The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: StartingEarly on December 23, 2015, 04:00:16 PM
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I am thinking of cutting cable, but there are a few shows I still want to be able to watch. They are Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Americans, Gold Rush, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Better Call Saul, plus a few others I am sure I am missing. We have netflix and hulu right now so that covers a few of them. I think they have hbo separate from cable now to get game of thrones. I mainly need to find out the best way to get the amc shows and discovery channel shows.
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Download them or stream them for free. Kinda like asking how you would listen to music if you sold your ghettoblaster and walkman...
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Welll, I made a clean break and no longer watch those shows that I loved, but no longer fit in my budget. It only hurt a couple weeks, now I don't even miss them.
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http://www.discovery.com/videos/full-episodes/ (http://www.discovery.com/videos/full-episodes/)
https://www.sling.com/package (https://www.sling.com/package)
Patience and the library/Netflix/Amazon/Vudu/etc.
...or you could just watch less television.
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Well, this has been a strange year which causes more tv time. The weather this time of year there is normally enough snow on the ground and ice on the lakes for both ice fishing and snowmobiling. Right now I can't do either and don't have much other winter hobbies.
To the person that said download and stream them for free I was looking for where to do that, some I don't think it's that easy.
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I also haven't been working all winter which normally keeps me very busy.
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For AMC, verify if Hulu has you covered. If not, Sling is an option but an expensive one for just one channel.
We were full streaming 2 months ago and our current gap are TNT shows like Rizzoli&Isles and Major Crimes.
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I am able to watch the shows I like (The Americans, Justified, etc.) for free because I borrow the DVDs from my great library. So I am a season or two behind, but that doesn't matter to me. I also watch PBS Masterpiece shows on their website.
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Rumor has it that you an use others' HBO Go password. I purchase a season pass for Walking Dead from Amazon for something like $40. Lots cheaper than $90/month for cable. Those are the only shows I watch.
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If someone could find a way to watch the English Premier league legally and would share it I'd be happy..
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For HBO, we use a relative's login. I don't feel that bad about it, because she pays like $250 a month for cable (talk about facepunch worthy!) and never watches it. For the Americans, I think we paid for it, or paid for some and (ahem) downloaded some. On other shows, we just wait for them to come on Netflix or Hulu.
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Most of the time i'll just borrow seasons from the library, but occasionally, if i really love the show, i'll just buy the season pass on iTunes. 'The Americans' is the one show where i'll splurge on iTunes, but most of the time, i'll wait for stuff to come out later.
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a few shows I still want to be able to watch. They are Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Americans, Gold Rush, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Better Call Saul, plus a few others I am sure I am missing.
Holy crap! Is that really 8 shows you watch all of? Maybe more?
Are they an hour per episode? Are there like 22 episodes per season? Are you really spending over 200 hours per year watching tv? The equivalent of five solid weeks of 9-5 at your day job? Do you watch any other tv besides those 8 shows? Do you also read 8 books at the same time?
Getting rid of cable was arguably the best thing I ever did for my self and my family. And for my health and sanity. And for curbing consumerist desires.
My vote is to pick one and get it from the library. You probably won't miss the others.
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I am thinking of cutting cable, but there are a few shows I still want to be able to watch. They are Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Americans, Gold Rush, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Better Call Saul, plus a few others I am sure I am missing. We have netflix and hulu right now so that covers a few of them. I think they have hbo separate from cable now to get game of thrones. I mainly need to find out the best way to get the amc shows and discovery channel shows.
So you could do some of the illegal things people are suggesting here, like illegally downloading episodes or hijacking HBO (or maybe I'm misinterpreting the legality of this), or you could legally find ways to accomplish the same goal.
That way, when you retire early and people say "how on earth can you afford to retire early????", you wont have to skirt around parts like this.
Anyways, start viewing as 'entertainment' rather than 'I must watch this show!'. Soon after doing this you will realize that you don't need to be addicted to particular series, and things like Hulu or Netflix make a variety of good series easily accessible.
And for those great series that are just worth it, go rent them, or get HBOgo and binge watch a series for a month.
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If you are a little patient most shows will be available on DVD eventually. My public library allows me to request DVDs via interlibrary loan, so I can get most things. There is a small fee - -usually $2 to cover mailing costs for a whole season of a show -- but it's cheaper than cable.
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a few shows I still want to be able to watch. They are Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Americans, Gold Rush, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Better Call Saul, plus a few others I am sure I am missing.
Holy crap! Is that really 8 shows you watch all of? Maybe more?
Are they an hour per episode? Are there like 22 episodes per season? Are you really spending over 200 hours per year watching tv? The equivalent of five solid weeks of 9-5 at your day job? Do you watch any other tv besides those 8 shows? Do you also read 8 books at the same time?
Getting rid of cable was arguably the best thing I ever did for my self and my family. And for my health and sanity. And for curbing consumerist desires.
My vote is to pick one and get it from the library. You probably won't miss the others.
+1
Kill your television
:)
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Too.Much.Random.Free.Time
Learn a foreign language. Learn to play a musical instrument. Learn to produce art or crafts. Volunteer. Earn that certification that would help you advance your career. Learn more about investing. Learn to cook better. Learn how to grow a garden for next spring. Learn how to fix or build something. Hit the gym or work out at home.
If you have children, then the list of meaningful opportunities is exponentially higher.
A good rule of thumb for people who overindulge in TV watching--limit yourself to one football game's worth of TV per week. That length of time covers one game for most sports or about four shows per week depending on your viewing preferences. You can catch a game with family/friends or watch a couple shows with your spouse and/or children. Not enough showtime to watch a show every day but enough time to feel like you're not deprived-- which will expose you to more productive things if you let it. And if you feel deprived, then that's a clear sign of input addiction. You don't self-direct, so you rely on something else to keep you entertained. When you reach the next decade milestone (30, 40, etc), do you really think you'll remember or care that you spent all that time on the couch? Different strokes, I guess.
