Cable subscription: I've gone back to bunny ears...the 2012 version.

Surprised with how much basic cable costs? Me too. 

I found an alternative that works for me. Maybe you too. 

Just read. 

So the year was 2012 in the Ides of March (well around the 15th). Opened Google Chrome, clicked on the browser bar and stroked my keys to complete the following: www.comcast.net. Next step, Shop. Clicked the link. Eyes started to browse at bundles....major WTF moment. They want how much for only that? I apologized to the web page out loud. I had to remind myself that it wasn't it's fault. It was just posting the information it was given. So I hopped in my car, went to a Comcast location and yelled at them. Not really, just adding some drama into my story...however I still was mortified with how much the bundle cost. 

I was uber ecstatic at first about cable. Moving into my own place and planning on getting all the shows for my viewing pleasure. For realsies. Monday Night Football would be an at home event come Fall!! So I started researching prices early and knew my apartment building used Comcast as its provider from what my property manager indicated during my tour of the facilities. I never worked with Comcast before however all I knew was I needed the "Inter Nets" really bad right when I moved in so I could get "on the line". 

Internet + Cable. Who knew it was going to cost me nearly half of what I budgeted for utilities in a one bedroom apartment. NOT ME. So this is what I did. 

The internet was simple. I needed it. You cannot not be efficient in life today without it. On top of that I am a gamer. A MMO-RPGer. One does not simply walk into Stormwind (lag-less) without a good amount of Mbps. I pay $32/month with all the fees and goodness. 

So my issue was the cable part. It really wasn't a need but the want part didn't fit well either. I have this nice new TV but the only use was to game on it or play Blu-rays? I love me some Star Wars but I can't watch it everyday...okay maybe I can but I do like some variety. Some. 

This is my solution to cable that works for me: 

I have a combination of Amazon Prime + Hulu + Digital Receiver.

Amazon Prime ($79/year): I subscribed to Prime for the 2-day service when it first started before they introduced streaming but now I can rent movies that are not unlimited and even buy them for less, barely used, and receive them in a couple days. I dropped my Netflix subscription once I realized I was never using it and when I found out its contract with Starz was ending. 

Hulu Plus ($8/month): I subscribed to Hulu for current shows and some movie choices (still learning about Hulu and it's been a satisfying experience so far). Prime and Hulu combined provide me past and current seasons on some of my favorite shows. I use both services on my Net TV and Xbox. I switch between the two depending on my bandwidth. Better quality or HD picture is streamed consistently through my Xbox compared to my Net TV, but that is just my experience. 

Digital Receiver (One time purchase. Price varies): I purchased a refurbished digital receiver (with Prime) for around $16 and it gives me local channels for free so I can stay up to date with current news in my area. However I do warn about the digital receiver. I have some troubles getting channels from where I am located. Digital receivers do not work well in remote areas, or in my case, odd parts of the city. I flawlessly get the all Spanish speaking channel and it really is quite entertaining.

What made me choose this option?

• Reality TV and cable is smothered in it. I don't care about fist pumping, party jumping, baby daddy hunting, weddings bling blinging and mainly people bad singing. 
• Movie Channels are extra. I never had movie channels growing up (only got them for free on special weekends) and they are extra to have? Yes, they offer some exclusive shows and movies but nothing that is necessary to have right away if you're not a die hard fan. Eventually Hulu will have it or if it is that good, I'll buy the season for $70+ on Amazon Prime and have my own personal marathon, forever. I'm spoiled with how many movies I can get on Hulu and Amazon Prime. Spoiled. 
• The total cost! It's purely outrageous if you are a casual viewer and most of the information that you can obtain from TV is found online now. News, sports, competitive shows and local events. All on the internet. So with paying for internet, I found that I was kind of paying for things on cable too. Also, I didn't get far enough to find out how much installation costs were and I'd probably be crying if I did. 

I'll pay roughly $120 this year total for my TV service and these are non binding contract subscriptions that I can cancel (or put on hold as well for Hulu) anytime I feel like I'm not using it enough. 

There are a few downsides but there are solutions that require effort. If you are a sports fan, you can always catch the game at a bar or at the "this team is my religion" buddy's man cave. If you are a movie buff, you probably either own it or saw it in theaters or already are subscribed to one of these services. 

Now for the shows that everyone asks me about if I saw it last night, you'll probably have to get cable if you must watch it now. Like right now or you'll die. Now that is understandable since you will get use out of it or if you record it on your DVR. But if you are someone like myself who doesn't use the cable all too much, this streaming subscription and bunny ear moving work really well and the cost is minimal.

Also, the $6.583 a month it technically costs for Amazon Prime, it provides extra goodies:

• Amazon Cloud Player - Up to 5GB of song storage free. Also, songs purchased on Amazon Prime do not count against this and I can play my music from any computer. 
• Amazon Prime - Rentals - You can rent a ton of new and old titles and when you purchase them, you have 24 days to 1-2 start your rental period.
• Amazon Kindle - Okay so I don't use this feature too much, but if there is a book that I want to read I can put it on my Android Kindle app and read wherever I go. I do not own a kindle. Yet.
• 2 DAY PRIME SHIPPING - Come on peeps! It doesn't get better than that! Most items are cheaper on Amazon, you get them in 2 days if they are Prime Eligible and even USED items can be Prime Eligible.  

So this is my solution (and rant) on my Cable dilemma. Hope this is something you take into consideration too if you find the costs of cable not a feasible expense in your living situation. Thank you for your time! 

Inspiration and information for this post came from personal experience and http://finance.yahoo.com/news/potluck-eyeballs-amazon-streaming-160402656.html