Sometimes things are so obvious that you just don’t think about them.

After listening to one of The Survival Podcast’s money-saving shows, I decided to give one of the ideas a shot. I’ve been paying $120 a month for cable and internet, and given how little TV I watch, it just seemed crazy to keep doing that.

I called Time Warner Cable to inquire if they could give me a better deal. I really didn’t need the DVR and other frills, and I thought that by cutting back on that I could reduce my bill significantly. However, even stripping out all of the extras, they could only drop my bill about $25 a month, which wasn’t the kind of savings I was hoping for. So right there on the spot I took a leap of faith and told the guy to get rid of my cable completely. It was a difficult moment imagining no more Food Network or BBC America, but I did realize that if I’m desperate I can find most, if not all, of the shows I watch on the internet, Netflix or iTunes anyway.

The funny thing was that he put me on hold and came back and offered me my current internet package PLUS local TV service for $10 LESS than what I would be paying for internet alone.

So thanks to the courage I gained from The Survival Podcast, I’m going to immediately start saving $80/month or nearly $1000 a year. I’m sure I can find a way to put that money to better use!