I replaced my paid streaming apps with free ones - here's what surprised me

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. My monthly streaming bill is relatively low, totaling $41/month for Apple Music, YouTube Premium Lite, Netflix with ads, and Peacock with ads. I don't mind the occasional ad on my video streaming services, so I subscribe to ad-supported tiers to save a few bucks. You might expect free services to have limited usability, outdated titles, and incessant ads -- and that assumption is not totally wrong. Yet, many free services have old favorites, local channels, and plenty of "Family Feud" episodes. If your paid, on-demand services are causing decision fatigue, it might be time to return to the simplicity of cable without paying for it. As…