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We cut the cord 7 years ago. I use Netflix. There are more shows than I have time. For the hubby we have Tivo. I do not consider that necessity but it makes him happy. Occasionally I will purchase something through Amazon Prime (The Profit). Very unmustachian, but it still beats cable. I have had no regrets cutting the cord.
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Getting rid of cable was arguably the best thing I ever did for my self and my family. And for my health and sanity. And for curbing consumerist desires.
My vote is to pick one and get it from the library. You probably won't miss the others.
THIS!
We do Roku/Netflix/Amazon Prime/Hulu/library. If I can't get it via one of those options then I probably aren't aware of it and don't feel like we're missing anything. We're about four years or so into this "experiment".
The lack of advertising bombardment alone is worth it. The holidays are when we visit extended family and watch "normal" subscription TV and remember why we don't have traditional subscription TV. Idiotic commercials and idiotic TV shows abound. Don't get me wrong - I like an occasional funny commercial but when the eye-rollers come along every ten minutes (it seems) and the shows currently playing are a bunch of eye-rollers (Honey Boo Boo - my 3 minutes of you were enough).
We're so entrenched in our TV method that we actually debate traveling with the Roku so we can skip cable TV.
Everything will eventually be available to stream. It might be five or six years old by the time you see it but who cares - it's all new to you.
Now if you are trying to keep up with the copy room / watercooler discussions at work / on Facebook then you might be screwed. You might not be able to watch the same shows the same night as the cable TV subscribers.
To give you an idea of my consumption patterns: I watched a couple of episodes of Cheers today. Watched "Gravity" last night late. Watched about the last 1/3 of Interstellar the night before with my son and his buddy who wanted to discuss the science afterwards. I have no idea whatsoever was on live tv tonight. Plenty of free news on the Roku channels (NowhereMan channel and PBS hannel are excellent). The older i get the less I need from the 24/7 news cycle. Watch "Merchants of Doubt" if you want to know why (false "experts").
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a bunch of the channels here allow you to stream the show online. I go to their website and can watch it the day after every time it airs
A lot i know have hulu, android boxes, etc etc that also allows easy streaming. there's an app called Kodi that also allows some of this too via computer. depends on your tech savy level, i have my computer hooked up to the tv, some just use the android boxes. all you need is internet then. I saved over $60+ a month by dropping it, even though i had to get a $10 better internet plan. Still a win
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So you could do some of the illegal things people are suggesting here, like illegally downloading episodes or hijacking HBO (or maybe I'm misinterpreting the legality of this), or you could legally find ways to accomplish the same goal.
That way, when you retire early and people say "how on earth can you afford to retire early????", you wont have to skirt around parts like this.
Yes, yes. I calculate I will get to retire 1.2 days early and will feel profound shame for the fact that once in a while I watched HBO on my mother-in-law's account, so much so that I will leave out that crucial detail when I discuss my early retirement with others.
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When we cut cable, we signed up for sling tv. Sling had a promotion where you got a free Roku for prepaying three months of service. We have been pleasantly surprised by the additional channels available on the Roku itself. I watch south park on comedy central's roku app. One episode is available on demand. I can't binge watch it (which is a good thing) but I can keep up with new episodes. You can also use Roku to access Netflix/Hulu/Amazon but we don't have any of those services.
Just cut the cord. You may go through a period of withdrawal symptoms, but you will come out stronger on the other side.
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I recommend switching to PC gaming. You can play Civilization 5 over and over and over again in tons of different ways.
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Game of Thrones is from books. Read books.
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Netflix + Torrents. Works for movies too. But not music. Always buy/stream music legally. Roommate downloaded ONE song and the next day I got a notice from my ISP. Bastards.
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We went even cheaper than downloading. Rooftop antenna for $30. We didn't want to pay for more internet to stream shows, there are tradeoffs though. We do not have a DVR, and I miss being able to rewind/FF.
A few things may differ between us and you.
1. I only really care about 2 shows - Hockey night in Canada, and the News. This means I only need 2 channels to come in clearly
2. We live on a high point of land and from our rooftop there is a clear line of sight to the CN Tower (Canadian Broadcasting tower) and Buffalo.
Our rooftop antenna usually brings in about 20 channels. On a really good day we get closer to 30. On a bad day we only get the Toronto channels - around 10. But I always get TVO, PBS, CBC and CITY TV. We get about 4 'international programming' channels.
If the antenna route is appealing to you there are websites that will show you what channels are available (https://www.tvfool.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29) from your location based on line of sight. This can be a tricky since a tree or apartment building may block your signal - and the LoS estimates can't know every building and tree.
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Well, the first step is to really think about what you want to watch in real time. Is it really important to you to watch all those shows as they are airing? I like television myself, but I have found that the number of shows I really care about seeing right away is limited. For cable shows, you can often watch the most recent episode on your computer ( don't care for that, but some people have better set-ups for it than I do) or buy them from Amazon or iTunes. For network television except CBS, Hulu is the cheapest option for me.
Then there are shows I enjoy seeing eventually, but don't need to pay to see as they are broadcast. For instance, I am fine watching the Walking Dead later on Netflix. These days, almost all series except premium cable turn up on one of the streaming services eventually. Other options are DVDs from Netflix or the library. (Sadly, my library doesn't buy TV on DVD, just movies. I am jealous of those of you who have that option!) I usually have enough "backlog" to fill in when the shows I watch in realtime are off the air.
