As a girl on the go, I don’t let something minor like international roaming charges bring my iPhone time down. But costly phone bills have forced me to make some significant changes.
First and foremost: international phone plans are bulls(*$t. Go ahead and add it to your plan for the those emergency calls and texts, but don’t rely on them. Your wallet will curse you if you do.
If you have an iPhone or certain BlackBerrys, you can keep your phone bill on the cheap by enabling this one tiny feature: WiFi. Using the WiFi network over the cellular will keep your costs down huge when checking your e-mail, Twittering, Facebook-stalking, or blogging from the phone.
For you iPhoners, download the Skype app immediately. The sound quality on the phone is crisp, the connections are strong, and you can keep your hours-long phone conversations going without hitting your phone bill. It’s brilliant. (Note: there is a Skype app for many mobile phone models, so check if your phone is covered).
If you have a SIM-card phone, it may be worth it to get a local SIM card and put it in your phone. You can keep your data services cheap (based on local market costs), and set up call forwarding to send calls to your new local number. Also look into renting a phone for the duration of your stay; it may turn out to be cheaper. Since I come to India quite often, the company gave me an Indian phone with a good data plan.
If you have a BlackBerry, look into getting the Global BlackBerry Services plan. It provides unlimited e-mail in the States, Canada, and over 60 countries worldwide, as well as a pay-as-you-g0 option for data download amounts. AT&T and Verizon have different versions, so make sure you check with your provider on the details and costs.
If you simply need a US number while you’re abroad, order a Vonage number and modem while you’re still iln the US and bring it with you to your destination. We’ve brought three Vonage numbers with us to India for our families’ homes and our office, and they’ve been huge in keeping the costs down. They also are the reason our phones at home never stop ringing, but I digress…
So, readers, that’s the trick to keeping in touch, recessionista-style, while abroad. Bon voyage and bon cost savings!
