Category Archives: Money, Career, and Finances

How to Cut the Cord and Ditch Cable for Good. Tips on online tv streaming providers like Direct TV Now, Fubo TV, Hulu Plus, PlayStation Vue, Philo, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and more

Streaming TV Channel Comparison Chart for YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu, FuboTV, Philo, and AT&T TV Now

Streaming TV Channel Comparison Chart for all your favorite streaming services. You’ll find current channel lineups for YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV, FuboTV, Philo, and AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now). See if your favorite channels are on a specific streaming service and how easy it is to cut the cord and ditch cable. Our list even includes live local channels, premium movie channels, add-on packages, and more. It’s never been easier to save money with streaming apps and our streaming channel comparison chart will help you do just that!


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Streaming TV Channel Comparison Chart

Streaming TV Channel Comparison Chart

Here’s a comparison chart for the six most popular streaming tv providers: AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Philo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. On the chart you’ll see over 100 channels (from ABC to We TV) and various add-on packages offered by the different providers.

But that’s not all, our chart also features the following comparisons too:

  • Total Channels Available
  • Monthly Cost of the streaming service
  • # of Channel Package options
  • # of Streams
  • DVR capacity and time limits
  • International Programming
Provider (Cost)AT&T TV NowFubo TVHulu
with Live TV
PhiloSling OrangeSling BlueYouTube TV
Monthly Cost$55-135$60-85$55$20$30$30$65
Total channels:45-12595-1806060243885
#Packages63113 + Addons3+ Addons1
#Streams2 Streams
$5 for 3 Streams
2 streams
$6 for 3 streams
2 Streams
(‘Unlimited’ add-on option)
3 Streams1-4 streams3-4 Streams3 Streams
DVR20 hours
30 Days
30 Hours
Unlimited Retention
(500 Hr Option, $10/mo)
50 Hours
(200 Hours add-on option)
Unlimited capacity
30 day storage
10 Hours
30 days storage
10 Hours
30 days storage
Unlimited capacity
1 year storage
ABCYesYesYesNoNoNoYes
CBSYesYesYesNoNoNoYes
FoxYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
NBCYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
PBSNoNoNoNoNoNoYes
CWYesYesYesNoNoNoYes
MyNetworkTVYesYesYesNoNoNoYes
A&E$YesYesYesYesYesNo
ACC NetworkNoYesYesNo$NoYes
AMC$YesNoYesYesYesYes
Animal Planet$YesYesYesNoNoYes
BBC America$YesNoYesYesYesYes
BBC World News$$NoYes$$Yes
BETYesYesNoYes$YesYes
Big Ten Network$YesYesNoNoNoYes
Bloomberg TV$NoNoNoYesYesNo
BoomerangYesNoYesNo$$No
BravoYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
Cartoon NetworkYesNoYesNoYesYesYes
CBS Sports Network$YesYesNoNoNoYes
CheddarYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Cinemax$No$NoNoNo$
CMT$YesNoYes$$Yes
CNBCYesYesYesNoNo$Yes
CNNYesNoYesNoYesYesYes
Comedy CentralYesYesNoYesYesYesYes
Cooking Channel$$$Yes$$No
Destination America$$$Yes$$No
Discovery Channel$YesYesYesNoYesYes
Disney ChannelYesYesYesNoYesNoYes
Disney JuniorYesYesYesNo$NoYes
Disney XDYesYesYesNo$NoYes
DIY$$$Yes$$No
E!YesYesYesNoNoYesYes
EPIX$NoNoNo$$$
ESPNYesYesYesNoYesNoYes
ESPN 2YesYesYesNoYesNoYes
ESPNEWS$YesYesNo$NoYes
ESPNU$$YesNo$NoYes
Food Network$YesYesYesYesYesYes
Fox BusinessYesYesYesNoNo$Yes
Fox NewsYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
Fox Sports 1YesYesYesNoNoYesYes
Fox Sports 2$YesYesNoNo$Yes
FreeformYesYesYesNoYesNoYes
FXYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
FX MoviesYes$YesNoNo$Yes
FXXYesYesYesNoNo$Yes
FYI$Yes$Yes$$No
Golf Channel$YesYesNoNo$Yes
HallmarkYesYesNoYes$$No
HBO$No$NoNoNo$
HGTV$YesYesYesYesYesYes
History$YesYesYesYesYesNo
HLNYesNoYesNo$YesYes
IFC$YesNoYesYesYesYes
Investigation Discovery$YesYesYesYesYesYes
Lifetime$YesYesYesYesYesNo
Lifetime Movie Network$Yes$Yes$$No
MLB Network$NoNoNo$$Yes
Motor Trend$YesYesYesYesNoYes
MSNBCYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
MTVYesYesNoYes$$Yes
MTV2$$NoYes$$No
National GeographicYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
Nat Geo WildYes$YesNoNo$Yes
NBA TV$$NoNo$$Yes
NBC Sports NetworkYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
NewsyNo$NoNoYesYesYes
NFL NetworkNoYesNoNoNoNoNo
NFL Red ZoneNo$NoNoNoNoNo
NHL Network$$NoNo$$No
NickelodeonYesYesNoYesNoNoYes
Nick Jr.YesYesNoYes$YesNo
Nicktoons$$NoYes$$No
OWN$YesNoYesNoNoYes
OxygenYesYesYesNoNo$Yes
Paramount Network$YesNoYes$YesYes
Science$$$Yes$$No
SEC Network$$YesNo$NoYes
Showtime$$$No$$$
SmithsonianNoYesYesNoNoNoYes
Starz$No$No$$$
Sundance TV$YesNoYes$$Yes
SyfyYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
Tastemade$YesNoYes$$Yes
TBSYesNoYesNoYesYesYes
TCMYesNoYesNo$$Yes
TelemundoYesYesYesNoNoNoYes
Tennis Channel$$NoNo$$Yes
TLC$YesYesYesNoYesYes
TNTYesNoYesNoYesYesYes
Travel Channel$YesYesYesYesYesYes
TruTVYesNoYesNo$YesYes
TV Land$YesNoYes$$Yes
USA NetworkYesYesYesNoNoYesYes
VH1YesYesNoYes$$Yes
Viceland$YesYesYesYesYesNo
Weather Channel$YesNoNoNoNoNo
WE tv$YesNoYes$$Yes

