Free TV For People Who Can’t Afford Cable
Lots of us are having to cut that cable cord. So I’ve discovered (via Nathan the maintenance guy) free TV people who can’t afford cable. It is call Pluto TV.Â
Nathan told me about it. You know young people know everything technological that’s happening. They’re like a dog with a scent when it comes to anything techie.
You know I took my TV equipment back to the company this week. I just can’t pay their prices and still eat and feed my pets. We cable customers have paid hideous amounts of money for years to cable companies.Â
And it’s a crying shame really. Cable companies just aren’t grateful for our longtime loyalty. But that’s okay.
More and more companies get started every day and they now find themselves one of many choices. So I’m not being held hostage by Cox Cable anymore.
Okay, I’ve downloaded Pluto TV. But I haven’t had a chance to figure everything out yet. I thought it was worth checking out for all of us who have had to cut the cable cord.
Like folks on fixed incomes. Those who simply have to find as many things free as possible to get by.
There are commercials, but hey, the content is free. What can I say? I’m not complaining.
I’ve done some reading. You should too. The links are at the bottom.
Now I had an ad pop up at the top one time (because they survive with ads; heck, so do I so I can relate) that said Download Here. It was a scam site. So read everything very carefully before you click.
Scammers are very sophisticated now. They try to get you at every turn. So you have to be vigilant.
Never download anything until you’ve read the fine print.
Yesterday I had to remove a horrid site that came downloaded with something else. You really have to read everything very closely because there are bad people out there trying to scam you. If I had read everything closely, it wouldn’t have happened.
So shame on me. I just uninstalled it.
Another thing, before I download anything, I google reviews. That helps me decide whether I want it or not.
So be informed.
I’ve linked what I’ve been reading for your convenience.
Check it out:
I wanted to add to the frugal tips the idea of start planning a vegetable garden now or veggies in pots. Also, after I retired I started going to a school for cosmetology and I get my hair cut and colored here. It’s much cheaper and the students are supervised so there are no major mistakes made. I’m also planning a small cutting garden primarily with varieties of zinnias do I can have fresh flowers from my own yard at little to no cost. This is also a good time of year to visit thrift shops and find a piece of furniture to repurpose, Renee and brighten your home with your creative spirit.
Whoops meant renew not Renee lol
Hi Brenda!
Yes, you did list that link I had inquired about. Don’t know how I missed it. Thank you for all this information.
Now that I am finding out all this new information about not needing cable TV I wish I hadn’t sold my old TV. But do you need a “smart” TV to use these alternatives? In that case I need to buy a new TV! I don’t want to watch on my computer. I want to be able to sit on my couch or a comfortable chair. I feel my head is overloaded with new info and I don’t know where to begin! First, what is Roku? I must have missed info about that. Sometimes I don’t read all the comments just because there are too many. I guess I should just go to Pluto TV and see what that is all about.
Naomi, Roku is a small device you connect to your TV to stream all the channels mentioned, (plus hundreds more are available.) You can also buy a TV with Roku features built in so you don’t need the box. You link your wireless internet to the Roku to access all the programming available. Pluto TV is just one of many, many channels you can stream through the Roku. I know it can seem overwhelming, but streaming TV is relatively easy to set up.
I subscribe to a blog called Cord Cutters News. He provides a lot of good information about how to cut the cord with the cable companies, information on the various devices such as Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire. In addition, one of his regular features is a comprehensive chart of the major streaming providers and what channels they carry. He also has a YouTube channel where he provides information on the best free and subscription channels. The list of streaming channels is endless and he helps narrow down the best choices.
We have the Pluto TV app also. They have some cool programming on their. We’ve enjoyed it…some of the vintage shows and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 channel…it is an acquired taste! 🙂 Love and hugs!
Brenda, you can also get an HD Antenna and you will get all the main television stations, the cost is the antenna and that’s it, $27.95 on Amazon. I am sending you the link and it is very easy to plug into your television, if I can do it, you can do it!!
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hd+digital+tv+antenna&sprefix=hd+di%2Caps%2C186&crid=28S57ULOR7X64
Well, I have not had a TV or cable for over ten years and have not missed it. When I moved to my apartment (and I love apartment living!), internet and cable are provided by a bulk carrier contracted by the apartment complex. You must use that carrier and the charge is $50/month for internet and cable with your rent statement. That is less than what I was paying for just internet. I have lived here for five months and internet service is great. I have not picked up the cable box and have no plans to do so. From reading comments, I realize what a real deal I have (through no effort on my part).
Wow! You do have a great deal!
I’m not a big TV watcher. So our bill is very low, but I can imagine if we had anything other than the very basic channels, it would get very expensive, vey quick.
I’m not either. But it isn’t cheap for basic channels anymore.
