HomeTechHacker: 3 Reasons You Should Cut the Cord

Marlon Buchanan

By Marlon Buchanan

Are you ready to cut the cord? To me, cutting the cord means no longer relying on cable/satellite service for your TV viewing. 

Instead, cord-cutters use some combination of streaming services and an antenna.

I finally got around to cutting the cord in 2019. Here are some of the reasons I did it, and why you should consider it.

You could save money

There is a good chance you’ll save money using streaming replacement services like YouTubeTV and SlingTV instead of cable and satellite. This will in large part depend on how many streaming services you end up subscribing to, and what channels you need. One thing that is great about streaming services is that there are no hidden fees. The price they state is the price you pay.

You can save even more if you can use an antenna to get your local stations. My personal experience is that I saved a significant amount of money by cutting the cord, especially when you consider I was already paying for some streaming services. Speaking of which…

You already have to stream your favorite shows

You’re probably already using services like Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Netflix. Moreover, more and more shows are exclusive to their proprietary streaming service. Some of these shows are not even available on cable or cable replacement services. You are already streaming video, so why not cut the cord completely?

No contracts

In order to get the best rates from satellite and cable TV providers you usually have to commit to a contract. Canceling your service can cost you, and some will charge activation and/or installation fees if you come back.

Some streaming services offer discounts for annual subscriptions but you can always choose a monthly subscription and cancel whenever you want. 

Also, you don’t have to call someone and deal with the “retention” department when canceling. It can all be handled online. And, you can come back whenever you want with no fees involved in canceling or subscribing.

Some streaming services I only use for parts of the year. I cancel or pause them when I’m not using them which helps me to save more money.

Some things to consider before you cut the cord

Cord-cutting isn’t for everybody. Even if you think it is for you, make sure to consider the following:

• You may not save as much as you think – Streaming services have been raising their prices. But, so have cable and satellite companies. However, you may end up paying more if you have your cable service bundled with your Internet service. If you cancel your cable service, your Internet bill may go up.
• You’ll have lots of choices to manage – There are so many streaming services. It may take some time to find the right mix of services to meet your needs.
• You need good Internet service – Streaming services will be frustrating if your Internet service has low bandwidth or is unreliable. Also, many Internet service providers impose data caps and will charge you overage fees. You should improve your Internet service first if you have any of these issues. I ended up switching to a better and faster service with no data caps that actually cost me less than what I was paying.

Cutting the cord may be a great option for you. Just be sure you’ve considered the advantages and potential disadvantages.

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Marlon Buchanan is a best-selling author, IT Director, and founder of HomeTechHacker.com, a website with free resources to help you make the most of your home technology. He lives in Lake Forest Park.