Cutting the cord — The decision to quit Cable TV

Posted on April 8, 2013 by

Raun's BlogWe waffled over the decision for days about whether or not to quit cable TV.  It was really a technicality.  We knew the answer.  We just couldn’t admit it yet.  In my post, Sacrifice is Hard to Swallow, I mentioned 3 options.  We could drop cable, drop to a lesser cable TV package, or just stay as we were. We decided to look at the issue from the other side.

The question changed from “What are we going to watch on TV if we lose cable?” to “What do we want our life to look like with Timothy in the picture?”

As soon as we realized we were standing on the edge of a whole new world of experiences for all 3 of us, it became clear that we needed to make a move.  The third option was completely off the table.

So, would we move to a lower package or drop cable completely?  We looked at the channel lineup for the only package lower than what we had.  The channels that we actually did watch weren’t included.  We could have taken the road more traveled and moved down.  This would have been almost the same choosing the option of doing nothing.

We would save about $120 a month by losing cable.  What could we do in exchange for that $1400 plus in the next year?  What opportunities would we have to open up the world to Tim and to ourselves?  Is it worth it to give up the opportunity for all of these experiences just so we can sit at home in front of the TV?  NO!

We know that Timothy’s world will exist primarily within a 6 inch bubble around his body for the next several months.  Even then, is it better to truly focus on him or to divide our loyalties with a cord coming from the wall?  Should we take the boy out for walks and to get fresh air or should he be in a bouncy chair while we watch this episode of who knows what for the 8th time?

When we looked at what we would gain by cutting the cord, it became so obvious that I felt silly for dragging it out as long as I did.

Every decision we make either moves us closer to the life we want to life or it moves us farther from it.  When we look at decisions through the lens of what life could be, it’s hard to see any other options.

Next week, I’ll show you what we did to move forward without cable TV.

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About Raun Lauterbach

Optimistic realist, life enthusiast, outdoor cook, Midwest traveler, husband, father... Follow me: Twitter | Facebook | Get updates in your email
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  • Eddie Bashaw

    Good Luck Raun. My wife and I have considered the same thing but for us the hard part was losing the discount we received for bundling with the internet. We also use Directv which we absolutely love. With TiVo we don’t have to watch the shows right as they happen and then when all the kids are in bed we can not “waste” as much time when we can fast forward through commercials. And as I get older it is funny but the two channels we watch the most are Food Network and HGTV. And for us when our kids got older it was easier for us to get things done around the house when we could put on a show for them to watch. But if you ever decide to come back I would totally recommend Directv and we could refer you which would save you even more money as a first time customer. Can’t wait to get some updates.

  • http://www.backyardlifeblog.com Raun Lauterbach

    Thanks for your support, Eddie. Liz called me right after she cancelled the cable and it felt like a breakup. It was very strange to have this emotional reaction to it. We watched Food Network, HGTV, Cooking channel, Travel channel, and DIY mostly. I’m going to miss them in general, but many of the shows I watched are available on YouTube, and other sources. I’m going into it in my post next Monday.

    My parents had DirecTV for years, so I’m quite familiar with it. We’ll see how this all goes, but so far so good!