I’m always looking for ways to save some money and/or reduce some costs. Well, a few years ago I saw those crazy commercials from Vonage about saving money on your phone bill. Fortunately, I’m a techie because I have never thought there commercials clearly explained their product.

So, what does Vonage, Packet 8 and others like them offer? Voice over IP or VoIP. All that means is you connect a phone to a special device and that special device connects to your high-speed internet connection. Then, you can talk on the phone (voice) over the internet (IP or internet protocol). This does not work on dial-up connections.

The best part about these services is they are relatively cheap and the base package includes caller-id, voice mail, call-forwarding, call-waiting, email notification, call anywhere in the US without additional costs and much more. I currently pay $24.99 USD + tax for an approximate total of $31.00. I love talking on the phone so I could talk to my friends all around the country, all day and night if I wanted and the cost would still be $31.

Now, the con-side. These services do not connect directly to your emergency or 911 service. Many people opt to keep just a basic line or dial-tone line for approximately $6/month + tax or $12!!! These services state that you need to register your physical address with them in case of emergency so they can dispatch 911 correctly.

Unlike traditional phone lines, Vonage or Packet8 devices can be moved to any physical address. I had a 757 area code number (Southern Virginia) when I moved to Arizona. I did not switch my number immediately but I did register/update my 911 service with Vonage. Had an emergency occurred, I didn’t want them to send help to my old Virginia address.

If you want to save some telephone money, VoIP may be an option for you.