Cutting the cable is scary. Most people want to but don’t want to lose their favorite channel.
What if you took a good hard look at your monthly cable bill?
That is exactly what 30+ people did at the bottom of this post.
They all shared how much they were paying and their fears. The problem readers shared with us is they didn’t know how to cut back the cable bill. Many readers didn’t want to sacrifice losing sports.
Check out how we cut our cable with the cheapest alternative below.
It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done
– Nelson Mandela
*Scroll down for the video.
Five+ years ago, we cut our cable. We did it because we got so crazy into our debt payoff that we didn’t want ANYTHING we didn’t see as a need. Life with two toddlers was quite busy, and any chance my husband and I had to watch TV, we were too tired.
We eliminated cable. We used an antenna to get our local channels. The news in the morning was all I had time for, and PBS for the kids was about all they watched.
When your kids aren’t in school, there is NO reason to pay for channels for them.
There may even be some shows your kids don’t get and haven’t heard of it, and it won’t break them.
Check out how to keep your TV console area organized here.
An HD ANTENNA IS THE WAY TO GO
If you want to cut the cable the cheapest way possible, this is it.
If you found a crazy good deal on a TV during Black Friday sales, then you’ll probably get a bunch of free channels loaded onto the smart TV.
Buy an HD Antenna.
The one I’ve had for four years now with no issues is from Antennas Direct.
Check out all these FREE Streaming Service trials to score with your free cable!
THIS IS THE CHEAPEST ALTERNATIVE TO CABLE
National data reported earlier this year projected – “the number of those cutting the cord will climb 32.8% this year to 33 million, higher than the 22% growth rate (27.1 million) that was originally projected in July of 2017.
This number represents the cumulative number of adults who have ever canceled a pay-TV service and have opted to continue without it.
( Source: Forbes and eMarketer)
Suppose you are one of the statistics of cable cutters. You need to check out ClearStream Antennas Direct. I found this brand in my favorite wholesale club-no, geez, not Costco, BJ’s Wholesale club!
Check out this post for an up-to-date look at the best antennas for 2022.
If you are struggling with how to keep your TV area looking and organized check out these tricks.
HOW AN INDOOR/OUTDOOR ANTENNA WORKS
Going the antenna route is the cheapest when you are thinking about cutting back your cable bill. You will pay a one-time fee, and that’s it.
I bought ours at BJs for $39.99. I’ve had this exact brand for four years now.
The best part about buying an HDTV antenna is you don’t need internet access. We talked about internet speed a little bit in our video(the video is at the bottom of the post), but I’ll share it again with you here.
Join me on Tiktok, where I share more debt-free living tips.
NO INTERNET NEEDED
I currently pay a very LOW price for the lowest speed internet. $26 is our total monthly bill. Yes, the INTERNET bill!
I can work on the computer blogging while the kids watch Netflix, and my husband is on his phone, and we have no issues.
Once I got a better wireless router, we stopped constantly seeing the red circle on Netflix.
The only time we run into an issue is when I upload a video, which takes a little longer. So for me, I look at the cost of the internet plan to the one or two videos I’m uploading a month as a win.
It reminds me of when I was a teenager, and my dad would download all his songs and movies overnight because of the internet speed, except ours still isn’t that bad!
YOU CAN GET FREE CHANNELS WITHOUT AN ANTENNA
If you have your mind made up and don’t want to get a TV antenna, almost all smart TVs give you the option of hundreds of channels for free. We need to decide as consumers: Can we deal with what is available to us at no cost?
There is plenty of music video channels, history, Heartland channel, News, and more. I encourage you to give the channels a chance before quickly scrolling through them. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Here’s a Tiktok Video I did on this exact way to cut your cable.
HOW TO INSTALL AN ANTENNA
It’s super easy to install.
You can place the antenna inside or outside. And you can hook multiple TVs up to one.
The black box above you hooks up to the cable cord directly to your TV.
The other end of the cable gets the antenna.
We have our kitchen TV over by this window because it gets the most channels. You can flip it to the white side or black side. These antennas can also be painted to match your wall color.
Always move your antenna around to find the best spot to receive channels. Then, you can use the sticker it comes with to apply to a wall, etc.
When shopping for HDTV antennas, you want to look at the mile range. Think about your location. We lived out in the country and went for the 35-mile range indoor antenna.
I ended up buying two antennas before my husband told me we could have hooked both cable cords up to one. Our living room TV antenna we have out the basement window.
