VANCOUVER -- Streaming TV services let you watch whatever you want, whenever you want. That convenience may seem priceless, but it could be costing more than you think. 

If you’re having trouble breaking up with cable and committing to streaming, you’re not alone. Whether for sports or the news - many are keeping cable around. 

Jim Wilcox, a tech editor with Consumer Reports, says cancelling your cable and replacing it with a streaming service used to mean big savings, but with so many services available, the bill has spiked.

“The calculus of cord cutting has really changed so much that you have to take into account everything from the TV shows you want, the cost of the different services, the cost of broadband - is it going to go up a lot more if you de-bundle it from a package?”

McLaughlin On Your Side conducted its own poll - and found of the approximately 650 people who responded, nearly half still pay cable and use streaming services.  Twenty per cent have cable alone, and only about a quarter have cut the cord entirely.

 

Having those multiple services can add up. According to 2016 statistics from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, cable bills hover around $65 - and if you add on multiple streaming services, the bill can easily reach over a hundred dollars. 

“For most consumers, I think it’s a little overwhelming as they get into this, and it’s not as easy as it used to be,” Wilcox says. 

Service

  

Cable

 $65 (on average)

Netflix

 $9.99

Amazon Prime

 $7.99

Crave 

 $19.98 with HBO

Apple TV

 $5.99

Disney+

 $8.99
Total:  $117.94


But he says pleasing everyone in the house will be tough. He suggests making a list of your family’s must-watch shows, and comparing streaming and cable services to see where you can get them at the best price - and then unsubscribe from the rest. 

“Every time we come up with a service that we think we can use, there’s a program or a network or a channel that one of us wants that’s not being offered that we say we can’t live without.” 

To save even more money, you can cut your cable service down to a pick-and-pay package. Those start at $25 and allow you to add on specialty channels, like sports, individually.

If you do want to get rid of cable entirely, you could try an antenna. That way, you’ll still get local broadcasts like CTV News Vancouver.