When did the phone bill become irrelevant? blog discussion

Former_MSE_Lawrence

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "When did the phone bill become irrelevant?" Blog.

Click reply to discuss below.

opalfruits_2

I'd have to beg to differ Martin, and it's not often I disagree with you! As a money advisor, I regularly come across people with phone bills of £220 a month. Exactly how they manage to rack up such huge bills I'm not certain but it definitely does happen.

JimmyTheWig

When did the phone bill become irrelevant?

Was it summer 1995? ((Co-?)Incidentally a similar time as "phONEday")
I started university in September 1994. In our first year we all used to write letters home, with the odd phone call. In our second and subsequent years we just used to phone.

zebedy

I never use my landline for calls. i get so many free minutes on my mobile I always use that (and never use them up). I only have the landline to get the broadband

JimmyTheWig

zebedy wrote: »

I only have the landline to get the broadband

AND for people to call you!

MSE_Martin

opalfruits wrote: »

I'd have to beg to differ Martin, and it's not often I disagree with you! As a money advisor, I regularly come across people with phone bills of £220 a month. Exactly how they manage to rack up such huge bills I'm not certain but it definitely does happen.

That's absolutely gobsmacking!!!!!!!! How do they manage that - unless they're calling someone in a foreign coutnry constantly there's just no need. Send them here when they do it! (though i suspect you do - and good on you for being a money adviser and helping 'em)

Martin

JimmyTheWig

MSE_Martin wrote: »

How do they manage that

Not that difficult with BT...
An hour each work day to a mobile and an hour each work day to a land line.

4p/m x 60minutes (landline) + 12.5p/m x 60minutes = £9.90
Average work days per month = 22

22 x £9.90 = £217.80

Victor_Delta

As JimmyTheWig says, the main element of people's land line calls bill is now the cost of calls to mobiles, plus perhaps calls to 0870 etc numbers. Everything else has become insignificant.

MSE_Martin

True.. though if you cut the cost of calling mobiles its much cheaper

foreign_correspondent

I dont even have a landline anymore - I have a virgin sim only deal which gives me 300 minutes for a tenner, which is less than I used to pay in line rental alone, and is enough for me. Several years ago our line rental was £14.99 a month.

JimmyTheWig

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I dont even have a landline anymore.

How do people phone you?
I can see how this makes it cheaper for you, but doesn't it make it more expensive for your friends and family?