10 Times Cutting the Cord Cost More Than Cable Ever Did
There was a time when “cutting the cord” felt like a revolution. Cable TV had become bloated, overpriced, and packed with channels no one asked for. Streaming promised freedom, flexibility, and, most importantly, financial savings. Who wouldn’t want to ditch the $200 monthly bill for a sleek $10 subscription?
But fast forward a few years and many former cable customers are realizing something alarming: streaming isn’t the budget-friendly dream they thought it would be. Between rising subscription costs, multiple platforms, device limitations, and sneaky add-ons, cord-cutting can actually cost you more.
Here are 10 eye-opening situations where cutting the cord ended up being the more expensive and more frustrating option.
1. You’re Subscribed to Everything And Watching Nothing
One of the biggest traps of streaming is abundance. With so many platforms offering exclusive content, people sign up for all of them—Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Apple TV+, and more.
At $10 to $20 a pop, that quickly adds up. Worse? Most viewers end up using only one or two services regularly. The rest collect dust and quietly siphon money from your account each month.
Cable was bloated, sure, but at least it was one bill. Now, you’re juggling eight or more subscriptions and still struggling to find something to watch.
2. Add-Ons and Premium Channels Sneak Up on You
Remember when HBO and Showtime were premium add-ons with cable? Streaming has adopted the same model but sneakier.
Base subscriptions often don’t include new releases, live sports, or certain shows. Want ad-free viewing or early access? That’s another $5–10. Want Showtime on Hulu or Starz on Prime Video? Add another monthly charge.
By the time you customize your experience to match what cable used to give you, you’re paying more for less and doing all the billing work yourself.
3. Internet Costs Go Up When You Ditch Cable
Here’s the unspoken secret of cord-cutting: cable companies don’t let you leave without consequences. Many bundle internet with TV, offering a “discount” if you take both.
Once you drop TV, your internet-only plan often jumps in price. Suddenly, that $60 broadband bill is $90, and you’re stuck with the same provider, now charging you more for less service. You need high-speed internet to stream, so cutting the cord doesn’t cut this expense. In fact, it can make it worse.
4. You’re Paying Extra for Live TV
Missing live sports, local news, or network TV? Welcome to the world of live TV streaming services—YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, and Sling. These services bring back the live experience but at a steep cost, typically $70 to $90 a month.
Add that to your existing subscriptions, and suddenly, you’re in “Why did I cancel cable again?” territory. The irony is brutal: in order to recreate the convenience of cable, you end up rebuilding it and paying more.
5. You Still Need Equipment (And It’s Not Free)
People assume streaming eliminates hardware costs. But unless your TV is a newer smart model, you’ll need streaming devices like a Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or Chromecast. Have multiple TVs in your home? Multiply those costs. Want a better remote or storage? That’s another charge.
Cable companies charge rental fees, but streaming demands upfront hardware purchases. It’s a different kind of cost, but it’s still a cost.
6. You’re Still Dealing With Ads Unless You Pay More
One of the biggest reasons people fled cable was the endless stream of ads. But many streaming services, especially at their base price—still include them.
Want ad-free content? That’ll cost extra. Hulu with ads is $7.99; without ads, it’s $17.99. YouTube Premium? $13.99. Even Netflix has added a cheaper ad-supported tier, subtly conditioning users to pay more for the experience they used to take for granted. Suddenly, you’re spending just to not be interrupted.
7. Password Sharing Crackdowns Cost You Friends and Money
Streaming once had a communal feel—friends and family shared passwords and split costs. But the golden era is ending. Netflix started cracking down on account sharing in 2023, and others followed.
Now, “extra member” fees and IP-based access limitations are the norm. Sharing across households often means paying more or switching to individual subscriptions. Not only does this hike your monthly spending, but it also strains the social benefits streaming once offered.
8. You’re Rebuying Shows You Used to Record for Free
With cable, DVR functionality allowed you to record live TV and watch later without additional costs. Now? That show you forgot to watch before it disappeared from Hulu is suddenly $2.99 per episode on Amazon.
Many streaming platforms rotate content in and out, making it unpredictable. If you miss your window or the series is pulled, you may have to purchase episodes outright or rent movies you assumed would always be available. Digital convenience can be fragile and pricey.
9. The Hidden Cost of App Fatigue
It’s not just your wallet that takes a hit. Your time and energy do, too. Constantly switching between apps, searching for where a show is streaming, or logging into different platforms creates cognitive overload.
Where did you last see that series? Netflix? HBO Max? Hulu? Why isn’t it there anymore?
The fragmentation of content means more time hunting and less time watching. What was once supposed to be “easy” entertainment becomes another chore on your to-do list.
10. You’re Paying Monthly for a Service You Rarely Use
One of the most common financial traps with streaming is “subscription creep.” You sign up for a free trial and forget to cancel. Or you tell yourself you’ll “watch more next month,” but life gets in the way.
Unlike cable, where you might notice a $200 bill, $9.99 here or $6.99 there feels insignificant. But over time, those unused subscriptions drain your bank account. Streaming thrives on inertia, counting on the fact that you’ll forget to cancel. And most people do.
Freedom Isn’t Free
Cutting the cord was marketed as a liberation from greedy cable companies. At first, it felt like a triumph. But as the streaming market fragments, prices rise, and premium content gets paywalled, the illusion of savings starts to fade.
For many households, what began as a way to save $100 has quietly ballooned into a more complex, more expensive, and less satisfying media experience. That doesn’t mean cable is necessarily better, but it does mean cord-cutting isn’t the slam-dunk deal it once seemed to be.
Have you found yourself paying more for streaming than you ever did for cable? Which service surprised you most with hidden costs?
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