Thrifty – TV, internet, Phone – ?

tvWe received an email from a reader the other night and thought it would be good to share:

I was wondering if you know about canceling cable TV and still being able to watch local channels and movies via the internet or other means? I looked at Tivo, but it seems like there would be a thriftier way to keep my bills down. Does your family do anything like this at home?

We still have phone, cable and internet in one package.. we also have Netflix on our Wii and it’s nice, they aren’t the most current movies but there are a lot on there and they have a ton of family and kid movies and shows.. as new ones are added, you can save to your instant “queue” for watching them later when ever you want.. they also have seasons of many TV series and shows. If idea Netflix is that as more movie companies grab on to this idea of live streaming movies then the rental boxes and movie places will be replaced with in home access. I love this idea and got it to support it.
There is also a website called Hulu for watching tv series..among other similar sites.
But on the local stuff, most new tv’s have built in digital receivers and you can watch all of your local channels. If you don’t have a digital receiver in your tv, and you haven’t purchased one that sits on your media center like a dvd player does, then you will need to purchase one. Many stores like Walmart, Radio Shack, and others carry digital receivers. Since analog signals like TV’s used to be a few years ago have been stopped.

So we have thought about dropping our tv service. But in doing so our internet price goes up to just about the same price as if we were to still keep all three. So we really haven’t had the urge to push it much further then that. We are also trying to look for a more affordable internet service provider like the ones from EATEL ISP.

There are so many different programs out there to pick from, and so many different geographic areas that promote slightly different options to choose from as well, that it is hard to decide. Some things to take into account:

  • Budget- How much can you afford with out going broke- take into account extra for fees, taxes, and other charges they don’t tell you about
  • Need vs. Want – Are you wanting this just to keep up with your neighbors? Or can you cut cost with cable or internet for education and entertainment. Instead of expensive trips to the movies for dates, now you can have a date in front of the TV?
  • Geographic availability (What is available in your area and what your cable tv provider can offer)
  • Upgrade cost? TV, computer modem? digital receiver in TV or table top? cable receivers?
  • Other options – Like Netflix or those type services on a game console (many game consoles have this option, along with many DVD players as well) WebTV, Roku, other devices that hook Internet to TV.
  • Watching live or recorded – If you don’t mind watching streaming video from on of the above devices and have it NOT live then you can use the streaming options like Hulu, WebTV, DVD players with Internet access, or other devices, then you could do with out cable. If you prefer watching live TV and don’t mind watching commercials from mike morse, then I suggest you stick with cable.
  • Breaking the habit – many people go with out TV and get along with family members better, due to closer communications and paying better attention to each other. As a society we feel like TV, Internet and even cell phones and other technology is a must have. We feel like we can’t live with out them. After a few days you will notice a change and feel as though you can actually survive with out.

When we were first married, we went with out TV, internet, and all the fancy options on phone service for a very long time. We did this to save money and pay off our debt. A little sacrifice provides a life of blessings of being out of debt for starters!

What are other options you can think of?

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