Cut the cable and plug in the laptop

Fathers interested in ways to save money within their family budget may want to look towards their televisions. But don’t worry. Cutting home entertainment costs doesn’t necessarily mean the kids will miss out on their favorite shows.

Basic cable service, which provides more than the local stations and not the premium channels like HBO and Showtime, has been rising in cost recently with some places in the country forced to play close to $100 a month.

This can be avoided, assuming a father is good with technology and has the parenting skills to talk to their children about the change.

First, this will require fathers to call up their cable provider and ask for a change in service. Opt for the lowest level of television service that will give you the national broadcasting channels. Then go out and purchase an S-video cable for your laptop.

This allows you to transfer video from your computer to the television. Some older televisions may require a special device to connect an S-video cable.

Once that is completed log on to sites such as Hulu.com, which has a multitude of television shows, past and present, on there for free. You can use the money saved for extra popcorn.