Years ago, I got tired of paying for watching TV, so I cut the cord. What does that mean and how did I do it?

Paying to watch TV became very expensive and I did a little research. I discovered that I could watch almost everything I wanted through an antenna. Sound archaic? Perhaps, but it was true then and now. I purchased a couple of indoor antennas and tried them. Neither of them worked very well so I returned them.

I then made some phone calls and found only 2 vendors that would install an antenna on the roof. I had one installed. The installer made sure that all my TVs were all scanned and ready to go. I got about 76 free channels at the time. Now, I get over 120.  I started watching tv for free. When I returned all of my cable boxes to the company I was using and they desperately tried to get me to stay but I refused. I still have the receipt for the return of the boxes as it got pretty ugly with them. How much did I save? About $100/mo. Over a year’s time, that added up to $1,200 in my pocket not theirs. How much did the antenna cost to be installed? $500. So, in 5 months’ time, I paid back my cost and was ahead $700 in just the first year.

Every month that I’ve had that antenna, I put that extra $100 into my emergency fund, and still do. It costs nothing to maintain and just sits up there doing its job. However, I have added an antenna DVR to my system for about $150. Now, instead of having to watch things when they are broadcast, I tape my programs and watch them at my leisure. I’ve added a couple of streaming services and pay for them using my cashback from my credit card (see my 09/22/25 post). That makes them free. Of course, you do need internet service, which I had when I had cable and still do.

Moral of the story:

If you need to cut expenses, one place to look is pay tv. You can definitely “cut the cord” and still get what you need. There are streaming services to receive sports, movies, etc. In all honesty, neither hubby nor I miss anything that cable provided. Can’t put an antenna on your roof? Consider your attic or an indoor antenna. It may work for you. Check streaming services for channels that aren’t tied to an antenna.