They are starting to cut the cord and leave cable TV in the rearview mirror. The good news is that it is very possible. At least, it should be possible if your home channel list matches one of the best streaming services.

I recently worked on trying to cut the cord because I hate the cable TV offered by Spectrum in New York. Below are all the steps and calculations I did to calculate that if I could cut the cord today, I would save over $90 per month (depending on how much my internet goes up).

With a pen and paper or a calculator app on your phone, plus your most recent bill and your cable provider's phone number, you are well on your way to getting off cable. And you'll probably save a lot of money, too.

When you pull up your monthly cable bill, you may be shocked at how much you are paying. My family's bill shows that not only do we spend $73.99 per month on the Spectrum Select package,

but we also spend $16.45 per month on broadcast networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. You may even be paying for a cable box: Spectrum charges $7.99 per month for each of its slow, underperforming eyesores of a receiver. Then premium channels like HBO cost $15, whether you pay as part of the cable package or for streaming services.

Also, Spectrum charges $19.99 per month for the right to record TV, so you might end up paying separately for a DVR. This is terribly pricey: YouTube TV offers unlimited DVR for free, Fubo TV offers 250 hours at no extra charge, and Sling TV and Hulu offer 50 hours of DVR for free (capped at 200 hours at $5 and $15, respectively).

And $8.71 in taxes, fees, and charges. So the combined monthly fee for the two receivers and DVR would be $53.16. Add this on top of your regular bill, and the total comes to $127.15.

An important step in identifying the right streaming service for you is to gather a list of TV channels that you, your roommates, and family members watch. This can be one of the trickiest parts of the entire ordeal.

My required channels are Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Food Network, FX, TNT, and USA, which are available on multiple streaming devices. However, my roommate's list of requirements (BBC World News, DIY, MSNBC, Nat Geo Wild, PBS, YES) has us stumped.

Like to watch local news and weather? The best TV antennas can pull those channels into your TV from the sky.

Some streaming services can also offer local stations; our guides to YouTube TV channels and Sling Orange vs Blue will help you see if one of these services has what you need. But also check Hulu and Fubo listings; if you want Sling but are frustrated by the lack of a local CBS affiliate, you can get it in one of two ways.

If cable news is important to you, here is a breakdown of who has the popular news networks:

Also consider add-ons for each service. You may be paying for HBO through your cable provider, so this could be your chance to get HBO Max directly (it's the same $15 either way.) Sling doesn't pack all the channels you need for its entry-level price, offers tons of customization options.

One of the biggest obstacles for cord cutters is live sports.

If you watch a lot of sports, Fubo might be a good choice, but the lack of TNT is a big dud for NBA fans; Sling Orange + Blue is $50/month ($15 less than Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV) and ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN 3, plus local NBC and Fox affiliates. FuboTV is a favorite of international sports fans thanks to its selection of beIN channels.

I looked for a suitable live TV streaming service: found that Sling Blue and YouTube TV had everything I needed, but that's not enough for this household; although Tom's Guide doesn't recommend it, only AT&T TV has YES (Yankees, Nets, and Liberty games), which I learned has a network that broadcasts the Yankees, Nets, and Liberty games. And only AT&T TV Ultimate package for $95/month has all the channels my roommate needs.

If the streaming service of your choice has a favorite regional sports network (or just a local affiliate for NFL fans), a secondary add-on service allows you to watch out-of-market games.

MLB.TV allows you to watch a full season of your favorite team for $109.99; the NBA Team Pass is $119.99 per team, per season, which works out to just under $24 per month.

If you rent cable from your Internet provider, you may be penalized by having to pay more for your Internet service if you cancel your cable. This is called "unbundling" and is a nice Mafioso-style tactic to keep you around.

To find out how much of a hit this will take on your budget, contact your cable company. They will try to insist that you not cut the cord, but you know better. Rates will go up again.

If Sling TV doesn't have all the channels you need and Hulu with Live TV does, it's time to consider bundling up. If you already subscribe to Hulu, you can save $5.99/month by choosing Hulu + Live TV bundled with Hulu content (as the name implies). Cable + Internet bundles may seem like a scam, but here's the money you can save.

Households that like Disney Plus and UFC should consider the Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu with Live TV bundles.

There is no way to save on other streaming services such as Netflix or Peacock; AT&T TV offers HBO Max at a cheaper rate, but you are tied to an annual fee. I'm not going to cut cable just to be tied to outdated long-term bills.

Take your cable package and rates (step 1), subtract the amount your internet goes up (step 5), and come up with a number to compare to the next new package total.

If your monthly bill, minus the high-speed internet increase, is greater than $65 plus the monthly cost of following your favorite team, one of the best live TV streaming services will save you money. If it's less than that, you may want to stick with considering Sling TV.

If it weren't for my roommate, I would have jumped into the waiting arms of Sling TV and saved about $92 per month. If I held my nose and signed up for AT&T TV, I would save about $30 per month (minus how much Spectrum raises my internet bill).

But having tried AT&T TV (last year when it was called AT&T TV Now), I'd rather be with the devil I know than save a quarter of what I currently save. Besides, I encourage my roommates to turn off cable TV, but they are mostly happy with cable TV.

Yes, thanks to the Yankees, this guide to cutting cable TV has an unfortunate consequence: I'm stuck with cable. But I don't think most people demand channels as strange and esoteric as my home. And once I have my own house, or my roommate moves out, I've done the work to know that Sling TV Blue is the service for me.