Phone phobia overcome - now the price to be paid! Skype info?

by Crumpet 32 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Crumpet

  I have always been slightly uncomfortable using the phone, but over the last month I seemed to overcome it in a more general way. To financially bad effect.

  I just got my bill for one month and its horrendous. $550 in American money. That's kind of mind boggling. I kind of knew it would be big but not that big. And to top it all off I got a $200 bill for going overdrawn. Next couple of months are going to be pretty tight! Ouch!

  Anyway I;ve heard the skype word mentioned. Anyone have experience of this. Pros and cons? Do i have to use a camera? What sort of phone would I need? How much would that cost?

  And has anyone else got a wee bit carried away with phone use?

  And would anyone living in these areas (my phone victims!!!) kindly decline my calls for at least a month even if I sound very persuasive: Texas, California, Australia, Canada, - in fact anywhere in the world. I have absolutely loved talking to you, but it would be cheaper if I just paid you to come over at this rate!
• 

  restrangled

  Crumpet, (So sorry about your bill)

  I seem to be the odd person with everyone I know. I refuse to carry a cell phone, and all calls at home go to message unless I recognize the number.

  I answered a business phone and cell for years in my home, so developed an aversion to the damn thing.

  If I am out and about, I am not available for every person who is trying to reach me. I view it as: my time is my time and I am not going to "chat" just because someone called at their convenience.

  Call me unsociable but it is very freeing, financially sound, and anyone who knows me understands they better have something good to be talking about.

  r.
• 

  free2think

  Oh Crumpet, thats awful.

  I don't know anything about Skype but when I first got a mob, as a teenager, I went slightly overboard and would call all my firends on their mobs etc, you get the picture. So each month my bill would come to the around £100 mark, which I not my parents paid. Ouch, I learnt my lessen after that, so after that I went for pay as you go.
• 

  greendawn

  Skype would have saved you a lot of money if you had used it all you need to do is buy a cheap microphone download the skype software which is free, the set up is easy, and you can connect with friends that are online and talk for hours for free. These are the PC to PC calls. There need to be PCs and internet connection at both ends.

  You can even call phones from your computer but there is a small charge per minute you must check them out. These are the PC to phone calls.

  Who is your telephone service provider, your bill is so high for one month.
• 

  Bumble Bee

  I've used Skype, it's almost like using MSN (you can use voice on MSN, although I've found Skype to be clearer for some reason).

  You don't need a camera, although it's nice to be able to see who you are talking to. Each person has to have Skype downloaded on their computer, then you just call the computer. Easy peasy.

  BB
• 

  Warlock

  I work on the phone. I HATE THE PHONE. I will never have a bill that large. My phone bills (I have two phone lines at home) total between $40-45 per month.

  Warlock
• 

  Bryan

  Skype is great, though I only use it for computer to computer calling. Mainly from the States to Russia and France. You don't have to have a cam. I like it better than MSN Messsenger or what ever it's called now.

  Bryan
• 

  greendawn

  That's the good thing with skype you can save a lot of money on the phone bills or talk a lot longer than with a phone, even with people who are at the exremities of the earth, because no telephone budget limit will be exceeded. It's a good way to get something back for the monthly internet fee. That and reading newspapers online.

  I can recall the time when calls to Australia cost $2 per minute.
• 

  Leolaia

  It's free for computer to computer talking. I use it quite a bit. Sometimes the voice quality sucks if there are bandwith issues, but you can't beat the price. Just get any old microphone, your computer probably came with one. And then wear headphones or ear buds.
• 

  Little Drummer Boy

  Hey Crumpet!

  Just in case you need to do a little research or whatever, the technology is called VoIP (Voice over IP). Even Walmart sells VoIP phones now if you want a device that looks like a traditional phone instead of a computer mic and speakers. I don't use it since I have to keep my landline connection because my only viable choice for broadband is DSL. However, I would go VoIP if I could.

  LDB