Use this link to access the most current version via Google Docs

Provider (Cost)AT&T TV NowFubo TVHulu
with Live TV
PhiloSling OrangeSling BlueYouTube TV
Extra Packs: COMEDYComedy Extra Orange ($5):
*CMT, Game Show, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Revolt, Tru TV, TV Land
Comedy Extra Blue ($5):
*CMT, Game Show, MTV, MTV2, Revolt, Tru TV, TV Land
Extra Packs: KIDSKids Extra Orange ($5):
*Baby TV, Boomerang, Disney Jr, Disney XD, DuckTV, Nick Jr, Nick Toons, Teen Nick
Kids Extra Blue ($5):
*Baby TV, Boomerang, Duck TV, Nick Toon, Teen Nick
Extra Packs: MOVIES & EntertainmentEntertainment Add-on ($8):
*Amer Heroes, CNBC World, Cooking, Destination America, , Discovery Family, Discovery Life, DIY, FYI, Lifetime Movies, Science
1. Heartland Extra ($5):
*American Heroes Channel, Cowboy Channel, Destination America, Outdoor Channel, PIXL , RFD TV, Ride TV, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network

2. Hollywood Extra ($5):
*Cine Moi, Fandor, Film Detective, HDNet Movies, REELZ, Sundance TV, TCM

3. Lifesytle Extra ORANGE ($5):
*Afro, BET, Cooking, FYI, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mysteries, Lifetime movies, VH1, WE, ZLiving
1. Heartland Extra ($5)
*same as Orange

2. Hollywood Extra ($5)
*same as Orange

3. Lifestyle Extra BLUE ($5):
Afro, Cooking, DIY, FYI, Hallmark, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mysteries, Lifetime Movies, Oxygen, VH1, WE, ZLiving
Extra Packs – NEWSNews Extra Orange ($5):
*BBC World, Blaze, CGTN, EuroNews, FS TV, Fusion, Headline News, News 18, NewsMaxTV, RT America, Science
News Extra Blue ($5):
*BBC World, Blaze, CGTN, CNBC, EuroNews, France 24, FS TV, Headline News, MSNBC, NDTV 24-7, News 18, NewsMaxTV, RT America, Science
Extra Packs – Sports & Outdoors1. Fubo Cycling ($12):
*Fubo Cycling, FuboTV Soccer, Golf TV Eng/Spanish, TyC Sports

2. Sports Add-on ($9):
*Fight Network, Fox College (3 ch), Game+, Golf TV Eng/Spanish, NFL Red Zone, PAC 12 (6 ch), SI Network, Stadium (3 ch), Tennis, TyC Sports, Universo, VSIN

3. Adventure Add-On ($5):
*MavTV, Outdoor Channel, Outside TV, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network
Sports Extra Orange ($5):
*BEIN Sports, ESPN Bases Loaded, EPSN Goal Line, ESPN News, EPSN SEC, ESPN SEC+, ESPN U, MLB Network, MLB Strike Zone, NHL Network, NBA TV, Outside TV, PAC 12 Network, Stadium Plus 1, Tennis Channel
Sports Extra Blue ($5):
*BEIN Sports, MLB Network, MLB Strike Zone, NBA TV, NBC Golf, NFL Red Zone, NHL Network, Olympic Channel, Outside TV, PAC 12 Network, Stadium Plus 1, Tennis Channel
Extra Packs – Spanish1. Deportes ($5)
5 sports channels

or

2. Espanol Package ($15)
50 channels
29 Spanish Channels
$30/mo
Espanol Options
1. Best of Spanish Extra
$5/mo for 20+ channels

2. Mexico Extra
$5/mo for 10+ ch

3. SudAmerica Extra
$5/mo for 10+ ch

4. Centro America
$5/mo for 3ch

5. Caribe
$5/mo for 9 ch

6. Espana
$5/mo for 3 ch

Learn more:
https://www.sling.com/latino-es
same as Orange
Extra Packs – International1. Deportes ($5)
5 sports channels

or

2. Espanol Package ($15)
50 channels
International Options
Various pricing for…
Arabic, Bangla, Bengali, Brazilian, Cantonese, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Kannada, Malayalam, Mandarin, Marathi, Polish, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Taiwanese, Urdu, Vietnamese

Learn More:
https://www.sling.com/international
same as Sling Orange

Streaming TV Provider Comparison

Here’s a handy comparison chart that shows the streaming tv providers offerings for:

