Learning to Love My Dysfunctional Relationship with Cable

I love cable. I just hate the way it treats me. The first year we were together, I got a low price, free HD and DVR, and a great selection of channels. The next year, I had to pay for HD, DVR, and extra channels. The extra $30 per month was unsettling, but I knew this was normal. The honeymoon was over. By the third year, I was shocked to open the bill and see the monthly price jump another $30 per month. I didn’t change, but cable did. I called and spoke to a representative and was told it happens to everyone, it’s a tiered promotion. My choice was leave or deal with it.

I started exploring other options. I got recommendations for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Sling TV. I’d have to get them all to watch the variety of shows my family currently watches. Breakups are hard on families and I wanted to make the transition as easy as possible. Satellite wasn’t an option because of the trees in our back yard and living on a hillside. I was stuck. I dropped the home phone and a chunk of channels from our package. It dropped the bill down to the second year price. I was getting so much less, but paying the same as just a month ago.

I got the mail. I saw the colorful flyer from the cable company advertising the new subscriber packages. It was salt in the wound. A slap in the face. I felt powerless and sad. I started thinking about dumping cable completely. If I did, how long would I have to be gone before I was considered a desirable “new” customer again? I read the fine print. Any former customer, still in good standing, who hasn’t been a customer for 30 days or more qualifies for the new customer promotion. I had my answer and I started my plan to leave.

We had a family vacation coming up. We would be gone for 9 days. It was the perfect time to cut our service. We would only be without television and Internet for 21 days. We can do this. Most of our regular series are on vacation too.  We’ve gotten creative, finding places to access free wifi like my parents’ house and Lowe’s parking lot to pay bills and check emails.  The limited access makes me more organized. It’s a great opportunity to get more things done around the house. Absence really can make the heart grow fonder.

I’m really excited about the fact that I don’t have a cable bill this month AND also that I’ll be saving $60 a month for the next 12 months. It makes me feel a little like a villain as I rub my hands together, squint my eyes, and whisper, “Two can play at this game.”

Kara Addington

About Kara Addington

I live in a small town in Northern Maine with my husband, daughter, and dog. I scour yard sales and thrift shops for clothing, furniture, and decor. I've been known to rescue items from the trash to repurpose into craft projects. I rarely pay full price for anything. When I come home from grocery shopping with something outside of our normal staples, I am faced with, "You had a coupon, didn't you?". Well, of course I did! I enjoy thinking outside of the box. I rarely do what everyone else does, I'm all about using my resources and I hate how disposable everything is. I am passionate about sharing my discoveries and lifestyle with others. I love to help people save money, live debt free and to recycle and repurpose unwanted items. Living well on less is my area of expertise.