The Essentials is a reoccurring column where I talk about what I use to write, work and honestly, survive the week.

A few weeks ago, I learned that I will spend $100 to not get off of the couch. Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but in my pursuit to find the optimal cord-cutting setup, I believe I have completed my transition from subscribing to a cable service to moving completely to alternative solutions.