In 2008, the average American cable bill was around $71.
00 a month.
Could you go without cable television if it saved you $71.
00 a month? That's $852.
00 a year! If you're thinking that you'd miss out on your favorite shows, you might be mistaken.
There are ways to keep up with the latest programming for less money.
Here are some ways to watch TV without paying the bill.
The Internet: Websites like Hulu.
com and Videoh.
com make it easy to watch many of your favorite network shows.
Some episodes can be seen online as early as one day after the TV broadcast.
Others may take longer.
These sites also have a selection of movies, but no new releases.
For TV shows, you can also try the websites of the networks themselves, like NBC.
com, comedycentral.
com, and fxnetwork.
com to name a few.
One setback of watching TV online is the picture quality and size.
Want to watch the online content on your flat screen TV? You can hook it up to your computer using HDMI or VGA cables.
Methods and instructions will vary depending on your TV and computer, so this may take a little research.
Rental Services: Your favorite cable shows and recent movies, like those on HBO or Showtime, may be a bit harder to find on the internet.
Their programming is not available online, at least not legally.
Of course the material will find its' way to the internet, but we do not recommend nor do we condone pirating such material.
Renting DVDs from a store can cost up to $5.
00 each.
One inexpensive option is Netflix.
Plans start for as little as $5.
00 a month for access to over 100,000 DVDs, including new releases and TV shows that can be sent to your home.
They also offer a selection of content that can be viewed online.
Blockbuster offers a similar plan.
Both companies allow you to select several DVDs that you want from an online list.
One DVD is sent to your home.
Once you're done with it, mail it back in a prepaid envelope and another of your selected DVDs will be sent to you.
With Blockbuster, you can also return them to a store location.
Their plans start at $9.
00 a month.
If you rent DVDs on a regular basis, either of these may be an excellent option.
The Library: A free movie option is your local library.
You can check out movies just like books, although the selection will be small.
If you can't find a title you like, you can request it from another branch and have it sent to yours.
Rabbit Ears: If you're old-fashioned, or just a minimalist, you can still use the old rabbit ears to get local channels.
However, since the digital conversion took place earlier this year, you'll need to plug them into a digital converter box to get a picture.
It's too late to get the government funded coupon, but these converter boxes are still available at retail stores and online for $40.
00-$60.
00.
Negotiation: Call up your cable provider and ask for a lower rate.
Often times they will oblige.
You could also threaten to cancel your subscription unless they lower your bill, but only do this if you're prepared to follow through with that threat.
They don't always give in.
Canceling your cable could be a good thing.
Without the distraction of the TV, maybe you'll read more, get outside more, or get more accomplished in the day.
If you can't live without your shows, then try one the aforementioned options to at least cut down the costs.