Save $400 a Year By Using Skype
I more recently have been struggling to try and decide if I wanted a landline phone line at my home, but I knew that it was probably a half way unnecessary cost. I started looking into alternatives and remembered Skype and the past experience I had with them. Based on my research, I discovered by using them I could save close to $400 a year with Skype.
So I have been a part of the Open Source community for quite some time and have surrounded myself by geeks and nerds for the last few years. I have always been a big time supporter of Skype, especially when they did their FREE calling US and Canada this past year. That just sold me on the whole Skype experience. I have a buddy who refuses to pay for Skype because they don’t use the official VOIP standard protocols. This friend of mine is the ultimate nerd. I’m sure when he reads this he will feel nice and fuzzy inside because of the compliment. Unlike a lot of Open Sourcers, I could give less of a $#%& about if I have to pay or what protocol it uses. All I know is that Skype is the bomb and has always worked well for me.
Some of the problems I have run into with Skype were never really Skype’s problems, but more my network or my computer or the other person on the other line. Skype has always come in crystal clear and worked quite well. If you have the right tools, you can even record the conversations you have and PodCast interviews over Skype. I use a program called PowerGramo. It works very well.
Here is the selling point. Here’s an example of what my costs are for internet and for phone using Skype with voicemail and all the bells and whistles that Skype has.
- SkypeOut - $29.95 a year
- Outbound calling.
- Unlimited calling to US and Canada.
- Ability for International Calling at Discounted Rates.
- FREE Skype to Skype
- All Skype to Skype includes Chat functionality and Video functionality.
- Conferencing Abilities for up to 9 people.
- SkypeIn – $38.00 a year
- Inbound calls.
- Choose from a list of available numbers and could even choose a number with a Beverly Hills area code.
- Call Forwarding (does cost a bit extra but I’m sure your other phone doesn’t do it).
- Ability to purchase more than one number.
- Ability to purchase a local number in Brazil and a local number in Salt Lake City Utah to cover my customer base and make it cheap for them to call.
- Skype Voicemail - FREE with SkypeIn
- Send voice messages to friends.
- Takes messages whether you are logged in to Skype or not.
Total Cost = $68.00 a year
Including Internet Cost = $29 a month x 12 = $360 + $68 = $428 a year
I know most people around here can get their phone and internet thru a company that rhymes with smomcast at $33 each a month. That is a great deal. I think you have to get Television thru them also if you go that route.
smomcast cost would be = $33 a month (Digital Voice) + $33 a month (Internet) = $66 a month x 12 = $792 a year
Monthly Savings using Skype = smomcast $66 – Skype $36 (Dividing the $68 by 12) = $30 a month
Yearly Savings using Skype = smomcast $792 – Skype $428 = $364 a year
I actually even ended up buying a phone that I can plug right into my router that is cordless that I can carry around my office or house that doesn’t need to be hooked up to a computer. It cost me $150. Even with that I still save more with Skype. I bought the Philips VOIP841 in case you wanted to know. It is so sweet.
I know that I didn’t really want a landline and it seemed so unnecessary, but to help my business out I knew it was a must. For the additional cost it would be on my mobile phone bill, I could very easily get multiple numbers, call forwarding, and a new phone too. I hope I have helped spread the good news and a bit more awareness about Skype.
I talk to people all over the world, and the people in the United States seem to be the slowest to recognize how great Skype can be. You don’t have to have your phone connected to your computer if you get the right phone. You can place and localize your number where ever there is a number available in the world. You can also place easy to recognize links on your site too. As you can see I have a button on the right side of this site that shows my status on Skype. Skype also has a extension for Firefox where you can click on any phone number on any site and dial it just by clicking. It is a great feature and hopefully more people will see that and take advantage of that. You can even post your own public chat channels on your site too and manage it. The list goes on and on. Check Skype out and see if it’s for you. I like saving money and want to get a good solution at the same time. Skype fits perfect for me.
Please leave me your feedback and experience with Skype. This article was not written to say Skype is the only way, it was written to help people understand it is a way and that there are other options. Please comment.
Wow! What a site. You have a real knack for making a blog readable and easy on the eyes. Some sites look like train wrecks, but not yours – it’s a pleasure to read. I find wireless phone technology very interesting. I have learned a lot in implementing a small VoIP network at home, and am thinking of starting VoIP business in my area. There are a number of small businesses in my region that would benefit from it greatly.