As the Holiday season approaches are worth noting many of us will be traveling and/or have family coming to visit and are likely to spend time talking on the phone with our relatives.
Now how much it is we talk on the phone during the holiday season? Well, studies vary but go from 50% more to up to 200% more; what is clear is that we do use our phone more through the season.
So what are the alternatives? If you are using VoIP phone chances are you are already paying a low rate for Canada wide calling. This should address a big part, though the reality is that Canada and its ever Cosmopolitan Metropolis does have a large population with family ties overseas.
Holiday shopping can be extenuating, and not to mention what it may do to the bank account.. so better consider the below alternatives; who is to say this season could actually save your money… It’s contradictory, isn’t it? Sometimes you have to ‘shop around’ in order to save eh?! 🙂
Here we’ll review some of the better choices Canadians have:
– Skype: The ability to be able to make calls from a laptop, smartphone or game console make Skype a very popular alternative. Though sometimes costs may not be the best, depending on where are you calling and to the type of number. There are Skype-enabled IP Phones in the market and you can purchase Skype credits for calling. Skype is a good alternative for those technically savvy and can also use video-calling.
– Rebtel: This service is open to all users, regardless if you have a VoIP provider or not and may be used from a landline, mobile, web or a tablet. Calling rates are typically good and they work by means of having Access Numbers; that is you first must dial a local area number to then place your call. Rebtel also supports sending text messages worldwide. It’s a good alternative that does not require too much technical knowledge.
– VoIP Much: VoIP Much offers a Home Phone that includes North America calling and in addition to that for an extra $5 you can get an add-on for calling to different parts of the world. Currently, VoIP Much has, Americas Option (all Caribbean & Central/South America), Europe Option and Asia Option. In some cases, the package covers both landline and mobile. This is a very simple add on and requires no changes to dial an outgoing number. Simply dial.
– Phone Power: The Home Phone from Phone Power comes with North American minutes included along with 60 international free calling minutes. While is unlikely those 60 free minutes will suffice for the holiday season, they are a nice addition. To use them you just have to be sure the number you are dialing is mentioned in the list of countries. Phone Power is generally a good provider and will have low rates to different destinations, but if you’ll be calling overseas quite frequently you may want to consider an International Calling plan or having a long-distance provider.
Note: As a general consideration make sure you understand if it is a landline or mobile phone number you are calling. Normally in most cases, mobiles are charged higher rates.
I hope y’all find this useful and start planning your savings for a busy calling season!