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The Best Alternatives to Cable

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June 3, 2022 By Lisa Sharp 11 Comments

Tired of paying so much money for cable? Find the best alternatives to cable so that you can ditch your cable subscription without missing your favorite shows.

tv in mid-century modern living room with text overlay 6 cable alternatives

Think it’s time to ditch cable? We did it years ago and love it. We weren’t watching it often and it didn’t seem worth the monthly cost. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy watching tv. Most evenings are spent watching hockey, football, or lately Family Feud.

We have found other, more affordable cable alternatives that allow us to watch the shows we enjoy. I can’t remember the last time I wished I had cable instead of the cable alternatives we have found.

The Best Alternatives to Cable

You will need a few things if you want to ditch cable and continue to watch tv. The main thing is an internet subscription or data on your cell phone. Internet is best if you want to watch on your actual tv.

Streaming Devices

There are many options that work on your computer, which are great but it’s also nice to be able to watch on your TV. There are several options out there, these are some of the most popular options.

photo of apple tv and other stream devices

Apple TV

We have three Apple TVs in our home, one on each tv. They are devices that hook up to your tv and allow you to download apps including different streaming services. This is perfect for anyone that uses iTunes a lot, which is why we choose it. We buy all of our movies on iTunes.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

We have one of these as well. They are a very small and portable option. We use ours to hook up to a projector. They are also great for travel. Amazon Fire TV Sticks now have Alexa making finding your shows even easier. If you enjoy Amazon’s Instant Video this is a really good option for you.

Roku 

This is very similar to the Amazon Fire TV Stick but there are multiple models. The Roku Express is the cheapest option and is very small like the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Other Options

Many TVs also have streaming options built-in. They are often more limited though. Blueray players and many game systems also have streaming options, so before buying something new check to see if you already have a device that will work. Also, some gaming devices charge streaming fees.

The Best Streaming Services

tv on white tv stand in living room

YouTubeTV– ($65.99/a month) This is what we are currently using for live tv. You can also watch things on demand. There are also add-ons if the base plan doesn’t have everything you want.

Netflix- ($9.99-$19.99/a month) We have had Netflix for years and love the service. There is a wide range of movies and tv shows, including some great exclusive content. There are no commercials and you can stream on many different devices. They also have plans so you can watch on multiple devices at the same time.

Hulu- ($6.99-$69.99/a month) This is another service we have. Unlike Netflix, Hulu has a lot of current shows, many go up the day after they air. They also have some exclusive content. With the cheaper plan, you do get limited commercials. You can also add on premium channels and live TV. You can also bundle it with Disney+ and ESPN+.

Disney+– ($7.99/a month) I signed up for Disney+ the day it came out. It’s a must for any Disney lover. It can also be bundled with Hulu and ESPN+.

Amazon Prime Video- (Free with an Amazon Prime membership)- If you already have Amazon Prime you have this service already. There is a wide range of movies, tv shows, and original series. There are no commercials. You can get a 30-day free trial.

SlingTV– (starts at $35/a month) We used this for a few years. It’s a great option for live tv. It can get pricey though.

These are just a few of the cable alternatives out there that allow you to ditch cable. We have used and enjoyed all of these. Check them out and find which is right for you. Many offer free trials and you can often get cash back with Rakuten.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lily says

    February 26, 2018 at 11:39 am

    We’ve talking about ditching cable, but we can’t let go of our football.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      February 26, 2018 at 11:54 am

      We use the services I talked about to watch football. We are both big football fans. We usually watch red zone all Sunday until a game we care about is on. The NFL also has a package so you can get all of your favorite team’s games.

      Reply
  2. Denise says

    February 26, 2018 at 11:50 am

    Awesome tips! I have Apply TV but now I’m definitely tempted to try out a Fire Stick too.
    Denise // TheElleAesthetic.com

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      February 26, 2018 at 11:55 am

      We use our Apple TVs the most but we like having the Fire Stick as well.

      Reply
  3. Kiara says

    February 26, 2018 at 6:26 pm

    We have sling and we like it, especially since we are mostly watching Netflix anyway. We also have a Firestick, which is awesome too! It’s amazing how much we have been saving on cable.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      February 26, 2018 at 6:49 pm

      It really is amazing how much you can save, even if you use a few streaming services.

      Reply
  4. Parul says

    February 27, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    Both my husband and I feel TV is a total waste of time. It just sucks all your productive time because honestly there are addictive shows and something or the other is going on. We’ve been without cable for the past three years even though we pay for it every month because it’s included in our apartment rental. We never bothered to configure it. Also gave up on Netflix last December. So basically, no cable, no Netflix or any other service for about three months now. So basically now we watch only what we really want to watch and cast it on our TV using Google Cast. Life is happy! 🙂

    Cheers!
    Parul

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      February 27, 2018 at 1:20 pm

      That’s great! We do watch some as a way to wind down in the evening. And we both love sports, which is often what we watch. It can easily become something that takes up far too much of your time. During the day I basically only watch tv or YouTube while I fold laundry or while I do dishes. It makes those chores go a little bit faster. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Jenny says

    March 6, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    We haven’t had cable or satellite for 17 years. We live in the country with no access to cable. Guess what we have? An old fashioned antenna. We have an antenna booster. We get 20+ channels depending on where the sun is! Sometimes we will pick up a channel 300 miles away in another state. Better yet, just ditch TV. There’s nothing good on anyway.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      March 6, 2018 at 2:01 pm

      We’ve thought about getting an antenna but since this has been working we haven’t bothered. We enjoy watching some shows but usually, they are on Netflix or on-demand on Sling. Other than sports we rarely watch anything live anyway.

      Reply
  6. Giulia Lombardo says

    June 4, 2022 at 9:07 am

    I never had cable and i lived and still living well, if I want to see something in particular I try Amazon Prime video but for the rest I watch tv in the evening, there are a lot of free channels with really interesting programs!!!

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Lisa and I'm the Retro Housewife trying to live a greener life. I share my love of all things vintage, homemaking and green living here on the blog. To read more, click here.

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