  • Base Package Pricing
  • # Channel Package Options
  • Local Channel Availability
  • DVR Capacity and Storage Length
  • # of Streams
  • Premium Channel Availability
  • Kids Channel Availability
  • Sports Channel Availability
  • Comedy Channel Options
  • News Channel Options
  • Lifestyle Channel Options
  • International Programming Availability
  • Free Trial Options
ATT NowFubo TVHuluPhilo TVPluto TVSlingYouTube TV
Base Package Pricing$65-135
(45-125ch)
$60-85
(95-180ch)
$55
(60 ch)
$20
(60ch)
FREE
(100+ ch)
$30-45
(25-40+)
$65
(85 ch)
Channel Package Options6311131
Local Channel AvailabilityGoodGoodGoodN/AN/APoorExcellent
DVR
(# Hours, # Days Storage)
20 Hrs
30 Days
30 Hours, No Limits
(500 Hr Option upgrade)
50 hours, No Limits
(200 hours add-on option)
Unlimited capacity, 30 daysn/a10 hoursUnlimited Hours, 9 Months
# of Streams2 Streams
($ for 3 Streams)
2 streams
($ for 3 streams)
2 Streams
(‘Unlimited’ add-on option)
3unlimited1-4 streams3
Premium ChannelsExcellentLimited
(No HBO)
GoodN/AN/AGood
(No HBO)
Limited
(No HBO)
Sports ProgrammingGoodGoodGoodn/aGoodExcellentGood
Kids ProgrammingExcellentLimitedGood
(No Nick Jr)
LimitedExcellentExcellentLimited
Comedy ProgrammingGoodLimitedLimitedLimitedGoodExcellentLimited
News ProgrammingGoodLimitedLimitedLimitedGoodExcellentLimited
Lifestyle/Etc ProgrammingGoodAverageGoodGoodGoodExcellentAverage
International ProgrammingVery GoodLimitedLimitedn/aGoodExcellentLimited
Free Trial (Typical)7 Days7 Days7 Days7 DaysN/a7 Days7 Days
Streaming TV Provider Comparison Chart

Use this link to access the most current version via Google Docs


Streaming TV Provider Reviews

For individual reviews and beginners guides of each streaming provider see the following:

For our latest review of ALL of the Best Streaming TV Providers for 2020 watch this vid…


What to Read Next

Amazon Fire TV “LIVE” Tab Channel Guide now showing what’s on Hulu, Sling, and YouTube TV

If you’re a fan of the Amazon Fire TV Interface like I am, then you’ll be excited to know that Amazon has made a positive change to its Fire TV’s LIVE Tab that now allows the Channel Guide on the Live Tab to show you what’s on your favorite streaming apps like Hulu + Live TV, Philo, Pluto TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and more.

Amazon Fire TV Live Tab

What’s the benefit of Amazon’s Fire TV Live Tab?

The Amazon Fire TV LIVE Tab Channel Guide allows you to see that’s playing on all the services intergrated with this feature WITHOUT having to go into the various apps to find out what’s on.

Fire TV Live Tab

This is a major time saving feature and makes the Amazon Fire TV interface much more like a cable replacement service.

If you are a fellow cord cutter like me and/or someone who is looking to ditch cable tv and save money, then you really need to check out the Amazon Fire TV experience – especially now with these updates to the Live Tab, you’re going to find a much less expensive way to watch tv online.

If you want to learn more about Amazon Fire TV and find the right Amazon Fire TV Device, check out this article I wrote…

Why did Amazon make this change?

Because the people have spoken and Amazon’s analytics have shown them that the LIVE Tab is now one of the most used features of the Fire TV Interface.

In addition, Amazon Fire TV’s biggest competitor is Roku and they recently added their own version of a Live TV Channel Guide so Amazon pretty much had to do this to keep up with Roku’s domination of the streaming digital media player landscape.

How do you make sure the Live Tab will show the streaming service you want?

To get the Live Tab Channel Guide to show what’s on specific streaming service you want, do the following:

  1. Make sure you have downloaded the streaming app you want to watch (for example Hulu or Sling) on your Fire TV device.
  2. Make sure you are signed in to the streaming app and that your account is active.
  3. Now you should be able to see the streaming app’s content on the Live Tab Channel Guide.

BONUS: Amazon’s Fire TV platform can be controlled by Alexa Voice controls. That means you can ‘ASK ALEX’ to open the Live Tab Channel Guide, change the channel, and do any number of other Alexa tasks of your choice.

Shop Amazon Fire TV Options

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What to Read Next

Locast.org FREE Live Local TV – Full Review: Save Money, Use Locast!

What is Locast? Locast.org is a not-for-profit organization that provides live, local tv stations to the public. In this article, I’ll give you my review of the Locast TV App and tell you how I am using Locast.org to save money by cancelling my higher priced tv streaming tv apps.


Why Listen to Me?

Hi, I’m Mike, That Helpful Dad. I’m just an Average Joe who ditched cable a couple years ago and moved to watching TV online. I’ve learned a lot along the way and my reviews and tips may help YOU learn how to stream tv online and save a lot of money. Enjoy!


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What is Locast.org TV?

(From the Locast.org site)

Locast is a public service to Americans, providing local broadcast signals over the Internet in select cities.

How can you watch Locast.org?

  • Visit https://www.locast.org/
  • Sign up online, provide your name and email address, and certify that you live in, and are logging on from, one of the select US cities (“Designated Market Area”).
  • Select among local broadcasters and stream your favorite local station.
  • If you are watching on a computer or mobile device, you can enjoy locast immediately.
  • If you want to watch Locast on your TV then you need to download the Locast app to your smart tv or compatible Digitial Media Player (Firestick, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, etc).
  • Visit https://www.locast.org/activate to connect your Locast App to the Locast account you just setup. Once your app is connected then you can watch Locast via the app on your tv.

How does Locast.org work vs regular cable or streaming apps?

Locast.org is a “digital translator,” meaning that Locast.org operates just like a traditional broadcast translator service, except instead of using an over-the-air signal to boost a broadcaster’s reach, Locast streams the signal over the Internet to consumers located within select US cities.

