How many of you have been contemplating cutting cable, but have a fear of missing something? Come on, I know I wasn't and aren't the only one who has had these types of thoughts.  You know you are paying way too much to sit and watch tv.  You ponder regularly as to how you can get everything done that needs to be done, yet you catch every episode of your favorite tv shows.

You see I know the truth!  Why...because I've been there too.  In fact, I just officially cut the cable cord and it feels sooooooooooo good!  My husband and I have been talking about doing this for almost two years and we finally made the decision to make it happen.  When I calculate how much we could have saved in those two years that we tetered with the idea!  We could have saved at least $2400 dollars if not more!

I want to share with you a little about our process (we aren't finished with everything yet), in hopes that I encourage you to let go of the fear and take the step to do whatever it is you need to do to help you along your journey.
<h1>Getting Your Cable Cutting Mindset Right</h1>
As you know, I teach that the first thing you must do in any new endeavor is get your mind right. This particular situation is no exception, in fact...if I'm being honest with you and myself, I think we we stayed in this stage a little too long!  Knowing that, I want to help you overcome some of the fears you may be experiencing as it pertains to cutting the cable cord.
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First of all, as with most people, we knew that we were being totally overcharged for the entertainment of television.  I mean, lets get real...that's what it is, it's entertainment.  It's extra, it's not a necessity (unless your livelihood requirements i.e., news reporter or an entertainment blogger).  We complained about how much we were paying each month that we paid the bill, but month after month we still paid it.  So if this is you, lets get your mindset right.

Lets say you could save $75 - $100 each month.  Would this help you with the goals you have for your life?  Could you reallocate that money to help pay off something else or save up for something you've been wanting to do?  Most people will admit that they could do something better with that money.  Now, if you are someone who has a lot of extra expendable income and you don't need to save then this really isn't something that you need to overcome.  To my understanding, most cable cord cutters are looking to save money and stop giving companies money unnecessarily.  So, if this is you, definitely read on.

So the next thing we need to do in this mindset journey is to tackle some of the fears you may be feeling.  One thing is what about all the shows I love.  Okay, so this is a big one that we can help put into perspective, so to help you overcome this fear I want you to do a few things:
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<h2>List out all the shows you watch</h2>
The first thing you need to do is get a list of all your favorite shows.  If you have a DVR, this may be a little easier for you as you can just look at your recording history or your wishlist to develop your list of shows.</li>
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<h2>Prioritize your List</h2>
Now it's time to prioritize your list.  I know you have those shows you usually watch as soon as they come on or shortly there after.  If you are anything like me, you also have a number of shows you are behind on, this should be a clue to you that they shouldn't be #1 on your priority list.  By prioritizing your list, it will help you eliminate and determine, which platforms you need and which you don't.</li>
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<h2>Identify what platforms the show(s) are shown on</h2>
At this point, you can identify which platforms each of the shows is on.  When I did this I realized that a lot of what we watched was on regular television networks.  These networks are absolutely free using the over the air (OTA) signal.  You just need an antenna to get the signal.  It just came down to identifying what other networks were represented on our list.

Now I have a tivo box, so it was easy for me, because when you went into the info section of the shows on my record list it showed all the platforms it was shown on.  Some aired on up to four platforms.  Just write these down so you can evaluate as a whole.</li>
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<h2>Identify the platforms and their fees</h2>
Alright, now that you have your prioritized list and have identified the platforms on which each of them airs, it's time to research the cost of these platforms.  When I did this for our list I learned about a number of platforms I didn't really knew existed.  Most of what I watched was isolated down to OTA, Amazon, Vudu or Hulu.  You need to look at each platform and see how much it costs for a monthly subscription and/or the purchase of an entire season.  For example, there are two shows that come on the OWN network that I love to watch - Greenleaf and Queen Sugar.  Both of these<img class="size-medium wp-image-5765 alignright" src="http://thehappinessbucket.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Research-Savings-300x300.png" alt="Eliminating the fear of cable cutting" width="300" height="300" /> are available on Amazon and Vudu.  I can purchase by the season fox approximately $20ish dollars or I can pay $1.99 - $2.99 per episode.  The other option is for me to get a subscription service that provides that channel.  What you have to think about is the cost of a subscription vs. purchasing the two series outright.  As an example we are talking ~$50 for both full seasons vs. $60 to add the special package on Sling that provides that channel.  We had planned to get Sling anyway, so to me it makes sense to purchase access to the channel so I can get those shows plus a few more.  If you weren't planning on getting sling, then you would be comparing the ~$50 to your setup fees etc.
<h1>In summary</h1>
The point of all of this is to deal in facts and not your fears.  Focus on getting your mind wrapped around the task at hand.  Understand what you will gain vs. what you will truly lose.  Do the math, break it down and see exactly what you are really dealing with.  The hesitation that most of us feel is due to the fear of letting go. The fear of the unknown. The fear of missing out. The fear of what you will do without. Instead, deal in the truth...the facts of what you will gain if you give it a try.  If you test it and see. You will get gain time in your day, you will discover things that you didn't know were out there, you will gain more money in your pocket/bank account, you will gain the reassurance that you can do it. You might even gain time with your family.

It never hurts to just try it and see...you can always go back to cable if you absolutely hate it.</li>
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