Here at Team CHEAPIOSITY, our team of worldwide cheapskates need to communicate on a regular basis. (Some might say we border on professional co-dependency. We consider ourselves cooperative in the best sense.) Sometimes we need actual face time. Distances are great. We’ve already established that we’re way too cheap (and too green) to drive so we’ve found ourselves a free solution:.
Skype....http://www.skype.com/.
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Yes, we could use our mobile phones. We have minutes. Weekends and evenings and whatever. But sometimes it’s important and comforting to actually see each other. Besides, it’s very Jetsons.
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When do we get the flying car? And the robot maid?
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Talking on Skype is FREE, and you can actually/virtually see your friends and family live on your computer screen. And they can see you. Face time. And no hidden charges. No more annoying text-speak. Farewell to GTG, BRB, LOL, yadda yadda. (Yeah, we know all the cool lingo. We’re totally hip and with it.) With Skype, parents can see their kids away at school or in college, grandparents can see their kids and grandkids, friends can keep in touch across the miles. Wait. We don’t have to go all Hallmark card on this thing. You get the drift.
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All you need to start Skype-ing is a microphone and speakers on your desktop (or you can use a headset if you prefer) and a webcam if you want to see the other party. If you have a recent computer, all these bells and whistles may be already built in, but you can buy some or all the accessories as needed. The accessories come in all price ranges, Skype even sells them. Logitech, Microsoft and many others manufacture them.
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CHEAPIOSITY used websellers TigerDirect: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2456644&CatId=130
CHEAPIOSITY used websellers TigerDirect: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2456644&CatId=130
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TigerDirect sold us a Logitech QuickCam that retails for $40; after our discount and a rebate, the camera only cost $14.97. Granted, this camera is no-frills basic, but we're not making a major motion picture here; we’re talking to our friends online. These web deals change from month to month, but you can always find something perfectly serviceable and affordable.
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Joining Skype is easy....so easy that we're not gonna walk you through it....if you can't figure it out, don't give up. Just find a teenager, and they'll show you. Throw a rock; you’ll hit one zooming by on a skateboard. Pay him or her in chewing gum or bottled water. They live to feel superior to their elders, and nothing thrills them more than our relative technological incompetence.
Joining Skype is easy....so easy that we're not gonna walk you through it....if you can't figure it out, don't give up. Just find a teenager, and they'll show you. Throw a rock; you’ll hit one zooming by on a skateboard. Pay him or her in chewing gum or bottled water. They live to feel superior to their elders, and nothing thrills them more than our relative technological incompetence.
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There are plenty of other free chat services like Microsoft NetMeeting but we like (and use) Skype, so we used it as an example.
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Let's say you're computer challenged (explain how you're reading this then) and want to use a telephone; there are plenty of non-computer-based options still out there for you. We have found a long distance company we like. Check out their website. https://myecgaccount.com/order/?por=20,20&ref=LJW000000
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They charge a very reasonable 2.5 cents per minute. Once you make them your long distance carrier, you simply pick up your phone and dial direct -- no long complicated numbers and codes to memorize -- and they also offer good international rates. You can pay via credit card, and e-statements arrive monthly, with a breakdown of each call.
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But wait, there are more options. If you don't want to change long distance carriers and you don't mind dialing more numbers, check out: http://www.1010229.com/. Here's how it works. For U.S. calls, you dial 1010229 + 1 + area code + phone number. For international calls, you dial 1010229 + 011 + country code + city code, etc. Rates are posted on the website; currently U.S. domestic rates are 0.5 cents per minute. That is one half of one cent for our mathematically challenged readers. (No child left behind.) They also charge an additional 20 cent connection fee per call, but if you stay on the phone longer than five minutes, you’ve saved yourself a bundle. These charges appear on your local phone bill, and you pay your local phone company. This particular company's services are only available in the states of California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the great Toronto area. (Why only those places? Who knows?) There are other long distance discounters in other regions. Google them to find the one that’s right for you.
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But wait. Don’t forget phone cards. If you travel and don't have a cellphone (yes, there are still people like that…and plenty of places where cellphone service simply isn’t good enough), a phone card may be the right option for you. We have found that the warehouse stores have the best deals with phone cards for domestic long distance. However, if you have a local 99 cents store or dollar store, they sell dollar phone cards with 100 minutes, and many of them are refillable online in $5 or $10 increments. Read the fine print though; sometimes you must use the minutes within a specified 90 day period. Expiration dates may work just fine for you depending on your personal needs, and there's nothing wrong with a penny a minute. We travel with a few cards in our wallet just in case. We love keeping in touch, but we're not paying through the nose to do it.
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Oh, and for all you super-important people with offices and professional colleagues and for all you perfectly lovely folks with more than one friend: If you ever need to make a conference call, check out: http://www.nocostconference.com/ ... So that’s the scoop for now. Remember: TALK IS CHEAP.
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