Sixty Dollars each month is a lot of money. That is the average price consumers have to pay for a cable TV package. Regardless of if an increasing number of users are opting to forgo cable altogether, it is still a good option for some.

Why are all of a sudden consumers looking to drop cable tv? A big reason for the significant drop is the rise of streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and iTunes. These streaming services are much more affordable than cable tv. Streaming services usually cost less than $10 a month, which is much less than cable tv. In addition, streaming services are portable. You can take your shows to go on laptops or watch on a smart TV.

However, totally eliminating cable is not as easy at it may sound. Ask yourself the 5 important questions blow before canceling your cable tv.

1-What Do I Want to See?

Make a list of your favorite shows. Are they currently network TV or cable? In the event that you fail to live without shows on the four big networks (such as CBS’s The Big Bang Theory along with NBC’s The Voice), then you may have the ability to make do with a standard electronic antenna (a couple of bunny ears is just $8) or an external antenna (from approximately $50). But, Chris Morran, the deputy editor of Consumerist.com, notes that there isn’t just a failsafe alternative. In cities, properties may interfere with the signal. In more populated regions, you can become only a couple of local affiliates in the place of all the significant networks. (Input your zip code and then search antennaweb.org to see how strong the reception is to get major sections in your town.)

On the flip side, if you ordinarily prefer cable shows, downloading or streaming could be up your street. However, you will have to do a little bit of homework to work out where each show you’d like to see will be available via those services. Many programs, such as The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, can be found via multiple outlets (for instance, the Comedy Central website and conventional Hulu, each which can be free), whereas you are going to need to pony up $3 an event to download shows like Homeland from Itunes.

One warning: if you are a die-hard sports enthusiast and cannot live with only network offerings, then you might want to stay with cable. Livestreaming options are limited.

2-When Do I Want to See Your Personal Favorite Shows?

As you cannot watch breaking news on Netflix, you might not have the ability to order the hit show that everybody else at work is glued to. “Do not get rid of cable in the event you really care a lot on what people are referring to at the water cooler,” says analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson Research. Sometimes, you might need to wait a few months, ” says Moffett, or even up to to the complete year to get a series out on the web. And remember: Preventing spoilers on Twitter and Facebook or on other social media (think HBO’s Game of Thrones or even FX’s The Americans) is nearly impossible.

3-How Do I Do Want to See TV?

Shifting to streaming video necessitates a fantastic broadband internet connection and also a system which supports it, which does not necessarily mean a TV. It might possibly be a computer, a tablet, or possibly a smartphone. “So consider, What instruments do I have now, and what do I intend to have the following calendar year.  Be certain to have the ideal option for you personally, says Shawn DuBravac,  the chief economist and director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association, a trade group. You might be comfortable watching on TV and may not want to have to watch on your laptop or phone.

If you’d like a far more communal viewing setting at home (perhaps not everybody else watching on another device), look at investing in a Web-connected TV. You might also be ready to hook up your laptop to a TV. Or get a system that provides streaming services, such as a Roku, a bluray player, or even perhaps a videogame console, like the xbox 360 console, which may hook up to your TV.

4-What is This Going to Cost?

Time for you to do a little mathematics. First, accumulate the monthly costs of the streaming services that you would like and estimate the number of episodes or movies you intend to buy per month (if any). Then compare this total with the total amount you’re charged in your monthly cable bill.

Please notice: In case your provider packs cable with phone and Internet services, call to learn exactly what your bill is if you lost cable. Then subtract that sum from the amount for the most accurate evaluation of one’s cable expenses.

In the event you determine your entire cost will probably be lower and you’re able to accept the lifestyle modification which accompanies getting rid of cable, then do it. However, if the price tag is about equivalent, then you might find it rewarding to continue being tethered– for today.