We cut the cord!

In an attempt to save as much money as we can for remodel projects, we are trying to cut expenses.  We went through every expense to see where we could shave a little.  I'll skip all the boring details and tell you the punch line: We cancelled cable!
We cut the cord!

 And we're all still alive. 
Update: the day after this post went out, I learned that cancelling cable is actually the latest "hip" thing to do...it even has a phrase coined for it: Cutting the Cord.  Ok, so stick with me and you'll be up on all the latest trends.  I guess the other trend is to cut your home phone service and just stick with cells.  I'm not quite ready for that yet...but perhaps one of these computer phone services (Costco sells some box and you get lifetime phone service) will be in our future?
Our kids don't get to watch much TV (half hour a day if they're lucky), and I watch little to none (except for my trashy addictions: Survivor, American Idol, The Bachelor and occasionally Dancing with the Stars)........

but DH loves TV. 

He made the biggest sacrifice by far. 

Thanks babe, our wainscoting will thank you too. 

So that was at the end of May. Our son had earned over 2 hours of TV time that he had saved up over the previous few weeks.  I told him to use it all cause TV was about to go bye bye.  He had a "Cyberchase" marathon (watching about 8 episodes I had recorded) and shortly thereafter, the box was gone.  Towards the end of summer he asked when we were getting it back,

"didn't we just get rid of TV for the summer?" 

Nope, that would only be a savings of $210, barely enough to pay for the number of times I change my mind with paint color.  So here we are, 5 months into having no cable and loving it!  Do we miss cable, nope!  We watch TV and lots of it, only it's free! 

Have you heard of hulu? 
You can watch just about any series that exists on TV (or at least any that are on the 25 or so channels that I actually WATCHED of the 1,000+ channels we used to get).  And if you plug your computer into the TV, viola, all the TV shows you could ask for.  So Survivor plays on.  I just have to watch it a day later.  Just like with TiVo, you can pause it, rewind, etc.......but you can't use a remote,

you actually have to get up

 like the olden days when you'd have to turn the knob to

change the channel. 

Oh well, call it exercise. 

And then a couple months ago, DH signed up for a free month trial of Netflix on line. 
You can watch hundreds of movies or TV shows on demand (immediately) and also order DVDs to be delivered to your mailbox.  After the trial period, we decided we enjoyed it so much we signed up for $9/month. 

The biggest bummer now was live sports.  But then I discovered that many websites broadcast games, too.  Cal games could be played on the computer and watched on the big screen

TV.  It was all working out pretty well until................

THE GIANTS MADE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES!!! 

I listened to the play-off games on AM radio but my house is so loud all the time, I couldn't tell what was going on at all!  I figured we'd eat at Wipe Out for the next 2 weeks just to watch the games. 

And then, DH came home with this:

 Radio Shack, $11

Did you know they still exist?  Good ol' fashioned RABBIT EARS.
(Thanks to my brother for the idea, he did graduate from Harvard and Yale, no wonder)

Well they do and they are AWESOME! 

And just $11.
THey're kinda ugly, though...do you think a little spray paint would help?

But either way, cute or not so much..........

Now I don't miss a wind-up...

...a pitch

....an out

OR A WIN!



We get all the major networks (FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. etc....just ask me if you want a list of everything), in HD, with crystal clear picture. 

Hum Baby!

The World Series is ON!

Come on Giants! 

And as a bonus, I can watch Survivor on Wednesday nights. 

So our cable bill went from $70/month..........to $9/month (Netflix) and I don't miss a single thing.  That's a savings of $732/year. 

Now that will definitely buy us more than a can of paint.

Come on, give it a try...
CUT YOUR CORD.

GO GIANTS!