You have heard all the commercials about the switch to digital broadcast. What does this mean for you? If you have cable or satellite, think of getting rid of it to save the money. Still need special sports channels or family channels? Downgrade your current package. Many companies charge additional fees for local channels. We paid these because getting them with rabbit ears was painful. With the switch to digital you can purchase the converter box and rabbit ears to get your local channels clearly and for free! Rabbit ears are inexpensive and the converter box can be free when you sign up for the government voucher. You do need both of them to get the channels.

Tivax STB-T8 Digital to Analog TV Converter Box

Think you can't give up your cable to watch you favorite shows? Watch them online! The benefit is also that you can watch them any hour of the day and pause when you feel like it. Stations like ABC, NBC, FOX and others allow you to watch programs on demand through their website. Some shows are available the day after they air but if it is worth the $60-100 a month savings a month then the wait may be fine.

Hulu.com is a great place to watch shows as well. Hulu houses new episodes and older series. Are you a fan of an older series and do not want to pay to buy the DVD series? Watch it online and save the money.

Not all of us have a great computer screen the whole family can watch TV on. Solutions do exist. You can connect your computer to your TV to watch it that way. Each TV and computer may need different types of cables like these DVI - HDMI 2 Meter (6 Foot) Video Cable. High Quality, perfect to connect your computer to your TV!

Movie rentals are so cheap now. You don't have to spend $5 at Blockbuster. Redbox and other DVD rental machines in grocery stores now offer rentals for $1.00 a night. Netflix subscriptions start at $10 a month and the selection is better than most stores. Set up a movie exchange with friends as well to save money. Brick-and-mortar rental stores have been offering a hybrid service for online and in-store rentals. Customers can rent online and return to the store to get the next rental faster.

Let's suppose your cable bill is $60 a month. (If you are paying more than that you are getting ripped off). Additional services for HD may be more if you are adding on extras.

$60x12 months = $720 a year

Converter Box (free with voucher) + antenna = $25

Netflix or movie service($15 a month) at 12 months= $180

Tv on your computer (free) + converter cables= $40

Savings for one year = $475 first year savings