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When I had cable with Xfinity, I often spent more time flipping through channels for something to watch than actually enjoying it. It’s been a few years since I cut cable and I haven’t looked back since.
1My Viewing Habits Dramatically Changed
I was never a big TV watcher to begin with, but once I cut cable, I quickly realized the television wasn’t being used as much. Go figure, right? But in my case, it was this growing silence. As it turns out, most of the time the TV was running, it was to fill the space.
This change in my viewing habits also extended to my kids, who weren’t even “TV kids” to begin with. It’s as if the television stopped existing altogether, aside from family movie nights or playing video games.
To be fair, I have subscriptions to a couple of streaming services, butI’ve moved away from binging TV shows and movies, too. If I had kept cable, I doubt I would’ve had as much success on that front otherwise.
Without the TV to fill the void, my free time multiplied. When you sit down to do the math, it’s a little nutty how much it adds up. Just two episodes on basic cable are 30 minutes a piece. Cut those out, and you have yourself an entire hour of free time.
Go ahead and try it out yourself if you’ve been thinking of cutting the cord, too. Whenever you sit down to watch a TV show, log the time, then add it up at the end of the week. Imagine what else you could’ve done in that same amount of time.
3Plenty of Free Channels Exist Without Cable
Even if I want to indulge in cable, there are plenty of existing services that have cable for free. Not to mention,several streaming services offer live TV. If you want to go the free route, there arelive TV channels on Android smart TVs, for example. Plex also has free movites and TV channels for free, though it is ad-supported, even if you have the Plex Pass.
4It’s Pushed Me Into Preserving Physical Media
This is a big one for me. As someone who goes out of their way to buy physical media as often as possible, not having cable has only pushed me further into preservation. If there’s a TV show I miss out on, I’ll be sure to pick up a physical copy ASAP.
For one, it gives me the opportunity to support something more directly. And secondly, I tend to rewatch movies and TV shows I’ve enjoyed. I can’t do that if said content isn’t showing reruns on TV or removed from streaming entirely. It makesmy switch to Plex as my media servereven easier, too.
Cutting the cord has been nothing but a positive force, from saving money to gaining free time. I’m not even bothered by the fact I miss out on a couple of TV shows. I can always catch up on my own time whenever a box set comes out.