Ever since the dawn of TV broadcasting in the mid-20th Century,non-profit organizations have provided “translator” TV stations as a public service. Where a primary broadcaster cannot reach a receiver with a strong enough signal, the translator amplifies that signal with another transmitter, allowing consumers who otherwise could not get the over-the-air signal to receive important programming, including local news, weather and of course, sports.

Locast.org provides the same public service,except instead of an over-the-air signal transmitter, Locast provides the local broadcast signal via online streaming.

Do you need an antenna to watch Locast?

No.

Do you need the internet to watch Locast?

YES – You need a broadband Internet connection for optimal performance.

Watch can you watch Locast.org on?

You can watch Locast on your laptop, smartphone, or computer connected to the Internet, AND you can watch Locast on your TV via the Locast app downloaded to your smart tv or compatible Digitial Media Player (Firestick, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, etc)

Is Locast.org really FREE?

YES, you can watch Locast.org for free, however every 15 minutes there will be a brief ‘ad’ asking you to donate to support Locast.org. Remember Locast.org is a non-profit service. If you don’t mind the brief interruption then you can certainly enjoy Locast.org for free.

That said, for as little as $5/month, you can make a donation to support Locast.org by doing this you will remove the Locast.org ad. That means you can watch Locast.org without being interrupted.

I recommended you make a donation to Locast and thereby remove the interruption AND help keep this amazing service available for all of us.

You can make your donation using this link: https://www.locast.org/donate

IMPORTANT TIP: make sure you make a donation using the same email address that you use to sign in to Locast – this donation association will then remove the ads (it may take up for 24 hours for the donation to register to your email address according to Locast).

What cities in Locast.org available in?

This is the biggest limiting factor. Locast is only available in select markets. Here is a map of the US showing where Locast is located.

Locast.org TV

TIP: if you are not located in one of these cities, you may still be able to watch Locast by using a VPN to ‘update’ your location.


Locast.org TV – The Video Review

In this video, I’ll give you my review of the Locast TV App and tell you how I am using Locast.org to save money by cancelling my higher priced tv streaming tv apps.

#Locast #InternetTV #StreamingTV

Share this vid: https://youtu.be/5FxlOf1uoNA

References in this video:


What to Read Next

Sling TV Price Guarantee vs YouTube TV Price Increase

Great news for Cord Cutters: Sling TV is offering a 1-Year Price Guarantee – a far cry from the recent 30% price increase from YouTube TV. Even better, Sling’s price guarantee is available for new AND existing subscribers!.

Click here to learn more about Sling TV’s Price Guarantee

Sling TV Price Guarantee

Sling TV Price Guarantee – How it works

For customers who sign up or have an existing account by August 1, 2020, Sling TV will automatically guarantee its current price on any service through August 1, 2021.

Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plans are $30 separately, but you can combine them and pay $45 a month.

Click here to learn more about Sling TV’s Channel Packages

Sling TV Offers New Price Guarantee and Extended Free Trial


In addition to the price guarantee, Sling TV is offering a 14-day free trial (as of the time of this writing). Normally it’s only a 7-day free trial.

Click Here to learn more about Sling TV Free Trial


Sling TV Price Guarantee vs YouTube TV Price Increase

Sling TV’s price guarantee comes just one day after YouTube TV increased its price by 30%. YouTube TV is now a whopping $65 per month (a far cry from when the service started out at less than $40 just a few years ago).

Sling TV has always been both a leader in streaming tv AND a low-priced streaming tv provider. Sling TV has always been priced below YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and AT&T TV Now. With their price guarantee, Sling TV subscribers can guarantee a year’s worth of streaming for as little as $360. That’s a great deal!

Ready to try Sling TV?

Click the pic to try Sling TV

Want to learn more about Sling TV?

Check out our Guide to Sling TV here…

What to Read Next

How to Cancel Your YouTube TV Subscription

In this article, we’ll show you how to cancel your YouTube TV subscription. Why might you want to do this? Because in July 2020 Google opted to levy a massive 30% price increase – bumping YouTube TV from $50 per month to $65 per month. We believe there are now better alternatives for cord cutters to consider and therefore are recommending you consider cancelling YouTube TV.

I’ll show you how to cancel your YouTube TV membership AND I’ll also tell you what my family is choosing instead of YouTube TV too.


Hi, I’m Mike, That Helpful Dad. I’m just an Average Joe who ditched cable a couple years ago and moved to watching TV online. I’ve learned a lot along the way and my reviews and tips may help YOU learn how to stream tv online and save a lot of money. Enjoy!


A Sad Day

Although we previously awarded YouTube TV our “2020 Editor’s Choice” Award for the Best Streaming Service, with Google’s decision to jack up the price by $15/mo and only add a few meaningless channels in return, we decided YouTube TV was no longer the best option for us and therefore chose to cancel.

If you want to cancel YouTube TV, here’s how…

How to Cancel YouTube TV Subscription On Your Computer.

