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HomePersonal FinanceAre You Still Paying for a Landline?

Are You Still Paying for a Landline?

Before we moved The Wife and I had a landline as well as a virtual line that came with our triple play package.  We kept the landline because the town house was set up for one line and The Wife needed a fax line so the landline provided a ghost ring for faxes.  Now that we are in the new place we decided it was back to optimizing our Monthly Nut and the landline was the first thing to handle.  Your monthly nut is the bare minimum you must spend on expenses, bills, debt repayment, etc.  It is the money you need to meet your obligations each month.

Lower your monthly nut, and you’ll have more money to get ahead, whether that means saving for retirement, investing, or creating a large emergency fund.  My favorite way to decrease your monthly nut is to pay off debt. Once you pay off a debt and are free of that monthly payment, you automatically lower your monthly nut.

Since we are on the topic of landlines, if you’re still holding on to your landline, you’re likely paying at least $30 a month, if not more, and it is unnecessary.

Not Needed for a Security System

Some people keep their landline because they think it’s necessary for a home security system, but the market has evolved, and now home security systems no longer require the homeowners to have landlines.  The serviceman who installed my alarm system yesterday didn’t even ask about a landline yet I have monitoring. More and more security companies are eliminating the need to have a landline.

Not Needed for Home Phone Service

If you have a conservative cell phone plan and don’t want to use your cell when at home, there are other ways to have phone service without using a landline.  For instance, Ooma offers VOIP phone technology, and this service is unbelievably reasonable.  All you need is an Internet connection and the Ooma device (which runs $179, but you’ll recoup that cost in just a few months after you ditch your landline service).

Like I mentioned earlier, for us it came with our triple play package for an insignificant amount more.

If you’re trying to get ahead financially by investing or saving for retirement or you’re trying to eliminate debt, lowering your monthly nut is the best way to do this.  A few years ago cutting your land line might not have been an option, but now, with the many ways to get around landline phone service, there is no reason to keep paying for the expense.

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14 COMMENTS

    • Does it make it better that it is an internet based line that came with my triple play package? We really have it b/c The Wife runs her business out of the home and it seems unprofessional to have her clients call on a cell all the time. Need the illusion of a team behind her ha

  1. I have a land line because it makes my cable and internet cheaper. Without the landline I would pay more so we keep it around. If it is ever cheaper to get rid of it I imagine we would do so quickly!

    • That’s how it was when we were on Cablevision but we recently moved to Verizon FIOS. I couldn’t believe cablevision was essentially paying me to not use their product lol

  2. I gave up our landline nearly 4 years ago. Occasionally I go over my allotted minutes, but it is far cheaper than $300 a year for a landline.

    • MG,

      We have 2 lines! So not only do I have 1 landline, a relic, I have 2 landlines for a fax machine…who uses faxes anymore?!

  3. The problem I have is the area Im in the bundel everything and force you to have a landline, to get just internet and cable is so much more by maybe 25 dollars…I know that has been mentioned but just wondering why they make you get one?? I can’t even tell you the number!!

  4. I’ve ditched my landline last year. We use a service called Magic Jack (its also a VOIP service). We pay about $30 a year. The convenience of a landline without the cost!

    • Why not port the number over to your cable company and get a triple play option – You are in Philly I am positive comcast has something

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