Each year more and more people make the plunge and cancel their subscription to cable TV with the intent of saving money, but not all end up there.
It depends on how smartly you choose. The allure and variety of stellar programming available on a plethora of services including Disney Plus, HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu can add up if you sign up for all of them. Many first time cord-cutters make the mistake of trying to duplicate the channels they had available on cable, and according to Dwight Silverman, currently consumer tech staff writer for Forbes and former tech columnist for the Houston Chronicle, says that’s their downfall. “Those are the ones that cost you the most, that first time cord cutters jump to but quickly find they end spending almost as much as they did when they had cable.”
By the time you add the cost of internet and Amazon Prime, and Netflix so you can watch “The Crown,” and Disney Plus for “Mandalorian,” and “Grey’s Anatomy” on Hulu, you possibly haven’t saved a dime. Silverman says make you choices based on shows, not channels, because streaming services don’t have contracts and you can cancel any time. Sign up for Disney Plus and binge your heart out on Baby Yoda, but when you’re done watching this season of Mandalorian, cancel it and move on.
It was a much easier proposition when there were fewer streaming options available, and every month that cable bill arrived in the mail it was a no brainer to cut the cord. “$217 a month, that’s the average cost for cable TV. That actually is more than the average cost for many utilities, and that’s why people want to drop it and try streaming,” adds Silverman.
Cable was easy, streaming is going to require staying on top of things, but it is possible to save money. As Yoda might say, “Try not. Do, or do not.”
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