Off the Grid

So in an attempt to get my family off the grid, I’ve totally gone…off. LOL! For father’s day I purchased the DH the Roku and the following month we went cableless. Who knew cableless meant internetless, uh I didn’t, otherwise, I would’ve thought that out better. But now we have internet again through a different provider (who I will not promote until I have a few months to decide if I like) but anything is better than the ass rapist from Comcast.

So, what is being off the grid? We were previously paying over $220 per month for a house phone (which we NEVER used), internet, and cable (with only 5 stations we really watched). Instead of paying this ridiculous amount, we decided we would experiment with options, not using the Comcast. The Roku was the choice. This little magical awesome box has provided me with so much delight.

The Roku allows you to watch Netflix (we pay $8 to stream movies), HuluPlus (which we don't have but I think is also $8), and a bunch of other movie stations. The box is $80 and that is all you pay. No monthly subscription except to your paid stations such as Hulu or Netflix. My favorite station on this little magic box is Justin.tv which allows you to watch other people's computers, webcam, etc for free. Its kinda the same as music sharing, but you can't save what you watch.

In addition to the Roku, we also have a playstation 3 and a Wii which can be used in the same way. And we have a DVD player for Lil' K. I can say, I don't miss cable. Especially now that I've figured out how to watch my True Blood and eventually Dexter in the fall.

Our total subscriptions and cable now equal $48 as opposed to $220 and that is what I call savings ladies and gentleman. This is dolla holla at its finest!