I took the telephone plunge.....

**bumplett** · 09-08-2006, 09:03 AM

well, after listening to the Clark Howard show yesterday, I decided to take the plunge & cancel all my bell & whistles on my phone service.
I called this morning & canceled call waiting, caller ID, and voicemail

I will try it for a month or so........ now, my goal for today is to find an old fashioned answering machine that isn't made in China!!

My phone bill for these home services was around $35.00 & now it will be around $20
not a huge savings, but hey, it's something!

wish me luck! ((I'm going to have caller ID withdrawal))

**frugalfarmwife** · 09-08-2006, 09:06 AM

You'll do just fine, we've never had the bells and whistles on our phone, just find an answering machine and screen calls, that's what we do, if they want to talk to us they'll leave a message, if not oh well. I USED to be one that would dive for the phone on the first ring, it took a while but now I'm just laid back about it, and those that MATTER know that I screen.

You'll make it!

kj

**emily_hope** · 09-08-2006, 09:07 AM

Good luck. I have been thinking on this but don't know if I could get DH to go along. He always reads the caller ID and if we leave the house he forwards the calls. I can't stand it. When I leave the house I don't want phone calls. LOL

**bumplett** · 09-08-2006, 09:13 AM

I didn't tell dear hubby yet, I'm going to wait and see how long it takes him to figure it out!

just playing........ I'll tell him if I talk to him during the day, but I think the only thing he would miss is voice mail.... thus the importance of finding an answering machine (NOT made in China)

I think we will do just as well without it all....... geez, I should consider myself fortunate that I have a telephone at all! (some people don't, I'm lucky)

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 09-08-2006, 06:39 PM

We're going one step further and getting rid of our landline all together. We have 3 cell phones in the house and our son has a 4th in Orlando. We've got a great business plan so it works better for us and our business. So it goes next month. I've had a message on our recorder for 5 monthes about the change and listing my cell number. For us its a savings of 45.00 a month.

Laurie in BRadenton

**Neeley** · 09-08-2006, 06:49 PM

We got rid of our house phone several months ago. Life is so peaceful without it.

**MarshHen** · 09-09-2006, 05:18 AM

Because of hubbies job, he is on call 24/7, so we have to have a land line. I'm thinking of doing away with my cell phone though, since we don't have good service out here in the boonies, and hubby can call house phone from his cell at no extra charge.

**autumnlynn** · 09-09-2006, 08:21 AM

I have a cell which I need for my work. I cancelled my land line and haven't missed it at all.

**i.m.cheap** · 09-09-2006, 10:16 AM

We have only the house phone, no cell phones. The only added feature we have on the home phone is caller id. I did cancel it for a few months last year, but DH could not stand not knowing who was on the phone before he answered. It never bothered me though, since I never get any calls. The only people that ever call the house are three of DH's friends. Any time the phone rings, I know it is one of them, so what difference does it make if he knows which one it is before he picks up the phone?

**Drgnfly423** · 09-09-2006, 02:55 PM

We cancelled our home service also. I don't miss it at all. Plus we're saving around $35.00 a month!

**bumplett** · 09-09-2006, 09:47 PM

I don't think I could go without a home phone, I talk on the phone wayyyyyy too much

we share minutes on our cells so we can talk to each other for free, also free long distance w/ the cells..... so as much as I would like to get rid of one or the other, with hubby leaving soon for Cali.... I just can't do it.

**watchingpennies** · 09-10-2006, 09:04 AM

I can't go without a home phone...but...let me know how it goes without the bells & whistles...we too could save $15 a month but dh seems to get annoyed with me when I suggest it...we have an answering machine that is packed away so we wouldn't miss any calls. He likes knowing who is calling and then decide at that point as to whether to answer the call or not!

**melina123** · 09-10-2006, 11:49 AM

I think that it great stuff! It's a savings of $180 a year!!!

**KWLinda** · 09-11-2006, 06:36 AM

I cut out all the extras on my landline years ago. I'd get rid of it completely if not for needing DSL (cable is included in my rent so can't go that route), and the need for a back up line in case of hurricanes (towers tend to go down for the cell down here on the rock). I find I use my cell so much more and the extras are free on that with my plan. I used to miss caller id at home but anyone important to me (friends etc) know to call the cell. Now I find myself just letting it ring and not even answering it much of the time since it's probably someone wanting a donation or my time for a survey.

Now that I think about it, do you think Ed McMahon knows to call my cell? LOL

**Backtoreality** · 09-11-2006, 09:44 PM

I just got rid of all the bells and whisles last month, I found an old answering machine and now I let that screen the daytime calls, the only people that call at night is family so I do tend to answer the phone in the evenings. It's hard to go "cold turkey" without caller ID, but our phone bill went from $65 to $30....a month!! Think how much that is in a year!!! Just for the convience?!?