cable TV

Save money by cutting down on one of life's biggest expenses — cable — with these tips from our friends at Business Insider. 

Now that most American workers will see 2 percent more of their take-home income disappear this year, it's as good a time as any to find ways to trim household costs.

By far, the simplest place to start is with your cable or satellite bill. 

RELATED: Ever Wonder If a Movie Is Streaming on Netflix? This Site Will Tell You

Anyone with a solid Internet connection, a computer, and a couple hundred bucks to invest should be able to break their cable addiction. 

To give you a leg up, we've compiled our favorite gadgets and hacks to help you finally cut the cord — for good.

DVI to HDMI cables sync your computer's feed to your TV

The biggest tool in your arsenal will be your computer, but it won't do you any good without an essential piece of the puzzle: DVI to HDMI cables.

They link your computer to your TV monitor so you can stream any video –– Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and more –– surf the Web, and check out YouTube on a bigger screen. 

For this to work, you need to invest in a sturdy Internet connection and a computer that works fast enough to stream video. Without that solid foundation, your feed could come out fuzzy and the HD will look less than stellar. 

Cost: $6 and up

Read on for more options. 

If you're thinking about cutting the cable cord, you're not alone — 2.65 million Americans have canceled TV subscriptions from 2008 to 2011, according to a Convergence Consulting Group report. If your cable bills are starting to look like an unnecessary expense, then perhaps it's time to end your subscription.

Is it right for you?

First decide if cutting the cord is right for you. If you can afford it and love to watch your show right when it airs, then perhaps quitting altogether is not the best route. Try to negotiate with your cable provider to get a lower rate or try reducing your package to just the channels you actually watch.

Accessing TV shows and movies

Now that you've decided to do away with cable, figure out a way to get your favorite shows.

Regular TV: You can get local broadcast TV for free in the US, and all you need is an antenna. Check antennapoint.com to see the closest transmitters. This will help you figure out if you need an outdoor antenna. You can use an indoor antenna if you are within 25 miles of a tower; otherwise, you'll need an outdoor one. Best Buy offers more instructions on how to pick an antenna.

Official websites: If you're into the hottest TV shows, some major channels host episodes on their official websites soon after, so check to make sure that they will be available. Some notable ones include NBC, AMC, and ABC.

Netflix: Netflix is the leader in streaming video services. You can have unlimited access to their streaming library, which has over thousands of videos for $8 a month. You can watch it immediately on multiple devices such as your iPad, smartphone, computer, and your TV via a streaming device such as the Xbox 360. Netflix is a good option for past seasons of shows that may not be available on their official networks' sites.

Read on for more.

Last week, the cable TV and Internet in my apartment went out. They come on intermittently here and there, but for the most part, I'm stuck until the cable guy comes to fix the problem tomorrow morning. So, for nearly one full week, I've been without cable TV and Internet access at home. I'm lucky enough to live in a city where corner coffee shops and restaurants have ample (and free) wireless access, so if I really need an Internet fix, I can head down the street for access. And the DVD player works fine, so I can watch DVDs of movies and shows without any trouble.

When I tell people that I've been living the disconnected life for almost a week, they're understandably surprised. I'm an obvious fan of staying connected wherever I go, but I have to admit, the small break has been a bit refreshing — and apparently it's good for my health, too. Have you ever taken a TV or Internet break — forced or self-imposed? Do you enjoy it or do you see it as a hassle?

Last week's news that the number of cable TV subscriptions is going down — maybe for the first time ever — got me thinking. Could I ever ditch cable for good? I was surprised to find out that over half of you have already canceled your subscriptions! Here's more of what you had to say — I must admit, I'm now giving it some serious consideration!

Could you ditch cable completely?

• "Yes, I would and I have before. If I weren't living with my boyfriend, I wouldn't have cable." — a1stbornunicorn
• "I have cable, but with all the content we can get online these days, and Netflix disks plus Netflix streaming through my Wii... I'm feeling more and more like maybe I don't need cable." — suziryder

Check out more of your thoughts after the break.

An out-of-control, drifting satellite may threaten cable TV in the US later this month. Two large satellite companies have been trying to get the Galaxy 15 satellite under control since last April, saying it was probably knocked off course by a solar storm. The drifting satellite is still receiving and distributing TV signals, but if it comes too close to other television satellites, reception could be affected. That spells bad news for all you TV addicts!

Another company is trying to protect the AMC 11 satellite — the one in danger of interference — by orchestrating a small, carefully timed orbit shift. If the problems aren't resolved, reception problems could occur as early as May 23. According to NASA, there are 3,000 man-made satellites and 6,000 pieces of "space junk" orbiting Earth — who knew? And serious props to the engineers at NASA for keeping it all under control up there; I'm surprised we don't hear stories like this more often.