I Cut the Cord & I Have No Regrets!

cord cutter, Netflix, Amazon, Prime, TV, cable direct TV, streaming


About five years ago, we gave up Direct TV and we've never looked back. We have Rokus on our TVs and stream Netflix and Amazon Prime. Between the two there is something for everyone to watch, and plenty of it.

Netflix costs between $8.99 to $14.99 depending on whether or not you get the DVD option. Amazon Prime is $99 a year. If you want more network shows, there are things like Hulu. In addition to the streaming option, with our HD antenna we get most of the local channels. This takes care of sports and local news.

I prefer Netflix to Amazon because Netflix has more selection. Amazon tends to nickle and dime you for shows, but if you're patient, most shows eventually become Prime. Since I don't watch a lot of TV, by the time I get to a show I can binge watch the entire thing for free. However, the benefit with Prime is the free shipping on Amazon orders which is nice, especially at Christmas. Also, you can rent movies through Prime and save a trip to Redbox.

Roku also offers channels including YouTube and many which play free movies or older TV shows or specialize in something like news or fitness. The free channels usually make you sit through a commercial or two, but if you don't mind watching Red Lobster's Endless Shrimp commercials while watching Race for Your Life Charlie Brown, it's worth it. Also, there are some sports channels so if you like college hockey you're in luck. If you're a DIY or HGTV junky (raises hand) many shows from both channels are now available on Netflix and Prime.

One of the great things about streaming is that it also cuts down on the mindless channel surfing. When I sit down to watch TV, I have to really want to watch something. Also, Netflix has a massive amount of children's television for all ages and all without commercials. You can control what your children watch and not worry. It's great.

When you or your little ones are sick that's when you really appreciate streaming. Last year I had a nasty bout of the flu. For two weeks I could do little more than lay on the couch and watch TV. I was able to catch up on a number of period piece movies and binge watch TV shows like Turn. I never had to watch one episode of Judge Judy or see a Larry H. Parker ad (are those still on?). This is really great for when kids are sick and they just need to rest.

I hope you found this helpful. If you're considering cutting the cable then I suggest you give it a try. A Roku runs anywhere from $49 to $100 and the devices have RCA hookups to work with older TVs. If you love it then you'll free yourself from a large bill. If not, you can always go back to cable.

If you prefer to read, please check out my books because there are no commercials in them.
www.Georgie-Lee.com






10 comments:

joannabri said...

We are in the process of doing the same thing. We have DirectTv, Netflix, and Prime. We dropped down to the lowest DirectTv option, and hopefully by next month we will cut them out completely. I found a great option for those with a Playstation, Playstation Vue. I think we are going to go with that, since they have live tv, and on demand type options. They have different packages, but luckily the lowest is about $25. Way less than what we currently pay! Thanks for sharing with us at The Wednesday Showcase!

Morgan Gifford said...

We have Netflix and Hulu, as well as Amazon Prime through my parents. My husband misses his sports, but he really only watches baseball which he can get on the MLB app. It's worked great for us!
Blessed Messes

Georgie Lee said...

The more people turn to streaming, the more options Prime, Netflix etc. offer. Thanks Joanna and Morgan for stopping by!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing at Peace Love Linkup! The next linky goes live tomorrow at 6! Hope to see you there! : )

Unknown said...

Can you get BBC America?

Lisa Ehrman said...

Thanks for sharing your post about saving so much money without cable or satellite tv. We haven't been able to give up sports at our home, but I'm glad you're saving so much! Together on Tuesdays readers will enjoy reading this :)

Unknown said...

I'd love to do this but I worry I wouldn't get my favorite shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race. I should check into that! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Share The Wealth Sunday!

Unknown said...

Sally, I haven't tried BBC America but there are so many British TV options available on Roku channels, Netflix and Prime it's actually better than BBC America.

AdriansCrazyLife said...

I was just the opposite. I cut the cord for about a year and then glued it back together. I am that rare person who doesn't care for Netflix all that much. They don't have a lot of the shows I wanted and I got bored with watching six episodes of the same show. Plus I love competition shows like Faceoff, Project Runway, America's Got Talent, the Voice, Ink Mastered, and whatnot. So I went back to the most basic cable package and I still have Netflix for my husband so he can watch 10 episodes of Andy Griffith daily (don't ask!).

Ashley Tukiainen said...

I gave up cable several years ago and never looked back. I will say I miss the food network and cooking channel but other than that I can catch everything on netflix and hulu. 20-ish a month for both, where I used to pay something like 80-ish for Uverse. Thanks for sharing on FTAF!