Premium cable almost always comes with a pretty big price tag. If it is getting to be too much for you, now may be the time to cancel premium cable to save money. You can always consider cheaper alternatives to viewing your favorite TV shows.

Only Pay For the Shows You Watch

When you pay for cable, especially premium cable, you are likely paying a lot of money for many TV shows and movies that you have no interest in watching. A great way to save money is to cancel your cable and join a site such as Hulu.com that allows you to view some of the most popular shows currently on TV. While the free version of Hulu is somewhat limited in its offerings by paying $8 per month you have full access to all of the TV shows in their collection. This allows you to still watch the TV shows you love without having to shell out money to a cable company every month.

Photo source: IMDb.com

An alternative to Hulu is Netflix.com which is also a website that offers full length TV shows and movies. While there is no free version of Netflix you can get a subscription for only $8 per month. Many of the top shows on TV today can be viewed using this service as well as both new and older movies. The only catch with Netflix is that they do not carry current seasons of any TV show. But if you are willing to wait awhile to see the latest season of a particular show Netflix will allow you to do so without having to pay a cable company more than you are comfortable with.

Another alternative to paying for cable TV just to be able to watch your favorite shows is to purchase a Season Pass on iTunes. Season Passes allow you to obtain the entire season of select TV shows for much cheaper than a cable TV package would cost you. Amazon has a similar deal where you can rent or purchase digital copies of particular movies.

Consider Purchasing Tivo Premiere Units

TiVo was the first DVR service to be offered to consumers, before cable companies offered DVR service as a standard part of many packages. You can cancel your premium cable and still watch network TV shows if you have antennae in your house. Having TiVo allows you to record up to two shows at once from broadcast stations such as ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox TV.

There are always alternatives in today’s world to paying too much for a premium cable subscription. You will also find that doing so allows you to watch your favorite TV shows when it is convenient for you, thanks to services like Hulu, Netflix, etc. The money you will save by watching your favorite shows without having to pay for cable TV will astound you. Giving up your premium cable and purchasing a subscription service is a wise move.