How do cord cutters supplement non-premium cable channels like USA Networks, Food Network, TNT, etc.?
I cut the cable in Jan 2007 and haven't looked back. Sure it was tough for about a month or two (I did miss those channels that you mentioned). But honestly, with all the spare time that I suddenly had, I filled my life with other activities. I don't really miss cable even the slightest (that was after growing up watching 8+ hours per day, I watched TV just about every moment that I was awake).
That said, I took the cable savings and started buying shows. For far less money per month, I get all the shows I ever want exactly when I want them. Many months I spend nothing since I get a backlog of episodes when I do buy them. Plus the library has most shows on those non-premium channels anyways if I was bored. Or there is always Youtube or other legal free ways of getting one show here or there. I use an antenna for the rest.
My yearly cable increases (same package, a few crap channels added once or twice, but the rest was the same):
1999 to 2000: 5.11%
2000 to 2001: 4.89%
2001 to 2002: 10.73%
2002 to 2003: 8.03%
2003 to 2004: 5.85%
2004 to 2005: 4.24%
2005 to 2006: 5.19%
2006 to 2007: 6.24%
Average increase: 6.28%.
Average inflation in the same period: 2.65%.
My total cable company bill now: $14.99/month for internet (and that includes taxes, I bought the equipment outright).