Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ditch the landline? (vanity)
2/25/11 | me

Posted on 02/25/2011 9:38:54 AM PST by teenyelliott

We are thinking of getting rid of our landline. We no longer use our fax machine and our internet is a five spot. We have scaled down our one remaining phone line to just the dial tone. We called to cancel the line completely and at&t threw in free caller ID/call waiting for a year, so we still have the line.

We are trying to cut costs everywhere we can, and we rarely use the phone. Not to mention that at&t is aligned with satan and always overcharges us (we keep changing companies to get away from them and then they buy the company we chose), and I simply cannot stomach all the taxes and fees.

I keep thinking we need it for security reasons, i.e. landlines almost always work even when the power is out, what if the cell batteries are dead (I have a solar cell charger, so don't know if that excuse holds), etc. etc.

Have any of you taken the plunge, and for those of you who have not, why not?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: cellphone; landline
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-117 next last
To: wolfcreek

I don’t have a phone line to my satellite dish.


61 posted on 02/25/2011 10:34:29 AM PST by listenhillary (20 years in Reverend Wright's church is all I need to determine the "content of his character")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott

I got rid of my land line in Nov last year and have not looked back. I saved 45 a month. Unless you really need it I would get rid of it.


62 posted on 02/25/2011 10:38:34 AM PST by HOYA97 (twitter @hoya97)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: listenhillary

Thx for the link. Kind of expensive? Guess I was hoping for something small, portable, powerful AND cheap! LOL


63 posted on 02/25/2011 10:39:35 AM PST by Reddy (B.O. stinks)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: listenhillary

Do you have Dish Network?

As I understand, this is how they keep up with events/movies you order.


64 posted on 02/25/2011 10:41:24 AM PST by wolfcreek (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsd7DGqVSIc)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Lazlo in PA

Still love that show!


65 posted on 02/25/2011 10:41:48 AM PST by teenyelliott (Soylent green should be made out of liberals...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott
It really depends. I live in the country, and in my case, I've had one emergency and two power outages where the cell tower has gone down. Got plenty of electricicles in my phone but nowhere to use them. Unfortunately that same tower is my broadband Internet connection, which is kind of a bummer because I can't use Skype for a backup. Out there I keep a land line because it's insurance.

In town, though, where I work, I haven't had a land line in over two years. Don't really miss it. In either case, you aren't just buying the unit, you're buying the infrastructure. Thirty bucks a month is not bad for a secondary infrastructure when I'm 15 miles from town. When I'm a couple blocks off Main street, it's too much. YMMV.

66 posted on 02/25/2011 10:41:54 AM PST by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Keith in Iowa; teenyelliott

I’d never heard of solar cell phone chargers until I got into this thread, so I did some Googleization....from what I see during my very few minutes, most of ‘em have been “discontinued” - apparently due to virtual worthlessness.


67 posted on 02/25/2011 10:44:25 AM PST by ErnBatavia (It's not the Obama Administration....it's the "Obama Regime".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: kevao; Martin Tell

My ADT system is cellular, and all the sensors are wireless. It was installed for the whole house in under an hour. They didn’t even ask if I had a landline when I had it installed. It has a backup battery and three little antennas coming out of the main box in the utility room.

I got rid of the landlines 5 years ago.


68 posted on 02/25/2011 10:46:13 AM PST by glock rocks (I am Dyslexis of Borg. Your ass will be laminated.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott
Got rid of ours 2 years ago.
No more dinner time calls from telemarketers.
Doesn't wake me in the middle of the night for wrong calls.
Gave my number to only those whom I trust.
Saved myself large amounts of money in monthly bills.
69 posted on 02/25/2011 10:48:06 AM PST by lucky american (If you think the Libs care about your health.....LOLOLOL)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: goseminoles

Fortunately, I have no need nor desire for a smart phone, so we just do the Tracphone thing...if you spend over 99 bucks, you get a free phone yearly if you like, plus double minutes for life, etc......we’re in our third year, and I’ve amassed 47 hours worth of talk time; way more than I’ll ever use, but 100 bucks a year makes the package worthwhile.


