*Updated for 2020*

*This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

A year ago, my boyfriend and I decided to cut the cord and ditch cable. Comcast cable to be exact… It’s the best decision we have ever made. However, there was a point in my life I thought I can never live without cable.

I’m a TV junkie. I like to turn it on when I know nothing is on and just flip through channels. I usually tell people that the TV was my babysitter when I was a kid.

I know that sounds terrible! But for me, cable TV was like a book, you can escape into a different reality. So when the first conversation came about getting rid of cable. I very was hesitant.

I didn’t want to part with cable. I loved watching my shows and if cable TV wasn’t on, I felt like I was missing something. Total, FOMO!

But more than that, TV is relaxing for me. Especially after a long day at work, or a lounging Saturday morning on one of many rainy days in the Pacific Northwest. Cable TV, that was my entertainment.

When it was time to make a decision on ditching cable, honestly, this was our second go at cutting the cord. Our first time, we had the whole package of 200+ channels with special movie channels. Then we decided to ditch cable because we couldn’t justify our time at home, for a $150 cable bill. That only last briefly, until I initiated a new cable plan.

At first, we tried just a little beyond basic cable, no DVR, no movie channels, just a simple cable plan. It was only $65 a month and very manageable. But then we bought our house.

This is where we went a little beyond our means. We hooked up cable in multiple rooms, bundled internet, added DVR and movie channels, and would even buy movies On Demand at least once or twice a month. It was excessive.

Two years down the road, we found cable wasn’t worth the time or the money. We were busy and once again couldn’t justify the cost with the time we would spending watching cable TV, not to mention all the channels we didn’t even watch at all.

It finally occurred to me that we were averaging $200 a month on cable. Not only that, but I would also find myself flipping through channels more than watching TV shows altogether. Oh the time wasted…I came to realize that I pay for a lot of channels that I never even watch and really have no interest in watching at all!

I used to justify my monthly cable bill as my monthly entertainment. What a big mistake! That $2400 a year could’ve easily been an annual family vacation. I felt guilty of spending so much on something that gave back so little.

*This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

Alternative Cable Option

When we ditched cable for good, I had to find a way to watch my shows. Since I bought my 50’ SANYO TV back in 2007 (that’s still going strong) it’s not a “Smart” TV. My boyfriend who is a lover of all things Amazon decided to buy the Amazon Fire Stick.

We used to have to stream Netflix, the internet, YouTube and everything else through our Xbox One. Now with the Amazon Fire Stick, we can do all that and more without the Xbox. We even found out that if you are an Amazon Prime member you can get unlimited streaming of thousands of movies, TV episodes, and music.

And there is more…the Amazon Fire Stick is mobile. You can take it any where with you, all you need is an internet connection and plug in to an HDMI outlet.

Next, I decided to investigate live TV streaming. I missed the live TV option. For some reason I felt like I was missing out on something. Remember, I have FOMO!

I narrowed down two options Hulu and DIRECTV NOW now called AT&T NOW. I downloaded both to my Amazon Fire Stick and tried them out using their free week trials.

After trying them out for a full free week trials, I found that AT&T NOW had more of the channels I watch. They even gave me $5 off the $40 monthly fee for joining as a promotion. 

A few months later, I even had a promotional period where I was only charged $10 a month for 3-months! My old cable service would never do that!

For AT&T NOW I pay $50 a month for 65+ channels, that’s $600 a year for at home entertainment! Now compare that to my old cable bill…remember $2400 a year? I still watch the same TV shows as before and even have more access to movies for less.

Final Thoughts

Since DIRECTV NOW changed to AT&T NOW the packages have slightly changed. The lowest priced package is $65 and the highest priced package is $135 a month. You still get a week trial period for free. With the $65 a month package, you only get for 45+ channels not 65+ but does include HBO for free.

Also, there are quite a few international, sports, and premium channel packages. Since I have been a DIRECTV NOW customer I still continue to have 65+ channels for the $50 rate. I will definitely continue unless I find something better.

**Update**

I did find something that fits our lifestyle a little bit more. It is Philo! I tried out the free trial period and decided to make the switch. I guess what? It is only $20 a month. Use this link: (GET PHILO) You will get $5 off and so will I! Best of all, try it out for FREE for 7 days, with no credit card required and no contract commitment.

If you like the benefits of cable but hate the cost, ditch cable right away. With the contracts and hidden fees of your monthly cable bill, you can buy an Amazon Fire Stick (unless you already have a smart TV), join a streaming service and reap all the same benefits of cable TV for only a fraction of the cost.

Are you thinking about ditching cable too? Or already have? How much do you think you can save? Let me know in the comments section below.