4 Low Cost Alternatives to Cable

When you’re trying to cut expenses, one of the first things that most people look at is their tv service, but sometimes it can be really hard to let go of it. After all, cable is something that most of us have grown up with and having something else can actually just seem “wrong.” Cable is crazy expensive though, when chances are you only watch a handful of channels and a handful of shows. No matter which service you have: cable, Dish, or DirectTv, there is a much cheaper alternative that won’t cost you a hundred dollars or more each month. In fact, there are 4 Low Cost Alternatives to Cable that can really help you save!

4 Low Cost Alternatives to Cable

Hulu Plus: Most of us know that Hulu Plus exists, but did you know that the vast majority of the shows you probably watch are on it and that it can save you significantly? Prices start at just $8.99 for the package that does have ads or just $12.99/month for ad free. Now you can even add on some of the premium channels that you may enjoy too for a few extra dollars a month.

Netflix: An oldie but goodie, Netflix is still a fantastic way to save money on your tv costs. For $9.00 or so each month you can stream thousands of movies and tv shows. You won’t find recent shows, but it’s a fantastic way to binge watch your favorites. Netflix is also great for homeschooling too since they have a boat load of educational shows and movies too!

Amazon Instant Video: This one gets forgotten about a lot, but Amazon Prime members also get access to Amazon Instant Video. With hundreds of movies and shows, it is actually worth becoming a Prime member JUST for the tv. The $99.00 per year cost works out to just $8.25 per month and of the 3 paid services I will mention in this post, it is by far the cheapest. If you’ve never been a member, you can actually score a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime to test it out and see how you like it.

Network websites: If after looking at the three above, you really just don’t want to pay for your tv shows, most network websites do allow you to watch their current shows for free (to an extent). You can usually only watch the most recent episode and most of them only have a day or two before they are moved to the paid sections. If you miss one, you’ll need to pay to subscribe to their services. A few networks that let you watch free are CBS, TNT, and ABC. Not all do though so be sure you take a look before you plan to watch a show.

Entertainment doesn’t need to cost you an arm and a leg, but it easily can if you let it. The 4 options above are very easy to get started and they’re so much cheaper than conventional television providers. Changing your service can be scary (since you don’t know if you’ll like it, etc), but it is a change that you won’t regret. Once I made the jump from a $158.00/mo cable bill to less than $20.00 each month for Hulu and Netflix, I haven't looked back. I still get to see the shows I want and my budget is much happier.