FREE Home Phone Service

In a previous post I wrote about how to save on your cell phone service.  In this post, I'm going to take it one step further and explain how I managed to get FREE home phone service.  Yes, free.  Now before you get all excited there is a small hardware cost, but after that all of your calls within the US and Canada are free.  

Many people these days do not own a land line phone and there are many reasons for that.  I guess I'm kind of old fashioned though and feel like I should have a land line phone just because I should.  Well, that and I absolutely dislike talking on a cell phone.  I was paying about $25 a month for basic phone service which did not include long distance capabilities.  I was looking at my expenses one day and thought to myself, "I'm going to get that cost lower".  I looked at the options my current phone company offered thinking that I would just ask for the cheapest option they offered.  Unfortunately, I realized that I already had the cheapest option they offered!  That wasn't good enough for me though, as I was determined to find something cheaper.  So the research began...

Eventually I came across VoIP (voice over IP) service and found that many companies offer this option.  Well, you know what comes next in my quest to be thrifty...I started a spreadsheet!!!!  In the end, I decided that ObiTalk110 was best for my family.  

Below are some of my reasons for this decision.

• Low initial hardware cost ($43.99 from Amazon)
• FREE calling to anywhere in the US and Canada using Google Talk
• It plugs directly into your router so there is no need to keep your computer on to make or receive calls
• Great call quality
• Pick your own phone number
• It's small!! It's only about 4.5 inches by 4 inches so it can be easily tucked out of the way.
• Easy setup.  I had mine up and running in less than 10 minutes.  I would also like to add that I was able to set it up with a very active toddler in my midst. :)

The only negative I can find with this device is that it does not have the ability to call 911 through Google Talk.  However, with the popularity of cell phones that do have that capability, is it really a negative?  That is for you to decide depending on your situation.

Given that this device pays for itself in less than two months, I'd say that it's a pretty thrifty purchase.

I was able to save about $25 a month ($300/year) by switching to a VoIP service.  How much can you save?


Thanks for reading!