Pollywogs!

…through Skype.

Skype recently lowered the price on its unlimited calling plan, and I pulled the trigger. For $2.95 a month you get unlimited (ok, 7 days straight per month) calling to any cell or landline in the United States and Canada. No long term contract, no cancellation fees. Call forwarding, voice mail, all that good shit.

What is the catch? You need a computer and a microphone (and preferably some decent headphones) to make calls with no initial investment. Otherwise you need a Skype phone to walk around your house in the ‘conventional’ sense. AND, if you are planning on getting rid of your land line, it is only good for calling out. To buy what they call a SkypeIn number is another $30 (was $60). So, when you get a year’s subscription you get four months free ($24) and then a SkypeIn number (in the 570 area code) and you have a complete phone solution for the modern set for $54 a year. Caller ID, voicemail that you can access anywhere you have your laptop + wifi, and unlimited nationwide calling. Not too bad?

Check it:

If you leave your computer on 24/7 and/or do not have a wireless router: http://www.newegg.com….87612700 $61 buys you a cordless Skype phone!

If you do not leave your computer on and do not have a wireless network: http://www.newegg.com….6833249006 $120 buys you an Ethernet enabled cordless Skype phone!

If you do not leave your computer on and do have a wireless network: http://accessories.skype.com…032700 $130+ buys you a wifi enabled cordless Skype phone! (the wifi phones need to spend all their life on the charger, they aren’t like cell phones)

So it definitely isn’t for everyone, but it is a shit-ton cheaper than $250-500 for a plain-jane landline. I’m pretty sure we’re shutting ours off here shortly (and pocketing the change!), and just use Skype as our ‘landline’ and the cell as a backup…