Remembering my start into the world of streaming, part 2

Earlier, I covered my first steps into cord cutting. Today, I cover where the steps became strides and the pennies began to add up.

A year of tracking my TV habits paid off! In late 2009, the numbers said streaming wasn't quite there yet. But it was close, so I kept cable for another year.

Fast forward to 2010. I updated my trusty spreadsheet with all the shows we watched, then priced them out for streaming services like Amazon and iTunes. Remember, watching shows on TiVo was basically on-demand already, so that wasn't an issue.

The verdict? Switching to streaming and ditching cable would save a whopping $63 a month! This surprised me – I was expecting a small savings, not a major shift.

Now came the setup. For iTunes, I'd need an Apple TV. For Amazon, I could either wait for downloads on TiVo or use a new streaming device like Roku. I opted for the Roku, planning to buy it after Christmas.

(Side note: brownie points for this tech-savvy husband! My wife wanted better speakers for her laptop to listen to iTunes music. I surprised her with a second-generation Apple TV, letting her enjoy the really nice sound system that was connected to the TV.)

Back to the streaming setup: My Roku XD|S arrived after Christmas. It allowed access to Hulu Plus, a paid service with a decent show library (though not everything). I also kept my Windows Media Edition PC for free, regular Hulu with its wider selection.

Yes, that's four devices: Roku, Apple TV, Windows Media PC, and the (soon-to-be-antenna-powered) TiVo. It wasn't ideal, but for $63 a month savings, I was willing to deal with it.

Finally, after college football season (priorities!), I said goodbye to cable. TiVo hooked up to the antenna became my local channel source, and the streaming life officially began! It wasn't perfect yet, but better things were on the horizon.