Another Option for Phone Service

According to White Fence Index, the average monthly landline phone bill ranges from $19.99 to $42.14 per month which equates to $239.88 to $505.68 a year. The national average for phone service is $31.80 per month. Many families spend thousands of dollars a year on utilities such as phone service.

You should always compare services with different companies to see which has the best options for you or your family. The top phone providers such as Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and Skype will now have some competition from Google. Google offers a free phone service called Google Voice which is only available by invite. This is a great way to save on phone service. You can subscribe by completing an online form and an invitation is sent to your email address.

Some of the features of Google voice are:

1. You can get a phone number that routes calls to your cell phone, work phone and home phone simultaneously.
2. You can call anywhere in the U.S. for free and international calls have very low rates.
3. You can get your voicemail transcribed into email or text messages.
4. You can make free conference calls which is helpful when making personal or business calls.
5. You can get voicemail on the internet.

Some additional features are: call record, 411 directory assistance, notifications, personal greetings, call screening, call block, distinct phone rings and call forwarding. The service works by calling your voicemail and you are then transferred to a dial tone where you can call any number in the U.S.

Here are 4 tips to help when comparison shopping for phone service:

1. Call your phone company and bundle services such as: internet, voice and phone.
2. Call your phone company every two to three months and ask about special or discounts they offer to reduce your monthly bill.
3. Read the terms and conditions, agreements and all information regarding the phone service you are considering.
4. Get tough and threaten to cancel your phone service if you are not happy with the service you are receiving and feel you deserve a better deal for being a long-time loyal customer.