While my 12 year history with Comcast is littered with battles, there's no big straw that broke the camel's back. I simply got tired of fighting about bills every other month. We desired liberty from years of sneaky and inexplicable bill raising in the middle of contracts (aren't we all tired of that, regardless of our provider?), getting the run around on the phone, and paying eleventy billion dollars even when watching TV is an increasingly rare event. I've wasted so much time arguing with Comcast people on the phone. So much time. I just don't want to spend my time like that anymore so we said enough and cut it. I figure only having them for Internet will make that less frequent.
We actually disconnected the cable box in the living room last Monday to see how we'd respond. At that time, the antenna was not hooked up but the Roku still was. I don't think I even turned the TV on until Thursday. Yet we pay all this money for cable! No more.
There was some dismantling...
I rarely watch things in real time except for the news, Jeopardy, awards shows, and Downton Abbey, which I can still do via the antenna. I typically don't care if I'm on the current season of something. Mad Men will be a must watch for us starting Sunday so we'll pay per episode to be able to watch it the next day on Amazon and the price to do that will still be far less than keeping cable for it.
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Haikuesday
Goodbye, wily foe.
Sayonara, Crappycast.
Freedom is so sweet.
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The thing I'm missing the most? The clock on the cable box in the living room. Really. Otherwise, nothing. The bulk of the bill is gone and so is a lot of the headache. I hate paying for something I feel like I'm not using. Hallelujah and amen.
I am so jealous that you guys were able to do this, we've talked about it for years as Direct TV does the same thing with the sneaky inexplicable increases every few months while under contract. I would LOVE to cut the cord, and I have a feeling we will be doing so when our contract is up this summer. It's an outrageous amount of money we pay each month for something we don't need. Hulu and Netflix are where it's at for sure :-D
ReplyDeletein canada, there's a battle with cable companies and the CRTC (the folks who regulate tv/radio shizz) and CRTC is telling cable companies to slow their roll and reduce fees. if we didn't work for one of the the cable companies and get our tv package for free, there is no way in hell i would pay for service because those fees are ridonculous. i see those fees and even i'm like, WHAAAAAA?
ReplyDeleteCongrats girl!! We cancelled our comcast about two years ago, but thankfully we have another cable provider in our area that we were able to switch to!! Like you said - everything you need is either online or you can get through Amazon!! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteGood for you. I found that when we had cable in Alaska I was always fighting battles over the internet not working or the dvr not working, etc. DirecTV is much more reliable and I'm always canceling and ordering channels based on the shows that are in season. I tried to get rid of it all in December in an effort to save money and Scott got all sad about it. So, we'll probably have it for as long as we live here anyway.
ReplyDeleteVerizon Fios is excellent. We had Comcast for years and it went down all the time. We have phone, internet, and fios
ReplyDeletethru them. We could reduce the TV portion with the number of boxes we have on seldom used TVs but we do not right now. We watch a lot of sports, so I guess we like the TV portion. I am glad you can do this and save money and grief. It's a shame you still need them for internet.
Love, your Momma
Hmmmm good to know. I have been considering this for a long time. There are about 5 shows I like to watch on a regular basis... wonder if I could do it. The savings certainly seems like a no brainer!
ReplyDeleteI have seriously been contemplating on getting rid of the cable and just streaming our Roku's and Netflix/Hulu. You are so right. Comcast has been ripping everyone off for the past few years. I miss the days of just regular cable in the wall outlet. I do like having my internet. Just not the cable. I am going to look into this and show my husband.
ReplyDeleteGOOD FOR YOU. And oh, side thought, I love the way you decorated your entertainment center - random, yes I know.
ReplyDeleteWe just started streaming Netflix - and I am finding that we really do not need the cable - - - But, I think it will take a few months to completely cut the chord!
Yay for saving money! Think about that $70 a month - $840 a year! That's amazing!
Do you have a fancy computer set up so you can record things off of regular TV? Or I guess there's a backup plan if you're going to miss Downton Abbey? I hate that cable (or satellite, in my case) is so damn expensive but I do love the convenience of DVR. I feel like I waste money on Netflix since I so often scroll the guide for crap to watch rather than going through Netflix for something I actually like!
