To Cable Or Not To Cable?

That is the question, folks. We've been contemplating ditching our DirectTV in favor of no cable TV whatsoever for the last couple of months. That bill is getting unreasonably big, and we find we spend too much time sitting in front of the TV watching the same shows over and over and over ("Big Bang Theory" repeats, I'm looking at you). I think about all that wasted time and money and it seems like a no brainer. In fact, I posed the question to my Facebook friends and the overwhelming response was "get rid of cable, you'll never look back." And these are mostly entertainment industry folks.

But I'm still nervous about it. I do look forward to sitting down and kind of checking out in front of the TV after working all day. I look forward to our "appointment TV" with Survivor on Wednesday evenings, and watching the Green Bay Packers during football season has become a cherished family tradition. Sorry to all you Bears fans back home.

Okay, you guys, I have to come up with some reasons why getting rid of TV is a good thing for me and for my family or I'm never going to pull the trigger.  Here goes:

1. With our Apple TV and Netflix subscription, I can still watch alot of shows. I can add Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus if it gets to be limiting. Not to mention all the shows that stream for free online somewhere.
2. We can still watch Survivor and football through an antenna (though not all Green Bay games since we're not in that region) .
3. No more mindless entertainment. Every time I sit down to watch TV it will be with a purpose, with a show that has been chosen for just that moment, not whatever just happens to be on.
4. I can do more reading. I'm an avid reader, and between the mindless TV and the mindless Internet surfing I do on my iPhone, I haven't finished a book in quite awhile.
5. My 14 year old stepdaughter will have to find something else to do with her time instead of sitting in front of the TV.
6. We'll save over $1000 a year, which can be put towards a vacation instead.
7. I looked on our DVR, and there isn't one show listed that I recorded, except for shows on which I've appeared. It's mostly endless episodes of "House Hunters International" and a variety of cooking shows. I don't need to see any more episodes of people looking for homes abroad (especially now that I know it's all fake) and I have Pinterest and cookbooks for recipes.
8. We don't bundle our internet service with cable, so that isn't going to be affected.
9. I think TV may be robbing me of my creativity. If I pull the plug on cable, I will effectively restore at least a couple of hours a day to pursuing creative interests that I have put off for too long.

Am I missing anything? I'd love to hear your reasons for kicking the cable habit! Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.