I've had it with cable

**Broken Arrow** · 12-02-2008, 07:00 AM

I've cut my cable for years now.

However, I am thinking of eventually coming back with over-the-air HDTV. I've already looked into it, and it turns out that several channels are available in my area. Some are even in HD format.

**Gjowers** · 12-02-2008, 07:09 AM

One day I might go to over the air HD. I would need a converter though. My TV is an 9 year old Sanyo I bought after finishing graduate school. I love it. It's a point of pride for me that I don't have a flat screen with 500 channels and all the bells and whistles.

**scfr** · 12-02-2008, 08:39 AM

Don't you love what the cable companies call "Basic Cable"? If a new customer calls and says they "just want basic cable," what they wind up getting is a fancy package with a bunch of extra channels. When you call, be sure to ask them what their least expensive package is. Where I used to live, it was called "Limited Cable." Calling it "Limited" makes it sound like you are being somehow deprived, but actually our "Limited" cable included around 10 or 12 channels which I think is a lot.

**fruitbowlk** · 12-02-2008, 08:46 AM

We haven't had cable in a year now.

**disneysteve** · 12-02-2008, 08:50 AM

We've only had cable for a little under 3 years. Before that, it was just the antenna. What made me sign up after years of resistance was learning about the limited basic plan for $10/month. With taxes, our bill is $11.30. I can't see paying any more than that to watch TV.

We did luck out, though. When they first hooked us up, there were a bunch of extra channels that are not included in the package we are paying for. The installation guy said that they'll probably turn them off after a month or two. They do it to entice you to sign up for them. Well, it's been nearly 3 years and we still have them all, so we are getting a lot more than we are actually paying for.

**ZeroDebt** · 12-02-2008, 08:54 AM

I can actually only DREAM of the day my cable cost $59. I live up in the "Great North Woods". The only not so great thing is that there is only one cable company so they can charge whatever they want. $100 for the cheapest cable package....gotta love capitalism, right?

**disneysteve** · 12-02-2008, 09:03 AM

Originally posted by ZeroDebt View Post

I can actually only DREAM of the day my cable cost $59. I live up in the "Great North Woods". The only not so great thing is that there is only one cable company so they can charge whatever they want. $100 for the cheapest cable package....gotta love capitalism, right?

We love Franconia. We were up there summer of 07. Loved hiking the Notch and around the top of Cannon Mountain. Gorgeous up there.

Anyway, can you get satellite there, like Dish or DirecTV? Those might be cheaper.

**ZeroDebt** · 12-02-2008, 09:20 AM

Hi Steve-
That's so neat to run into someone who knows Franconia...most people go "huh?" when I tell them where I'm from.

Actually they are available but you have to have a second provider for your Internet through the dish network so you end up spending more to have both from what I could tell.

That $100 was just for the cable FYI...with the Internet it's $150. They tried to talk me into a package deal to add the phone so I could spend another $50 a month with them...I pretty much told them what I thought of that idea....no Christmas card for me this year!

**disneysteve** · 12-02-2008, 09:31 AM

Originally posted by ZeroDebt View Post

Hi Steve-
That's so neat to run into someone who knows Franconia...most people go "huh?" when I tell them where I'm from.

Just introduce them to Polly's Pancake Parlor and they'll know all they need to know about the area.

**ZeroDebt** · 12-02-2008, 10:11 AM

Haha...very good point.

**trueknight** · 12-02-2008, 10:57 AM

We bundled our package a while back and it worked out pretty good - i have unlimited calling nationwide, high speed internet (mandatory for wifes work), and digital cable for 145 per month. It just made sense as we don't have cell phones to spend money on and just rely on landline. All in all, it's an easy sacrifice to make and i just pay one bill per month to the company instead of paying one to phone, one to internet provider, and another payment to the cable company.
It's not a sin to have cable - we don't go out much and spend on other things so it's good entertainment for us.

**ZeroDebt** · 12-02-2008, 12:20 PM

that's how I justify the cost too TrueKnight. I order a Payperview on the weekend for $3.99 instead of going to dinner or a movie for $20. I'd say that's a pretty good trade.

**cptacek** · 12-02-2008, 08:18 PM

In my old house, a storm knocked the dish off kilter and I called the company and they said that it would cost $50 for someone to come fix it. I told them, "nope, let's cancel it then." I could hear the CSR sputtering into the phone after I said that. I was thinking about canceling it a long time before that, but that just pushed me over the edge.

In our new home, for home phone, DSL and cable we are now paying $100.65.

I've had it with cable