Cord cutting is growing faster than ever, but while it may be more powerful than ever it can still be confusing. Making the move from a pay-TV service, such as cable TV, to cord cutting is no small move; however, it does not need to be as difficult as many new cord cutters make it.

Here are 5 common mistakes new cord cutters make and how you can avoid them.

#1 Expecting Cord Cutting to Work Like Cable

Cord cutting is not cable TV. Although it may give you the same content, it takes time to learn. Just like an iPhone and an Android phone can both make calls, text, surf, and have many of the same apps, they work differently. Cord cutting and cable TV work differently, and it will take time to learn how to be a cord cutter.

Increasingly with the growth of live TV streaming services, it is tempting to try and replace cable with something just like cable. Yet if you take the time to look around at all your options you may be surprised to find a wealth of content at your fingertips.

Think of moving from a cable box to a streaming player like moving from Android to iOS. It’s all there—you just need to find it again.

The biggest issue is looking for channels instead of shows. For example, wanting FOX when you really want the shows on FOX. If you look for FOX, you may find a FOX app on Roku and Fire TV, but it needs a cable login. If you look for the shows, you would find out that FOX shows are on Hulu and Netflix.

Give it some time to learn a new way to do things and make sure to look for the shows not the channels.

#2 Rushing into Cord Cutting

It often seems that people jump the gun to cut the cord before they are ready. Cord cutting is not hard and is a lot easier if you take time to prepare.

Before you cancel cable, get your cord cutting setup ready. If you want an antenna for local channels, buy it and set it up before you ditch cable. Nothing is worse than canceling cable and scrambling to buy any antenna, so you don’t miss tonight’s show. That often results in overpaying and not getting the right antenna for you. (Need help finding an antenna? Check out Antenna Web for help.)

So, make sure to set everything up from streaming players to antennas before canceling cable. We even recommend testing out streaming services before you ditch cable. Is Sling TV or PlayStation Vue right for you? They both have their advantages, but they depend on what you want. Take advantage of the free trials before you ditch cable, so when you do cancel you are all set up.

Preparation can remove a lot of the headache later.

#3 Wanting Everything

You don’t need to sign up for everything! One great thing about cord cutting are the options. There are so many services out there, but what content do you want?

For example, you don’t have to pay all year for HBO NOW when you only want it for Game of Thrones. Another great thing about cord cutting is no contracts. You can subscribe to HBO only when Game of Thrones is on.

The second danger is overpaying to get just one channel. Do you really want to pay for the most expensive PlayStation Vue service for one channel, so you can watch one show? It would be far less expensive to buy that one show on Amazon Video with a season pass.

Do your best to avoid the temptation to keep adding services to get one show or channel. Often it is less expensive to buy one show with a season pass.

#4 Not Looking at the True Cost of Cable

When you look at your savings compared to cable ask yourself am I already paying for a cord cutting service. When I talk to people who say cable was less expensive I typically find out they were already paying for Netflix and Amazon Prime. If you will already be paying for them, there is no need to count that as a new cost.

Also remember that the cable TV advertised price does not include all the fees, taxes, and price hikes.

#5 Doing What Your Friend Did

One of the big mistakes new cord cutters make is using the services or devices their friends use. A recommendation from a friend is a great way to find a plumber or someone to cut your grass, but it may not be the best fit for cord cutting.

I strongly encourage you to talk with friends, but make sure to get services and devices that are right for you. Another great thing about cord cutting is the fact that there are a ton of options out there, so try them all by taking advantage of the free trials and pick the services that offer the content that you want. What you like may be different than what your friends like.

There you go. The top 5 mistakes cord cutters make. Avoid headaches by taking the time to set yourself up before canceling cable. You’ll be happy you did.

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