We are all creatures of habit, and we all like to save a dollar where we can. When you look at your household expenses, it is sometimes hard to find places to trim the budget, no matter how badly you need to.
For most of our lifetimes, there has been a telephone, the good old landline, either sitting on a table in the hall, in the kitchen, or more recently, several cordless phones throughout the house.
The landline has been our lifeline at times, bringing loved ones closer for a good old chat, and an essential part of every home.
Is the landline obsolete?
Check with your mobile provider whether the plan your are on is the best available for your needs, or whether is it time to switch from pre-paid to a plan or vice versa.
For a long time, mobile phone plans were rather restrictive in New Zealand compared to what is available overseas, but that is rapidly changing. The $40 or so you pay each month to have a home line as well may be an unnecessary extra. You can still have a broadband connection in your home without a landline.
It seems like rather a leap to many people to disconnect their home line, but it is a discussion worth having. It is also worth checking with your provider whether there are other incidental charges that you are paying that you are doubling up on (eg voicemail/call waiting). When every dollar counts, it is worth doing an audit of your costs every now and again and seeing where savings can be made.