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For nearly a decade, I’ve been helping people cut the cable TV cord, switch to streaming and save money. But as cord cutting has changed, so has my advice. In this video, I explain 9 ways my cord-cutting advice has evolved over the years. Get DEAL ALERTS on my website: https://michaelsaves.com/deals/deal-alerts/
Updated Guide to Cutting the Cord
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_gtDWx4MRQ
WEBSITE: https://michaelsaves.com/streaming/how-to-cut-the-cord/
Free Streaming TV Spending Tracker: https://michaelsaves.com/streaming/spending-tracker/
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The Ultimate Guide to YouTube TV for Beginners:
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0:00
All these Michael saves videos have one thing in common
0:03
They're way outdated. For nearly a decade, I've been helping people cut the cord
0:07
switch to streaming, and save money. But as cord cutting has changed, so is my advice
0:13
I'll explain. Let's start with the Live TV bundle. And for the past few years, YouTube TV has been the Live TV service
0:20
that I recommend most often to people who want a true cable TV replacement
0:26
But here's the first change to my advice. I'm recommending live TV bundles to fewer people overall
0:31
and that's mainly because of the pricing, also because of the content
0:35
I first started testing live TV services before YouTube TV existed, and when it launched in 2017, the starting price, get this, only $35
0:45
And the service has doubled in price since that launch. Of course, YouTube TV is not alone
0:51
Does anyone remember DirecTV now? It had more than 100 channels for $35 a month when it launched
0:57
That was in 2016, now renamed Direct TV Stream, the service starts at $80 a month
1:03
Hulu Live launched at $40 in 2017, now $77 and up, and Sling TV, which started all the way back in 2015
1:12
It now costs you at least $40 a month. So back when these services were more affordable, I recommended that people try out a few of them while still paying for cable
1:21
and then once they found a good fit, cancel their cable TV service
1:26
But now, I tell most people to just start with YouTube TV
1:30
It's the best overall service, channels, DVR, and features, but I also recommend that people start here
1:36
because YouTube TV offers the best free trial. Usually, it's between one and three weeks, but this can vary
1:43
One to three weeks is enough time for most people to get the hang of YouTube TV
1:46
and decide whether its channels are really important to them. And with most live TV services, it's about the channels
1:53
locals, sports, and cable news. If someone signs up for a YouTube TV free trial and finds they don't use the service that much
2:01
they may be able to cancel and replace it with more affordable services, dropping live TV altogether
2:06
I find this is happening a lot more often now because the best entertainment content has moved on from cable and broadcast TV networks
2:14
Now it's premiering on streaming services. Bottom line, live TV services can still save you money compared to cable
2:21
especially if you start and stop them throughout the year, but your wallet, it's going to be a whole lot fatter without them
2:28
Let's move on. And if you watched any of my live TV streaming service reviews you probably heard me say to review the channel lineup Well that advice it not changing I am adding a second step for local channels
2:41
After you've reviewed a channel lineup on a services website and confirm that your local
2:45
stations are available, I want you to double check that there isn't a carriage dispute going on
2:52
It's sad that these have been happening a lot more lately as the owners of local TV stations
2:57
fight it out with pay TV providers over money. And in some cases, these channel blackouts have lasted weeks, even months
3:04
Since these disruptions are temporary, I'm not confident that live TV services are updating
3:09
their website channel charts when they happen. So here's my recommendation. Before you sign up for a new service, go to Google and search the name of the service
3:18
and carriage dispute to see if any recent news articles come up
3:22
If not, you can safely trust the list of channels provided by the service
3:27
Let's talk more about local stations. and about 10 years ago, I remember paying for a bundle of internet service and local stations
3:34
It was $60 a month from Xfinity. Xfinity now calls this the Choice TV plan
3:40
But the price, it's not the $20 a month that you see listed on the screen
3:44
It's more than double that, and that's after the broadcast TV fee is added in
3:48
Broadcast TV fees have increased so sharply in recent years, I don't think the Choice TV plan really makes sense for people anymore
3:56
Nobody should have to pay $45 a month to watch broadcast TV, especially when many people can just purchase a mohoo leaf into our antenna for a one-time cost of less than $50 and get all their locals
4:09
This next section is about negotiating with your cable TV provider. It's not so easy anymore
4:14
You used to be able to call up your cable TV provider toward the end of a promo period, share a competing offer, and get a discount on the service
4:23
But now, it's not a sure thing, and I don't want anyone to think. that it still is. I do still think this is worth a shot and that's why I recommend reaching out
4:31
to your cable company in step one of my updated cord cutting guide. Ask them if there's anything
4:37
they can do to lower the price. Just be prepared for the answer to be no and you'll have to move on
4:43
