Cord Cutting for Beginners | Cancel Cable TV in 5 Easy Steps

[@FrugalRules]

What’s one thing keeping you from cutting the cord on cable?

[@MrStallion777]

spectrum cable, phone and internet is 125 a month. In Sept it will go up to about 170. Not sue if I will save very much if I switch.

[@FrugalRules]

@@MrStallion777 Do you have a landline with them? Depending on what you watch it's fairly likely that you'd save money by switching to streaming.

[@MrStallion777]

no landline. Internet by itself will be $93. Internet and cable will be $147@@FrugalRules

[@FrugalRules]

@@MrStallion777 Got ya. Yea, it's still possible that you could save some money. But, it largely depends on what you watch & features you want. If there are other IPSs in your area that could help too, but know there isn't a lot of competition for that in many cities.

[@franturbitt4595]

Does my woofer, surround sound, receiver, radio remote control become obsolete?

[@chewface2283]

I enjoy your channel. This video got me thinking about cutting the cord, i finally did, i was paying 170.00 per month for cable. I have no live tv but i don't miss it at all. Streaming services i have 1. Hulu 6.99 2. Paramount+ 4.99 3. Prime video 8.99 4. Peacock 4.99 5. Starz 8.99 6. HBO max 4.99(for 6 months then 9.99) so I'm saving a ton of money and my girlfriend has netflix 😁

[@FrugalRules]

That's awesome to hear! At $45/mo, after your HBO Max cost goes up, you're saving some solid cash. We think more are going to see that they don't necessarily need live TV, especially when it's not football season. Enjoy those savings!

[@spaceghost4474]

Great video folks. 👍👍👍 I think that when I was planning to leave cable I had like 5 of these running on their free trials all at once. Thinking back, I should have probably been looking at only one or two at a time. I kind of had PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS. 😟🤣 IF people follow the advice you give here, they probably won't go wrong. My top piece of advice to people who ask me is; DON'T CANCEL ANYTHING UNTIL YOU ARE SURE THAT STREAMING IS FOR YOU.

[@FrugalRules]

Ha, yea, we can see how that'd easily lease to paralysis by analysis. We tend towards the same way, so it's best to try one or two at a time. Excellent point on not canceling until you determine streaming is for you! The last thing you want is to cut the cord, find that it doesn't work for you, and end right back up in a pricey contract. If cable is for you, then that's fine but you won't know until you test it out.

[@gamelover29]

We love locast! We donate 5.50 a month

[@spaceghost4474]

The problems with Locast are twofold. The "FREE" version is unusable do to constant interruption asking for a $5.00 "DONATION" which is in reality a subscription fee. While that $5.00 is very affordable, it is probably what is going to bring them down. They can't stay in business without it, because they can't get advertiser money to help support them. They are currently fighting an uphill battle against the broadcasters law suits, and IMO, they have very little chance of winning, because of the deep pockets of those companies and their ability to SUBSTANTIALLY grease the pockets of the "Judges" and politicians who decide these matters. It really is a shame, but I think that the future for Locast is VERY questionable.

[@FrugalRules]

@@spaceghost4474 Good points. We've not personally used Locast, but we fear that they'll lose as well. There's just too much money against them. We'd love for that NOT to be the case, but it's a significant challenge at best.

[@spaceghost4474]

@@FrugalRules ONE way this could be solved would be for Locast to just charge their current "DONATION" price to everyone and drop the contribution facade, while making a deal for advertiser money to be split on maybe 70% for the broadcasters and 30% for Locast, or some similar deal. But I seriously doubt that the broadcasters would make a deal like that, because it makes too much sense. Both entities could make money, and the broadcasters could increase their revenue base. After all, 70% of something is better than 100% of nothing, but as long as the broadcasters KNOW that they don't have to bargain, they will NEVER agree. The greedy Judges and grifting politicians could still get their bribes too.

[@FrugalRules]

@@spaceghost4474 Good points all around. We like the idea of charging that small fee, especially as it'd make it easier for those that don't want to deal with an antenna to get their locals. But, like you said, the telecom companies would be unlikely to go for it. Once you open up the idea that we as subs might go to a cheaper service, that doesn't have locals, they will fear erosion of their customer base. That's also not to mention politicians, and others, getting in the way.

[@GregCASERTA]

We really like the ability to record and rewind and fast forward shows with our Direct TV. Is there a way to get around that when you cut the cord? Thx

[@fayehill268]

Thank you John and Nicole for your excellent videos!! I have a question, I have Direct TV and am thinking about cutting the cord. if I just want to do a free trial to see which one is for me - do I need to disconnect my DirectTV?