Details on the Antenna Direct ( We own this one)
- Best performance among flat HD antennas in the 35-mile range category
- Sure Grip guarantees the easiest installation of any indoor antenna
- Grips to any smooth surface such as walls and windows
- Perfect for dorm rooms, RVs and over-the-road vehicles
- Multi-directional element delivers range and reception in less than ideal locations with no aiming necessary
- Black or white double-sided design
- Paintable, so you can match your wall, furniture or accent color for a custom fit
- Connect one end of a coaxial cable to the antenna and the other end to your TV
- Scan for the available channels using your TV remote control
- Watch all your favorite over-the-air TV shows, news, kids programs, sports and more on network and local television in full HD
- Watch TV stations like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and more with each network providing digital sub-channels for maximum content
- To find the broadcast towers serving your area, go to antennapoint.com and enter your zip code
- Includes antenna, 12′ of high-performance coaxial cable, Sure Grip strip, assembly and installation instructions
- Warranty: lifetime limited on parts
- Advanced 4-tapered loop design allows up to 98% of the available broadcast signals to each the incoming antenna cable for free over-the-air digital and HD programming
- Receive short-range high UHF reception up to 65 miles away with no monthly cable or satellite fees
- Lets you enjoy free local broadcasts, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and other local networks with their newly expanded programming for kids, news, sports and more
- Crystal clear UHF HDTV short-range signals keep you in the know in the event of an emergency or bad weather
- Sleek and compact design blends in with most home decorsMade of extra-durable, corrosion-resistant anodized aluminum for long-lasting use
- Includes antenna (coaxial cable and mount not included)
- Warranty: lifetime
THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP WHEN HOOKING UP YOUR TV ANTENNA
If you buy the indoor one, hook it up and place it in a spot and you only get three channels, you need to move the antenna. It may seem silly, but even moving it a few inches makes a big difference.
In our kitchen, this happened, and I remember my dad telling me to move it.
Then one day, I had enough of not getting all the basic channels and moved it to the top of the window instead of the bottom; low and behold, we got over 40 tracks.
I get all the basic networks, and we got many highly entertaining Canadian channels!
THE BREAKDOWN OF THE COST
Even if you have to pay $40 for a year, you will pay $3.33 a month- That is cheaper than the Netflix price of $7.99 per month, and that $7.99 price only lets you stream one device at a time.
The beautiful thing about the antenna is you aren’t paying $3.33 a month because your $40 payment is FOREVER! As long as this thing lasts, and I’m guessing it will last a very long time.
Look at it as $40 out of the budget, and that’s that. No monthly payment. You’re all set.
This is the cheapest alternative to cable.
Today Jan. 7th, Through Jan 13th, you have a chance to win one.
How much do you currently pay for your cable?
What hesitations do you have about dropping cable altogether?
HERE IS OUR VIDEO CHATTING ABOUT CABLE CUTTING OPTIONS:
13 Simple Tips for Eating Healthy on a Super Tight Budget
I have ‘Triple Play’ w/Spectrum, and with taxes it totals $108.17 monthly. Mind you that’s the 2 year price which expires in a month, then the discounts (if you want to call it that:) will expire. So my only hesitation for quitting the ‘Cable Guy’ altogether is that I’m an onlline student and rely mainly on my internet connection w/wifi for classes on my laptop, tablet and PC. When I have called to negotiate a better deal, I’m constantly haggled and told “I’m already getting the best price, and that I’ll be actually paying more for one service”.
This worked for me: Entering the ATT store and asking about internet only. As the salesman was getting ready to nudge me to a higher price, I uttered the magic phrase…I want to kick Comcast to the curb. No other attempts to sell me more than needed were tried. He sat down and wrote the $50 per month internet contract. That was a year ago, It probably will have a slight increase soon … maybe, maybe not. We’ll see. There is more than enough to stream Hulu and Netflix and Amazon Prime. See if it works for you.
Thanks so much for the tip Mary 🙂
We pay $0 for cable! My husband and I have been together for 10 years and have never had cable. Before living together I had cable and a full DVR queue. Initially I thought I was going to really miss my favorite shows, but we had Netflix and an antenna. During my “adjustment period” I did buy a few seasons of my favorite shows through iTunes, but now I’ve found that we get a good variety through Netflix and Hulu. I’ve definitely found gets easier to do without as time goes on and I haven’t paid for a season in over 5 years.
We currently have an indoor antenna that I hate and would love to replace. Our old indoor antenna before the digital switch was definitely better. We have at least 33 channels over 8 towers within a 35 mile radius. We get a max of 9 channels no matter where we place it! It’s supposed to be a 70-mile multi-directional antenna. It doesn’t even get PBS! Thank goodness for a gifted Prime subscription that allows my toddlers to watch Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street/Doc McStuffins on Hulu!
Oh my goodness 9 channels are not enough! All the PBS channels are our favorites! It’s awesome to hear you cut the cable awhile ago too. Good Luck in the giveaway!
I need internet for the kids for school. I cannot find it late than $60 a month so 8 have to have the triple play-phone, internet and cable. It is on special for $70 but the router and box brings it up to about $130. How can I use the antenna and still have internet for less than $30/month?
HI Brian. We are on the lowest internet plan. When Time Warner had their $14.99 everyday internet price we snatched it up. It has gone up in the past three years now we pay $26. Sometimes I wonder if they get you with the bundling. I would try and ask for the lowest speed internet plan without any cable service.