It’s pretty easy to cancel your YouTube TV Subscription online. Just follow these steps:

  • Visit https://tv.youtube.com/
  • Make sure you are signed in – you’ll know you are signed in, if you see your picture/google id in the top right hand corner of the screen. If you don’t see your id, then be sure to sign in.
  • Click on your id icon and then choose SETTINGS from the drop down menu. It will look like this…
Cancel YouTube TV
  • Once you open the Settings Menu, you’ll see “Membership” on the LEFT Side and you’ll see all the Subscriptions you have in your Google Account.
  • Look for YouTube TV and then be sure to click on the small box to the RIGHT of YouTube TV (next to the price). That’s where you can “Pause Or Cancel Membership” for your YouTube TV Subscription.
How to Cancel YouTube TV Subscription
  • YouTube TV will encourage you to simply “Pause” your membership and that’s fine if you want to do that, but there’s really no harm in cancelling completely – after all you can always restart the service later if you like. So if you really want to cancel then be sure to choose the CANCEL MEMBERSHIP Option. Here’s what it looks like…
How to Cancel YouTube TV Membership
  • YouTube will ask you to give a reason for your cancellation. Click whichever applies (Hint: Choose COST!).
  • Then be sure to select the “Continue Canceling” button.
How to Cancel YouTube TV Subscription
  • This is the final screen you’ll see and it requires ONE MORE CLICK – be sure you click the button for “Cancel Membership” to complete the process of cancelling your YouTube TV Subscription.
How to Cancel YouTube TV Subscription

CONGRATULATIONS – you have successfully cancelled your YouTube TV Subscription.


Why I Ditched YouTube TV & What Streaming Services I’m Recommending Now

Video Description: A YouTube TV Price Increase July 2020 of 30% was hard to swallow and because of it (and other reasons) I’m cancelling YouTube TV and using other streaming tv apps. In this vid I’ll review what I’m recommending and show you how I’ve drastically cut our family’s overall costs.

Notes from the video:


What to Read Next?

If you liked this article, check out these too…

Gifts for Dad – 10 Great Gifts Ideas for Men for Fathers Day, Christmas, Birthdays, and more

Gifts for Dad – Article Summary

Here’s a quick article to help you get some great ideas if you are looking for gifts to men. Whether it be Father’s day gifts, Christmas present ideas for men, or gift ideas for valentines, birthdays, or anniversaries – these will all work. 

 If you have Dad in your life and you want to get him a great gift he will actually use, then this page is for you.

I’ll recommend gifts for men that are great for all of the following Dad Themes…

[lwptoc]

How do I know these are great gift ideas for dads?

Because I’m a dad myself and I can honestly tell you that I personally use every single one of the gift ideas for men on this page and can personally vouch for them – as I do with every product I recommend.


PIN ME To Save and Share These Ideas

Gifts for Dad – Coffee Lover Gift Ideas

1-The Aeropress

If your dad is a coffee lover, delight him with an Aeropress.

The Aeropress is a simple tool, inexpensive device but trust me when I tell you that will change his coffee life forever.

Not only will Dad enjoy a great cup of coffee, but he can treat himself to it anytime, anywhere. 

Bonus Coffee Gifts He May Also Like

This is the coffee grinder I use for grinding fresh beans. Sure there are $300+ dollar machines that may offer a finer cut but for  the Epica Grinder is an inexpensive grinder that will work just fine for all the but most snobby coffee connoisseur men. 

Speaking of a fine grind. You’ll find no better ceramic burr grinder for the price than the JavaPresse. It produces grains as fine as some of the most expensive grinders – the only problem is that it’s a manual device. If Dad doesn’t mind grinding his own beans by hand, then the JavaPress is the grinder for him. 

If Dad is going to use the Aeropress then he’s going to need a way to boil water quickly and consistently AND he’ll likely want to be able to control the temperature to get his perfect cup of coffee. For that I use the Epica Tea Kettle. In fact I use it multiple times every day — for coffee, tea, or any time I want hot water. The ability to easily control the temperature of my water AND the great price make this a must-have gift for Aeropress Dads. 

A great all around blend of coffee beans that most men will enjoy. 

One of the most popular coffee options on Amazon now. 

If your Dad likes to camp or do outdoor sports but still wants to use his Aeropress, then consider the JetBoil. It’s a convenient way to boil water on the go. 

Gifts for Men – Fitness and Meditation Gift Ideas

2-SPOONK Accupressure Mat

Does your dad deal with a lot of stress. Get him the single best thing I use to bust through my stress – an acupressure mat!

I use this ‘bed of nails’ every day and it works awesome. There are many to choose from and if you search for ‘accupressure mat’ on Amazon you’ll be able to browse quite a few.

The one I use the one is called Spoonk and I swear by it. 

Get the Spoonk!

3. Bowflex Fitness Products

Is your dad into fitness and looking for ways to build his home gym? You can’t go wrong with Bowflex fitness products.

The Bowflex brand has been around for years, they make quality products, and I’ve personally always had a great experience with them.

Here are a few choices that could work well as gifts for Dads. 

First option – Get him the Bowflex SelectTech Bench. It’s affordable and made of good quality materials. 

I have multiple reviews of the Bowflex SelecTech Bench because I’ve been using it for YEARS…

VIDEO REVIEW

If he already has the bench, check out the BOWFLEX ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS instead – these are the exact same ones as I use.

Video Review

https://youtu.be/o0tTDUxy51YBowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair)

In the 552 Series, each dumbbell goes from 5 to 52.5 lbs. Perfect for the majority of men who do home workouts. 

Here are some variations on the Bowflex theme…

For heavy lifters, the 1090 Series goes up to 9o lbs for each dumbell – that’s a lot of weight per dumbell. 

If you want both the 552 DB’s I use and the workout bench I have, this is a great combo deal. 

This bundle gives you the DB’s I use and the official stand to hold them. 

Gift Ideas for Men who like to Cook and Outdoor Grill

4-The Little Griddle

Don’t overlook this one. If you have a dad who likes to grill then this is the #1 Must-Have grilling appliance to get him. Dad’s will LOVE this gift. 

I use mine pretty much every week, multiple times a week. It is the #1 way I grill now. 

