Frugal Quick Tip: Ditch the Cable

If you are like our family, you are constantly looking for ways to cut expenses without feeling the pinch or feeling like you are making a huge sacrifice.  This is one money-saving avenue that my husband had some trouble adjusting to, but even he (who was raised in a household where the tv was always on and was used to having cable) seems to be OK with it now.  (Except for when the Cubbies are playing and he can't get the game on the radio, etc.)

All of that being said, the matter of cable tv can be a sensitive point for many people.  Also, before you think I am condemning television viewing, I must tell you that I LOVE sitting down with a bowl of ice cream and watching a mindless show as much as the next person.  I have my shows, they are just public network shows.  :)

So, how to ditch the cable and not feel it?  If you have high-speed internet you can watch a limited number of the latest episodes of many TV shows for free online at hulu.com.  You can also join Hulu Plus for $7.99/month to stream it to TV using Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.  Netflix is another option.  From what I can understand it is only $8 a month for lots of TV shows and movies. You also can go to abc.com, cbs.com and nbc.com to see some full episodes if you missed your favorite program.  (See, no expensive DVR.)

You could probably save in the neighborhood of $600/year by switching to these options.  Just planting a see here, consider if it might work for your family.  We didn't have cable growing up, so it hasn't been a big deal for me to do without.  I had agreed with my husband that we could get cable again after the school loans were paid off, well, that happened 6 years ago and we still don't have cable...  He's doing alright.