For HBO in particular, last year they were doing an offer for new subscribers where the first month was free. The other thing about HBO is that they archive all of their television (the movies come and go). So if I had been a little smarter, I would have waited to subscribe until the last month of Game of Thrones' run, then watched all the episodes during that one free month. Unfortunately, I'm assuming the free month is only for 1st time subscribers so this spring, I will use that tactic, but only pay for one month before I cancel. (If the terms of service have changed, I'll be back to going over to my sister's house and watching with their family.)
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Although I agree with them in theory, forget all these pedantic mustachianer-than-thou types. They really rub me the wrong way as well.
I go to a friend's or a bar where I know the owner/bartender for things I would like to watch live.
A friend with Netflix added me as a user, they can add up to five. I'm on a family member's prime membership.
If not, hit the library; some have digital memberships.
If all else fails, learn to do without; I didn't miss them. They'll be out at the library in a couple of years.
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I agree with some here... Kill your television.
I cancelled cable in 2003 and never looked back. I have netflix, but I've watched less and less over the years and I have slowly developed some replacement hobbies that are much more fulfilling.
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So you could do some of the illegal things people are suggesting here, like illegally downloading episodes or hijacking HBO (or maybe I'm misinterpreting the legality of this), or you could legally find ways to accomplish the same goal.
That way, when you retire early and people say "how on earth can you afford to retire early????", you wont have to skirt around parts like this.
Yes, yes. I calculate I will get to retire 1.2 days early and will feel profound shame for the fact that once in a while I watched HBO on my mother-in-law's account, so much so that I will leave out that crucial detail when I discuss my early retirement with others.
I feel the best way to address this is not to argue you are right or wrong, but rather show how much money you are saving illegally.
Not sure how much HBO go is; let's say $15/month. That's $1800 over ten years, a possible/example amount of time for someone to retire. It is a small component of the $500,000-$1,000,000 that someone needs to retire, but a contribution nonetheless.
Most of us here probably have some little areas where we bend/break the rules. My bigger issue with it is your attempt to defend/legitimize it, when there is a very easy alternative that costs even less.
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Use Kodi. It's the best solution these days for TV series, hands down.
Install on Mac: http://www.tvaddons.ag/tvmc-mac/
Install on Amazon Fire TV: http://www.tvaddons.ag/tvmc-fire-tv/
Install on Kindle Fire tablet: see attachment
Genesis is the best source I've found. http://www.htpcbeginner.com/best-kodi-addons-2015-for-cordcutters/
Enjoy!
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Use Kodi. It's the best solution these days for TV series, hands down.
Install on Mac: http://www.tvaddons.ag/tvmc-mac/
Install on Amazon Fire TV: http://www.tvaddons.ag/tvmc-fire-tv/
Install on Kindle Fire tablet: see attachment
Genesis is the best source I've found. http://www.htpcbeginner.com/best-kodi-addons-2015-for-cordcutters/
Enjoy!
First post here.
My two cents on Kodi
KODI works as a open source program that includes add on apps that finds online streams. The key here is that these online streams most likely come from over seas. Why is that important is because some of the streams are illegal and the USA don't have authority of over seas servers.
Just note that the some of the streams are illegal and if you download some of the movies or TV SHOWS you might get in trouble. My friend received a letter from his Internet provider stating he needs to stop downloading from third party software. He got scared and stopped but still streams the shows.
We personally only stream once in a while beause some of the streams have been lacking lately has the number of users on the KODI platform increased and are now asking for support to donate to keep their software up and running.
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The first thing I had to get used to when I cancelled my cable TV was that I could still watch what I wanted, just not when it aired on TV. Sometimes I'd visit people who liked watching it, or I'd buy the DVDs, or get the DVD mailed to me via Netflix. There is an ambiance to watching something when you know other people are watching it too... just like when you listen to the radio, there is a connection some people feel and enjoy from all that. There are other ways to connect with people, though, so consider just watching your shows later than when they air, and you'll be able to make that transition ok.
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Are many of the shows on free to air TV? You know, the one using the aerial on the roof? :)
I just lost interest in the shows, and I haven't even seen any of the Game of Thrones series. (I just cancelled Netflix too)
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a few shows I still want to be able to watch. They are Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, The Americans, Gold Rush, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, Better Call Saul, plus a few others I am sure I am missing.
Holy crap! Is that really 8 shows you watch all of? Maybe more?
Are they an hour per episode? Are there like 22 episodes per season? Are you really spending over 200 hours per year watching tv? The equivalent of five solid weeks of 9-5 at your day job? Do you watch any other tv besides those 8 shows? Do you also read 8 books at the same time?
Getting rid of cable was arguably the best thing I ever did for my self and my family. And for my health and sanity. And for curbing consumerist desires.
My vote is to pick one and get it from the library. You probably won't miss the others.
Same for our house! We stopped watching TV over a year ago and we don't miss it. We spent a lot of time at homes of family members this holiday season and they all have their TVs on and were blasting commercials 40% of the time.
We do own a 60" LCD TV that has been converted to a computer monitor. The family computer is hooked up to it and we can do our office work from the couch. We can go to PBS kids website and my 2 year old can watch Curious George, Thomas and Friends. I watch instructional youtube videos and my wife will watch something on Amazon. Ad Blocker will block youtube ads, so the 4 hours a week of tube time we get is 99% commercial free.
Once a month we buy a digital movie for less than $10. There is a application called Plex where you can share your digital movie collection that you have obtained legally. We have 2 other friends who buy a movie once a month that we share with.
