Cut Cable, Use A Digital Antenna, and Save Thousands!

We finally eliminated cable earlier this year. Cutting the cable cord wasn’t hard due to the fact that we have a digital antenna. And, guess what? We haven’t missed it one bit. According to NPD Group (a market research company), the average monthly cable bill in 2015 is expected to be $123. By the year…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Written By:

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: October 30, 2020

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Cutting The Cable Cord By Getting A Digital AntennaWe finally eliminated cable earlier this year. Cutting the cable cord wasn’t hard due to the fact that we have a digital antenna.

And, guess what?

We haven’t missed it one bit.

According to NPD Group (a market research company), the average monthly cable bill in 2015 is expected to be $123. By the year 2020, the average cable bill is expected to be around $200 a month.

That’s A LOT of money!

In fact, that’s $1,476 for 2015 alone. By 2020, the average annual cable bill would then be $2,400.

Who wants to spend that much money on TV?

I know I don’t!

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I know there are some out there who prefer to have cable because they watch sports, but I doubt that is the norm. I believe many have cable just because it’s an expense that most people have and are “used to.”

However, that money could be used for something else. Perhaps a vacation, retiring a little bit earlier, paying off debt, and so on.

One of the main ways I recommend cutting the cable cord (and making it a bit easier) is by purchasing a digital antenna.

Related money saving tip: You can also ditch cable and get Hulu instead. It’s as low as $5.99 and a great way to save loads of money each month on cable.

 

Cutting the cable cord is easy with a digital antenna.

When you think of TV antennas, you probably think of the classic rabbit ears that are big and ugly. You probably also think about how the picture is never perfect and how channels can get blurry and almost completely fade away.

Well, these days antennas are no longer like that and this makes cutting the cable cord much easier. Digital antennas are sleek looking and allow you to watch your favorite TV shows with no problem at all.

Digital antennas are also cheap. They start at around $29.99 on the Antennas Direct website and go up from there. There is no monthly cost to use a digital antenna, so you can still receive many of your favorite local TV channels (that’s all I ever watched anyways!) and never have to pay money again.

Just think about it – around $30 for a digital antenna and be set for a really long time, or spend thousands of dollars on cable that you probably don’t get full use out of?

Seems like a clear winner to me!

Related: 16 Alternatives To Cable TV That WILL Save You Money

 

Our digital antenna.

We recently got a digital antenna (you can go to this website and find many great digital antennas – this is an affiliate link, but I didn’t find out I could be an affiliate until after I was already using their digital antenna. I truly enjoy this product and recommend it!) and it has been working well for us.

We have the ClearStream™ Micron Indoor Multi-Directional Digital TV Antenna.

It’s an indoor one that sits behind our TV, there is no ugliness that goes along with it, and you can’t even see it.

The digital antenna gives us around 14 channels and they are all of great quality. I’ve even heard of others getting 50 or 60 channels. The antenna we bought was around $60 and it will allow us to save hundreds of dollars a year for years to come, so it was a great deal.

Do you have cable? Why or why not?

Filed under:

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Daniel M

    we still have cable because we don’t have smart tvs yet and appletv ruku whatever look too limited and don’t want to have to go through menus searching for the show i want ever single time i want to watch something

    Reply
  2. Sohair

    Because it has a lot of channels that my hubby likes to watch

    Reply
  3. Elaine Powell

    we do for now. thinking of trying something less expensive. if not for Nascar and a couple of my husbands fav, channels, I would unhook the cable

    Reply
  4. Lisa L.

    No cable, too busy traveling full time in RV. But lawd how I miss the NFL !!! Broncos keep winning though. Me and my Denver Bronco styled RV are happy for that. Which is for sale by the way, :o) 1k finders fee if they mention your name! Lisagee1234 on instagram

    Reply
  5. molli vandehey

    i do because my roommate already had it. i will likely cancel soon

    Reply
  6. charlene

    I have cable but I wish I could get rid of it. I am in a pretty rural area and would only get about 5 channels and the kids would go nuts

    Reply
  7. amy tolley

    yes we have cable because my family wouldnt go without tv..and we dont really get reception out here all to great and you can only watch so many dvd’s then its time for something else ..but would love to try this out if lucky enough to win…and drop the cable bill that coast out the butt

    Reply
  8. Crystal Rogers Walker

    We have Dish Network we live in Smoky Mountains and don’t have alot of choice for TV or Internet

    Reply
  9. Bella T.

