the Price of Telephone Service

Single line telephone service to a one bedroom home with unlimited local calling and no long distance plan. The price above reflects my average monthly charges.

I love my telephone service!

Many phone companies offer Universal Lifeline Telephone service, which is a very low-cost phone service for people below a certain income. It's incredibly cheap, and many people who qualify for it don't take advantage of it.

My only complaint about the service is that when I signed up, the phone company tried to badger me into purchasing long distance as well. Since I didn't need this service, I ended up having to be quite forceful with the phone company to get what I wanted.

Always cherry-pick phone service!

Many phone providers will allow you to pick and choose from a range of options to create the phone plan that you want. Don't be afraid to look up multiple telephone companies and ask them about the fees for services that you want, like long distance and so forth.

Many phone companies also bundle things like cell phone, internet, and cable service, and they may offer an incentive discount if you sign up for a service pack. If you want these services anyway, you might as well take advantage of the package deal.

In some cases, you may be able to negotiate the cost of services, depending on the phone company. Don't be afraid to say that "Phone Company Y" is offering me three free months of internet service when you're talking to Phone Company X, as the staff may be able to hook you up with a special promotion.