No savings from not having cable?

**sniper260** · 03-29-2014, 04:56 AM

You need a new Internet provider.... Internet only should not be that much....

we pay $54 for internet... only provider we can use.... and our NetflixIis a shared account... no TV cable wasted money... it's awesome... it's such a waste. There are so many other things to do than watch tv.

**hamchan** · 03-29-2014, 05:08 AM

My husband says Comcast is the only cable modem provider in our area, and nothing else available would be fast enough. I personally watch tv next to never, but I am not the only one who lives here, and 10$ a month is pretty cheap entertainment.

**KTP** · 03-29-2014, 06:16 AM

We are also in the Seattle area and stuck with Comcrap. It is funny that we have cable plus internet for $129 then they raise rates to $149. I called them and found the only way I can reduce our rate is to add phone service for their triple plan. Adding services reduces my bill from $149 to $119. They also add in HBO for free.

I am not even going to use the phone or even install it but I like the $30 cheaper payment.

**corn18** · 03-29-2014, 06:19 AM

Maybe yo can find a cell phone service that has unlimited data and a good connection speed? If I could get Tmobile in my area, I would cnx my DSL service and just use that.

**hamchan** · 03-29-2014, 07:02 AM

We had unlimited data with Verizon, but it cost us 130$ more than we are currently paying for cell service, and it was really not fast enough for streaming anyway.

So, now I am wondering if it might be cheaper bundled with a land line. We don't currently have one.

**Brayman** · 03-29-2014, 07:19 AM

I've decided to cut off my cable. I have Time Warner and pay $120 for standard internet and their preferred tv package. Cutting off the cable will save me $70 each month.

If I was only using the internet to stream netflix, then I would cut that off too.

I have the Google ChromeCast (plugs into your tv's HDMI port) and will stream from most computers, phones, and tablets. It costs $35, with no monthly or yearly fees. I have been using TMobile, and pay $70 each month for unlimited talk, text, and 4G. I plan on switching to metroPCS which has a few unlimited plans, all cheaper. The only difference is that 4G cuts off at a certain point and you only get 3G speeds. However, the unlimited plan is only $60 (unlimited 4G) and you save $5 for every line you add.

You can check supported devices for ChromeCast on their website, and also check the coverage map for MetroPCS on their website. I would link, but I'm on my phone >.<

**hamchan** · 03-29-2014, 08:01 AM

We have three smartphones on Ting which runs us less than 75 a month total for up to 2 gigs of data a month shared. We do the vast majority of our internet use at home. We do use a lot of internet at home, but I'm not convinced that we really need as much speed as my husband seems to think we do. We don't do gaming, Netflix doesn't ever require more than 12 mbps even at super HD, we don't do Skype.

The way we typically watch tv I think netflix or something similar would be perfectly fine. We don't have specific shows we watch, we just sort of see what's on at any given moment. We rarely watch movies. My husband does watch most NFL games though. Particularly Seahawks games. As long as he can get those, that's really the only must have. My daughter watches a lot of tv but isn't very picky, and I will sit down and watch a show with her once in a blue moon.

All the apartments I have lived in before I moved in with DH had internet included, and I just used that, so I have never really navigated the cable/internet world in Seattle.

**hamchan** · 03-29-2014, 08:28 AM

So, dumb question, but I am assuming that Chromecast requires an existing internet connection to work, right? I don't really think that would be useful since our tv is already WiFi enabled. We can watch netflix, hulu, amazon, YouTube and a few other things directly on it as long as we can connect to WiFi.

Also, what do you need to do anymore to get local channels without cable since that big switch over a few years ago? Our tv is under a year old. Would we need any additional antennae, or equipment? I have no idea how this works now.

**autoxer** · 04-02-2014, 05:14 AM

Originally posted by hamchan View Post

Also, what do you need to do anymore to get local channels without cable since that big switch over a few years ago? Our tv is under a year old. Would we need any additional antennae, or equipment? I have no idea how this works now.

If you tv is under a year old, then it came with an ATSC tuner. All you need is an antenna. If you go to antennaweb.org, you can put in your address and see what channels are broadcast there and what kind of antenna is required to see them. If you are near a big city, then you can probably pick up quite a bit with a small multidirectional antenna.

**hamchan** · 04-02-2014, 06:29 AM

I live a couple blocks from.downtown Seattle.

So I called Comcast and made them price out various options for me. Our current package was 89 a month. If I downgraded our internet it would be 79. If I downgraded internet and dropped cable it would be 74. I decided to just downgrade the internet since we couldn't even get Netflix for five dollars a month. Haven't noticed any functional difference with our internet usage so far.

**ua_guy** · 04-02-2014, 06:41 AM

If you're looking to save but still need internet, I'd check out dropping Comcast and signing up for DSL depending on who runs service in the area. We have DSL through CenturyLink. Where we live, 1.5M DSL is the only option...but it's cheap. $20/month.

**autoxer** · 04-02-2014, 06:45 AM

According to comcast's website, you can get internet for $50/month.

Also, Is there a modem rental on your bill? You can buy your own modem and return the rental unit to save some money.

**hamchan** · 04-02-2014, 06:57 AM

The prices listed on Comcast's website are for new customers. They do have internet for existing customers for 50 a month but it's not really fast enough for streaming.

We actually are renting the modem. I believe the cost is 8$ a month. How much do they run, and where would be the best place to buy one?

**autoxer** · 04-02-2014, 07:31 AM

New modems are around $50 - $100, but I bought a used one from ebay for $20. You will need to check which models are compatible with your providers network.

No savings from not having cable?