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...The equivalent of five solid weeks of 9-5 at your day job? Do you watch any other tv besides those 8 shows? Do you also read 8 books at the same time?...
Sol, I just became an instant fan.
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We got the $25 special on Roku SE on Black Friday. Hate it. I don't really watch much TV; it's really for DH. Find what looks like a good show - maybe one of those real life crime shows - and it only has the last half, or only the first half, or not even that - just a 20 min clip. This is not to mention the same ad running every 5 minutes. STUPID.
I watch Project Runway and was so excited when I found it. Then saw it's $2.99 per episode. LOL.
So we got a $50 antenna to go up in the attic. Right now it's in the bedroom and gets a few channels, but it needs to go up higher. Still better than the ridiculous $145 Comcast bill we were paying.
Now the problem is I'm still having to pay $70 for crap internet. It's supposed to be 25 mbps, and testmy.net usually has download speed between 1 and 5 mbps. Comcast has a monopoly here, so no other choices. Waiting impatiently for the day we can do hotspot cell phone wifi.
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We got the $25 special on Roku SE on Black Friday. Hate it. I don't really watch much TV; it's really for DH. Find what looks like a good show - maybe one of those real life crime shows - and it only has the last half, or only the first half, or not even that - just a 20 min clip. This is not to mention the same ad running every 5 minutes. STUPID.
I watch Project Runway and was so excited when I found it. Then saw it's $2.99 per episode. LOL.
So we got a $50 antenna to go up in the attic. Right now it's in the bedroom and gets a few channels, but it needs to go up higher. Still better than the ridiculous $145 Comcast bill we were paying.
Now the problem is I'm still having to pay $70 for crap internet. It's supposed to be 25 mbps, and testmy.net usually has download speed between 1 and 5 mbps. Comcast has a monopoly here, so no other choices. Waiting impatiently for the day we can do hotspot cell phone wifi.
Do you see the same speeds if you're directly connected to your modem? Something is wrong...
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We don't have cable tv, never have had it. We don't have ANY pay streaming service. Did try Amazon prime for a while, but you might as well wait for DVDs to come out, they don't get titles quickly. I do have a dvd subscription to Netflix, and I use the public library heavily.
We have a modern tv antannae that allows us to get about 15 channels. I hate network dramas and won't watch them but I do watch a few of the comedies.
For quality tv which is not network, any more I prefer to load up on a season and binge watch. I use DVDs.
We just finished watching all of Justified this way. I watched two seasons on eve, knew it was really good, and wanted to,wait until the entire show finished since by the time I watched it
I,knew it was ending with 6th season. These shows are more intense and interesting this way. The experience is multiplied by being able to watch an entire season in, say, a week.
I'm waiting for next seasons of Homeland, The Affair, House of Cards, Oranhe is the New Black, Ray Donovan, etc to come out. I am so enamoured of everything I hear about Game of Thrones that I will just wait until the entire thing wraps up, and I realize that may be a decade.
It's also important to recognize that one looses a bunch of content in stream vs dvd. The dvd format has many kinds of extras such as additional scenes, commentary on production, etc. It amazes me actually that people don't talk about what they lose. Now greatness, I don't watch all extra content on DVDs but I DO watch it on shows that are great.
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I have not had Cable or Wifi at home for last 2 years.
Best thing I ever did!
Now I visit my local library often.
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We got the $25 special on Roku SE on Black Friday. Hate it. I don't really watch much TV; it's really for DH. Find what looks like a good show - maybe one of those real life crime shows - and it only has the last half, or only the first half, or not even that - just a 20 min clip. This is not to mention the same ad running every 5 minutes. STUPID.
I watch Project Runway and was so excited when I found it. Then saw it's $2.99 per episode. LOL.
So we got a $50 antenna to go up in the attic. Right now it's in the bedroom and gets a few channels, but it needs to go up higher. Still better than the ridiculous $145 Comcast bill we were paying.
Now the problem is I'm still having to pay $70 for crap internet. It's supposed to be 25 mbps, and testmy.net usually has download speed between 1 and 5 mbps. Comcast has a monopoly here, so no other choices. Waiting impatiently for the day we can do hotspot cell phone wifi.
Do you see the same speeds if you're directly connected to your modem? Something is wrong...
I think the hardwired desktops have better speed, yeah. Still hate comcast LOL.
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We got the $25 special on Roku SE on Black Friday. Hate it. I don't really watch much TV; it's really for DH. Find what looks like a good show - maybe one of those real life crime shows - and it only has the last half, or only the first half, or not even that - just a 20 min clip. This is not to mention the same ad running every 5 minutes. STUPID.
I watch Project Runway and was so excited when I found it. Then saw it's $2.99 per episode. LOL.
So we got a $50 antenna to go up in the attic. Right now it's in the bedroom and gets a few channels, but it needs to go up higher. Still better than the ridiculous $145 Comcast bill we were paying.
Now the problem is I'm still having to pay $70 for crap internet. It's supposed to be 25 mbps, and testmy.net usually has download speed between 1 and 5 mbps. Comcast has a monopoly here, so no other choices. Waiting impatiently for the day we can do hotspot cell phone wifi.
Do you see the same speeds if you're directly connected to your modem? Something is wrong...
I think the hardwired desktops have better speed, yeah. Still hate comcast LOL.
Heh. Hate or not, it may not be their fault. :P
Run a speed test directly connected to the modem (bypassing any router) and see what you get there, or if wired desktops are working fine, run a speed test from there (I use speedtest.net). Your wireless router might be dying.
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We got the $25 special on Roku SE on Black Friday. Hate it. I don't really watch much TV; it's really for DH. Find what looks like a good show - maybe one of those real life crime shows - and it only has the last half, or only the first half, or not even that - just a 20 min clip. This is not to mention the same ad running every 5 minutes. STUPID.