70 posted on 02/25/2011 10:48:13 AM PST by ErnBatavia (It's not the Obama Administration....it's the "Obama Regime".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: ErnBatavia

Outdoor outfitters carry solar charging devices for all manner of electronic equipment - and are quite capable of charging cell phones as well as running & charging other devices. Keep googling.


71 posted on 02/25/2011 10:48:21 AM PST by Keith in Iowa (FR Class of 1998 | TV News is an oxymoron. | MSNBC = Moonbats Spouting Nothing But Crap.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Reddy

I think everyone should have an emergency radio, and most have a solar charger for cell phones. You can get a red cross radio on amazon for thirty bucks.


72 posted on 02/25/2011 10:56:24 AM PST by teenyelliott (Soylent green should be made out of liberals...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: ProudFossil

In re: answering machines and landlines, get a MagicJack. It is a phone that runs through your computer, $20 a year, and it has a 911 feature.


73 posted on 02/25/2011 10:56:51 AM PST by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott
Yes, cell phones require batteries and chargers. Anyone who has a cordless phone will be in the same boat when the power goes out, actually, often faster. When the base unit loses power, the cordless is a brick. We always kept an old-style corded phone around for power outages.

When the power goes out around me, my cell still works. I'm not certain if cell towers have a mandate for alternate power sources, but I've not lost a cell signal yet.

A small solar cell can charge your cell phone, but won't do squat for your cordless unit, unless you can set the base unit where the sun shines.

We've been land-line free for more than five-and-a-half years (we had a land-line for alarm purposes, but not phone). Got rid of the alarm and bought a shotgun. The alarm won't keep determined folks out, regardless of whether I'm home or not, so the best deal is protecting my family while we're home. Things can be replaced. My family can't.

74 posted on 02/25/2011 11:05:36 AM PST by IYAS9YAS (Rose, there's a Messerschmit in the kitchen. Clean it up, will ya?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott
I did about 6 years ago...I suppose it depends on ones own usage/situation...but I am happy to have left that $40-$50+ verizon bill...on the horizon. Besides the savings, I don't miss all those junk calls I was getting either.

With the limited amount of calls I make/receive my pay-as-you-go Tracfone + Skype is adequate enough for my needs.

75 posted on 02/25/2011 11:10:04 AM PST by RckyRaCoCo (I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery, IXNAY THE TSA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott

Dropped my landline years ago. No regrets.


76 posted on 02/25/2011 11:11:56 AM PST by Slings and Arrows (You can't have Ingsoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DJ MacWoW
Next time somebody asks a question I'll know they've ALREADY decided and simply want to pound on people that want to help.

I hope you don't think that is what I was doing. I realized that the odds of all my arguments for keeping the line would not likely occur all at the same time. If all the cell towers and satellites go out, I think everyone is in trouble, landline or not!!

77 posted on 02/25/2011 11:17:57 AM PST by teenyelliott (Soylent green should be made out of liberals...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott

No. I didn’t. You don’t bait people.


78 posted on 02/25/2011 11:20:09 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: ProudFossil
One problem we have is we live in a rural area with spotty cell service. We solved that by getting a cell phone booster (there are several on the market) which has given us three bars here at home.

A secondary option is using a phone that supports VOIP service. My Android phone from T-Mobile does that, and now when I'm up in the mountains, there may not be a cell phone tower, but oddly, there's wifi service to call through. :)

Another concern is what happens if the wife goes on a trip and takes her cell phone with her. I also have a cell phone but it has a different number of course. So if she is gone (and assuming we use her number for the credit cards, stores, internet sites, etc.) then those type of calls would be going to her. And she and I both travel so the problem exists for each of us.

We faced a similar issue - which phone would become the 'main' one for messages? We decided to just simply use Google Voice and use the voicemail feature there, which also will transcribe and email the message if you'd like, or you can have it forward to your phone, her phone, etc. Very good during political seasons where we get buried by calls.

79 posted on 02/25/2011 11:21:06 AM PST by kingu (Legislators should read what they write!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: teenyelliott

If you have high speed Internet, the NetTalk (dot com) device hooks to your router and provides all the phone service you need for $30 a year. I like it better than the Magic Jack because I don’t have to have a computer running to use it.


80 posted on 02/25/2011 11:22:09 AM PST by Poser (Cogito ergo Spam - I think, therefore I ham)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-117 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson