How Much Does Cable Cost?
You’ve decided that you no longer want to pay hundreds of dollars a month to watch TV. You get 1,000 channels and probably only watch six. You realize that to watch 1,000 channels of television for 15 minutes each in a given month you would need over 250 hours of tv watching. That is the equivalent of watching 60 hrs per week of cable or satellite. You don’t have 250 hours of free time to watch cable.
At the end of the day you probably spend 80% of your time watching 4-5 different channels. So that’s a good 1,995 channels of cable tv that you’re paying for but not actually watching every month.
REMAIN CALM!!!
You’re no longer brainwashed to believe that “more is better.” The good news is, you’re not alone. Thousands of anxious souls just like you and me are taking charge of their TV watching lives!
Where Does All That Money Go?
So now that we know you’re in the right place, our first step is understanding how much you’re currently paying each month for your TV needs. I must warn you, that for some of you who are not actively measuring this, you may be in for a surprise. I hope you’re sitting down…
Complete the Following:
- Do a little soul searching and think through every place you’re currently paying for some type of video. Cable bill, satellite dish, Netflix, HBO on demand, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Blockbuster card.
- Add up all your monthly costs and write it down on a piece of paper. You’re going to want to hang on to this paper, so maybe throw it smack in the middle of your refrigerator
Chances are your monthly television costs fall into one of these three categories:
1) Casual Observer Carl – “I watch news, sports and maybe a tad of reality”
Total Monthly Costs = Less than $75
Carl’s not necessarily a big TV watcher, but has his fair share of weekly TV shows that he enjoys watching. While not a TV aficionado, Carl knows his way around a TV guide.
Carl probably has a basic TV package with either a cable or satellite company and minimal premium channels. He would actually enjoy some additional programming, but has no interest in paying any additional $$$ every month.
Favorite Shows: Survivor, Big Bang Theory, Sportscenter
Potential Benefits of Cutting the Cord: Low to Medium
2) Trend Setter Sally – “I streamed Netflix the first day it went live”
Total Monthly Costs = Greater than $75 but less than $175
Sally probably is spending over $100 on her monthly TV bill and doesn’t even know it. She has a fair amount of programs that she watches frequently and has purchased some additional content packages over the last year but hasn’t ever totaled up all her TV spend.
This probably reflects most of us in today’s TV world. We have either cable TV or a satellite dish and some type of streaming option. While we’re excited about all the new TV/video content options, we feel like we’re just paying more money for content every single month!
Favorite Shows: The Office, American Idol, House Hunters
Potential Benefits of Cutting the Cord: Medium to High
3) DVR Ninja Dave – “I’ve transformed my DVR into The Matrix”
Total Monthly Costs = Greater than $175
We all have a “cousin” just like Ninja Dave, right? He probably needs to see someone about the love of absorbing as much content as humanly possible, but he knows what he’s talking about. He spends countless hours researching his craft and has tried every streaming content platform possible … actually he’s paying for all of them right now.
Ninja Dave probably enjoys one program on a ton of different content providers. Each show only cost him a monthly subscription of $10. The problem is he has a dozen subscriptions. Normally, Ninja Dave has a decent TV setup at home and there is a 67% probability that he has a “Theater room…” Maybe, when you were younger, you may have went over to said theater room to watch an afternoon screening of Legally Blonde?
Favorite Shows: The Bachelor, The Matrix, College Football Gameday
Potential Benefits of Cutting the Cord: High
I Know How Much I Spend on TV Each Month. Now What?
The good news is, regardless if your Carl, Sue, or Dave, there’s an opportunity for you to save some money. We have a solution that should help everyone cut the cord.
Now that you’ve tallied up how much you spend per month on TV content, it’s time to move on to step two of your quest to for freedom from the cord.
Step #2 – UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONTENT FOOTPRINT