Many have rid themselves of the monthly expense of a land-line phone - you know the ones you plug into the wall at home...... If you don't need one, it's a great cost savings to just use your cell phone. Many people still utilize this service, including me. It might be due to your cell not working in your house, or that you want it for emergency - just in case.
I'm provided with a cell phone by the company that employs me, and they pay the bill. Therefore, I like having a land-line - just in case I suddenly become unemployed, or the cell towers go down. Well, I checked my bill and this month all my bonus discounts have expired. What used to be around $15 a month is now $36.75 for the line, plus $4.66 for long distance. That totals up to $41.41 - most of which is Taxes and Fees - but I still have to pay them.
I've decided that's way too much for a phone line that I rarely use so I place a call to AT&T. I explain that I want a POTS line - no frills. (POTS is an acronym for Plain Old Telephone Service) So the line is going to cost between $6 and $9 instead of the original $17.50, plus I dropped the caller ID package that was $7.77. I also killed the long distance plan, saving me another $4.66. So my $40 charge is going to be reduced to around $17. That freed up an additional $20+ a month to pay towards debt!
I had the option to remove the long distance, which would prohibit any long distance call from being made. I decided against this, since I might send a FAX or need it for an emergency. The prices range from 19-35 cents a minute, so a 10 minute call would only be $1.90 or $3.50 - still cheaper than the $4.66 I was paying for a 7 cents a minute plan. You may choose to leave off the long distance if you don't have responsible people in your household, or small children that may dial away on the phone as if it was a toy.
So, call your phone company and downgrade your land-line. That will put an extra $200-$300 a year in your pocket, depending on your situation.
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2 comments:
I have a stupid question...but just call me that electronically challenged girl... Don't you need a hyped-up land line for running your DSL internet connection? I never use my land line other than when soliciters demand a phone number..so I really wouldn't even need that basic package you talk about for emergencies, ect. But, I LIVE by the internet, and I pay about $75 a month for my land line and DSL coverage...HELP!
You do not need a land-line with all the extras to run DSL. I am currently running DSL with the downgraded line I described in this article.
As for your question regarding the elimination of the phone line, there is good news for you.
Both Verizon & AT&T offer "dry-loop DSL" or naked DSL. It's DSL without the phone line at the lower cost. It's a great question and I've decided to write an article about it this week.
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