    I’ve never heard of this! 🙂 I currently do not have cable due to the expensiveness and hassle!

    Reply
    1. Bella T.

      p.s. My FB name is Isabella Renee if you need verification for the FB Share entry! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Amanda

    I love this idea, but my husband is all about the TV. We’ll see what he says when I run it by him. Our cable bill will double in March if we stick with the current plan.

    Reply
  11. James

    I’ve been using a Over-the-Air digital antenna for the last three years and it works great. Add a long HDMI cable from your computer to your television and you have a lot of great free streaming options online for content.

    Reply
  12. Christy Caldwell

    I don’t have cable. It’s just too expensive. I use an antenna for network TV. I have been looking for a better digital antenna.

    Reply
  13. Sandra Watts

    I just got a new television that has all the apps and include Roka. I want to cute the cable, I am just not sure how yet.

    Reply
  14. christine burd

    We do have cable and it is bundled with phone and internet .. We never really looked into other options

    Reply
  15. debbie

    No we dont I live in new zealand and we still dont have a lot of tv channels but we do have what we call freeview which s free to watch We also have sky which is like cable but there are only about 15 channels Plus its quite expensive and repititive but slowly getting other tv services available which will prob drive the costs down

    Reply
  16. Richard Brandt

    Yes, for Turner Classic Movies.

    Reply
  17. Barbara Montag

    I entered the wrong info for following you on Twitter
    @JalapenoMama

    Reply
  18. Barbara Montag

    Shared on FB https://www.facebook.com/barbara.montag.7/posts/10207034802044752

    Reply
  19. Diego F.

    I don’t have yet cause of money, but ll have it soon 🙂

    Reply
  20. Gord

    I have cable only because its included where I live.

    Reply
  21. Annmarie W.

    We don’t have cable…we’re longtime DirecTV subscribers. But my mom has cable, and this might be a great option for her!

    Reply
  22. Allison lesley

    We cut our cable about 3 years ago and we stream Netflix and Hulu now. It saves us a ton monthly just by making this one cute. Cable is outrageous and the plans are always changing so its not worth the money paid for it.

    Reply
  23. Laura J

    We do have cable, but I have been thinking for the last year about cutting it. This would be such a great option!

    Reply
  24. Julie Waldron

    We have satellite TV but we’ve thought about getting rid of it.

    Reply
  25. Patricia Delgado

    We do have cable because my children enjoy nick and disney jr

    Reply
  26. Priscilla S.

    We have the basic package but plan on cutting the cord soon. When we really looked at our typical viewing habits we stream more than anything else. I’d like to give SlingTV a try too!

    Reply
  27. Natalie Brown

    I do have cable and it’s just okay. It’s so expensive though. This is a really cool product! Thank-you for the helpful information & generous chance. 🙂

    Reply
  28. david

    No, I do not have cable. Too expensive.

    Reply
  29. Lyz S

    Cable is too expensive for us, so we haven’t had it for years.

    Reply
  30. Kay

    Yes, I do have cable. I guess I don’t feel tech savvy enough to have anything else. It’s soooo expensive though! I’d like to try other options but I just don’t understand them.

    Reply
  31. Sharon Kaminski

    We do have cable. We do like it because we love football.

    Reply
  32. jimmy Rector

    we have dish getting higher every day

    Reply
  33. Edmond

    RE: no cable. Can’t afford it. Pick me, pick me! Your next winner!!! Show me the money!!! It would be a dream come true and means more to me than anyone else to win. Starving artist here desperately needs the prize $50 and eat. Winner, winnner. Chicken dinner. A life changing experience. Top of my bucket list. Thank you for the awesomeness, the contest, and generosity. Dear Santa: I’ve been nice. My X-Mas wish this year is to win this contest.

    Reply
  34. Kelly Nicholson

    have direct tv..i really need this

    Reply
  35. christopher h

    i do not have cable anymore, I found I was spending too much money on something I wasn’t watching that much

    Reply
  36. Carlos

    Indeed, we still have cable as some of the shows we are currently hooked on are exclusively on it, like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead…

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Walking Dead is on Netflix 🙂

      Reply
  37. Horace

    Our family does not have cable. We cut the cord to save money about a year ago.

    Reply
  38. sarah s

    We haven’t had cable for a little over two year, we use mainly the free version of Hulu and free episode selections on the main cable channels.

    Reply
  39. David

    We don’t have cable. It is too expensive and there are plenty of free channels.

    Reply
  40. LindaG.

