How to Cut the Cable TV Cord in 2018

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A relaxed man watches video on a flat-screen TV
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Had it with high cable or satellite TV bills? You stand to save a lot of money in 2018 by ditching traditional TV services. Almost everything you might want to watch is now available online through streaming video services.

I got rid of cable TV almost four years ago, and I’ve found the switch to streaming video services to be well worth it.

I no longer have to buy bundled packages of cable channels to get just a few shows that I really want. I also don’t have to channel surf through reality shows, shopping channels or obscure sports on my way to the entertainment I want.

Most importantly, I saved least about $60 a month — $720 a year — by cutting the cable cord.

How I dumped cable TV

I used to have a fairly basic cable TV package with local channels.

It seemed good in the beginning, when I had a promotional rate as part of a big bundle of channels (many of which I never watched). Then the promotional period ended and my bill went up.

I decided to give up on traditional TV instead of paying more. So, I bought the following:

Then, I added the Hulu, Netflix and Amazon apps to my smart TV, and I was ready to roll.

So, now if I want to watch a show, I start up the right app and click to the right season and episode. That’s it.

Saving at least $60 per month

I was paying more than $100 a month for the cable TV package I had before switching to streaming video services.

Now, compare that with the current prices of the subscriptions I bought after the switch:

That’s a monthly total of $40.22.

To learn about how you might be able to save on cable or satellite TV without switching services, check out “Should You Hire a Service to Negotiate Your Cable and Other Bills?

Are you paying for cable television, streaming, satellite or a combination? Share your thoughts in comments on them below or on our Facebook page.

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