hey it's michael here and today cord cutting in 2022 big things are changing i cut the
cord more than a decade ago check out this picture of my dog lucy this is from 2012
you can see my indoor antenna right there in the background back then sure we had netflix but now
there is just so much more you've got live tv streaming services with your cable channels
on demand services with original content and then ad supported services that are legal and totally
free there has never been a better time to cut the cord so in our video today i'm going to share
exactly how to do it in just seven steps let's get started number one figure out your why over the
past few years i've helped thousands of people cut the cord here in my youtube channel and also on my
website and i've identified three key reasons why people cut the cord the first one is price despite
what some people say in most cases you can still save money with streaming compared to cable i can
tell you that i've saved more than ten thousand dollars over the past decade the second reason
people cut the cord is for more flexibility and that's because most streaming services do
not have long-term commitments or contracts that way you can sign up for 12 months six months or
one month only i also recommend that you rotate your subscriptions when you get bored with netflix
cancel it and switch to hbo max for a bit that brings me to number three content some of the best
content is no longer premiering on broadcast or cable tv instead you're gonna find it on netflix
and other streaming platforms it's important that you figure out your why because streaming is
not the same as your current cable or satellite setup it will take you some time to adjust but the
savings alone make it worth it for most people number two know your content wants and needs
there are three main types of streaming services let's call them cable 2.0 netflix and more
and free stuff and here's what you need to know the further away you get from those
cable 2.0 services the more money you're going to save over time and that's what i'd recommend
if it works for you now let's talk more about the content first those cable 2.0 services i also
refer to these as live tv streaming services and they offer live feeds of cable networks
plus on-demand content from those channels if you watch a lot of sports and opinion news you
may want one of these services my number one pick for first-time streamers is youtube tv and that's
because it offers the best of cable tv sports news entertainment and your locals yeah it's expensive
but it is cheaper than cable for most people my budget pick is sling tv and if you only watch 5
or 10 cable channels or so you may find everything you need with this service i've
got a separate video that breaks down the differences between the live tv services
i'll drop a link below in case you want to check that one out next right now let's move on to the
second category netflix and more i also call these on-demand streaming services but that's really an
oversimplification because some of them do have live elements but here's the difference they do
not carry the live feeds of the cable networks for that you need a cable 2.0 service i'm going to use
peacock as an example this service is owned by nbc universal which operates the nbc broadcast network
and many cable networks peacock offers on-demand content from its family of networks plus some
original shows you won't find elsewhere while you won't find live feeds of the cable networks there
are some live elements for example you can stream sunday night football on peacock which also airs
on nbc for the most part services in the netflix and more category are cheaper than the cable 2.0
services some of them have commercials others do not and the plans with ads are typically the most
affordable options take a look at it this way you could sign up for a handful of these services for
the price of one premium cable 2.0 service but here's the key you do not have to sign up for all
of these services at once limit yourself to maybe three to five subscriptions at a time and remember
my tip from earlier you can always rotate your subscriptions moving on to the free stuff category
and this might surprise you but there are plenty of free legal streaming services to discover the
services in this category are typically supported by advertising so you will get some commercials
but usually less than regular tv pluto tv the roku channel and 2b are three of my favorites
these services are all free and they offer libraries and movies and tv shows but some of the
content is not as fresh as the paid services that is the trade-off but there are exciting changes
happening and i'm going to use amazon's imdb tv for example this free service is investing heavily
in original content in 2021 it launched judy justice a new court show from judge judy shinelan
plus it's got more original series on the way best of all you do not have to pick one category
over the other a lot of people i know have a live tv cable 2.0 service as well as free and
paid on-demand services from the other categories stick with me because i've got a lot more to share
number three run the numbers now that we've gone over the types of streaming services
let's get into the money and how much you can really save let's say your current tv bill is two
hundred dollars a month first subtract the cost of internet service most of my audience pays 50
to 75 a month for internet service so why don't we use 75 bucks for this example
that leaves 125 for streaming tv services if you want a cable 2.0 service with sports
news and local stations expect to pay around 70 bucks a month for a base plan and that'll leave 55
a month in savings compared to cable now you could stop here or add a few services from the netflix
and more category in this example three services cost about thirty dollars the streaming tv bundle
that i've assembled here offers more content and more flexibility and you are still saving money
compared to cable so let me give you the bottom line if you can live without one of those cable
