Phones, cellphones, home numbers vs cells

[American Patriot]

Alright... here's a question for everyone.

How many have home numbers?

How many have cell numbers?

How many of you have opted out of either, both or neither?

Truly, what I am looking for here is any discussion on "getting rid of a land line" versus keeping ONLY a cell phone.

How do you deal with things like "Home Number" when it is asked for on applications, on your resume, on paperwork the government wants a phone number for?

How do you deal with ONLY a cell phone for instance?

Give me your stories, ideas, advice and comments.


Now the background if you want to read on.

We have cell phones, and a home number. We've already cut 40 bucks off the home number. I'm considering dropping the line to reduce the home bills by another 40 bucks (yes, it was 96 dollars a month for my home line!)

I pay about 70 bucks a month for two phones right now.

I want to reduce that, but it looks like two phones with decent service through any organization is going to cost me between 30 bucks per phone a month up to about 122 a month for two phones. Wow.

Ok... so my plight is.. I drop the house phone, opt for a slight better, more expensive plan giving us two GOOD telephones, good coverage in most areas, and even texting, internet ability for the phones and still remain under the total cost of two cells and house line (already saved 40 bucks remember!) or keep my older crappy phones, dump the Qwest services and just upgrade my phones on the current plan.

What's everyone think about this?

[Malsua]

I have 3 phones.

Home Phone

US Cell phone
Quad band world phone using a Mobal SIM chip. I used to swap the Mobal chip when I was in Honduras for a local sim but in Germany, I've used my Mobal acct.

During the Ice Storm 13 months ago, Cell phones worked, land lines didn't.

If it weren't for the quality of the voice on the land line, it'd be gone. It's just so much easier to hear on it than the cell phone. I get home, Cell phone goes off and if folks want to call me, they get the other phone.

Last night, I got a call from my Representative, Scott Garrett(one of the good guys). He does a town hall thing to folks in his district, it's great. We put it on speaker phone and listened for about an hour. Not that that alone would be enough to keep the landline, but I would certainly miss those things.

If you are trying to save money, get off those fixed plans.

I know other services do this, but my Mobal phone was purchased 4 years ago and you only pay for minutes. It doesn't expire, no monthly fees, nothing. There are phones from T-mobile like this I believe. Basically our 3rd phone is free since if I'm travelling for work, I turn it in and if I'm on vacation, I don't have anyone to call.

[American Patriot]

Saving money is the main goal.

Losing the assholes calling me all hours of day and night is secondary.
(Note: On DO NOT CALL lists. I still get calls. I contacted the phone company a few days ago and made sure that the Caller ID security thing was turned on where they HAD to give a name before it would connect, last night I got a call from a "person" - listed number and a persons name, but was a group trying to do a survey. I asked if the person calling was the person listed, he said "No, I don't know what you're talking about. SO people are still getting around that crap!)

So - I don't care about house phones. We do our LD on the cells to family members most of the time. 42* 12 = 504 dollars. That's about 1/2 month of cruising costs. So, another half month on a boat if I dump the phone number. Over two years, it's 1008 bucks which our monthly budget will hit around 1250 a month on a boat.

That's nearly a full month's budget (ro dinner out a few times, or parts, or emergency phone calls, you name it).

Every penny I can save now is worth more to me later.

[American Patriot]

Oh yeah... something else. There will be times when even cell phones don't work in bad weather (towers down, 9-11 incidents causing over loads, etc).

We're both Ham Radio operators for A REASON... to not be tied to phones for communication, so we can talk to each other from our cars or home assuming we use the radios (which we don't always do)... the cell phones are family members to call and remain in contact with "normal society" for now.

[Ryan Ruck]

Rick,
You might want to check into getting a Google Voice phone number. You will still need either a cell phone or land line or, both for it to connect to but it gives you more control over call management for telemarketers and unsolicited callers.

You can use it to block undesirable callers, screen callers so you can decide if you want to answer or not, have transcribed voicemail that can be e-mailed or text messaged to you, and you can choose which phone(s) you want it to ring when the GV number is called.

Right now GV is invite only. I got my invite from a guy on ARFCOM. I looked around and don't see any invites on my account though or I'd send you one. I also tried to request some invites and their page is dead. If I can get some I'll post.

I use my GV number any time I have to give out a personal phone number (i.e. internet orders, etc.) now. Work number/cell phone is a different story since customers need that. Also, from now on people will only be given my GV number instead of my Vonage VOIP home phone (~$35 worldwide plan) that I used to give out. The VOIP number doesn't offer call block so that is one nice thing to have with GV. Only trusted people will get the real home phone number from here on.

[American Patriot]

I'm not toooooo concerned about those folks. They just irritate the hell out of me... 2 minutes before 9 pm. I'm usually asleep around 8 and getting awaken an hour into sleep is enough to make me shoot the phone.

My real deal is anyone JUST using cell phones these days and does it work of for you?

[Luke]

Both Ms. Luke and myself have cell phones. Having passed AT$T's 2 year ransom we are on a monthly basis. Most all of my friends and family are AT$T subscribers so long distance is not a problem. We don't text, or go on the internet with the phones.

We also have a land line, although not with AT$T. Unfortunately this was the cheapest way to be connected to the internet.

On average I think we spend under $200 dollars monthly, but I am not sure. Most all of our day to day business is conducted on line plus the land line is connected to an answering machine.

I have considered looking into Hughsnet but it is my understanding that the intial cost is more than I wish to invest at this time.

[Ryan Ruck]

In that case, IMHO, if I had to I'd go with my cell phone but that is free for me. If I were paying for it, I know the costs for the cell would be MUCH higher than Vonage.

I rarely use my VOIP line. I just have it because it's only $35...

[Backstop]

I have a land line at home for these reasons - in order of importance:

1. To give out when asked for a home phone. I don't know how this happens, but my phone number always seems to get out there. I constantly get calls at my home with solicitations, etc. And I am on the No-Call list. Every day for the last 8 days, I have received no less than 3 calls from Neilson TV ratings. Many times they leave a recording. I'd go ballistic if I got those calls on my cell.

2. So I can use my fax is necessary.

I have a cell phone. Friends, doctor, dentist, etc. have that number.

I have a Nextel from work, but in almost 5 yrs of having it, I have never made a personal call on it.

[zenbudda]

i live with my gf.

we have a cable modem package that includes internet, tv and phone. unlimited long distance, blazing fast internet. never use the land line phone for long distance, it's just part of the package. $145 a month.

we both have cell phones. blackjack ii's. unlimited internet (i use google maps a lot when I travel). unlimited text. 600 minutes a month but we have free family minutes. $160 + tax.

when i lived alone, i never had a land line. just internet and cell.

i am interested in getting into HAM radio operating. i think that would be awesome. trying to divide time up right now between work, professional development, side work, personal life, and a gf.

[Malsua]

I have received no less than 3 calls from Neilson TV ratings

That's not a nuisance, that's an opportunity.

You do realize they extrapolate like 1000 to 1 based on those calls? I get them, on occasion. CNN SUCKS! MSNBC SUCKS...etc. Bash all the liberal shit.

[American Patriot]

LOL I had the same thoughts Mal had about Neilson ratings.

Basically what everyone is saying is "You've got to have a home phone!"

I reject that. I will simply tell them I don't have a home phone.

Hell I won't have one when I move to a boat. We might keep a cell phone for awhile, but I have my doubts we will keep them for very long, or get something like one of those pay-as-you go phones for when we're in the states.