    We have cable now, but we want to try the indoor antennas, so thank you for the review.

    Reply
  41. Wanda Bergman

    We do have cable so we can gain a few more channels.

    Reply
  42. Jack

    Right there with you. We’ve saved thousands of dollars so far by cutting the cord and switching to Netflix and Roku. Best of all, no commercials!

    I do miss Mythbusters, but if I missed it that much, I could always buy it on Amazon.

    Reply
  43. Anita L

    Yes, we have cable because without it, we would not be able to watch television!

    Reply
  44. wudstock08

    nope we dont have cable. just an antenna to save money

    Reply
  45. Sharon

    No, we don’t have cable, and we need a digital antennae to get local and more channels better! Thanks for an Awesome Giveaway!!

    Reply
  46. Anna

    We don’t have cable because it is too expensive!

    Reply
  47. Stacy

    We do have cable, but I have been trying to convince my husband to cancel it so that we can save money. His two excuses are that he loves watching the History channel and that since we bundle our Internet and cable that we will end up paying more for the Internet. But we have Netflix and everything else we watch can be picked up with a digital antenna so I don’t know why he is resisting.

    Reply
  48. aaron wells

    no cable here as its not available in new zealand

    Reply
  49. Allyson Bossie

    We currently have cable. Husband works 14 hour night shift, and on his nights off, he is awake all night. He likes watching tv during those hours.

    Reply
  50. Robin

    I have cable only until the contract is up. It is just too darn expensive for me to continue. It’s higher than my power bill and that’s nuts.

    Reply
  51. Jenny S

    We’ve been thinking about getting rid of cable. It would save so much money.

    Reply
  52. Tonya Flores

    We don’t have anything but we need something. lol

    Reply
  53. rajee

    I dont have cable as it is so expensive but kids love to have it

    Reply
  54. denise low

    We got rid of cable because it was getting to high. Thank you for the entry.

    Reply
  55. mysweetiepiepie

    Nope, we don’t have cable because I can think of about a million other things I could spend the money on.

    Reply
  56. Amanda Sakovitz

    I do because I havent researched other options yet.

    Reply
  57. Ruy M.

    I don’t have cable, but I watch Netflix and Hulu on a regular basis.

    Reply
  58. Betsy Rubendall Barnes

    We do not have cable. About 4 years ago, we decided to cut the cord because the cost was rising constantly, plus, we were not watching a lot of the channels we were paying for. We have been so happy since. We have Netflix and catch up up on our favorite shows from network websites. We watch when we have time, so nice 🙂

    Reply
  59. Tracie Cooper

    Yes we have cable but I would love to try this antenna!

    Reply
  60. Thomas Murphy

    I do because I have been to lazy to switch it up.

    Reply
  61. Kelly

    We had to cut cable due to the expense. My fiance did a little go ogling and watched some you tube videos and put a few ideas together and made this antenna from wire hangers in a zip zag patern all the way down a 3ft maybe 4ft board and back fed the whole house somehow with it got 40 channels! Way more then the 13 channels with the $60 antenna we tried first! It works perfect and clear and FREE

    Reply
  62. Diana Mota

    I looked into quitting cable, but the Internet, which I would want and is currently is part of a package, would by itself be almost as much as the package is currently.

    Reply
  63. Angela

    I do have cable because I am retired and I watch Hallmark and other stations you cant get on regular t.v., plus I have the Internet and home phone on my plan. I do plan on getting just the basics though.

    Reply
  64. JYDB

    I understand about the cost of cable but what I don’t understand is how to get rid of cable if it also includes your internet access. My cable company will charge me $75 for my fast internet connection and only an additional $15 for the cable TV with HBO. I don’t know how to get rid of that since all 5 of us use the internet. Please let me know of your recommendations.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Not all cable companies do this. You may want to look around and see if you have other options.

      Reply
  65. VANESSA

    how do you suggest cutting cable if you want to keep home phone and internet? Tried to get rid of cable but Comcast was then charging just as much with home phone and internet

    Reply
    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Do you need a home phone? Also, are there other internet options in your area?

      Reply
  66. Ron Hill

    After reading some of the comments here, I’ve decided to do some research about the internet cause that’s the only reason we have stuck with cable.
    Thanks

    Reply
  67. Renee Lindsay

    I have tried cutting cable before but I definitely need wifi, when comparing cost it never seems to be that cost effective to just pay for Wifi so I always just get the bundle. Any advice?

    Reply
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