[@FrugalRules]

Of course! We're glad you've found them helpful. Great question! Nope, you can subscribe to free trials to any service while still being a DirecTV subscriber. We actually recommend doing that if you've never cut the cord. That'll help you determine if it's for you & find a service you like before making the switch. :)

[@stevejohnson1321]

Also if you goo off cable completely, return the converters and DVRs. Insist on a receipt. You will get billed if they are not brought back.

[@monikamakarewicz4697]

i have an old router branded Netgear...its not wireless...and is about 8-10 yrs old...will that work still for me ok ?

[@FrugalRules]

At that age, it's likely best to upgrade it for best performance.

[@karend.6147]

Thank you for the great content. Supposedly, I live in an area where there are no locals channels via Antenna. How do I confirm this before I buy an antenna? Also, just so you know, we can hear when John taps the table with his hands as he speaks. 😁

[@FrugalRules]

Of course! Sure, you can use this page on the FCC site to see what you can get in your area. www.fcc.gov/media/engineering/dtvmaps That might be of assistance. Good to know, thanks for the feedback. :)

[@karend.6147]

@@FrugalRules Thank you😊

[@FrugalRules]

@@karend.6147 Of course. Happy to help!

[@judys5767]

Also, antennas do not work at every home successfully. One friend must move the antenna often and reprogram the channel lineup. Cutting the cord is not simple and no one addresses the issues one may encounter. I would like to see a video that addresses potential issues. I was told streaming would work in my home and it did not. Fortunately I had not cancelled cable service first. And no one has addressed what should replace all the cable cords plugged into back of tv. If I unplug, will TV work? Also ROKU remotes are tiny and do not provide same features as the cable remote so that is another consideration.

[@FrugalRules]

We're glad you didn't cancel either since you encountered challenges. 🙂 Yes, not everyone can use an antenna...largely because of where they live. But there are ways around it. Some live services offer local channels and some on-demand services allow for some local content. Streaming works over the internet, so you don't need most of the cords you have with cable. 🙂

[@thehowmanthehowman1503]

onyy 2 streaming services have my Marquee Sports Network to watch my Cubs Games Fubo Tv and At&Tv can you do a Reveiw on At&Tv thanks i watch your videos alot you are very informative

[@FrugalRules]

Glad you've found them helpful! Yep, we actually have a review of AT&T TV coming up in the very near future.

[@spaceghost4474]

I tried AT&T TV NOW last year just after Roku started carrying the app again, and I thought it had very good picture, sound quality, channel availability. It's a bit too expensive for me though. Also it's DVR was just plain terrible because it had very limited storage capacity, and would only retain your recordings for 90 days. For the price you pay for their packages the DVR should be better. Even now when you purchase the upgraded DVR for an additional $10.00, they STILL only keep your recordings for 90 days. If they still have a free trial period, I would definately recommend that you check it out. It MIGHT be just what you are looking for. :-)

[@FrugalRules]

@@spaceghost4474 We tried both AT&T & DirecTV Now a number of times and completely agree on your experience/thoughts. It's a shame they're the only ones with RSNs. We dug around a good bit in doing our review, and they don't offer a free trial. Buried on their site is you can cancel within 14 days and get your money back. We don't know that's something to trust or not though.

[@spaceghost4474]

@@FrugalRules It really is a shame about their DVR. AT&T TV could really be great if they fixed that and got a bit more reasonable with their prices, but one thing about that is that they include HBO MAX for 1 year and Starz is included in, I believe their Ultimate package, for $94.99 plus tax. If they would include a better DVR (which for the price, they could), I would really consider trying them again.

[@FrugalRules]

@@spaceghost4474 Yea, it is. It's laughable they only offer 20 hours as the base, not to mention your other points. Their pricing is what keeps us from actively directing viewers to them. They're too damn expensive in our opinion.

[@aarontaylor6464]

Leave it up to Costco to have a $200 TV that had Discovery + already programmed. I bought a LG in 2019 and still can't install Discovery +.

[@FrugalRules]

Dang, sorry. That sucks. Have you reached out to Discovery+ about the issue?

[@FURDOG1961]

`0:00

[@HayesWalles]

I want to connect 2v😢

[@judys5767]

Not all SMART TV's will allow streaming as the services are not supported on older tv's!!!!! My Smart TV was made in 2015 and does not support Hallmark Movies Now, Spectrum and KZbin TV!!!!!

[@FrugalRules]

Yes, that's true. But, if you have a Roku, which it seems like you do, you should be able to get all of those services on your TV. 🙂

[@stargoddess28]

Ppl are pissing me off I literally want to cut the cord not this streaming bs how do you actually remove the cords?!