Useful Tools: Skype

Skype is something that I’m relatively late to the game on, but now I can’t believe I lived without it. I use it as a secondary line for my business.  (I know, I know, next thing you know I’ll be telling y’all that the “internet” is the next big thing.) I have a relatively old plan and get nailed whenever I go over in minutes–35 cents a minute. I am planning to get a new plan and phone sometime soon, but want to make sure I get a great phone, and haven’t had time to comparison shop.

Skype is letting me postpone getting a new phone by letting me use my minutes more effectively. Check out my sweet old phone–a super solid Nokia:

At first, I only had Skype Out, which let me call people in the US for the measly sum of $6 dollars a month. Just recently, I signed up for Skype In, which is actually less expensive–$24/year, and lets me receive phone calls.
However, I won’t be passing out my new Skype number–I want people to associate me with the same number I’ve had since I first got my cell phone. Instead, I’ll just forward all calls from my phone to my Skype number when I m in front of a computer.

I originally got Skype because of the cost savings, but it also makes me more effective on the phone. With a headset that I bought for $40 a year ago, I can type and talk at the same time, as opposed to using speaker phone and/or craning my neck.

The only thing I use my phone for that Skype doesn’t replace is text messages–I use teleflip.com for that, because it is free.

I haven’t really explored the other features of Skype–computer to computer calls or conference calling–but right now Skype does what I need it to do.