COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? after 8 years as an IT help-desk technician

I just got my COBRA paperwork and the deadline to decide is close. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I saw that marketplace plans might cost less. Did anyone switch mid-year?

I priced both side by side: total yearly cost, doctors in network and the deductible. Marketplace was cheaper for us, but only because our doctors were covered.