants to live in an internet free house. I try not to watch too much tv, but when I'm someplace without cable, I realize how bad shows really have gotten on network TV and appreciate having the cable to watch something decent.
The only option we had at the time, was BrightHouse (embark is now offered in the complex). I got the first month free, and it's 87$ a month for 12 months, then the 12-24months it'll go up to 97$ a month under the offer I signed up for. Even though it's only month to month and can be cancelled at any time.

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

Eliminated DirecTV two years ago this month and the teenagers have managed to survive just fine We don't get ANY tv reception over-the-air even with our new TV. We might get a digital antenna this spring, though. Ds doesn't watch any tv online but dd15 uses hulu etc daily as homework allows.

 

[LoraJ]

Bah! This scares me that I will be out of a job in a few years if everyone keeps cutting their cable.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I thinking of getting rid of my cable. Well not entirely because we have a package that includes or internet access.

I think my major peeved is that the price is going up (again) and it seems like there is NEVER ANYTHING ON!!. Sorry for shouting.
We have a HBO package and except for Saturday night when they show a new movie, the rest of the week is old reruns. I mean last week one of the HBO channels aired "The Wiz"!!! Not the classic with Judy Garland, the crummy remake with Diana Ross (at age 45 trying to play Dorothy)

I'm thinking about cutting back to the lowest allowable to keep internet and then just using Netflix (we already have it).

Anybody else got rid of cable and managed to survive.
My teens of course think I'm trying to send them back to the "dark ages"

For this reason, we have never had HBO or any other premium movie channels. Dh belongs to Blockbuster Online which is similar to Netflix except he can also drop off a sealed envelope at our local store and immediately get another from store envelope. He likes that he doesn't always have to wait for another to come in the mail.
We do like our Verizon Fios. Even their 'basic' package includes tons of channels so it's fine for us.
I have no intention of ever going back to the old 1970's air/antenna reception just to save a few bucks.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

We don't have cable at all, well actually the cable company doesn't even run lines up here so we can't have cable unless we want to be big $$ to have them run lines for us.

We do have DirectTV (cheaper than cable anyway and lots of extra channels) and DSL

 

[grumpyvet]

We have been cable free for more than a year, and I never miss it. My DD9 gets to watch the occassional show thru netflix so she isn't such a nerd that she doesn't know who Hannah Montana is!!!

Saving around $70/month.

Saves wear and tear on the couch too!!!

 

[bigolive9]

We cancelled cable this summer, and had an antenna professionally installed. With a couple exceptions, we mostly watch network tv, so it wasn't a big deal for us. I think the biggest adjustment was going without the DVR- we used it all the time! If there is a cable show we want to watch (like ESPN 30 for 30), we go to my MIL's to watch it. Most other things, like Mad Men, we just watch the previous season on DVD.

 

[neatokimmo]

We cancelled cable this summer, and had an antenna professionally installed. With a couple exceptions, we mostly watch network tv, so it wasn't a big deal for us. I think the biggest adjustment was going without the DVR- we used it all the time! If there is a cable show we want to watch (like ESPN 30 for 30), we go to my MIL's to watch it. Most other things, like Mad Men, we just watch the previous season on DVD.

Do you mind me asking how much the antenna cost?

 

[dryvithome]

We never picked up cable. It didn't help that initially there was only one company that charged an arm and a leg for basic cable which was all channels I could get with an antenna. It turns out we really don't watch any TV shows (live) in the last 7 years now. We can watch DVD's and whatnot, but it hasn't bothered us in the slightest to miss out on shows. Besides, with hulu and DVD subscription services, you can keep up with most shows if you're inclined. We've thought about adding cable or satellite, but just can't seem to justify the cost as we don't really watch anything and when we're over at friends houses, there never seems to be anything worth seeing.

 

[DawnM]

So many dropping cable threads on boards these days.

DH and I had a long conversation about it just yesterday. I hate paying so much and Directv has just increased prices again......

We just aren't willing to do it~! We get NO channels, even with an antenna, we have tried. We haven't done professional install, but I hesitate to pay for it if it doesn't work!

But I added up that we have spend about $7,200 on TV watching (not including TV purchases!) over the past 10 years.

YIKES!

But, TV is our only form of entertainment. We know people who drop $70 per weekend on movies for the family, not including the $50 or more spent on one meal out before the movies.

So, for now, we will continue to pay our $75/mo (used to be less) for TV and make our own dinners and popcorn to watch a weekend movie.

DH has built a media/theater room in the basement and we love it.

Dawn

 

[ilovebassets]

we do not have cable. best decision ever. one third of what you watch on tv is advertising. why would i spend so much money every month to have 8 hrs a day of advertising pumped into my home? it's not as if the cable tv shows are high quality shows. there's a lot of good network tv that can be picked up over the air, plus pbs. and with the internet and netflix and hulu....there's just so many better options than cable

 

[DawnM]

which is why I LOVE my DVR!

We don't even watch live TV anymore....I haven't seen commercials in ages!

Dawn

we do not have cable. best decision ever. one third of what you watch on tv is advertising. why would i spend so much money every month to have 8 hrs a day of advertising pumped into my home?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

which is why I LOVE my DVR!

We don't even watch live TV anymore....I haven't seen commercials in ages!

Dawn

Yes, I love my DVR too. And the Travel Channel.
Can't stand the network news. They try too hard to be dramatic.

 

[bigolive9]

Do you mind me asking how much the antenna cost?

Total installation was $150. I think it split up as $60 for the antenna and $90 for the labor. It only took him an hour, and he was the cheapest place we found. I did call around for a few quotes- they ranged from the $150 to $350. It did help that we had the coaxial cable from having cable service- he set up the antenna on the front of the garage and used the cable to run it to the tv.

We have been very happy- our signal is clear except for really, really windy or rainy days. We have a lot of mature trees in the way, so our only option was cable or antenna.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

We have never had cable or satellite. My kids watch it at friends, grandparents, cousins etc.