I watch Project Runway and was so excited when I found it. Then saw it's $2.99 per episode. LOL.
There is free content on Roku if you look around i.e. PBS, Crackle, A&E but it's worth the $7.99/month for Netflix to supplement the free content. There are also a lot of YouTube channels that produce quality free content. Personally i've been using my Chromecast more than my Roku recently.
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*We got the $25 special on Roku SE on Black Friday. Hate it. I don't really watch much TV; it's really for DH. Find what looks like a good show - maybe one of those real life crime shows - and it only has the last half, or only the first half, or not even that - just a 20 min clip. This is not to mention the same ad running every 5 minutes. STUPID.
I watch Project Runway and was so excited when I found it. Then saw it's $2.99 per episode. LOL.
There is free content on Roku if you look around i.e. PBS, Crackle, A&E but it's worth the $7.99/month for Netflix to supplement the free content. There are also a lot of YouTube channels that produce quality free content. Personally i've been using my Chromecast more than my Roku recently.
We have Netflix, actually. But people have spoken so excitedly about Roku, and I just find it a huge disappointment. Every time you think you find something that looks great, it's loaded with ads and is just small clips. What's the big deal about that? Will tell DH to check out your recommendations. I only watch Netflix on my laptop, usually while I'm either cleaning, cooking, or doing my planks and other yoga/strengthening exercises.
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DH and I never had cable. When we had a Netflix DVD subscription, we'd order the DVDs one year behind airing on TV. When we switched to Netflix streaming, we'd still sign up for one month of Netflix DVD service every once in awhile (when we ran out of interesting shows available on streaming) and binge watch to catch up on our favorite shows. OK, not really a binge, it was more like 2 episodes a night.
Now that we have cut out all paid streaming services, we stopped reserving an hour or two in the evening for TV and we spend the time on other (better) things. So we don't really have time or interest to binge watch our shows. Once in awhile we'll see that a friend or family member has some interesting DVDs (e.g. Game of Thrones) and we'll borrow them. We don't really go seeking them out.
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Steering this thread back on track.
OP, here's another website I've used for streaming shows: tubeplus.is
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Most gyms have TV's, the local gold's gym near me has a bunch on the walls and on their treadmills. Membership is $9.99 a month with no contract but with a $19.99 signup fee. If you have to watch TV I would think this would be the most mustachian way to do it.
If you like new release movies you could get a job at a movie theater part time.
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Well, we officially got rid of cable today, so hopefully it goes well, I am optimistic.
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Nice job! You'll find it's a bit weird for the first couple months, but after a while you just end up filling your time with more worthwhile/less passive activities.
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Digital Antenna. Netflix. YouTube. Redbox.
If you are feeling adventurous - Amazon Fire tv stick + KODI.
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Congrats on canceling cable OP!
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Too.Much.Random.Free.Time
Learn a foreign language. Learn to play a musical instrument. Learn to produce art or crafts. Volunteer. Earn that certification that would help you advance your career. Learn more about investing. Learn to cook better. Learn how to grow a garden for next spring. Learn how to fix or build something. Hit the gym or work out at home.
Jealous?
Why do you care how much free time someone has, or what they choose to do with it?
Sure, you can learn to play the Harpsichord/Saxophone/Kazoo if you want to, but someone else may choose to use his/her spare time to watch TV/movies. To each his own.
Learning to play an instrument is not "better" than any other recreational activity. If you don't do it professionally, it's just an activity for fun or relaxation.
You know, kinda like watching TV...
Same goes with learning a language you will likely rarely or never use, etc.
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Attach an old computer to your TV.
Stream as much as you want, whenever you want.
Note: It is NOT "illegal" to stream shows. It is illegal to upload to those sites, or download/store/share content.
Some of those sites are a PITA with popups, etc- though Adblock Plus will take care of most of them.
And, of course, you might catch a virus or something else nasty. So have a good antivirus program, and make sure it's an old computer that you really don't give a damn about.
Plus, if you live in a city, you can get tons of free over the air programming.
I had cut the chord for about 3 years, but recently went back to cable only because they gave me a really good one-year bundle offer and tossed in the cable TV for a pittance.
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Note: It is NOT "illegal" to stream shows. It is illegal to upload to those sites, or download/store/share content.
Citation needed.
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Note: It is NOT "illegal" to stream shows. It is illegal to upload to those sites, or download/store/share content.
Citation needed.
If there's one thing I've learned on this site its to never quote Libertarian. Good luck on this, you took his bait.
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So you could do some of the illegal things people are suggesting here, like illegally downloading episodes or hijacking HBO (or maybe I'm misinterpreting the legality of this), or you could legally find ways to accomplish the same goal.
That way, when you retire early and people say "how on earth can you afford to retire early????", you wont have to skirt around parts like this.
Yes, yes. I calculate I will get to retire 1.2 days early and will feel profound shame for the fact that once in a while I watched HBO on my mother-in-law's account, so much so that I will leave out that crucial detail when I discuss my early retirement with others.
I feel the best way to address this is not to argue you are right or wrong, but rather show how much money you are saving illegally.
Not sure how much HBO go is; let's say $15/month. That's $1800 over ten years, a possible/example amount of time for someone to retire. It is a small component of the $500,000-$1,000,000 that someone needs to retire, but a contribution nonetheless.
Most of us here probably have some little areas where we bend/break the rules. My bigger issue with it is your attempt to defend/legitimize it, when there is a very easy alternative that costs even less.
Well said. Do what you want, but own it.
