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Jess
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| Posted: July 25 2009 at 9:22am | IP Logged
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We have done only cell phones before and dropped out land line, but the last time my dh deployed we got a land line again because I wasn't sure if he would be able to call a cell phone and how much that would cost. Our home phone is through our cable/internet provider. I really want to drop the phone part and the cable and just do the internet, but in an effort to try to lower the bill for the whole bundle my dh accidently got roped into a 2yr contract  So when the time is up we will discuss again whether we need the landline. I have the problem too of not hearing my cellphone in my bag and I have had the problem of my cellphone not even ringing, so I'm not sure what we will do when the time comes.
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God bless,
Jess
+JMJ+
wife to dh('96)
mama to dd(13), dd(11), ds(9), dd(6), and dd (2), and baby girl born Sept 14!
star cottage
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Aug 17 2009 at 10:22am | IP Logged
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Jen L. wrote:
- Those "taxes" that Molly talks about the almost double the bill - I HATE THOSE! When I called the phone company to ask what they were, I found out something that made me even madder. They were mostly (if not all) phone company charges made to LOOK like taxes and external fees. Grrrrr. 
My phone is cheap enough now (with almost no features) that it is cheaper than a cell phone. Since I have limited minutes on my cell, I use a calling card from Costco to call anyone out of my immediate area unless they have Verizon cell also (free). |
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Jen - I feel the same way. We have to reduce our bills. We need to keep Verizon internet but reduce everything else. I am thinking of going the Costco calling card way for long distance. Please would you pm me about the "cheap" rate you have.
Thanks.
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Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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RenB
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| Posted: Aug 21 2009 at 12:47pm | IP Logged
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Here are a few of my thoughts...thoughts only, but heh if they help turn your cogs, well then - great! '
Vonage? Yep tried it. After all of the data was presented and verified with me, they assured me it would work in my rural area. Problem? We had one of the last private telephone companies assigned to our locale and therefore were unable to connect through them as they wouldn't allow any other company to render another service through their line, not even a long distance provider which was appalling. Vonage charges went through the roof, someone put me on a contract for six months and I had to not only pay, but also pay the installation and the motem device fees. Annoyed with them myself. ''
Our eldest daughter insists on being a cell phone only person at this time. She always had both a land line and cell phone but with the Blackberry rage, dumped the land line. She claims she has her phone and internet cheaper that way and her fingers are always moving, drives us all NUTS! :-) Ah-hem!Problem is - her oldest child is able to be left in charge of her younger sister and(oh dear) there is no phone at home for use in an emergency. I'm thinking - What if a neighbor is NOT home!
I'm going to go out on a limb here because personally speaking (yet nothing personal to anyone here) and from the stand point of having to call for emergencies in our home in the past, this is fast becoming a nutty world when a home has no emergency calling ability and little ones are at risk! Easy solution? Get a second cell phone to keep at home for those occasions, but DO NOT use one of those pay as you go phones because chances are (speaking also from experience using one after a car accident) when an emergency strikes, there won't be enough minutes left on the phone to use for communications.
Digital phone options? If you live in Canada and go for the Rogers digital phone system that took the world by craze a few years back, yes, during a 911 call, all calls in Western Canada went to Winnipeg for fielding first and the delay in response time caused several deaths that were shameful. Double check what you have on yours if this is your method of choice. Our son swears by his, saves a bundle he says, plus he piggybacks their internet fees with it to save even more, a lot of $$ actually.
A bonus on newer cell phones is a GPS kind of fielding you are able to turn on or off so if there is an emergency call placed from that phone, yes, even in a 911 situation, a response team will find you quickly. Make sure if this is your sole telephone that yours is turned on. Some hate this option because of the "big brother" attitude from it all. But, if you're in a car emergency situation, that will help, especially if you were like me on a road trip, with a blown transmission and the operator from AAA and the police ask; "Where are you exactly? and you have to walk a few miles back to catch the name of the overpass behind you for co-ordinate abilities. (This was before the 911 GPS ability on a cell phone. I now have a new phone with it turned on!) Great option for cell phone only families. Turn yours on and that will eliminate 911 problems.
Every new technological thing has its advantages, but then disadvantages can be plentiful. Every family is unique so choosing the right system for you, dollar value or not is a personal thing. Here are a tips , (some in review again) I'd like to really give you for food for thought....
