jayenmelb says: VOIP the next big money sucker out of YOUR pocket. There are free ways or pay for it ways. I have a $30 webcam and cheap pair of computer speakers. Downloading Yahoo messenger is free and just one of many free mesengers. I have voice to voice with or without webcam with friends around the world at no cost except what it chews up in upload and download which is minimal. Quality is perfect. OK you can't contact a friend who isn't online but in a dire emergency (extremely rare anyway) you are going to pick up your normal elephone for that.
Phoenixflame says: Jaye, in response to this, I have VOIP and it saves me having to pay a monthly fee to Telstra for the rental of their copper wires.
It also allows for cheaper calls not only nationally, but globally. Something that your normal home phone doesn't have (except if you use phone cards)
But the biggest plus is getting out of the Telstra line rental and instead paying that money to an ISP for Internet access.
DonnaBurt