We hope you enjoy the following guest post, featuring cord cutting tips, from Luke Bouma, one of the cord cutting experts behind CordCuttersNews.com.
New to cord cutting? We can help! Here are 5 tips to help you get started in the world of cord cutting.
Tip #1 – Don’t Rush Into It
The number one mistake people make when they cut the cord is rushing into it. Taking cord cutting slowly can help you avoid overpaying and make it less stressful.
Long before you call to cancel your cable TV make sure to set everything up—from your antenna to streaming players. Take advantage of free trials to test different streaming services before canceling pay TV.
This way when you cancel your pay-TV provider you are not rushing out to buy the first antenna you can find in hopes of watching your favorite show tonight.
A little preparation will ensure that when you cancel cable TV you are set for your life as a cord cutter.
Tip #2 – Only Subscribe When You Need That Service
Don’t worry about contracts. Unlike cable TV, there are no year-long contracts. You can add or drop subscriptions whenever you want.
If you only want a live TV service for sports, only pay for it during the season your sport is on.
Only want HBO for Game of Thrones? Only pay for HBO Now when Game of Thrones is on.
By only subscribing to services when you use them you can easily save $100s every year.
Tip #3 – Don’t Get Tricked Into Overpaying for Internet
Often when you downgrade to internet only one of two things will happen. They will do their best to convince you to upgrade your internet speed to a crazy high level. Or they will try to get you to bundle.
The truth is you only need 25 Mbps down to get a good streaming experience. (But faster is nice.) So, don’t be tricked into the idea that you need a faster speed to stream your content.
They will also try to get you to bundle your service with a phone or TV option. Remember: Don’t get tricked into promotional pricing. They will say anything over the phone, but when you add services they add fees and often only tell you the promotional rate.
Here are some tips to finding the right internet speed for you.
Tip #4 – Shop Around for Internet
Sadly, your cable company could care less that you have been a loyal customer for 10 years. They won’t give you the best deal out there.
If you want a good deal, you often need to shop around with different service providers.
I know many think of DSL as slow, but for many cord cutters DSL speeds will be the same or close to those of broadband cable internet.
Every few years I switch to make sure I get the best deal. They are always willing to welcome you back and will give you a deal you could never get if you stayed with them.
Tip #5 – This Is Not Your Grandpa’s Antenna TV
You may remember your grandparents had an antenna back in the day that gave them access to three or four stations. We have come a long way when it comes to Over-the-Air TV.
Now, on average, cord cutters get 30 channels including the big ones—ABC, CW, CBS, FOX and NBC—along with a ton of other great channels 100 percent free!
Wondering what you could get for free Over-the-Air? Check Tablo’s Channel Locator Tool to find out what channels you should pick up with an indoor or an outdoor antenna.
Do you have cord cutting tips for new cord cutters? Tell us on Twitter or Facebook so we can share it with everyone.
Luke Bouma graduated from Grand Valley State University and has spent the last 3 years as a dedicated Cord Cutter. He has been Featured as a cord cutting expert for many publications like Wall Street Journal, Maxim, Refinery29 and many more. He has also been a guest on Clear Channel Radio to talk about Cord Cutting. Luke Bouma founded Cord Cutters News, LLC back in 2014 and also writes for Mohu, Ting and has guest blogged for Roku.