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OTA - Over the Air TV aka Rabbit Ears! - I've done this with success. Do not buy anything before researching, most TVs come equipped with digital tuners, it's in your TV specs.
FTA - Free to Air Satellite TV - Likely installing this summer as an experiment, its cold out and I'm willing to wait
Netflix - 7.99/month
Library - Full seasons of shows, sometimes need to wait if its just released for it to be returned.
A while they switched from Analog to Digital OTA and there was a myth that OTA was being killed. Nothing of the sort happened, Rabbit Ears are the greatest way to get local news.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_transition_in_the_United_States I'm in Canada, its the same here.
Total cost of my rabbit ears - who knows! Its still the same antenna from the 80's, it was in my attic of the house I bought. You do not need special antennas, I tested my TV with traditional "Rabbit Ear' antennas that were 30 years old. OTA gets better quality than cable or Netflix. Prime benefits are high quality, lasts indefinitely (going 30 years now I think, it came with the house) and requires 0 watts electricity to operate.
FTA is entirely legal and free. Its non-encrypted channels meant for rural areas and anyone else. There's several free satellites to focus on, the channel list is available online for each. I'm looking at hitting the PBS Satellite, the programming is different than Netflix so I'll get a good variety to choose. I expect to get this done for $100-$200 and have no ongoing costs.
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Our family hardly watches any TV when it comes to standard shows/movies. However we do enjoy sports. I haven't figured out a good way to cut cable and still get the sports programs we want to view (many not available over-air.) I'm hoping in the future that streaming will become available so you can purchase a season's worth of games for the particular teams you're interested in watching and not have to pay the cable bill for all the additional junk I'm never going to look at.
And before the "how much time have you wasted watching sports" posts start, I'm usually multi-tasking with some other activity while the game is on. Unless the Twins are down by one run in the 9th, then it gets my full attention. :)
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If someone could find a way to watch the English Premier league legally and would share it I'd be happy..
Big soccer fan here. I suck it up and pay for DirecTV so I can get NBCSN. Love the Prem too much (and the routine I have around it, which includes lots of exercise) to give it up.
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We watch football via antenna, and pirate the rest. We watch very little, though. Maybe 4 hours per week during NFL season, 2 hours per week (or less) the rest of the year.
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Game of Thrones - HBO Now subscription, $14.99 a month (only need to subscribe during months GoT is airing)
The Walking Dead - Buy from Amazon or iTunes - currently $42.99 for the season on iTunes
The Americans - currently $32.99 for the season on iTunes
Gold Rush - doesn't seem to be available legally
South Park, Family Guy, American Dad - all on Hulu for $11.99 without commercials, less with commercials
Better Call Saul - $24.99 for the season on iTunes
And you could either watch these on your computer (with an HDMI cable to your TV) or get a set-top device like a Fire Stick, Roku or AppleTV ($35-200).
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Game of Thrones - HBO Now subscription, $14.99 a month (only need to subscribe during months GoT is airing)
The Walking Dead - Buy from Amazon or iTunes - currently $42.99 for the season on iTunes
The Americans - currently $32.99 for the season on iTunes
Gold Rush - doesn't seem to be available legally
South Park, Family Guy, American Dad - all on Hulu for $11.99 without commercials, less with commercials
Better Call Saul - $24.99 for the season on iTunes
And you could either watch these on your computer (with an HDMI cable to your TV) or get a set-top device like a Fire Stick, Roku or AppleTV ($35-200).
To add to this, the Comedy Central app is free and you can stream the latest episode of a lot of the shows. You just have to put up with 3 minutes of commercials per episode.
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We just bought a Raspberry Pi (my DH is in love with this little thing) and like many other PPs, use Kodi.
We are now used to waiting to watch our shows...and prefer it. I typically wait until we are at least a few episodes behind. Binge watching is much more fun.
We just cancelled satellite. My teens are not too impressed, but surviving. I LOVE the quiet of not having the TV in the background.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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So you could do some of the illegal things people are suggesting here, like illegally downloading episodes or hijacking HBO (or maybe I'm misinterpreting the legality of this), or you could legally find ways to accomplish the same goal.
That way, when you retire early and people say "how on earth can you afford to retire early????", you wont have to skirt around parts like this.
Yes, yes. I calculate I will get to retire 1.2 days early and will feel profound shame for the fact that once in a while I watched HBO on my mother-in-law's account, so much so that I will leave out that crucial detail when I discuss my early retirement with others.
I feel the best way to address this is not to argue you are right or wrong, but rather show how much money you are saving illegally.
Not sure how much HBO go is; let's say $15/month. That's $1800 over ten years, a possible/example amount of time for someone to retire. It is a small component of the $500,000-$1,000,000 that someone needs to retire, but a contribution nonetheless.
Most of us here probably have some little areas where we bend/break the rules. My bigger issue with it is your attempt to defend/legitimize it, when there is a very easy alternative that costs even less.
Well said. Do what you want, but own it.
Agreed, and a lot easier to own it on anonymous mustache forum.
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Well, we officially got rid of cable today, so hopefully it goes well, I am optimistic.
Congrats! Good luck. You'll make it work.
I've been cable free for 17yrs or so. I occasionally stay somewhere with cable and am always shocked how lame it is.
I have a fair number of shows I watch when the pass my way on Netflix or from a friend. I'm never current, but I always have stuff to watch.
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We haven't had cable or other television service for many years, although we subscribe to Netflix.
After reading the Game of Thrones books, I really wanted to see the television show so I bought the DVDs for Seasons 1-4 on eBay for $59. (Free shipping, no tax!) When we're done, I'll sell them back on eBay, or maybe Craigslist if I'm too lazy to ship them.
