I don’t tend to talk on the phone much, but when I do I tend to talk a while. It’s a type of calling pattern that makes getting a matching calling plan difficult. I have been using a pay as you go plan that works fairly well. It’s 10 cents a minute, but I have unlimited minutes after 7pm.
I have recently discovered google voice. It trumps my calling plan by being free. Can’t beat that… In addition to that, my iPod headphones and mic easily outclasses my nasty 20 dollar phone. Here’s how you use it. First, you have to have a gmail account. Next, log into the gmail webpage. You’ll see a notice on the sidebar on the left about activating google voice, click on it and fro then on your sidebar will look like this:
Once you click on the “call phone” link, you’ll see a keypad show up:
Dial your number and away you go! The call quality still isn’t up to land line standards, but it’s a far sight better than cell phones, especially mine. For right now this is still a free domestic service and they offer really cheap calls even to places like Yemen, Azerbaijan, or Oman (Olga and Rachel, I’m looking at you!).
Like many things google, there is a fair chance this will stay free for a while. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!