Surviving Without a Landline

Hey folks!  I had my first big test today without a landline phone.

Remember a few days ago I finally had my landline disconnected after years of angst of "Can I survive without a landline?"  Well folks, today was the big test.  I survived!

I will admit I was very nervous about calling the Verizon phone company and taking the big step of removing my land line . . . . forever.  For more years than I care to remember I was paying $59.99 a month for my landline service.  That calculates to $720 a year.  Ten years that's $7,200! And folks, I was paying that amount for more than ten years.  Writing about this painful fact hurts me even today.

The first time I heard of someone relying solely on their cell phone, the son of a co-worker of mine, I thought "How can he do that?"  She told me "He doesn't need a land line?  Why does he?"  I was shocked but I thought "Why not?'  But, I was very reluctant to make such a drastic change.  After all, I was brought up brainwashed to believe that we needed that rotary phone in the house. What's this cell phone frivolity?  Some new tech thing for the youngsters?  Why I'm a solid, stable old conservative.  Why would I put my communication dependence on one of those fancy dancy cell phones that does everything from taking photos and videos and play online games like Scrabble on Facebook?  Oh no, not me.  

But you know what folks?  I just got TIRED of paying out THAT much money every month and for years just to enable telemarketers to torture me EVERY day with their incessant calls which interrupted my dinner EVERY night.  Put my name on the Do Not Call List?  What a joke.  I did that, DID NOT WORK.

However, one reason I did keep my landline was for those times which I had to call a Help desk.  You know how that works folks.  Usually when you get on a Help line you're on there for at least a half an hour and often times more.  Believe me folks, I have a LOT of experience with using the Help Line. 

So here's what happened this morning folks.  I lost my Internet connection with my Bose Wave radio. Panic Time folks!  I LOVE my Bose Wave radio.  I often use the Antiques Beat station for my background music when I'm writing my blogs and playing online Facebook Scrabble.  Oh yes folks, I'm playing an online game now.

My new Bose Wave radio - my buddy!

What the problem was that my WiFi connection wasn't connecting.  How does that affect my iPhone?  I monitor the station to choose individual songs.  This morning, for some unknown reason my iPhone app for my Bose Wave radio wasn't working.  So how was I going to call the Bose Help line and still work my iPhone?  Hmmmmm.

Viola!  I would use Bill's phone, which I am also paying for and also has UNLIMITED time on it since it is OLD.  

So that's what I did folks.  I called the Bose Help line and told "Tom" my problem.  I listened to "Tom" give me instructions as to what to do on my iPhone to regain the use of my Bose app.  And you know what folks?  It worked!  In fact it worked better than cradling my landline phone, which is hooked by a cord, while I maneuvered around my home office between my iPhone and Bose Wave radio where I had to push some buttons on the back of the radio.  

IT WORKED!!!

This morning proved that I don't need a landline.  

You know folks, immediately after I had Verizon disconnect my phone I felt like I had a tremendous burden lifted from my shoulders.  But I still had a lingering worry "What happens the next time I call a Help line?"  This morning I found out.  

Free at last folks!  FREE!

By the way, I arranged with my bank this morning to transfer $60 a month from my money market account to my account at E*Trade.  I'm going to make good use of that money that I was wasting all those years by investing it.  And guess what? I won't be investing in Verizon because landline are going to go the way of dinosaurs. 

GONE BABY, GONE.

"Do I Really Need a Land Line Phone?"

"Do I really need a land line phone?"  This is a question that has plagued me for years.  Well, not actually plagued me but I've thought about for years.  

The first time this question came up was about twelve years ago when I worked at First Financial Bank in Downingtown.  Sharon, one of the ladies who I worked with told me her 18 year old son, who was beginning college, got his apartment.  She told me he decided not to get a land line but instead would use his cell phone for all his calls.  My first thought was "No phone?"  She said "Well, he makes all his calls with his cell phone, why would he need a regular phone?"  Indeed.  

Since that conversation I have mildly entertained the thought of getting rid of my land line.  Why not?  Ninety-five percent or more of the calls I get on my land line phones are from telemarketers.  Oh I know, put my name on the "Do Not Call List."  Hey, they still call.  Just now, before I sat down at this computer to check my e-mails I see where I had a message on my land line.  I take the time to dial into my voice mail.  Nada.  Nothing there.  Then I look at my caller ID.  "Out of Area."  Well folks, we know what that means don't we?  Another one of those "Do Not Call" calls.  

In the past I mainly kept my land line in case my Mother called me.  She didn't use a cell phone.  However, she died in 2010 and since then I don't think I received more than a handful of "legitimate" phone calls on my land line.  Oh sure, I get the calls from the doctor's offices reminding me of appointments or asking me to confirm appointments.  They can just as well call my cell phone, which many of them do.  I'm one of those folks who always give out two phone numbers.

I've justified having a land line in the past by saying I needed a land line to call a Help line.  The only Help line I call these days is Apple and that is very rare.  No longer do I have those hours calls for help with my Windows based computer because, thank God, I don't use Windows based computers ("Free at last, free at last!  Thank God I'm free at last!")

I know I can save about $50 a month on my Verizon bill by cutting my land line.  That should help offset my extra charges for my iPad Internet access and our two iPhones.  Adds up doesn't it? 

However, I do have a easy to remember land line phone.  But then, I know I would derive immense pleasure by making life more difficult for all those telemarketers, scammers and my non existent grandchildren who call me from Mexico asking me to bail them out of jail. Oh yes folks, I've had THOSE calls.

So folks, do I take the plunge or not?