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I realized I never chimed in with my thoughts. We've never had cable. We do have a TV. We hook up our laptops to it to watch movies, whether via Hulu, Lifetime, etc, or even old-fashioned DVDs. Had Netflix in the past, don't anymore. Lots and lots of free stuff online, even directly from the stations you like. We've seen so many shows via HGTV.
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Quick note about the Twins games... I bet they're available over the radio which makes it easier to multitask. Plus baseball on the radio is so much better.
Go to TVfool.com and enter your address (or a nearby one if you're iffy about doing that). This will tell you what over the air channels are in your area and whether you need plain old rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna. I'm in a fortunate area where I can pick up Boston and Providence channels so I literally get 50-60 channels with just a rooftop antenna and a rotator. In MN, I'd assume most stations nearby are coming from one area so you likely will not need the rotator.
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Quick note about the Twins games... I bet they're available over the radio which makes it easier to multitask. Plus baseball on the radio is so much better.
Go to TVfool.com and enter your address (or a nearby one if you're iffy about doing that). This will tell you what over the air channels are in your area and whether you need plain old rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna. I'm in a fortunate area where I can pick up Boston and Providence channels so I literally get 50-60 channels with just a rooftop antenna and a rotator. In MN, I'd assume most stations nearby are coming from one area so you likely will not need the rotator.
I'm actually in South Dakota. Sometimes we can get Twins games on the radio but it's not a guarantee. My wife is an Ohio native and follows Ohio State, University of Dayton and the Cincinatti Reds. Where we live, if you want to see any of those games with any regularity right now cable is the only decent option.
We tried the antenna with a digital converter box for a few years. There are supposedly about 21 channels that broadcast in our area, but realistically we could only pull in about 12 of them that didn't suffer from digitization rendering them unwatchable. Even for those 12 we'd notice they'd break up frequently on windy days (which is the norm here.) So the improved picture quality was another perk to moving to cable.
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Quick note about the Twins games... I bet they're available over the radio which makes it easier to multitask. Plus baseball on the radio is so much better.
Go to TVfool.com and enter your address (or a nearby one if you're iffy about doing that). This will tell you what over the air channels are in your area and whether you need plain old rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna. I'm in a fortunate area where I can pick up Boston and Providence channels so I literally get 50-60 channels with just a rooftop antenna and a rotator. In MN, I'd assume most stations nearby are coming from one area so you likely will not need the rotator.
I'm actually in South Dakota. Sometimes we can get Twins games on the radio but it's not a guarantee. My wife is an Ohio native and follows Ohio State, University of Dayton and the Cincinatti Reds. Where we live, if you want to see any of those games with any regularity right now cable is the only decent option.
We tried the antenna with a digital converter box for a few years. There are supposedly about 21 channels that broadcast in our area, but realistically we could only pull in about 12 of them that didn't suffer from digitization rendering them unwatchable. Even for those 12 we'd notice they'd break up frequently on windy days (which is the norm here.) So the improved picture quality was another perk to moving to cable.
Fellow Buckeye fan here. I'll piggy back on the crapiness of antennas. My mom cut the chord last year and pretty much all sports on networks are unwatchable. She has to come over my house for every Ohio State game.
Basically sports has us by the balls. People go on and on here about antennas, but the reception is shit and I'm not willing to put up with it. Plus all the costs of all the stuff I like to watch and I'm paying close to cable anyway.
Bottom line is that it's a luxury I'm willing to pay for.
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Basically sports has us by the balls. People go on and on here about antennas, but the reception is shit and I'm not willing to put up with it. Plus all the costs of all the stuff I like to watch and I'm paying close to cable anyway.
Bottom line is that it's a luxury I'm willing to pay for.
I'm with you on the antenna - it's crystal clear one day and 100% unusable the next. Weather seems to have little correlation.
But I can go to a bar and drink beer at bar prices for all the games I really want to see, and still pay less than I would if I had cable just for sports. Sometimes I do. Just my $.02.
Re: OP, I think the rest is pretty much covered.
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Basically sports has us by the balls. People go on and on here about antennas, but the reception is shit and I'm not willing to put up with it. Plus all the costs of all the stuff I like to watch and I'm paying close to cable anyway.
Bottom line is that it's a luxury I'm willing to pay for.
I'm with you on the antenna - it's crystal clear one day and 100% unusable the next. Weather seems to have little correlation.
But I can go to a bar and drink beer at bar prices for all the games I really want to see, and still pay less than I would if I had cable just for sports. Sometimes I do. Just my $.02.
Re: OP, I think the rest is pretty much covered.
Problem for me is that I love so many sports that I'd become an alcoholic with your plan.
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Soda? lol
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Regarding sports, it depends greatly on what sport it is. NFL is easy, since there are lots of games on free tv, and if you must search the internet for a live stream, they are easy to find and of decent quality. You can also watch NFL at any sports bar without pestering some teenager 18 times to get them to change the channel.
NCAAF is also relatively easy. OTA plus Sling TV from August until January(6 months, $20 a month for $120 a year /12 = $10 a month). You will get 75% of the games, including almost every bowl game and the playoffs.
MLB is also very easy if you have some technical skill. Google unlocator, read, and go from there. MLB.tv premium is $25 a month for roughly 6 months, and if you have a roku or similar device, or even just a long cable you can connect directly to a TV, you can see every game(including local ones) for roughly $30 a month during the season($30 * 6 / 12 = $15/month). In fact, if you like baseball, then MLB.tv is far superior to cable since you get every game and can choose which broadcast to watch, can pause tv mid-game, and can watch any replay. You can also choose to start watching a game at any half-inning, so if you catch the first five innings while out, then you come home and go to sleep. The next day you can turn on MLB.tv and start last night's game at the top of the 6th without a hassle.