See the Little Griddle on Amazon

Little Griddle GQ230 Professional Series Griddle


5-Grilling Cookbooks

If your Dad is always looking to up his grilling game so he can rule the neighborhood like me, then get him one of these cookbooks. Any one of them is sure to make a great gift for dad. 

This one is great if Dad likes to smoke or do slow cooking. It’s also one of the best manuals for BBQ SAUCE RECIPES!

An all-time classic and a must-own for any Dad serious about grilling. 

Here’s a cookbook specific to the Franklin Barbeque – a hot spot in Austin, Tx that you often see on tv. 

BONUS SECTION – does your dad have a Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, or other ceramic style cooker? If so, this section is for you…

First off, if Dad is in the market for a kamado style cooker help him save time. 

  1. Recommend he read my article about Why I chose the Kamado Joe. 
  2. Buy him a Kamado Joe and put a GIANT SMILE on his face. 

Big Spender Alert – if you have the funds and you want to get him his first Kamado Joe, this is the one you want. It’s the latest model, the most popular one with the most accessories, and the one I personally have!

NOTE – this is the “Joe JUNIOR” – this is great for Dad’s who already have a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe but want a SMALL TRAVEL VERSION. This one is perfect for camping, tailgating, and other dads who grill on the go!

6- GRILLING ACCESSORIES

If your dad already has the gril he wants but you want to get him some great ACCESSORIES, then check out my other article

Gifts for Men who Like to Read

7 – Books by Tim Ferriss

You may not know who Tim Ferrris is, but I’ll bet your Dad does.

Tim Ferriss is this generation’s Tony Robbins.

His books are wildly popular – and with good reason – they make people’s live easier and more productive and more fun. 

Here are 3 of his most popular books. Any one of these would make a great gift for Dad. 

If I could only recommend ONE book for your dad to read this year and guarantee you he will love it (because it will make his life easier) it’s Tim Ferriss’ Tools of Titans book. 

If he doesn’t already have a Tim Ferriss book, this is the classic that started the Tim Ferriss revolution. 

This is Tim Ferriss’ latest book. It’s a follow-up to The Tools of Titans. 

Gifts for Men who like to read – Must Have Gear

There are LOTS of different versions of the Kindle Reader. Thee reason you want the PAPERWHITE edition is because Dad can take it anywhere with him – even to the beach or outside and the ‘paper’ appearance  of the device makes it readable even under bright light conditions where other e-readers and tablets wouldn’t work. 

Gift Ideas for Dads who like Tech Products

8- WiFi Mesh System

If Dad is always complaining that the WiFi signal in your house is never strong enough – especially in areas farther way from your internet router – then get him a wifi mesh system.

These are super easy to set up and they make a BIG difference!

Ever since we got the Google Wifi System we’ve never had connection problems – no  matter how many devices and tv’s we are streaming video on. 

9- Cord Cutting Tools

Is your Dad always complaining about the cost of cable tv? Does he want to cut the cord and ditch cable forever? Then get him one of these cord cutting items…

This is a FREE Step-by Step Guide that will help your dad understand how to cut the cord in no time. It’s a 35-page ebook that you can download immediately when you visit my home page. This is one of the many free gifts I give away to my readers – enjoy. 

The simplest device Dad can use to cut the cord. 

The uber-popular echo series speakers. 

Gifts for Men who Like Tools

10-TOOLS

Let’s face it, every dad loves tools right? Here are a few unique tools he may not have yet that will make him happy and yet won’t break the bank for you.

Finally a TOOL for your dad’s tool box. This little gizmo is called the Eteckcity LaserGrip Thermometer and while it looks and sounds kooky for under $20 you can get your dad a tool that he’ll use over and over again for so many different things.

This magnetic stud finder is under $10 and yet it’s incredibly useful when Dad is trying to hang up pictures or tv mounts or anything he has to drill into the wall for. 

Super popular and with good reason – this laser distance measure is like having a tape measure that goes up to 65 feet!

What’s on YOUR list of Must Have Gifts for Men?

If you have any ideas, please share them with me in the comments below. 

Never Miss a Tip from That Helpful Dad



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What to Read Next?

How to Fix a Blank Amazon Fire TV Yellow Screen or Black Screen

Are you seeing a blank yellow or black screen on your tv while watching via an Amazon Fire TV Stick? This very problem happened to me while watching Netflix on my Firestick. Luckily I found a fix for the Amazon Fire TV Blank Screen dilemma – the solution worked for me and I wanted to share it with you.

Before the problem, my Amazon Fire TV was working just fine…

This is normal

I was watching a Netflix show and then suddenly the screen went completely yellow and looked like this…

Amazon Fire TV Yellow Screen
This is NOT good

Is it a TV, HDMI, or an Amazon Problem?

When the Amazon Fire TV Yellow Screen problem first happened, I thought maybe the issue was with my Samsung TV or the HDMI cable.

  • First I checked the other ‘source/inputs’ on the tv and since they were working fine I figured it wasn’t a tv problem.
  • Then I checked the HDMI cable and inputs on both ends and that too seemed fine.
  • It was during the process of checking both the tv source/inputs and the hdmi cable that I discovered that the problem was related to the Amazon Fire TV itself.

Here’s how I learned it was an Amazon Fire TV issue – when I unplugged and replugged the Fire TV Stick into the tv’s HDMI port I noticed that the Amazon Fire TV Home Page came up briefly and then a few seconds later the screen went completely yellow. I repeated the test and the same thing happened.

Now that I knew it was an Amazon Fire TV issue I went online to search for answers. Luckily I found one!


