| These days consumers are clearly feeling the | | | | India is typical, even if you pay the four to |
| pinch of increasing costs. From the gas | | | | five dollars a month many companies charge |
| station to the grocery store, prices are | | | | for the privilege of getting lower rates. |
| skyrocketing. But the telephone bill is an | | | | |
| area where savvy consumers can still save. | | | | In recent years, there has definitely been an |
| For most people, phone expenses are a | | | | explosion of superior offerings. Sometimes |
| substantial element in the typical household | | | | called "PINLESS" dialing plans, these |
| budget. Notwithstanding the fact that telecom | | | | offerings enable you to call anywhere in the |
| prices have fallen considerably in recent | | | | world at rates forty to seventy percent less |
| years, this is still a cost that can be cut | | | | from your landline or cell phone without |
| through prudent planning. These strategies | | | | needing to remember a pin code. If you type |
| will help you achieve this goal. | | | | the phrase "cheap international calling" into |
| | | | a search engine you'll see a plethora of |
| Tip 1: Change to a shared-use cell phone plan | | | | options. The basic way these services work is |
| | | | that you register one or more phone numbers |
| According to the Kiplinger Letter, the | | | | with the service and provide a credit card |
| average cell phone bill in the US runs about | | | | number. They give you a toll-free number and |
| $55 per month. You might ask how the average | | | | when you call this number from a registered |
| could be $55 with so many ads for cellular | | | | phone, you can call any country without |
| companies promoting $29 or $39 plans. This is | | | | needing a PIN code. Using the above example, |
| partly because a few power users spend $79, | | | | you could cut the charge from 50 cents to 15 |
| $89 or more monthly. Part of the reason is | | | | cents per minute. |
| taxes and miscellaneous charges such as | | | | |
| directory assistance. But a crucial reason is | | | | Tip 3: Begin using a free teleconference |
| the fact that cell phone companies hit you on | | | | service |
| "overage". Let's say you've got 1,000 peak | | | | |
| minutes and this month you reach 1,099. At | | | | For many families, phone bills escalate |
| thirty or forty cents per minute on overage, | | | | because of the need to have multiple |
| your cell-phone bill suddenly rockets up | | | | conversations between family members on the |
| twenty dollars. Sound familiar? The next | | | | same topics. It is inefficient but this is |
| month you get to 900 minutes but there is no | | | | the way most of us cope. In the last few |
| corresponding reduction on your bill. Some | | | | years, there have been literally dozens of |
| companies say they solve this problem by | | | | companies that have launched free |
| allowing you to rollover your. And the | | | | teleconferencing services. All of them work |
| rollover does help increase your peak minutes | | | | on the same basic principle: they give you a |
| quota for the following. But even then, you | | | | PIN and a toll number to call. If all |
| still get hit with overage if you exceed the | | | | participants call the same number and enter |
| increased peak minutes quota. | | | | the same PIN, they are put into a group call. |
| | | | Apart from regular toll charges, there are no |
| Shared use plans are the best solution for | | | | charges assessed by these companies. If you |
| this problem. Also called "family-plans", | | | | have a large extended family, one 30 minute |
| these plans allow you to aggregate the | | | | call could easily replace 5 to 10 one-to-one |
| minutes of two or more users into a | | | | discussions for planning a trip or family |
| collective bucket. Since variability is | | | | event. |
| typically a function of individual usage | | | | |
| patterns, these variability quotients tend to | | | | Unfortunately, it is usually somewhat of a |
| cancel each other out. Think of it this way: | | | | hassle to arrange these calls in the first |
| if you and your spouse both have individual | | | | place; consumers often are reluctant to |
| plans for 1,000 minutes and one month you get | | | | familiarize themselves with the mechanics of |
| to 1,100 minutes and your spouse reaches 900 | | | | setting up a teleconference. Rondee is an |
| minutes, you're in for overage surcharges to | | | | example of a free conference calling service |
| the extent of 100 minutes. If you have a | | | | which is working on addressing this issue. |
| family plan, your total comes in at 2,000 | | | | The service offers users a way to schedule |
| minutes and there would be no overage! | | | | the conference on the web, have the invites |
| | | | emailed and show the responses tracked on the |
| Tip 2: Try not to use your regular long | | | | website. As with many corporate grade |
| distance phone company to dial | | | | conference call companies, Rondee enables |
| internationally | | | | calls to be recorded. |
| | | | |
| Most long distance phone companies offer | | | | With consumer prices escalating, there's not |
| excellent rates for domestic long distance. | | | | a lot most of us can do to fight back. But |
| If you are a reasonably frequent user on a | | | | telephone expense is an area where being |
| good plan you are probably paying less than 5 | | | | smart can mean substantial savings. Applying |
| cents per minute. The difficulty is that | | | | these 3 tips will save the typical consumer |
| international rates are still comparably | | | | 30% to 50% on a monthly basis, or several |
| high. For example, fifty cents a minute to | | | | hundred dollars a year. |