The Unexpected Perk of Ditching Cable

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About a year ago, we severed our ties with cable, and let me tell you, it’s been a revelation in more ways than one. The allure of cable TV just faded away when we realized we could stream everything we wanted on our Roku. With Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Amazon Prime, and a slew of pay-per-view options at our fingertips — not to mention our trusty HDTV antenna capturing all the antics on the Today Show (RIP Billy Bush) — cable simply became obsolete. Plus, my favorite sports teams aren’t even local, so I’m already accustomed to heading to the bar to catch the Dolphins play on Sundays. And let’s be honest, my wife has a strict no-baseball policy, making that a moot point anyway.

Initially, we thought we’d miss our DVR, but with everything available for streaming, who needs it? Once we ditched the nightmare that was Time-Warner’s outdated cable service (seriously, when are you going to let us pick channels a la carte instead of cramming us with dozens of useless ones?), we started saving money, even with a few subscription services in the mix. But the real hidden gem of cutting the cord? Well, it’s quite surprising.

Remember those Saturday mornings spent glued to the TV, soaking up cartoons? And then the relentless barrage of ads for the latest must-have toys? Well, since we axed cable, my kids are blissfully unaware of those annoying commercials. Instead, they discover toys the old-fashioned way — through playdates, playground chatter, or the aisles at Target.

It’s genuinely refreshing. Sure, my son still gets wind of toys through other channels (let’s face it, kids are resourceful). And while TV shows are getting sneakier about advertising, there’s something liberating about not worrying that he’ll nag me for a ridiculous toy after being bombarded with ads for it.

Think back to your own childhood. How many times did you plead with your parents for a toy just because a flashy commercial caught your eye? I distinctly recall begging for “The Claw,” a remote-controlled truck that promised to conquer any terrain in the Connecticut suburbs. The ad was mesmerizing, but when I finally saw the actual toy, it was a complete letdown. I hold TV responsible for that disappointment.

Thanks to streaming, most of what we watch is ad-free. As a result, when we visit my parents and a commercial interrupts, my son looks utterly baffled. Suddenly, he’s yearning for whatever loud, overpriced, Star Wars-themed junk is being thrust upon him. Cue my stern “no,” a little yelling at my parents, and maybe a glass of bourbon to calm the chaos.

Without cable, there’s certainly less chaos, or at least less awareness of the latest toy fads. This is a tremendous advantage! Not only do we cut costs by saying goodbye to cable and paying for just a handful of subscriptions, but we’re also saving money by minimizing my son’s exposure to the latest fad toys that he’ll forget about two weeks after he gets them.

Ironically, this means I’m saving myself from the pain of knowing that if my parents had bought me “The Claw,” it would’ve ended up in the attic just like every other toy I once thought I couldn’t live without. And I still want it, by the way.

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In summary, cutting the cable cord has not only saved us money but has also significantly reduced our kids’ exposure to the relentless barrage of toy advertisements. With less clutter in our lives and wallets, we can focus on what truly matters.