Amazon Fire TV Yellow Screen or Black Screen Fix

Apparently the Amazon Fire TV Blank Yellow or Black Screen is related to screen resolution settings that manage the resolution “communication” between the Amazon Fire TV and the TV itself. For whatever reason that communication got interrupted and needed to be reset. The fix for that is easy to do but not something you’d likely figure out on your own.

Under normal circumstances, when there is a problem with the Amazon Fire TV, the fallback fix is to simply ‘reset’ the Fire TV from the Settings Menu. Unfortunately you can NOT get to the Settings menu when your entire screen is yellow!

So how do you fix it?

Luckily there is a hidden solution you can do with your Amazon Fire TV Remote…

Press and hold the ‘up’ & ‘rewind’ buttons in your Amazon Fire TV Stick remote for 5 seconds

Here’s where the buttons are…

Amazon Fire TV Stick Up and Rewind Buttons
Press Up and Rewind buttons at the same time for 5 seconds

When you press the Up and Rewind buttons on the Amazon Fire TV Stick for 5 seconds you will trigger a reset of resolution ‘communication’ between the Fire TV and your TV. You’ll know it happens when you get a screen like this…

Amazon Fire TV Yellow Screen Fix

And that my friends is the fix for the dreaded Amazon Fire TV Yellow Screen. It worked for me and I suggest you give it a try too if you are facing this issue.


Amazon Fire TV Blank Screen Fix References.

I didn’t discover this fix on my own and instead found it on the internet. Here are the helpful sites I learned it from…


What to Read Next

25 Best Shows to Watch on Netflix in 2020

Netflix Best Shows – want some ideas for what to watch on Netflix? I’ll give you 25+ series to watch on Netflix right now, including Money Heist, Ozark, Tiger King, Peaky Blinders, Narcos Mexico, Kingdom, Messiah, You, Dark, and many more. We’ll give you ideas on what to watch on Netflix by breaking down the shows into categories like Must Watch, New Popular Shows, Old Favs, etc. Ready? Let’s go!

Best Shows to Watch on Netflix – The Video

SKIP AHEAD in the vid with timestamps below…

Best Shows to Watch on Netflix – The Must Watch List

Start with these Netflix series if you haven’t seen them yet

  • 00:25 Breaking Bad (Netflix Best All Time Show)
  • 00:55 Ozark (starring Jason Bateman)
  • 02:05 Stranger Things (80’s Pop Culture)
  • 02:46 Narcos (Drug Lords)
  • 03:22 Narcos Mexico
  • 03:48 Better Call Saul (prequel to Breaking Bad)
Watch ON Netflix

Best Netflix Shows – Gaining Popularity

  • 04:09 Money Heist (#1 Show in 2020 so far – more views than Tiger King!)
  • 04:44 Peaky Blunders (Irish Mob)
  • 05:08 The Crown (Queen Eliz)
  • 05:38 Dark (One of my favs)
  • 06:19 Mindhunter (Serial Killer Profilers)

Best Shows to Watch on Netflix – Loyal Fan Bases & New Discoveries

  • 06:50 Black Mirror 07:07
  • 13 Reasons Why (Teenage Angst)
  • 07:48 Broadchurch
  • 08:04 The Messiah (NEW Must Watch)
  • 09:04 The Witcher
  • 09:22 Elite (featuring stars from The Money Heist)
  • 09:49 Love is Blind
  • 10:10 Altered Carbon
  • 10:33 The Order 10:47
  • You (Possessive Relationship 101)

Best Netflix Shows – Reality & Documentaries

  • 11:30 Mind of Aaron Hernandez
  • 12:08 Keepers
  • 12:18 Wild Wild Country (Indian Cult invades Western US)
  • 12:31 Making a Murderer
  • 12:52 People vs OJ Simpson
  • 13:35 TIGER KING (it’s all kinds of crazy!) – note: this review of trimmed by YouTube due to Netflix Claim
  • 14:28 The Chef Show
  • 15:30 Final Table
  • 15:43 Ugly Delicious
  • 16:04 Night on Earth (animals at night)
  • 16:20 Our Planet (amazing 4k)

Best Shows to Watch on Netflix – Don’t Forget these old favorites

  • 16:34 House of Cards
  • 17:00 Arrested Development
  • 17:30 The Walking Dead
  • 17:50 The Kingdom (Korean Walking Dead)
  • 18:03 MadMen
  • 18:21 Sherlock
  • 18:34 Black List
  • 18:45 Star Trek and Star Trek Next Generation

If you liked this vid…

Watch More Vids


Did You Know?

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Did Amazon Just Kill Your Favorite Bloggers? Amazon Affiliate Commissions Slashed! April 2020

In a move reminiscent of Michael Corleone killing off his former friends in The Godfather or Carole Baskins allegedly using a meat grinder to feed her husband to big cats in The Tiger King, Amazon’s decision to slash commission rates for its affiliate partners is both sad and shocking.

Does Amazon plan to feed it’s affiliates to tigers too?

Amazon’s move to cut its affliliate commission rates 50-80% is particularly distressing because it is occurring at a time during the Covid-19 crisis has caused many people in the world at be without a viable source of income – even though the same crisis has increased Amazon’s business and propelled the stock to all-time highs.

Amazon Affiliate Commission Changes

So what’s changed and why is it such a big deal?

Here is the commission structure that’s been in effect for some time prior to April 21, 2020…

Amazon Affiliate Commission Rates

Here is the new and much reduced commission structure after April 21, 2020…

Amazon Affiliate Commission Reduction

Amazon Affiliate Commissions Rate Reduction – The Real World Math

Who cares about numbers and %’s? Well in this case numbers DO tell the whole story.