2.0 services what are you waiting for cut the cord already it is definitely worth it for you
but if you rely on cable channels if those are must-haves for you
take a little more time and run the numbers number four explore new internet options a lot of people
get internet service from the same company that provides tv but what you can do is call them up
and cancel the tv portion of your bill and keep internet only service if you call up your existing
provider and you don't like the price quote for internet only service you may have other options
for example t-mobile and verizon are expanding 5g home internet service t-mobile home internet is 50
a month as of this recording and that price includes the wi-fi gateway that you need to stream
and even if these new options are not available in your area yet call up your existing provider and
ask for the retention department then politely ask for a lower price on an internet only plan
remember most of my viewers pay fifty dollars to 75 dollars a month for internet and while we're
talking about internet service make sure that your internet plan can handle the demands of streaming
look for an internet plan with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second 200 is even
better especially if multiple people in your house connect to wi-fi now you can get by with lower
speeds like 50 megabits per second but service may not be as reliable we've made it to number five
keep your setup simple i'm looking out for your money in this section because there are a lot
of people online who try to sell you equipment that you just don't need to cut the cord in fact
you probably already got everything you need to get started this is a basic streaming tv
setup it includes three things a tv set a streaming device and an internet connection
that's it and if you've got a smart tv you don't technically need a streaming device for example
i'm using a samsung smart tv you can see here that popular streaming apps are pre-installed
and others are available to download if all your favorite apps are available from your smart tv
no need to rush out and get a streaming device but the problem many people run into is that
some apps are not available for download from the samsung smart tv interface and i've had a similar
experience when i owned an lg smart tv and in this case the solution is to buy a streaming device
and i recommend roku devices because they're inexpensive and easy to use at the time of
this recording the roku express 4k plus is a top seller hooking it up to your tv set is simple
once installed you can access your favorite apps from the roku channel store including the free
roku channel i recommend roku's in part for the large icons that make it really easy to navigate
the remote is also easy to master take a look at the roku remote side by side with
the samsung tv remote now come on which one would you rather use there's a fourth piece
of equipment for cord cutters it's optional but i highly recommend it i'm talking about
an antenna for your local broadcast stations i use a mohu leaf indoor antenna since i live in a city
and i'm close to broadcast towers but depending on where you live an outdoor antenna may be best
check out the antenna man youtube channel to learn more about your options here on youtube he's the
go-to antenna expert and number six get the timing right this is a short but very important part of
the process so let's dive right in if you've got a cable or satellite package check your latest bill
to see if you're in a contract and if you are now may not be the time to cut the cord but you've got
another option and this has worked for a lot of people call up customer service and see if
they'll let you out of the contract without paying an early termination fee i've found that if you
drop tv but keep internet service with the same provider they are more likely to work with you
don't have a contract well you can cancel your existing pay tv subscription at any time but
don't rush into cutting the cord just yet instead try out streaming services before you cancel cable
or satellite service most of the cable 2.0 live tv services have free trials that let you test
them out for a week or so before your build and if you don't like one service move on to another
until you find the best fit and once you cut the cord and start paying for streaming services
you should know that billing is not prorated if you rotate your subscriptions keep track of
your billing dates i created a free streaming tv spending tracker that you can use but you can also
just set cancellation reminders on your calendar that works too number seven remain flexible
and open to savings up until now this video has focused on the process of cutting the cord the
things you need to know before you start streaming so by now you should be able to answer these
questions why am i cutting the cord what type of content and services do i need how much will
it cost do i have the right internet provider do i have the right equipment and when is the best time
to cut the cord if you've decided that cutting the cord is right for you manage your expectations
because if you go into this process trying to replicate cable every channel every feature
you may be setting yourself up for disappointment just know going into it there is a learning curve
and it will take time to adjust remember the picture that i shared at the top of this video
10 years ago i had an indoor antenna and a netflix subscription that's how i started but now i stream
more than a dozen services no i don't subscribe to them all at once as i've mentioned in this video
i rotate my subscriptions to save money here's how that looks i subscribe to a cable 2.0 service for
about six months out of the year plus a couple of my favorite on-demand services from the netflix
and more category and the other six months out of the year i pay only for the services in the
netflix and more category and that's probably my favorite savings tip but i've got a lot more
for you in my video on how to stream everything you want and still save money compared to cable