NBA - This is the tricky one. Watching the local team on my big screen without buying cable is very difficult. You can do it, but it requires some work and NBALP is not cheap($35/month for one team, like $50 a month for every team.) Alternatives to LP and cable would be OTA plus sling TV, where you can get ABC/ESPN and TNT games, but not much else. If you *need* NBA then probably go with cable.
For anything else, I don't know because I don't watch it.
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Regarding sports, it depends greatly on what sport it is. NFL is easy, since there are lots of games on free tv, and if you must search the internet for a live stream, they are easy to find and of decent quality. You can also watch NFL at any sports bar without pestering some teenager 18 times to get them to change the channel.
NCAAF is also relatively easy. OTA plus Sling TV from August until January(6 months, $20 a month for $120 a year /12 = $10 a month). You will get 75% of the games, including almost every bowl game and the playoffs.
MLB is also very easy if you have some technical skill. Google unlocator, read, and go from there. MLB.tv premium is $25 a month for roughly 6 months, and if you have a roku or similar device, or even just a long cable you can connect directly to a TV, you can see every game(including local ones) for roughly $30 a month during the season($30 * 6 / 12 = $15/month). In fact, if you like baseball, then MLB.tv is far superior to cable since you get every game and can choose which broadcast to watch, can pause tv mid-game, and can watch any replay. You can also choose to start watching a game at any half-inning, so if you catch the first five innings while out, then you come home and go to sleep. The next day you can turn on MLB.tv and start last night's game at the top of the 6th without a hassle.
NBA - This is the tricky one. Watching the local team on my big screen without buying cable is very difficult. You can do it, but it requires some work and NBALP is not cheap($35/month for one team, like $50 a month for every team.) Alternatives to LP and cable would be OTA plus sling TV, where you can get ABC/ESPN and TNT games, but not much else. If you *need* NBA then probably go with cable.
For anything else, I don't know because I don't watch it.
So $20/month for sling, $10 per month for MLBTV, $10 for increased internet speed to run these web-based subscriptions. Then I'm still out NBA, Premier League (soccer), Champions League (soccer) and any Ohio State games not on ESPN/ABC (usually 4-5 games per year). Then the antenna reception is complete dogshit for anything on network.
Again, I think the extra $30/month (or whatever) is just worth it for a sports junkie like me.
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Yes, if you watch that much TV and follow every sport including obscure ones, then yeah... you need cable.
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Regarding cable, one step I did take last Feb. was to show up at the cable company's customer service center and ask them what I could do to reduce my bill. After casually mentioning that I would probably be investigating other options such as Direct TV they gave me a 25% discount on my monthly rate (which includes my internet access.) The discounted rate was good for two years. I'm guessing next year when the discount expires I'll show up at the counter again and repeat the process.
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Regarding sports, it depends greatly on what sport it is. NFL is easy, since there are lots of games on free tv, and if you must search the internet for a live stream, they are easy to find and of decent quality. You can also watch NFL at any sports bar without pestering some teenager 18 times to get them to change the channel.
NCAAF is also relatively easy. OTA plus Sling TV from August until January(6 months, $20 a month for $120 a year /12 = $10 a month). You will get 75% of the games, including almost every bowl game and the playoffs.
MLB is also very easy if you have some technical skill. Google unlocator, read, and go from there. MLB.tv premium is $25 a month for roughly 6 months, and if you have a roku or similar device, or even just a long cable you can connect directly to a TV, you can see every game(including local ones) for roughly $30 a month during the season($30 * 6 / 12 = $15/month). In fact, if you like baseball, then MLB.tv is far superior to cable since you get every game and can choose which broadcast to watch, can pause tv mid-game, and can watch any replay. You can also choose to start watching a game at any half-inning, so if you catch the first five innings while out, then you come home and go to sleep. The next day you can turn on MLB.tv and start last night's game at the top of the 6th without a hassle.
NBA - This is the tricky one. Watching the local team on my big screen without buying cable is very difficult. You can do it, but it requires some work and NBALP is not cheap($35/month for one team, like $50 a month for every team.) Alternatives to LP and cable would be OTA plus sling TV, where you can get ABC/ESPN and TNT games, but not much else. If you *need* NBA then probably go with cable.
For anything else, I don't know because I don't watch it.
I'm a hockey fan and I swear by hockeystreams.com. It's a site based in the Netherlands where EVERY NHL and minor league game is available in HD. Its legality gets questioned, but it's been around for about seven years and the site owners say it's not illegal because the NHL has no jurisdiction in the Netherlands and it's been bandied around on the net so much there's no way Gary Bettman doesn't know about it. It's $120/year and in addition to the games has stuff like the draft and NHL awards. I bought the playoff special three years ago, was pleased with the quality, and immediately fired DirecTV.
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Excellent, and good luck!
We've been cable-free for years, and mostly get our entertainment from Netflix and PBS, the better to avoid having our kid see commercials. We avoid so many battles and tantrums by just plain not exposing the child to the raft of crap out there that people are trying to get us to buy for her.
Eventually I'd like to transition into having only evenings where we listen to audio books while doing whatever else we're up to-- puzzles, crafts, etc.-- because honestly there is a lot of time when we only have the TV on for noise, and I'm getting tired of it.
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Right now we don't have any tv since I ordered a new one. We got a tiny tv after ours broke, but that wasn't working out the best and it was 60hz, so action didn't work well on it. Ended up ordering a tv that was around $600, but it was a good brand so hopefully we won't have to replace it anytime soon, the last one only lasted four years, but it was a known bad model.