Posted on 02/27/2011 8:52:16 AM PST by Brookhaven
At one time, having a dedicated land-line phone in your house was a requirement. Like heat or air conditioning, every house had it. With the advent of cell phones I have found it impossible to justify the cost of keeping a land-line phone—I just don't use it that much anymore. When you include taxes, the minimum cost of having a land-line phone in the house (in my state) is $45 a month ($540 ayear). I only used the land-line phone for 5-10 calls a month, which worked out to be over $5 per call.
I thought about getting a land-line phone through my cable company. At $30 a month it was a savings over the phone company, but it still worked out to be at least $3 a call. So I dumped my land-line and went just with my cell phone. This has met all my needs, but it has added a few inconveniences:
(1) I despise carrying my cell phone with me when I'm at home (at home I want to kick back and relax).
(2) I don't want to race across the house to answer my cell phone.
(3) I often don't hear the cell phone across the house and miss calls.
(4) My spouse complains about inconveniences 1, 2, & 3.
So I've started looking for for someway to solve these problems. I've come up with several. I'm going to discuss the first one now: the XLink phone box.
In a nutshell, this box lets you use all the old style land-line phones in your house to talk over your cell phone.
---excerpted text---
The cost of the unit is $99 on the XLink web site, but runs $80 on Amazon. It pays for itself in two months. After that it saves you $540 a year.
(Excerpt) Read more at munydews.blogspot.com ...
Interesting. Curious to know what other FReepers think.
Bookmark for later reading.
Sounds good.
We economized and decided to dump the land line as it became a nuisance anyway.
We got robocalls on the land line, and everyone we know calls or texts us on our cell.
I think the idea of getting rid of a rarely used landline is good enough to save money. The disadvantages listed here do not seem to be all true. Mainly, if one is already “Carrying a cell phone everywhere while at home,” I don’t see how it would be possible to have to “race to get it when it rings” and/or miss a call.
Also, all of those disadvantages are possible with land line phone calls. The way I see it, I have no use at all for a land line, and see no downside to not having one.
I’ve been using an XLink box for 8 or 9 months. It works well for me. There is sometimes a slight delay when answering, so you may need to wait 1-2 seconds before saying “Hello”.
Also, when keying in numbers, you need to press them for just a little longer for them to register (e.g., when entering an account number or something of that nature).
In my small town, the landline prices kept rising. I was paying $25 a month plus a minimum $5 for anything long distance. Everything outside of town was long distance. I don’t make many calls, so it was hard to justify the $300/year+ bills.
I checked into prepaid cellular and finally found one that I like — Tracfone. I have accumulated hours, so I mostly only need the ‘service’ as the hours don’t expire.
When renewal time came, I discovered that I could sign up for a year of service for under $60 as an enhancement by purchasing the $20 3-month service + 60 minutes card on their website. That was about $77 for 15 months of service plus 60 additional minutes of airtime.
Way cheaper than the landline by about 2/3 and its portable.
I also bought a MagicJack which is okay for regular calls. It seems to have a problem when calling cellular phone numbers, however.
I disconnected the landline about 3 years ago.
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MagicJack hooks into a USB port, so the computer has to be on. There was another service that hooks into the router. That service website, however, listed a dozen routers that it had problems with — and my router is one of them. They advertise for $70, first year, $30 additional years, IIRC.
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Just a quick look at the Xlink website — Xlink seems to be a connection device, rather than an alternative phone device. One has to have cell phone(s) and/or landlines to attach to it.
Forward your cell phone to your local line.
Your local line, offered by a local phone company offers two advantages:
1. The landline will not fail in the event of power failure.
2. In the event of 911 type emergency your call will be routed to the closest PSAP and answered by local service who will know where you are.
A cell phone doesn’t and currently cannot offer these advantages.
Interesting point #2. That may be needed if one is unable to describe one’s exact location.
I don’t know about #1 though. I’m pretty sure a cell phone will work in a power failure. Or am I not getting something?
Cell phones do have the E911 service.
Of course, if you carry your phone and you run off a cliff 20 miles from your home, they won’t be able to locate you via your address.
But, then, you can’t carry your landline with you when you go out, because the cord isn’t long enough.
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Some, I don’t know the extent, cellphones have GPS tracking built in.
If bill collectors have a land line to call, they won’t be inclined to seek out your cell number, thus making them easier to ignore. Sign of the times...
I have an IP home phone service, which offers E-911 service, for about $20 per month. I solved problem #1 by putting in a UPS with a large external lead-acid gel-cell battery, which runs the cable modem, router, and phone-to-ethernet box. We continue to get calls even when the power fails, and still have internet to boot.
Bottom line - ya can't beat a one-time $100 annual expenditure.
I finally got a cell phone and discontinued my land line because the land line was too costly.
I simply treat my cell phone like a land line and leave it on the kitchen countertop and answer it when I feel like it. If I don't, the call simply goes to voice mail........
The only problem I have is what to do about that naked phone jack where the phone used to hang on the wall.........
We’ve been considering dumping our landline as everyone in the house has a cell. However, we also have a home security system (ADT) that is tied in to the landline. I keep meaning to check and see if they can use the internet or a cell system in place of the landline... Anyone using a home security system without a landline?
Forward your cell phone to your local line.
Kind of defeats the point of saving money by getting rid of the local line.
The disadvantages listed here do not seem to be all true. Mainly, if one is already “Carrying a cell phone everywhere while at home,” I don’t see how it would be possible to have to “race to get it when it rings” and/or miss a call.
He doesn’t want to carry the cell phone at home, and he doesn’t want to race to get calls.
I have time waner cable with fiber optics. I pay $100 per month for TV, Internet and Phone. Unlimited phone use within 48 states. Internet is so fast video streaming is not even detected.
All the phones forward to a land line.
When we get in the car we have to stop at the top of the hill and forward all the incoming call fron land line to one of the cell phones.
I get No on-line either thur a hard wire so I have Hughes Net.
No TV signal so I have DIRECTV.
In all I spend $340 a month For Phone,Internet and TV (FOX NEWS).
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