Save $: Cut Back on That Cable Bill....

Or maybe, CUT that cable bill! Ugh. Cable is so expensive! If you sit down and think about how much you spend in a year's time for cable and then how much you actually watch it, can you justify that bill? How much does it cost you an hour? We had cable for a couple years, but then life changed, and we moved to Connecticut, and my husband became a full-time student, and we had to change too! Well, thanks to my Internet-browsing hubby, we got ourselves a Roku. What is a Roku you ask? It's an "Internet streaming player". You purchase the unit (for $80-$100), hook it up to your Internet, and you have access to movies and TV without the high price of cable. You get "The Channel Store" which gives you a weather app, sports app options, movie apps, a local community and arts channel and more. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video are available for purchase at a monthly subscription through your television. Netflix and Hulu Plus are both $7.99 a month, and Amazon, I believe is available by purchasing an Amazon Prime Membership or shows and movies can be purchased A la carte for a couple of dollars. We currently just have Hulu Plus, and it has been enough for us. It has tons of current TV shows as well as some movies. At some point we may sign up for Netflix, but as little time as we have to watch movies, I figure I can pick up a "Red Box" if there is something we've been dying to see. We absolutely love our Roku, and I don't know that I'll ever go back to cable at those prices. $7.99 a month (or more depending on what you purchase) plus the one time Roku purchase. In one year, we're spending about $15 a month (Roku cost divided by 12 months) compared to more than double that a month! That's a big savings! So, if money is tight, and you're looking to cut back but can't bare to lose some of your favorite shows, I suggest looking into a Roku option.