If you bundle services like TV and internet, these days it is more likely that you're going
4:48
to get a discount on the internet service, not the TV portion of the plan. By the way, I don't use
4:54
bill negotiation services like Trim and Rocket Money. I have tried Trim in the past and
4:59
the service did lower my internet bill, but these services take a cut of the savings for work
5:05
that you can really just do yourself Not worth it to me I also refined my internet speed recommendations over the years including recently Here in a video from 2021 I recommended download speeds of 50 to 100 megabits per second preferably 200
5:21
megabits per second. But now I typically recommend a plan with 200 to 400 megabits per second download
5:28
speeds. Let me be clear, streaming services don't require high download speeds. I'll put the
5:34
recommendations for YouTube TV up on the screen right now. It's 25 megabits per second or less
5:40
But the problem is, many households don't get the speeds they're paying for
5:44
especially true when connected to Wi-Fi. Other factors also matter, like the number of connected devices that your household is using at any given time
5:53
Fortunately, internet providers have raised the speeds over the years, so 25 and 50 megabits per second plans aren't even offered in some areas
6:02
So if you're having trouble deciding between two plans, let's say 200 and 400 megabits per second
6:09
my advice is to try the cheaper one and see how it goes
6:13
You can always upgrade later on if you need to. Let's talk about buying your own modem and router to save money
6:20
This can be a great way to get rid of the monthly rental charge from companies like Xfinity
6:25
One of my earliest YouTube videos documented this process. And while I still like this tip for many cord cutters
6:31
I do not recommend it if you're planning to switch internet providers
6:35
anytime soon. That's because many internet providers now include equipment in the plan price
6:42
So if you pay a few hundred bucks for a modem and router that'll work with Xfinity and then you
6:46
decide to leave Xfinity, you could be stuck with equipment that you can't use, and then you just
6:52
have to try and resell it. There are two edits I've made to my advice about starting with an entry-level
6:58
streaming device, and first I've had to clarify what I consider an entry-level device. Take Roku
7:04
for example, Roku Express, Roku Express 4K plus, and Roku streaming stick 4K are entry-level devices
7:12
all three of them. But I do not recommend Roku Express. Here's why. For only slightly more money
7:19
the other two devices let you stream in 4K and have better voice control remotes that let you
7:24
power up your TV and control the volume. So in other words, I don't think you should get the
7:30
cheapest Roku, but the second cheapest is fine. I have the Roku. I have the Roku
7:34
Express 4K Plus, it's currently on a secondary TV and that's just because I've
7:39
upgraded to the Roku Ultra for my main living room TV The second edit about streaming devices is that fewer people even need to buy them If you get a new TV chances are it a smart TV so there will be streaming apps available without having to purchase a separate dongle
7:57
from Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, or others. Next, I've always recommended signing up for services directly with the provider
8:08
not through third parties like Roku or Amazon. And that's because you can usually get better deals directly from a service's website
8:17
YouTube Premium is one example of this. It costs $13.99 a month directly from YouTube's website
8:23
but it's $18.99 a month when you sign up through Apple. The same service, the same features, just $5 cheaper, purchasing it directly from YouTube
8:32
But there are exceptions to my rule, and I have started to see pretty good deals from third parties
8:38
including Verizon's Plus Play Store. In late 2022, I shared with you how I got a free year of Netflix premium by purchasing another subscription through Verizon Streaming Hub
8:50
That saved me $240. More recently, a new offer from Verizon, it started offering a $10 Netflix and Max bundle to select customers
9:00
From now on, I'm keeping an eye out for deals from third parties, but only signing up when it's going to save me money
9:06
Not for any other reasons, like convenience. I've talked a lot on this channel about rotating your subscriptions as a great way to control your streaming TV spending
9:16
It started with my video about the number one mistake cord cutters make after canceling cable
9:21
That video was about the flexibility of streaming compared to cable. With no contracts, streaming services let you cancel any time
9:30
so you can always stop and start your subscriptions throughout the year
9:34
But how do you know when it's time to pause or cancel a subscription
9:37
I created a free streaming TV spending tracker a few years ago to help people evaluate their subscriptions
9:45
And here's the three things rule that I used to follow. If I can't remember streaming three things from a particular service over the last month
9:54
I'll typically pause or cancel the service. Since then, I found that I prefer to have fewer paid subscriptions at a time, three or less
10:03
It saves me money and I haven't run out of content to watch yet
10:07
So I ditched my rule and I only subscribe to apps that I open up regularly, at least weekly
10:14
And that's my new advice for you. Leave a comment below and let me know how you're saving money on streaming amid the rising costs
10:22
Thanks for watching and I hope to see you back here next time
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