ReplyDeleteWhen I move in the next few months this is one thing I think I will be doing. It's a massive price that usually just causes headaches. My biggest reason not to cut the cord was the few tv shows I watch live, but as you pointed out I could pay to watch those the next day and I think I may just do that!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I've never even heard of that antenna before, I need to look it up. I love your haiku and that you took the batteries out of the remotes :)
ReplyDeleteI am SO happy for you!! This is awesome. I have flirted with getting cable a few times but it's really just not worth the cost. Like you said - I could have sling, netflix AND hulu and it would still be cheaper than cable alone. What's the point? We really don't watch that much TV, and like you, I don't care to watch things live or be up to date with my tv shows.. in fact, I'm rarely up to date anyway, I like to forget about them and binge watch 3 or 4 (or more) episodes at once. there are so many other options these days that hopefully more people will cut the cord and say sayonara, crappycast!
ReplyDeleteheck yes you got them batteries!
We did this too when we had comcast before we moved. Then we moved and it was football season. The antenna we had was probably too cheap and we weren't able to get any of the channels that football was on. Verizon fios is at the new place and adding 1 cable box to our internet plan was only an extra $30 or so. We still use our roku ALL THE TIME but I've gotten used to having cable again too.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your freedom! We have been a strictly steaming household for about three years now and it saves so much time and money!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had cable since early 2007, and I can honestly say that I don't ever miss it. I ESPECIALLY don't miss the damn bill! Side note: don't be too sure that you'll rage less with only having Comcast for internet. I have raged at them a lot in my life. They're the worst.
ReplyDeleteYou go girl!!!!! Isn't it a great feeling?! I hate sneaky bills and price hikes... no one seems transparent about stuff anymore, drives me nuts!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I'm doing the same thing at the end of May when I move. I hardly ever watch TV...not near enough to justify what I'm paying Comcast & am so sick of fighting with them like you said.
ReplyDeleteThis post totally cracks me up because I have a severe loathing/hatred towards Brighthouse (local company that was wired into my previous condo). It was a complete monopoly because they were the only ones wired and I couldn't get any other options. The last few months I got rid of cable and just used Netflix. I could even stream the live games through my apple tv and my iPad. When I moved in with Mark......naturally he has brighthouse. The worst!!!!! I almost have him convinced to get rid of it. It is so freaking expensive!!! So this post as you can see clearly hit very close to home ;)
ReplyDeleteI cannot let Aaron read this post. LOL He wants to cut the cord and I'm just not ready. I'm sure we'll do it someday.
ReplyDeletewhoo hoo!! this is awesome. damn the man.
ReplyDeleteI would have removed the batteries too!!! And nice, you're saving that much money! I called Verizon to see what phone + internet would cost and it'd be just the same as tv+phone+internet. Bummer! (My husband really wants to keep the landline. Our son likes calling his grandparents on it)
ReplyDeleteI switched to Comcast this year actually to save money from DirectTV, but they are all bad, it's a totally game and scam. We pay for so much we don't use. I have been thinking about going without cable too, since I DV'R everything.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your freedom! Comcast isn't available where I live and while Verizon drives me nuts, I'll take it any day over Comcast.
ReplyDeleteIf it were just me, I could go without any cable because I watch almost nothing in real time but the husband and the child enjoy it. More the husband.
good for you girlfriend! I don't think I could convince my roommate to ditch cable, but I definitely do about 98% of my tv watching streaming netflix. I wouldn't miss the monthly calls with AT&T either!! it's CRAZY the cost of cable these days.
ReplyDeleteI need some detail
ReplyDelete(do you have a smart TV?)
I want to be free!
Hooray for you! Seriously I did that in December and have not missed it at all! With Hulu and Netflix I just don't need it! I'm like you I rarely watched anything in real time anyway so it just wasn't worth the added cost.
ReplyDeleteHooray! My coworkers complain about Comcast all the time and it's hard to imagine how a company with such little regard for customer satisfaction can continue to function. We also have a Netflix/Hulu/Prime combination and, with one exception, I've managed to watch all the shows I want. (Eagerly awaiting HBO Go as a standalone service)
ReplyDeletePeace out Comcast!!! I hated them when I lived in Atlanta. HATE. Such assholes with their ridiculous fees of nothing. Here is a clue Comcast...with Netfilx and other monthly subscriptions that cost as little as one lunch out...no one needs you!!!! I cant wait until our satellite contact is up, we will be saying duce.
ReplyDeleteWow that's awesome! We have so many issues with our cable company but my husband feels the need to add channels we don't even watch. We even have the Roku and I just know he could never detach from the cable box. We NEVER even rent the On Demand movies. It's ridiculous. Good for you guys!
ReplyDeleteCool. Sometimes I debate getting rid of our cable too.
ReplyDeleteWoo congrats you guys! The part at the end about paying for individual shows still being cheaper than paying for cable is so true. We've never regretted getting rid of ours. And Comcast can totally go to hell. We had to get them when we moved last summer and they've been nothing but a headache. They basically forced us to get cable by making it cheaper than internet only (which was all we wanted), and then they shut off our cable, so we pay for it but we don't really have it? Oh and of course they raise our bill every month for no reason.
ReplyDeleteBravo to you! They are such a shady company and yet I have had them still for years. So, so frustrating!!!! We have often talked about cutting or reducing our cable since we really watching Netflix most of the time anyway, but we haven't been ready to cut the cord just yet.
ReplyDeleteI love how you took the batteries out, lol. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you told me they billed you for them in the near future!
That's awesome! Thankfully, we have a smaller cable company and bill issues have never been a problem, but it's still so expensive all around. Did you really get 57 channels with your antenna?! I wish one would work for our house in the woods!!
ReplyDeleteWay to go! I feel like you have plenty of other options to make pulling the plug less scary. I'm kind of dying to do this. I'm going to look into it in May and try disconnecting this summer when none of our shows or sporting events are on. I'm not sure Leland's going to go for it, but I'll work on a presentation to convince him...
ReplyDelete-Heather
I do what I want.
It's been over a year for us, and I do not miss it. We have a serve to stream shows from online, and it's awesome. Netflix is definitely my friend. We did buy a few Fire TVs from Amazon, and those are so easy my 5 year old can control it! Great decision!
ReplyDeleteI HATE Comcast! My family has a second/summer home in New Jersey and unfortunately, it's the only cable and internet provider in the area. Everytime we go to the house there's an issue and someone in my family winds up on the phone with them. Sometimes it's an easy fix, but sometimes they have to send a technician. The technicians are good and helpful but the constant problems are ridiculous. And don't get me started on the cost!
ReplyDeleteYES!!!! I've been cable-free for two years and while I miss certain things (HGTV, FoodTV, and random Lifetime movies... esp. at Christmas time), I do not miss this outrageous bills and issues.
ReplyDeleteWe did this last year and I can think of maybe twice that I've missed it. It saves SO much money.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have told you this but my husband engineered the Mohu leaf and produces it out here in Raleigh! It's so cool to see this excellent product pop up on the blogs! Woo hoo!
ReplyDeleteSince Tyson cannot live without live sports we switched from TWC to DISH, the new dish box doesn't have a clock and since I'd rather read than watch TV it's the clock I miss the most too!
ReplyDeleteHurrah!! So happy for you. I am hoping to get an antenna for Fish n Dip. So glad the Rokus I gave you has helped this transistion!
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with your Buddha statue. Love Buddha and anything inspired by. :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't had cable in so long, it's totally a non-issue. But moving in with the boys, I feel like they're going to insist on every channel imaginable and I'm already dreading it. I will NOT be the person to call and fight with the cable company, I'll tell you that. It's the absolute worst.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! This is great! If my MIL didn't live with us, we would get rid of DirecTV and use the antennas and Roku, like we do upstairs. What will you do with your newfound savings?
ReplyDeleteA few things:
ReplyDeleteI also removed the batteries from the remotes. We win.
We have been so annoyed that we don't have clocks in either the living room or the bedroom.
Isn't the absence of cords and Kardashians awesome?
I LOVE that you took the batteries out! We used to love Comcast, but now we have Direct TV. I was fine with no tv, but Will is attached to the DVR. Our bill goes up in June, so we shall see if we keep it or not. Cable/Satellite really is a ripoff!
ReplyDeleteLove this! We haven't had cable for a couple years now and I do not miss it at all! Life is so much better without it (and cheaper!)
ReplyDeleteI really should cut my cable. I catch most things on repeat or stream them because my evenings are always up and down so I never ever watch things live. Literally the only channels I watch religiously are E and HGTV and yet I pay for cable monthly. You rock for doing this. I havent had the balls yet.
ReplyDeleteSTILL trying to convince Dave to switch....maybe if I keep food network on nonstop he'll switch out of spite.
ReplyDelete