Let’s try an example – imagine you are a blogger who runs a cooking and recipe website and large part of your income comes from recommending and reviewing products from Amazon. You’re driving traffic from your site to Amazon and when people purchase products from Amazon that came from your links the Amazon Affiliate Agreement pays you a SMALL commission.

Over time, you find a way to carve out a faithful following of readers who enjoy your content and appreciate the value of your recommendations. In spite of the oversaturation of the blogger marketplace, against the odds, you manage to eek out a respectable living and after lots of hard work you’re up to a six-figure income.

You make blogging your full time gig and think the future looks bright. You’ve become a success story by creating a win-win-win relationship between your readers, Amazon, and yourself.

And then one day Amazon cuts your income by 50-80% – with just a week’s notice.

Oh and there’s a global pandemic going on so you can’t easily get another job or a new source of income.

That’s the sad reality of Amazon’s decision. It may well destroy your favorite bloggers and cause you to miss out on a lot of new content and recommendations that you’ve enjoyed in the past.

Amazon Affiliate Commissions

Is Amazon Allowed to Make Affiliate Commission Changes?

Bloggers and websites who sign up to become Amazon Affiliates agree to an Amazon Affiliates Commission Operating Agreement that essentially gives full control of the relationship to Amazon and the organization has always reserved the right to change it’s commission structure at its sole discretion. In fact Amazon has changed/reduced commission rates multiple times in the past – but never in such a crushing manner before.

I feel sorry for my fellow bloggers who are in this situation. Like much in life it’s not fair. And there’s not much anyone can do about it.

If we don’t like the Amazon program, nobody is forcing us to be a part of it.

The fact is that Amazon has every right to reduce their commission rates, but that doesn’t make it the right thing to do from a business ethics standpoint.

Sure Amazon is the online retailer of choice for most of the world and the Coronavirus lockdowns have caused more people than ever to make purchases from the e-commerce giant.

But what’s missing in the equation is that it was the blogging community and review websites who played a large part in driving web traffic to Amazon in such a manner that Amazon thrived – especially in the early days of the ecommerce giant.The decision to destroy the commission structure is thus a de facto slap in the face to the very people who helped make Amazon what it is today.


Amazon Affiliate Commissions Destroyed – So What’s Next?

Expect to see most of your favorite sites move away from recommending Amazon’s products and into other affiliate programs – especially if they rely on it as their main source of income.

Here at That Helpful Dad, we are Amazon Affiliates. In spite of the changes, we expect that relationship (and our other affiliate programs) to continue. Why? Because blogging is not our sole source of income and we don’t produce content solely seek profits. Not that there is anything wrong with having a revenue-producing blog. Heck, we’d love if that was true for us too, however it’s never worked out that way – mainly because blogging is just a side hobby for us.

At That Helpful Dad we blog for the fun of it. And we expect to continue to do so – providing you more ‘practical solutions for real life problems’ and ‘life lessons’ you can use to live your best life now. So worry not for us with this change.

But we DO feel for our peers – today is a sad day in the blogging world.

Don’t just take my word for it. Check out these other articles on the topic of Amazon affliate commissions being slashed.


What to Read Next?

Best Streaming TV Services 2020 | Honest Reviews, In-depth Comparisons, & Helpful Advice

You want to learn how to watch tv online so you can cut the cord and get rid of cable tv, but you’re confused by all the options? I can help — in this video review from my YouTube Channel, I’ll give you HONEST reviews and Helpful Tips for all of the following: ATT TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Philo, PlutoTV, Sling TV, Vidgo, & YouTube TV. PLUS we’ll talk about HD Antennas, LOCAST, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and the Roku Channel.


Hi, I’m Mike, That Helpful Dad. I’m just an Average Joe who ditched cable a couple years ago and moved to watching TV online. I’ve learned a lot along the way and my reviews and tips may help YOU learn how to stream tv online and save a lot of money. Enjoy!


Best Streaming TV Providers for 2020

Video Table of Contents

(Skip Ahead in the vid using these time markers)

If you enjoyed this vid…


Best Streaming Providers 2020 – My Ranks

This is just one man’s opinion, but as it stands now, here are my current rankings for the best TV Streaming Services based on various factors.

If you care (or don’t care) about Live+Local TV, then I rank the best streaming tv providers as follows…

If LOCAL Channels DO Matter

  1. YouTube TV
  2. Hulu Plus Live TV
  3. ATT TV Now (but highest cost)
  4. Fubo TV
  5. Sling TV
  6. Vidgo
  7. Pluto TV
  8. Philo TV

If Local Channels do NOT Matter

  1. Pluto TV (so much content, all free)
  2. Sling TV
  3. Philo TV
  4. YouTube TV
  5. Hulu Plus Live TV
  6. ATT TV Now
  7. Fubo TV
  8. Vidgo

If you care (or don’t care) about Price, then I rank the best streaming tv providers as follows…

If you DO care about Price

  1. Pluto TV (100% Free)
  2. Philo TV
  3. Sling TV
  4. YouTube TV
  5. Vidgo TV
  6. Hulu Plus Live TV
  7. ATT TV Now
  8. Fubo TV

If you do NOT care about Price

  1. ATT TV now (most flexibility + Locals too)
  2. Sling TV (also very flexible, but limited locals)
  3. YouTube TV
  4. Fubo TV
  5. Hulu Plus Live TV
  6. Pluto TV (so much content)
  7. Philo TV
  8. Vidgo TV

Need More Help Cutting the Cord?

Visit my home page for more cord cutting tips. All subscribers to my free email list can get a FREE 35+ page Step-by-Step Guide on How to Watch TV Online and get rid of your high cable tv bills.


Did You Know?

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