We have spectrum internet and just for internet it’s $59.99 a month! Plus with fees and taxes it’s around $65. Wish we would lower that bill as well.
Keri, if you missed our live video on Facebook, try going to your local Spectrum office and tell them you want the $14.99 everyday low internet price. Its what we have and others on the Live video have said they have.
Awesome , I really could use this at my home
We don’t pay anything for cable….thank God! We use our HD antenna and also have a firestick. I love that we basically stream everything, but our Hulu is free with sprint and our Netflix is $11. I think our main issue at first before we decided to cut the cord was not having some of the kids favorite channels like Disney and Nickelodeon.
That’s my issue is losing nickjr and disneyjr. I have a 1&3 year old who watch only those stations when they do get screen time. the older two are fine with netflix or whatever.
I pay $0 for cable after all the increases via Spectrum. We share Netflix and Hulu with a friend and we own Roku 🙂
I can’t afford cable but I do pay for Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon since it is all cheaper than cable here
. I really miss the local news and being able to watch when it airs. I would love to get local channels again.
@Kelly Eaton,
Try Haystack free news and you can set it up for your local news.
I don’t have cable but I do have Netflix. I haven’t had cable since I had my first child and he is 8 years old. I love Netflix and renting movie on Redbox. Don’t miss cable at all.
we cut cable years ago we have an outdoor antena we love it looking to get anone for my daughters room so she wont want to take over the tv in the living room ! cutting cable has been amazing we now have roku hooked up and has been awesome !
I had been researching ways to cut our cable TV. I am definitely interested in trying the antenna. I can not wait to tell my hubby about this! Thank you for all of the helpful info.
We are currently paying about $110 a month for satellite alone. I think the only thing stopping us is the chance we might not get the shows we like to watch.
I’d like to cut cable… We have a bundle now and It’s like $130 a month.. The phone rings and I pick it up and hang it up. I don’t even know the number to give out so I know it’s not for me. 😂🤦🏽♀️ We also have netflix and I just did the Hulu 99¢ deal. The three channels used in my house are Disneyjr, Nickjr and Fox News.. We had to do an upgraded package to get the jr channels which is annoying. I don’t watch tv myself.
THANKS!
We pay $65.00 Internet only. Canceled cable 2 yrs ago. We Stream free thru Kodi. Own my modem also and have an antenna.
I do not have cable. I cried I had to get rid of it. Once I joined the group am glad I don’t have cable. I have hulu.99. I have prime and Netflix. We all set. On Top of it all And I Antenna. Being in the group help me stop my hesitation to run back to cable. Today Tasia and Taylor really confirmed we don’t need it. Yes to hulu, Netflix, and prime
So proud of you Mooka! It’s true it really isn’t a need. You can get your fixes on the services you listed. Good job cutting the cable!
We were paying $181 a month with Spectrum. Our biggest concern was getting our favorite shows and that we are super spoiled with DVR-ing everything! We completely cut the cord last week and turned in our boxes! We did a few things prepping for the cut like buying a couple fire sticks on Black Friday and grabbed that awesome HULU deal we heard both about from you! We already had Amazon Prime, Netflix and basic YouTube. We added the Philo app and CBS live. We now pay $103 a month!, $65 of that is our internet. Savings $78 per month and $936 per year! That’s a vacation! 🛳 ✈️
Stacie! So proud of you guys! Yes, that is a lot lower! And you could even get it lower if you got rid of extra services but like you said, that’s a vacation! Is your internet through Spectrum?
We could get it lower but we really like certain shows and channels so baby steps LOL Yes our internet is through Spectrum and we really aren’t a fan of their service but it is the ONLY internet service available to us where we live.
We don’t have cable. We cut the cord probably 6 months ago. We have Netflix, 2 screens for around $11 a month, Hulu, which I believe is $8 a month, and Amazon prime, which it $120 per year. So technically we do still pay. Oh and on one TV we use a roku stick also.
Wow I would love to try to cut my cable bill by using this indoor antenna . Interested in at least getting my local channels and extra movie channels too. The local channels they charge more for with sometimes extra taxes on that too. Count me in to enter please .
We have bundled services with Spectrum and pay more every year since we are no longer in the grace period of special pricing. They have outstanding customer service and we get great speeds and reception but pay dearly for it. We had an outdoor antenna on the roof but it got blown away during Hurricane Irma. We would love to cut our cable bill and switch to more antenna time so we could lower our cable bill.
112 for cable and I think dropping cable scares me because I’m just use to cable. Fear of the unknown
We have DirecTv for TV and Comcast for our internet. I work from my home and I have to have a certain speed for my work. We pay about $110 for DirecTv and about $80 for internet. We have looked into different options for TV but I think the “not knowing” what we can and can’t show wise is stopping us from cutting the cord. This antennae would be great to help to completely cut the cord.
Gina P