Our cable bill is currently through the roof,
but you know that I need my TV and DVR like I need my Coffee in the mornings. It is a necessity.
I asked on my instagram stories if people have had any success with dropping cable and using a streaming service or combo of things instead and I got more responses to that one question than anything ever before.  Which is amazing – thank you!  It seems like there are so many great options, but now I’m in a deep dive of figuring out which route we should go.

When my husband first suggested cutting cable,
I informed him those were some serious fighting words to spew in my direction.

A divorce will cost a lot more than our cable bill.

One main option OTHER than cutting cable is to call the cable company when your bill has gone through the roof and say you’re cancelling.  They will always lower it.

Many said to actually cancel and they will keep coming back to you until your last day of service with the lowest rate,
or to be armed with info from competitors about what they are offering you to switch.

This is the best bet to KEEP your cable and to cut the cost.

There are a few options for cutting cable that everyone sent in, and many with lots of info about each one.
(Thank you thank you again – it was so helpful!).

The 5 main contenders are:
Sling // YouTubeTV // Hulu Live TV // AT&T Now // Playstation Vue

Everyone was pretty split on what they used, but YouTube TV and Hulu TV were the top contenders.
edit : this just in – apparently playstation vue is shutting down in January 

But one problem that arises is that certain channels are excluded from certain providers, or you pay extra for certain channels.   Yes, Bravo is my #1 and it holds the key to my heart, but I watch…. well….. A LOT.

// pumpkins from ballard design, 25% off//

Like…. I like the morning news shows DVR’d so I can skip through them during my morning workouts.  So that’s ABC/NBC.
I like Big Brother in the summer, that’s CBS.
I have a love hate relationship with KUWTK and that’s E!

Do I HAVE to have Food Network for my Sunday mornings? I mean…. YES
Do I HAVE to have HGTV for lazy background TV and home reno shows…. Uh….. YEAH I DO.
I’d go on but it literally would never end.
I don’t discriminate.  I’m a lover not a hater – there’s a place for everyone and everything and every channel in my home.
And also, y’all have more of a life than I do…. I don’t think you are as COMMITTED as I am.
I NEED IT AND I NEED IT ALL.

Oh…. and all that boring educational garbage my husband watches plus his version of “reality tv” which is History/Science Channel and all those shows about living in the middle of nowhere Alaska and a few shows about Finding Bigfoot and Aliens and more nonsense like that.

Seriously…. who am I married to???

We already have Netflix + Amazon Prime, and the only thing we *don’t* need is HBO or Showtime because if I’ve gone this long without it, no need. (Although we *are* watching Billions right now through an app and I love it.)

So…. how to narrow down what works best for you and your TV needs?

Several of you sent me this post from Young House Love’s blog and it’s super helpful.
she originally did Roku + Playstation Vue, but has since switched to Sling.

A few super helpful resources to help narrow down the options and see their differences.

This post breaks down how to cut cable based on your needs – and what it will cost you.

This post shows a side by side comparison of all of the channels so you can see what offers what is important to you (or your significant other).

And finally you can find a summary and comparison of each one in this post. 

Are you overwhelmed yet and you haven’t even clicked on those links above?!
ME TOO.

It seems like for all of these options, if you don’t want to watch on your laptop/phone/tablet, you will need to have a Smart TV, a Roku, an Amazon Fire Stick, or an Apple TV.   So there is an upfront cost with that.
AND you of course have to still pay for internet….. and my guess is that when you aren’t bundling, they try to really get ya with that. Ugh.

OH. And one more important thing. It’s suggested that before cutting cable you do a free trial for one – or multiple – of these services to see which one works best for you.  Some are more of a pain than others for accessing your DVR or switching between channels or shows.

So….. basically…. I THINK, but I’m still debating, that YouTubeTV may be our best bet?!
It seems to have the majority of the channels that we need, you can have have multiple users watching at once, and the DVR has unlimited storage space – which is big for me.
We have A LOT on our DVR…. unnecessarily, but ya know, what if I want to watch that ONE specific episode of the 48 episodes of The Goldbergs I have saved?

Seriously…. if you don’t watch The Goldbergs – GET ON IT.
You are missing out on pure gold.
But I digress……

I think YouTube TV is the best bet for us with channel line up and with unlimited DVR.

So the question remains, can I survive without cable?
Mayyyyybe????
Can I survive without my shows?

I’ll keep you posted on what we switch to.  Because I definitely want to cut it entirely.  For this week, the goal is to call and “cancel” with the cable company to work on our $190/month bill.
I know cutting the cord entirely is the right thing to do – and I will be SO proud of myself if we do it…

but I’M SCARED.

Stay Tuned……

A quick note: These adorable pumpkins are all on sale at Ballard Designs right now.
Perfect for Halloween but also for a Thanksgiving Tablescape!

For a DIY option, you can make a gingham pumpkin at home on the cheap.
I did one real pumpkin and one fake pumpkin.
You can see a tutorial for how to do this (and do it much better than I did) on Kelly’s blog here.

I also currently have this faux boxwood on our front door along with the gingham doormat.
This should be the set up until the Christmas decor comes out, which I will *NOT* be doing until Thanksgiving weekend!