Eliminate the Fear of Cutting Cable - Save Money

How many of you have been contemplating cutting cable, but have a fear of missing something? Come on, I know I wasn't and aren't the only one who has had these types of thoughts.  You know you are paying way too much to sit and watch tv.  You ponder regularly as to how you can get everything done that needs to be done, yet you catch every episode of your favorite tv shows. You see I know the truth! Why...because I've been there too.  

In fact, I just officially cut the cable cord and it feels sooooooooooo good!  My husband and I have been talking about doing this for almost two years and we finally made the decision to make it happen.  When I calculate how much we could have saved in those two years that we tetered with the idea (approximately $2400 dollars if not more) I just shake my head! I want to share with you a little about our cutting cable process (we aren't finished with everything yet), in hopes that I encourage you to let go of the fear and take the next step along your journey. 

Getting Your Cutting Cable Mindset Right

As you know, In the Organizational Roadmap Workshop, I teach that the first thing you must do in any new endeavor is get your mind right. This particular situation is no exception, in fact...if I'm being honest with you and myself, I think my husband and I stayed in this stage a little too long! Knowing that I want to help you overcome some of the fears you may be experiencing as it pertains to cutting cable.

Cable is Entertainment Not a Necessity

First of all, as with most people, we knew that we were being totally overcharged for the entertainment of television.  I mean, let's get real...that's what it is, it's entertainment.  It's extra, it's not a necessity (unless your livelihood requirements i.e., news reporter or an entertainment blogger).  We complained about how much we were paying each month that we paid the bill, but month after month we still paid it.  So if this is you, let's get your mindset right. 

Money Saved from Cutting Cable Could Fund More Important Goals

Let's say you could save $75 - $100 each month. Would this help you with the goals you have for your life?  Could you reallocate that money to help pay off something else or save up for something you've been wanting to do?  Most people will admit that they could do something better with that money.  Now, if you are someone who has a lot of extra expendable income and you don't need to save then this really isn't something that you need to overcome.  To my understanding, most cable cord-cutters are looking to save money and stop giving companies money unnecessarily.  So, if this is you, definitely read on.

Acknowledge and Eliminate Your Fears

So the next thing we need to do in this mindset journey is to tackle some of the fears you may be feeling.  One thing is what about all the shows I love. Okay, so this is a big one that we can help put into perspective, so to help you overcome this fear I want you to do a few things:

1. List out all the shows you watch

    The first thing you need to do is get a list of all your favorite shows.  If you have a DVR, this may be a little easier for you as you can just look at your recording history or your wishlist to develop your list of shows.

2. Prioritize your List

    Now it's time to prioritize your list.  I know you have those shows you usually watch as soon as they come on or shortly there after.  If you are anything like me, you also have a number of shows you are behind on, this should be a clue to you that they shouldn't be #1 on your priority list.  By prioritizing your list, it will help you eliminate and determine, which platforms you need and which you don't.

3. Identify what platforms the show(s) are on

    At this point, you can identify which platforms each of the shows is on.  When I did this I realized that a lot of what we watch is on regular television networks.  These networks are absolutely free using the over the air (OTA) signal.  You just need an antenna to get the signal.  It just came down to identifying what other networks are represented on our list. In our tivo box, it was easy to identify each show's platform(s). You just go into the info section of the shows in your record list and it shows the platforms at the top near the show image.  Just write these down so you can evaluate the list as a whole. I found that many of the shows we watch, air on up to four platforms.

4. Identify the platforms and their fees

    Now that you have your prioritized show list and have identified their associated platforms, you need to research their costs.  When I did this for our list I learned about a number of platforms I didn't really know existed.  Most of what I watched was isolated down to OTA, Amazon, Vudu or Hulu.  You need to look at each platform and see how much it costs for a monthly subscription and/or the purchase of an entire season. One example I can give you is there are two shows that come on the OWN network that I love to watch - Greenleaf and Queen Sugar.  Both of these are available on Amazon and Vudu.  I can purchase by the season fox approximately $20ish dollars or I can pay $1.99 - $2.99 per episode.  The other option is for me to get a subscription service that provides that channel.  Think about the cost of a subscription vs. purchasing the two series outright.  As an example, we are talking ~$50 for both full seasons vs. $60 to add the special package on Sling that provides that channel. In our case, we had planned to get Sling anyway, so to me it makes sense to purchase access to the channel so I can get those shows plus a few more that were lower on my priority list.  In your case, if you aren't planning to or don't want to get sling, then you would compare the ~$50 to your setup fees etc. 

   The Point I Want to Make

    The point of all of this is to deal in facts and not your fears.  Focus on wrapping your mind around the task at hand.  Understand what you will gain vs. what you will truly lose.  Do the math, break it down and see exactly what you are dealing with. The hesitation that most of us feel is actually the fear of letting go. The fear of the unknown; the fear of missing out; and the fear of what you will do without. I encourage you to focus on the truth...the facts of what you will gain if you take a chance.  You will get gain time in your day; you will discover things that you didn't know were out there; you will gain more money in your pocket/bank account; you will gain the reassurance that you can do it; and you might even gain time with your family. It never hurts to just try it and see...you can always go back to cable if you absolutely hate it.