Piggy Bank
Who wants to save on anything? I guess everyone. Now is the time to think of how to save a dollar here and a dollar there. With gas prices slowly inching its way up again, we must think of ways to save and how to compensate for the rising prices of our basic needs and everyday expenses.
Like food, communication is one thing we can not live with out. People are born to socialize, to communicate and to share stories with their friends, relatives and associates. That’s why the Telecom Industry is one of the biggest industry in the world. One way you can save on your phone calls is by using VoIP which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
VoIP has been around for a while now but many people still aren’t aware about it or what it does and how it can help them save money. Because VoIP use existing internet lines and equipments, the cost to the provider is a lot cheaper than your regular phone calls and these savings are pass to consumers. This means that the cost for your typical overseas calls using VoIP are now significantly lower than using your regular landline.
Why use VoIP
This is why I use VoIP for my overseas calls now. I initially looking to sign up for Vonage because you can use their service out of a box but bad reviews and bad consumer experiences made me think twice. I also want to avoid monthly or yearly plans as I don’t want to get tied up just in case I decided to quit. I ended up using Onesuite VoIP service. I like their pay as you go plan (pay per use) as I don’t need any monthly plans with allotted minutes because I know there will be months that I might not use it all up and end up just wasting it. Our phone calls for overseas cost was cut in half ever since we started using Onesuite.com VoIP.
The number one reason that people use VoIP is to save on call costs.
VoIP Connection
With any given VoIP service provider, you are bound to find rates to your liking calling anywhere in the world at a fraction of what you would pay your local telephone company. And remember, calling other VoIP users is free!
VoIP on your Mobile phone
If you have a WiFi phone, you can use your VoIP account to make long distance or overseas calls, saving you mobile minutes and high rates of your mobile provider. I use Fring and aside from making VoIP calls from my mobile phone, I can also log in update my Twitter, chat on Yahoo Messenger, see what’s up on Facebook, use Google Talk and many more. Best of all, Fring is free for everyone and it support most mobile phones with different operating system with an exemption of Blackberry.
Other ways to save on phone calls
Other ways you can save on phone calls is by taking alternative means. One is by using email instead especially if the person is in another country. Sometimes email is just better than phone calls. You also use chat or instant messenger as an alternative to regular phone calls. Chatting is better than talking on the phone especially if you are doing something else. We can multi-task if we use chat as oppose to using the phone.
Bottom line is, finding an alternative ways is easier than you think. It is only not cheaper but most of the time it is better too. What do you think?
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Voip really save our money. And there are many free voip service such as yahoo, google talk, and many others.
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Yes there are free VoIP service BUT these services are only within the same network (Yahoo to Yahoo, Google Talk to Google Talk, etc) but when you call a regular landline or mobile phone then there’s a charge. Rates varies to which country you are calling.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..Sunday’s Babe of the Week =-.
Everyone want to save money now days. VOIP is good resource for saving some money.
Yes John you are correct. Using VoIP for calling long distance really saves you money especially if you call a lot.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..Tweet your way to $100 and more =-.
Wow! What a website. 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 VoIP 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.
Hi Sara, thank you for leaving a comment here. Yes I agree, if you have the resources and some manpower, starting a VoIP business will surely get you going. Just make sure you get some good lines and your rates are competitive.
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VoIP is great, I’ve been using it now for a year and I’ very pleased. At first I used skype but later I actually bought a phone. This should replace the phone within 5 years don’t you think?
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Hi Gilles, I think in 5 years VoIP will improve a lot and might replace regular phones by then. Bandwidth will be much cheaper, every home will have their internet and all mobile phones will have wifi capability.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..My Blog 1st Monthsarry =-.
VOIP is an excellent way not only to save money (as you point out) but also to get phone features not available through your regular phone company. Like getting your voicemail emailed to you, for example. The hard part is finding the VOIP provider that works best for you.
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Thanks for dropping by spot. Yes there are dozens if not hundreds of VoIP providers. I would suggest pick what suits your needs and calling habits. BTW, Onesuite VoIP has a voicemail feature where it emails your voicemail automatically. Pretty neat stuff.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..GeoCities closes down today =-.
I once tried Yahoo Voice service to call my friends..I really liked it because I use to get the service free(because of my friends who were hackers) but I left using it and still sticking to normal phone calls because there is some gap of 1-2 seconds when I talk through it which many times confuses..
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Thank you for leaving a comment here Sushant. I’ve tried different VoIP services (mostly free services) like Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo! Voice and even MSN Messenger.and lately Google Voice. The free services are only good for PC to PC calls with an exemption of Google Voice.
I use Onesuite VoIP for overseas calls and Google Voice for calls to US numbers.
The delay you are experiencing can be traced to the latency of your connection. Onesuite blog has a brief explanation about Latency and VoIP quality.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..What’s Hot on YouTube =-.
I use Skype a lot, it is reliable and affordable.
Hi Steve, I use Skype but only for chatting and for making small talks with another Skype user. For calling landlines, I use Onesuite (which is cheaper than Skype) and Google Voice (which is totally free).
People tend to think Skype has the best VoIP service and cheapest but there are lots of providers that is cheaper than Skype. Skype is just good in marketing their products and they were like one of the pioneers in giving free PC to PC calls.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..Sunday’s Babe of the Week =-.
Okay, already read your post and I just wanted to add that one of the disadvantages of having a regular handset plugged into a VoIP router is that it will be the only telephone you can use. The fix for this is to get an expandable VoIP phone base. This is a VoIP telephone with the router built in, and makes it possible for you to possess multiple handsets all through your house just like with a landline phone. This is why a VoIP compatible phone can be a bit costly.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on VoIP Peter.
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There are many great VoIp service providers that have pay by the month plans and some are as low as $15/month. If you do a search of the various service providers you will be sure to find one that is less expensive than Vonage and has decent reviews. One not to try is Magic Jack. I have tried it and took a while to get to work and when stopped I tried the online chat service to try and fix the problem and after a few hours gave up. When it did work, the computer had to be on whenever thought I may receive a call, but mainly used to call out.
Hi Terry, thank you for leaving your comment.
You are right, all we need to do is to search for VoIP providers that suits our needs. We can also go to different forums and see what are the others saying about any particular provider. Most people doesn’t like surprises so its better to ask around and check forums first before signing up.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..My blog is 2 months old! =-.
Wow, great blog. I love reading sites about VoIP! It’s such an exciting technology. I don’t have time to read it all right now, I found this site when looking for something else on Google, but I’ve bookmarked your homepage and will check back soon to see the latest news. 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. Please check out my site at http://www.ArtRL.com when you have a few minutes and please let me know what you think. Thanks again for this blog – it is really well-done.
Hi Jenny, I went to your site and I like it too. See you around.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..What’s Hot on YouTube =-.
VoIP still has the reputation of just being a way of getting cheap call but poor quality. Once people realise the other options out there, that are more expensive, but cheaper than normal phone calls and more good qaulity, I think it will really take off in the main stream.
I’ve been using VoIP particularly Onesuite and I can say most of my calls are comparable with regular long distance at less than half the cost. I think the trend will continue and people using VoIP will increase ten fold.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..Be My Guest Blogger =-.
really a great post every user is searching for this only.thanks to you for sharing with the readers.well most of time i used skype but never tried this VOIP service seems good and useful.
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Well Skype is only popular because they are the ones who made talking over internet popular but there are lots of better VoIP providers out there.
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