Cutting the Cord - A Guide To Save Money On Your TV And Streaming

Cutting the cord is a big step, especially for those who have known television to be the ultimate source of entertainment all their lives.

09:33 26 October 2021

However, is it worth it? Does it save money? These are the questions that cross the minds of everyone who is on the verge of making this decision. Saving money after cutting the cord is not all that simple. It depends on your choices and the way you price them out.

 

In this article, we will discuss saving tips for those who want to keep the cable pay-tv as well as for those who want to cut the cord.

 

How can I save money on cable TV?

 

Below are some of the ways that will help you save money while keeping your living room entertainment alive.

 

• First things first, you need to get a grip of yourself and understand your choices. Ask yourself: Do I really need seven movie channels? Do I watch sports ever? What benefit do premium channels bring forth? Am I really interested in those news talk shows? The answers to these will help you understand which channels are the most important to you and which extra ones can you drop out of.
  
  
• Contact your cable provider and discuss your situation. Negotiation is an important conversational tool when it comes to discussing rates and saving money so make sure that you are prepared. Get all the bills out and study them; ensure to have all your dues paid and it really helps if you are a good customer paying bills on time. Be courteous and determined throughout the call.
  
  
• See if you can drop the DVR service. We know that it is nice to record your favorite TV shows or sports events and watch them later but is it really necessary? Think about it and make the right call.
  
  
• Another great opportunity is bundling up your telecom services. More than 77 percent of U.S. adults have the internet at home and so you just might be using it so why not bundle up your cable, internet, and phone services to save up some money. The benefits of bundling are three folded: lesser costs, better relationship with the provider, and ease of payment. You save yourself some money and the hassle to pay bills to different providers. Furthermore, your value as a customer increases substantially. Most ISPs and cable providers offer all three services; all you need to do is find the ones in your area. If available, you should try out the service bundles offered by Charter Spectrum that allow you to combine double-play and triple-play services.

 

Is cutting the cord the right way?

 

As said earlier, the answer depends entirely on you. If you can keep up with limited choices and are aware of your interests, cord-cutting might just be the answer. Most streaming services increased their prices in 2020 but somehow they are still cheaper than the burden of cable TV.

 

Switching completely to streaming requires you to have superfast internet that you can get in less than 70 USD. Streaming services are reasonably priced, however, if you subscribe to multiple platforms, it can pile up charges.

 

Here is a look at how much money do the subscriptions to major streaming platforms cost:

 

Sr. #	Platform	Price Bracket (Monthly)
1	Netflix	8.99 USD to 15.99 USD
2	Amazon Prime Video	8.99 USD to 12.99 USD
3	Hulu	5.99 USD to 11.99 USD
4	Disney Plus	6.99 USD
5	HBO Max	14.99 USD
6	Peacock	Free to 9.99 USD
7	Apple TV+	4.99 USD
8	CBS All Access	5.99 USD to 9.99 USD

 

Let’s be honest – you have been a subscriber to at least two of these platforms even with cable TV. So, in any case, it is a win-win. Moreover, subscription to streaming platforms has become rather important as the most original content is being released by these services. For example, we all grew up watch Friends on the NBC network but the newly released Friends: The Reunion is accessible on HBO Max only. It is not being aired on any cable TV channel and so the millions of die-hard Friends fans need an HBO Max subscription in order to watch it and that my friend, is the future of entertainment.

 

Another important aspect is live TV. Sports and news lovers were not able to forego cable TV because of this, however, now you can subscribe to live streaming services through which you would be able to watch live content just like cable TV.

 

Some of the major live streaming platforms are:

 

Sr. #	Platform	Price Bracket (Monthly)
1	fuboTv	64.99 USD to 79.99 USD
2	YouTube TV	64.99 USD
3	Hulu plus Live TV	54.99 USD to 60.99 USD
4	Sling TV	30 USD to 45 USD
5	AT&T TV Now	55 USD to 185 USD

 

Can I save money on streaming?

 

Yes, you very much can save money if you play smart. The following ways can help you save some money on streaming:

 

• Before subscribing to any streaming service, check if it is being offered as part of a bundle. For example, instead of getting Hulu at 5.99 USD and Disney Plus at 6.99, you can get a bundle of Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN for 12.99 USD monthly.
  
  
• Cancel any service when you think you do not have anything more to watch. We know that there will never come a time when you would have to watch each and everything on a particular streaming service, however, we all experience times when there is nothing that matches our interests. That is the time to cancel that particular service. The best thing about streaming platforms is that you can cancel and re-subscribe at any time without paying an extra dime.
  
  
• Do not get live TV. Let’s call a spade space – live TV is expensive and if you do not crave sports then you might just not need it. Subscribe to news apps like NY times and keep getting all the information you need. Watch sports highlights on free streaming services like YouTube.
  
  
• Subscribe to ad-supported versions of streaming platforms. This will help you get great content at a lesser rate.
  
  
• Sharing your account with family and friends can also divide the burden.
  
  

The Final Verdict

 

Cord-cutting has proven to be beneficial when it comes to saving money. However, in this article, we have shared tips to save money either way and so we hope that you choose the option that works for you.

 

Good luck!