- Are your children young and always with you, or do you have older ones who remain home alone? Are they home alone without a telephone for emergencies?
- Do you have a solid family plan formed for times of emergencies? Who gets the phone? What if it's in need of being juiced up, dead, and a call needs to be made and no cord is present to do that? Know where it is at all times. A spare at home perhaps, on the kitchen counter, a central spot.
- Training; Our children have been trained if they are with their daddy and he has a medical issue, to grab his cell phone and know what to do in any situation. They know where his emergency medical profile can be found in his wallet too. May I suggest to train your children on HOW to use a cell phone and be very certain to teach them that it's not a toy, rather a device in need of respect if it is your sole communication of choice.
- Here's a scary thing - What if a burglar was heading in as in the case of a friend who's child hid in their closet. He grabbed the cordless phone and was able to call for help. What would your children do?
- Do you ever employ a babysitter? Do you take the cell phone with you? If they need to call you, how can they without a telephone? Maybe you can opt to rely on them to use their cell phone while there?
- And yes, read the article offered above on the link provided for a thoughtful reading perusal on the dangers of EMFs and more.
Having both adults and young ones in our family (aka our children), our adults are smack in the center of the nutso cell phone on hip world. (Sorry don't want to offend anyone, LOL, but heh, it's the new generation for sure.) It's really not just a phone anymore is it? Think of all that texting, internet and emailing in the blackberry age which has them hooked on this style of communication of choice. No wonder people opt for it rather than a land phone.
For our adults, their choice of quick texting or choosing to add us as one of their "favorite numbers" for free long distance calls, can easily become eliminated when living in a non-cell phone reception geographical location...like ours. Make sure wherever you go, your communication of choice (cell or land phone) has good reception. Complain about EVERY droppped call for dollar credits with your cell phone company! One of our daughters just had her cell phone reception at home blow out (no land phone there). The culprit? A highschool nearby installed a tower to scramble cell phones during the height of exam time to avoid students cheating, affecting all the neighboring homes and all those without a cell phone went screaming to their providers. Still it is unresolved since March/09 and she was credited with FREE cell phone usage )and internet/texting/email because of this. It's worth a phone call if this happens to you. ' '
Yes, it was a rude awakening as well when our oldest came this way to attend a conference and spent a few days here beforehand, and her cell phone was not able to handle voice reception without experiencing a dropped call immediately. Good thing for a land phone as an alternate to her 24/7 emergency measures left for her children's care, not able to continue using her cell phone for that purpose.
For 33 years my hubby has carried around either a pager and/or cell phone, mandatory for his work, turned on 24/7 and ringing often all night long. Never before have I slept so well as I do in our new home!!! Ahhhh....yes, there is merit in NOT having a cell phone reception, but for emergencies? The land phone in our home is right where its due to our reception issues with the cell phones.
A health thought yet again ..... the phone is often placed on the hip, right near an ovary, near to a man's testicles, kidneys, etc. After ten years of "unknown" spattered blood patterns in my husband's kidneys, one Nephrology specialist was baffled to explain it, later asking where my hubby has kept his cell phone all his adult life...and guess where that is? On the hip in its little case, right next to his pager, the side where the kidney is of concern!
Perhaps (food for thought).. the health affects and hazards aren't always only a danger to the head as some insist from a cell phone. How about rethinking those other areas like during pregnancy, possibly ending up barren from resting on the ovary areas, having kidney issues, or using it while nursing a babe? Pocket, hip, or purse? Hmmmmmm...... There is always lots to chew on with regards to new technology isn't there, and it's not just cell phones, rather portable digital phones at home too? 
Land or Cell? Neither are right or wrong!
I say do what's best for your own family, both if you can swing it, or find a way to have alternate communication measures when necessary. When one is in the midst of raising a family, dollars and cents absolutely rule! I'm right there with you on that! ' ' Every geographical area offers variables, so do your homework, cut costs where you are able but please, be careful what you may be cutting off with your final decisions. Best of luck to all of you!
God Bless!
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Blessings;
Renee
Mommy to eight, cherished treasures sent to us 22 years apart. Nana to seven lovelies...so far.
"Go East," they said
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Cell phone vs. House phone