We cut the cable cord 9 years ago. We bought a indoor digital antenna and pick up over 25 stations. The major networks, ION, MeTV are just a few. Love watching the old shows so watch a lot of MeTV. We bought antenna at Walmark for less than $20 and it’s more than paid for itself. We live out in the country and still get signal. In the city they say you can get more channels.
Sounds like you’ve avoided paying a lot of money over the past 9 years. They were bleeding me dry.
We have Pluto TV also. If you have Roku it is easy to stream on your TV or if you have something called Chromecast you can “cast” it from your computer or tablet to your TV. Of course you can always watch it online on your computer. There are more and more ways to watch TV now that are free or very inexpensive. There are many things of interest you can see on YouTube now as well.
And Cox Communications can keep their crazy bundle plans!
Do you watch this on a computer, or TV? I do not have a computer, only have a smart phone and my Amazon Kindle.
There are various ways to watch it. I think I added that in one of the links at the bottom. Next to the last link.
Hi, thanks for sharing about Pluto TV. I hadn’t heard of it. I just went to the website and was immediately watching a sports talk show. Very crazy! I had no idea Pluto TV existed. So thanks for this information. I’ll look it over. We haven’t had cable TV in years. We get bored with shows after a season or two, and just didn’t use cable enough to justify the cost.
I probably wouldn’t have “cut the cord” unless my income had not gotten drastically cut. But now I’m sold on why I don’t even need it!
I forgot to mention that we do have Roku, but my son got it for us as a gift and hooked it up so I can’t speak intelligently about it. He put us on as a guest on his netflix account so we do watch some netflix shows via the Roku device. I don’t see Pluto listed on the Roku offerings so I will have to ask him if we can get the Pluto TV through the Roku and watch it on our TV.
You can. Just go to the “channel” section in settings. then look for the free offerings. You will see Pluto TV listed there.
We have cut the cord from cable too. I said many years ago I wish cable was like our utilities, the bill is based on usage. We just got sick of paying for something we didn’t use enough to justify the cost.
I figured I was paying $25 per week for MSNBC! That’s crazy.
Pluto TV is one of the free channels I was talking about yesterday. I don’t know if you can also get TUBI TV on Web, Desktop, Mobile or Tablet and it is AWESOME and FREE. I think you will like it 100%!!!
Check it out, Brenda. I watch it ALOT, pretty much almost every day!!!
Now I do pay for Netflix $10.99 and Acorn TV $4.99 (britstuff) but I will be dropping Acorn TV soon as I have just about finished all the series shows I wanted to watch and I don’t love it enough to keep paying the extra $5 a month.
I must have missed your mentioning it. There were so many services offered from comments I was kind of overwhelmed!
Brenda I’m LOVING these money saving tips! You’re a wiz at decorating and petcare for sure, but so many in your financial situation of being careful, or soon to be in that situation, and knowing what’s all available to help!
You’ve just saved SO much, without giving up the occasional entertainment. I enjoy the noise of some programs just in the background while I’m doing other tasks. Chases away the empty sometimes. I don’t enjoy all shows, no shooting or loud noises,,,,,but I love to let the Golden Girls, or old episodes of Newhart play in the background. I can watch lots of these on youtube on my pc/laptop. You can catch episodes of your crime shows this way also.
If you could keep ferreting out creative ways to help us all save it would be so good! Maybe a frugal tip day post weekly or something.
Just love your site.
Thanks for the suggestions! Will see what I can do. A frugal tip day sounds good to me.
I have Pluto TV on my Roku and love love love it! They have everything, from movies to news to a channel dedicated to cats. They also have music channels.
That’s great to know! I emailed my sister about the cat channel. She loves cats.
Me too. I LOVE the free channels, especially TUBI TV which Brenda, you can get that FREE too on your computer, tablet or Web. Check it out. I also get Popcornflix but I don’t know if you can get that through the web, computer, tablet. I get it as one of the free channels available through Roku.
Gotta love free!
Thanks for posting this Brenda. I too plan on cutting the cable cord this coming month, and this gives me another option. 🙂
Cable TV is just robbing us blind. Over $300 was when I cut the cord. However I still have to have internet and phone.
Hey, thanks for the information! I just added this to my tv in matter of a few minutes using my Roku player. This will expand my viewing in addition to Netflix and Prime. I will now be checking out the programs available…bye!!!! (and thanks to Nathan!)
I’m going to wait until I get my finances situated and get a Roku. Found out yesterday that my taxes are going to cost me over $2500…
I did the same thing; waited for my tax return last year before I went and picked up Roku. There are TONS of free channels, including Roku Channel (which has pretty much all the same movies, etc, as Netflix) and that channel, Tubi, Popcornflix, Pluto and lots and lots more are FREE.
The sad thing for me is that any free or discount tv site that relies on wifi doesn’t work at my house. Our wifi is slow, and everything buffers and is so incredibly annoying it’s just not even worth watching. So I’m stuck with Dish for another while, sigh….
Sorry! That’s the trade off for living on the mountain I guess. How do you write your posts? At work?