Cut cable and save $100s

The average family pays $123 a month for cable, but you can drop the hefty bill and still see your favorite programs. Here’s how!

When we think about how much we’ve spent on cable over the years, we can’t help but wince—especially since we never flip to most of the channels we pay for. (Surveys show cable customers watch fewer than 10 percent of their channels!) And costs keep climbing—up 39 percent in the past 6 years. No wonder 1 in 5 households have cut the cord.

Still, sorting through the cable-free options is dizzying, so we turned to the pros. “First, survey your TV habits: who watches what, how often and whether it’s viewed live or on demand,” advises Sadie Cornelius, marketing director of SafeSmartLiving.com, who has been cable-free for years. Then use our chart to find your best option—even if you opt for more than one (i.e., movies and news), you can save $1,000 a year!

These gadgets let you connect your TV to the internet so you can watch on a big screen. But picking one can be tricky. Here, insight into 3 top options: