Brain Prepares To Ditch Cable And Cut The Cord!

We've been contemplating this move for several years now, but the Brain household is about to cut the cord. Yes, getting rid of cable and satellite TV service is a big step. They all set you up with such great deals but after that promo wears off, you pay through the nose! I'm tired of it. The switching just to save money. It's time to cut the cord and get rid of my $150 a month cable bill. But what do you replace it with?

First of all, I've got streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Those cost me $20 per month combined. Last year I purchased a ROKU stick. It has access to my subscription services plus access to a host of other free channels to watch. I can get news, movies, weather and more. I even found a place to get local news and weather from KGAN and KCRG! All for free. But what about sports? I'm giving Sling a try.

Sling has a selection of channels that you would find on cable, at various price points. I signed up for the $20 per month plan. I get ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, AMC, IFC and a host of other channels that I enjoy watching. I'm currently enjoying a 7-day free trial so I'm debating on whether or not to keep it. I used Sling to watch the game last night and the reception was great.

Next up is an HD antenna so I can get my local channels over the air. Yes, it's a one time expense of $40 to $70 dollars depending on the model I get, but I'll have free access to all local channels and all the major networks.

So let's do some math. My Netflix and Amazon subscriptions are $20 a month. If I ditch Sling, use my antenna for local programming, I went from paying $150 a month for cable down to $20 or $40 with Sling. If you've cut the cord at your home I'd be interested to hear what services you use and what you've had success with. The goal is to save money in 2018! Who's with me?