Since the dawn of the internet age, a growing number of homeowners and bill payers are asking themselves if they really need to keep paying for cable television.

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to cable. While there are many services that you can find most services and shows that cable TV provides, there aren’t any that offer the full package.

Ultimately, the choice of whether or not to cut the cord is down to personal preference. In this post, we’re going to talk about some of the ways you can save by getting rid of cable TV, the services that you can use instead of cable, and what to expect from those services.

The case for cord cutting

We’re not at a point where you can usually bundle up services to get all of the things you watch on cable TV and then some. Some people argue, however, that to truly get a wide selection of sports, news, and TV shows you would end up paying the same amount as you do for cable. How do they arrive at those figures?

Say you pay about $20 per month for Netflix and Amazon Prime. But you still don’t have the sports channels you want so you have to add an additional service. Then you notice your video stream keeps pausing and lagging so you have to upgrade your internet.

If you want every channel under the sun and the highest internet to stream them on, yes it could cost as much to ditch cable as it would be to keep it. But the reality is that most people don’t want or need that many services or channels. People don’t have time to watch that many shows when they get home from work, and are more than happy with the selection that one $8 per month service offers them.

Alternatives to monthly streaming services

Another thing opponents of cord cutting ignore is the fact that there are a number of services you can get for free that would replace some of the things that cable TV offers.

A number of news channels, as well as entertainment services like YouTube are streaming online for free. You have to watch the occasional advertisement, but you have to do that with cable TV anyway.

If there are local channels you feel you’re missing out on, you can still use a TV antenna, which are broadcasting a higher quality than ever. For $30, you can have access to channels for free over the air (OTA).

OTA channels vary based on your location, so be sure to check to see what the signal is like in your area.

The decision

The best way to decide if you’re ready to ditch cable is to find out which channels and shows you still want access to and to see if you can get them cheaper online. That’s it.

Odds are your internet is going to be strong enough to stream a show (unless you have a house full of kids trying to do the same thing). So, look into the streaming options, do the math, and make the best informed decision for your household.