1. The cost is truly ridiculous.
The average cost of cable around the country is between $60-90 a month, depending on your provider. This doesn’t include hidden surcharges, late fees or special packages. For comparison’s sake, Netflix costs $107.88 per year for the base package. Many small towns like Conway have few options for their cable service providers, making the choice for cheaper options even harder.
2. The quality per channel provided is questionable at best.
Have you ever flipped through the channels and wondered why nothing is on? That is probably because you only watch a small selection of channels at one time. You’re effectively paying $90 a month for roughly 10-20 channels that may or may not have something that you’ll watch at any given time. It’s an utter waste of money.
3. Are you a sports fan? Now you can have your cake and eat it too.
Sling TV is a new streaming service that provides streaming of ESPN and ESPN2, as well as other TV channels TBS, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ABC Family, CNN and more. The monthly subscription costs adds up to roughly $240 per year. This allows you to obtain more channels than cable for less.
4. Get a library card… to watch movies.
Your local library will more than likely have an extensive movie collection for check out. All of these films on file are ready to be borrowed from libraries for no fee, which many people seem to forget when they think of public library perks. This includes Little Rock Public Libraries, Faulkner County Library, and, of course, Torreyson Library.
5. Books are cool, too.
This one may seem like a cop-out, but readership in the United States is in serious decline. It seems like people have forgotten how enjoyable reading can be. There are countless options to choose from, and library cards are free. If you want a truly boundless and cheap alternative to watching TV, reading is second to none.
This article originally appeared in the Sept. 16, 2015 print edition of The Echo.
image via bgr.com
