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I grew up without cable.  I never knew what it was like to have it.

Until I went to college.  Then, we had every channel you could want.  And that was when MTV was popular, and we all wanted our MTV!

I continued to have cable, and pay that ridiculous amount of money as I moved out on my own in my own apartment, and when I got married.  Until we moved into a historical home.

When they came to do the hookup, there was no cable hookup already.  Since it was a historical house, the cable company refused to drill through the old historic brick due to the risk of hurting the home and hurting the historic property.

I was so angry with them at the moment.  It was the BEST thing that ever happened to us!  We were forced to do without it for a while, and then think outside of the box for the best solution.

How to Get Rid of the Cable Cord and Still Enjoy Television

There are many ways to enjoy television without missing your cable.  There are several alternatives to cable.  You should first survey your television use.  Do you even watch it that much, or is it just something you feel you need?

If you don’t watch a lot of television, you may be able to just rely on your DVD player for the occasional movie rental.

Maybe you want some basics.  Then you can watch TV via broadcast using an HDTV digital antenna.

HDTV Digital Antenna

In 2007, all of the local television stations went to digital broadcast. This means you can still get local channels without cable! (Does anyone else remember when this happened, and what a huge deal it was at the time?) Now, you can buy an HDTV digital antenna and watch all your local stations.  (Don’t worry, they are small and nothing like the big 80s version antennas you see in the movies (or remember if you are me!))

These antennas usually scan for the available stations, so they are easy as just plugging in.  They also can be used inside without climbing out of your window and trying to hang it (that might sound crazy, but we used to have to do that!)

Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime

These are the major alternatives you often hear about.  Streaming services have started to become the most popular!  Actually, most modern TVs and DVD players will have these built in as an option.  (Our new TV upstairs has all of them plus more!)

Netflix has three different plans to match your needs and ranges from $7.99 – $13.99 in price.  It also has no commitment, and you can cancel it at any time.  You can also stream this to your TV from your device, and we use a Chromecast at our house. Netflix has started to make a name for themselves with their fantastic Netflix originals, and we have several we enjoy more than what’s on regular television.  You can get a free month trial of Netflix!

Hulu is another option, and they offer a free month trial as well!  You can get a package that you can stream for $7.99 a month, and add-on as you please.  (You can add HBO for an extra cost.)  You can also get Hulu with a live TV option for $39.99. (I have never used the live TV option, as we use Sling, so I can not comment on how it works.  We have only used the $7.99 package in the past.)  Hulu is also getting in on original programming and had a famous original, The Handmaid’s Tale. Again, no contracts, commitments, and no product rentals needed.

Amazon Prime Video is also becoming known for their original programming. My husband and I both enjoy The Man In the High Castle and are eagerly awaiting season 3. The prime video is included in an Amazon Prime account.  You can stream it anywhere you are.  Our DVD player actually connects to Amazon Video, and we watch it through this.

Sling TV as an Alternative Cable Solution

As our son started getting into Disney, we decided to splurge and get Sling TV.

It’s the perfect solution for us.  It’s a live TV streaming service.  There is no contract.  You can cancel it at any time.  There are no hidden fees.  (You can also watch FREE for seven days, which is how I started!)

I can’t suggest Sling TV enough, as I said – it’s our personal choice for our home – and we have had a very positive experience with it.  (I am watching Food Network as I type!)

We use a Chromecast to stream it from our phones to the television.  You can also use a Roku as well.  (Sling sometimes has different offers where if you pay for two months, you can get a free Roku, so you will want to check that out!)

You choose your package: orange or blue package. (You could get both if you so desired.)  Each package offers different television channels, so you can get the one best suited for your family.  No useless channels!

These are just a few of the options, as there are many options continually coming onto the market!!!  I chose to highlight the ones in the post because they are the ones I’ve actually used or still currently use!

I think if you can get brave enough to just cut the cable cord, you will find many alternative options that are much cheaper.  You certainly won’t miss cable, and you definitely won’t miss paying $100+ just to be able to watch some television!