After cutting the cord and freeing myself from massive monthly cable bills, the only question I found myself asking was, "what on earth took me so long?"
It was easier than you might think. I don't miss any of the shows I used to watch on cable, simply because I now watch them-- and plenty more-- on my computer. And since I've got a 27" Apple monitor, I don't even miss out on quality.
There's more to cable-free TV viewing than just Netflix and Hulu, although I'll admit I do tune in to those quite often. But for fresh new episodes of my favorite shows (AMC's "The Walking Dead", Comedy Centrals' "The Daily Show" and "South Park" are favorites of late), I just log in to those network's websites and watch for free. The only downside to this is that whenever I'm overseas, regional content blocking is in effect.
I watched every single episode of "Lost" on ABC.com. I search Comedy Central's voluminous archives for old episodes of "The Colbert Report." The only thing I do miss are back episodes of some of my favorite programs from the premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime, but that's where Netflix and my Play Station 3 come in handy.
Lately, I've also been spending a lot of time on ChannelChooser.com. This little-known gem is a breeze to sign up for and use, and it gives me access to a formidable lineup of channels, including overseas options like Sky News UK and tech-centric ones like Mashable TV. There are literally hundreds of channels to choose from, including many local network affiliates from around the nation. Best of all, I don't pay a dime to watch.
Do I miss cable? Hardly. The only gaping hole left in my life by the absence of that oh-so-costly box is that I can't watch local sporting events on my big screen TV anymore. But I've got SF Giants season tickets and there are heaps of bars on my street, so I don't miss much. And when I'm on the road, MLB.TV's got my back, although at 50 bucks a year, also my wallet.
Cutting the cord was one of the best moves I've made recently. You, too, can liberate yourself from hefty cable bills and bundling bunkum. You, too, will wonder why you waited so long.
*Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Do you have a personal finance story that you'd like to share? Sign up with the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own finance articles.
