13 Apr 2018 22:29
Tags
Investing and creating a passive income is not the only path I am using to become financial independent. Another tool I use which I believe is just as effective as generating income is cutting living expenses through lifestyle changes.
Today marks the first day I no longer have cable television. Yes I have joined the cord cutting community but I haven’t gone completely cold turkey. I am far from a minimalist, not anything wrong being a minimalist but that is a lifestyle I just cannot swing and I still enjoy watching television. So I replaced cable with a live streaming service and so far so good. This cuts my annual expenses by 1%.
I ended up choosing DIRECTV Now as my streaming service. It wasn’t the lowest cost solution but for my area I thought video quality and local channel availability were slightly better than Sling TV but the service does buffer on occasion. Buffering is something I can live with but time will tell if the rest of my family can deal with.
As far as an aerial antenna I also have one to supplement the service. However, my home sits in a valley and access to TV signals is limited. For those not familiar with HD broadcasts, the signal from TV stations travels in a very tight path and is easily blocked by hills mountains or major structures. Before jumping into an antenna solution I recommend starting with a cheap HD antenna first to see what channels are available before buying an expensive antenna. If you live on top of a hill I would definitely recommend giving it a shot. For myself I ended up receiving 12 channels in high quality and 4 of the channels I watch regularly. When you combine the 4 channels with the DirectTV Now solution I have access to the same shows as before at ½ the cost. The best part is that there is no contract so if something better comes along I can switch on a dime.
Until my kid start to leave the house I think this will be my last lifestyle change to cut costs. Once the kids are gone my next change will be selling the house and moving to a smaller place.
Post preview:
Close preview