One of this week's articles is about saving money by some older methods and some tips for today's high tech world.

Check it out!

One of the tips is to dump long distance or other features on a landline to save more. The two phone services in my area both have that rolled into their service so it's not optional anymore. Does anyone have the option to drop features or long distance for a cheaper fee?

I don't have a landline any more, but when I did, I got rid of the long distance access. It wasn't called that, but I can't remember what it was. You might want to do some research to see if you can isolate it from the rest of the bill.

We still have a landline and Nebraska long distance (area codes 402 and 308) are included in the $29.99 a month package (with voicemail and caller ID). If you want "free" (no charge per call) national long distance, the cost was $39.99 a month. There wasn't a package at all that was just local service. I asked because we use our cell phones for calling outside the city and didn't need double coverage. Nope, it's included in the $29.99 a month. So I make sure I do call my dad on our landline but call my best friends in MN and CO and DH calls his aunt in IL with the cell phone.

Thanks for the link Brandy, I need to check it out more thoroughly.

We got rid of the landline several months ago as we both have cell phones.

When we had a landline, there was no seperate line for long distance. It was part of the service offered for a phone line with no options for different choices on the phone service.

Well we are digital so we switched to the digital phone because it was cheaper and I discovered that since we had switched they had a more basic option that was phone with caller id for $5 less so we switched a few months ago.  rarely phone long distance.

unfortunately with digital not many options with cable packages.

We do have a bundle package of cable, internet and phone. We bought the receiver when there was a special. 

dh cell is paid by work and mine is a pay as you go.

no mag. subscriptions just the newspaper.  I have pretty well stopped buying magazines except second hand.

only shop online when it is a hard to get item or cheaper and easier to do it that way.  but only for items I would buy anyways. like columbia dvd sales bogo and no tax for xmas presents.

no extras on the credit card because I say no thanks to the telemarketers and we don't use the credit cards for day to day.

Pat:

I don't have a landline any more, but when I did, I got rid of the long distance access. It wasn't called that, but I can't remember what it was. You might want to do some research to see if you can isolate it from the rest of the bill.

We have landline because business pays for it and it's needed. Business also pays for cell service; however, we expect to eventually use only cell service.

 Good article on getting started to living simply.

We don't have cable or satellite for tv, no landline.  We have cell phones only. Old school here. 

rolo:

We have cell phones only. Old school here. 

How funny old school now includes cell phones!?!?!?  LOL 

We do have satelite, but it's our "entertainement" budget.  We don't go out much now, and this is where the money goes.  Plus we both love football and baseball, so we splurge on those two items.

I agree with rolo...it is a good article for those getting started...because when I first started visiting the Dollar Stretcher...I thought going to the mall every weekend and not buying anything was being "Frugal"   Now I realize that it was fueling my "I wants..."  as well as wasting gas, time, energy that is now used to make my home more livable.

I must be living in the dark ages. I only have a cell phone and DSL. No landline, I use antenna TV, rarely eat out, only online shopping is to compare local brick and mortar stores or Craigslist.

If you can splurge on iTunes, I think it's a better deal than buying a whole CD. On most CDs we only like three or four songs. But for 99 cents each, you can only buy the songs you like (as opposed to $15 on a whole CD). DD uses iTunes. We'll get her a gift card for it occasionally, and she's very particular about what she buys--a $25 card will last her about a year!

We have no credit card debt, so no hidden fees there for us.

Hulu is a great alternative to cable TV and renting movies. They don't have new releases, but I can live without most of the films that pass for entertainment these days.