11 Aug 08 Calling Cards
It’s kind of crazy really. I’m the world’s worst at sending birthday and Christmas cards. I truly don’t care if I receive them or not either. I’m quite happy to get e-cards, after all it’s the thought that counts – but some still seem to see them as being a cheapskate. Well, having got friends and family all over the world, it’s darn expensive sending them out, particularly at Christmas time, and there’s always some that never arrive or get there in mid-January.
So what’s the crazy bit? Business cards that’s what!
I’ve got business cards for the IT/Web business; I’ve got business cards for the radio station; now I’ve got calling cards for me. It’s a resurrection of a Victorian idea really. Calling cards are non-business cards, and are a way of introducing yourself. Many of my friends and family already have my business details, and I thought this would be a nice way to say “Hey! this is me, not my business or anything else, but just me!”
You can find my personal email address on the card, and personal web site and blog URLS. I’ve chucked in my phone number, because, although I prefer to do business online where possible, it’s nice to have a chat on the phone with friends and family sometimes isn’t it?
Anyway, the only thing I have to remember now is to take some of the darn things with me when I go out!
Tags: blog, business cards, business details, business online, calling cards, cheapskate, christmas, christmas cards, christmas time, e cards, eyebee, Eyebeemania, friends and family, personal web site, phone number, radio station, resurrection, web business, wild cabbage
08 Feb 08 How To Save $700 A Year
As I’ve mentioned before I’m a gadget geek, but only if I find the gadget both useful, and value for money. I’ve already written about this gadget in my tech blog over at http://ian.may.name but it’s just such a cool gadget and saves so much money, that I had to mention it in here for the benifit of a wider audience. You see, if I find some cool money saving thing I want to share it with everyone!
I’m talking about the Magic Jack.
The advertising makes it look too good to be true, but for once, my theory goes right out of the window!
You plug this gadget into the USB port on your windows PC, and plug the phone into the other end, and make as many phone calls as you wish. That’s it. Free. Well almost.
You go to their web site, and order one. They don’t even charge your card for 30 days, and if you don’t like it and send it back within that time, any calls you’ve made with it are free anyway.
It costs $39.99 plus about $6 shipping.
When it arrives you have to register it at the web site, and get yourself a phone number. Now, at the moment every US code isn’t covered, but they do say they are adding more all the time, and will allow one number change free of charge when your area code becomes available.
I’ve got Grand Central set up, with is a Google-run phone routing service, and you can get almost any code with them. They’re a free service, and you can add all your phone numbers into Grand Central and let it take care of the routing. To that end you can choose any area code you like on your Magic Jack.
Once you’ve registered your Magic Jack you can use it right away to make telephone calls. It comes with free voicemail, call forwarding, and 911 service. You can plug it in anywhere. You can also use it with a headset plugged into your computer, so if you wish you can take it to the office with you and use it there, either with a phone, or with a headset.
For your $39.99 you get one years unlimited calls to anywhere in the US and Canada. You can also add money to your account and make really inexpensive international calls. For example, you can call England land lines for around 2 cents a minute.
We’ve got one installed now at home, and plugged the cordless base station into it, so it works with all the phones around the house.
We’ve also replaced our fax line with My Fax at $10 a month so saved a packet (excuse the pun).
Here’s the math.
Vonage was costing us around $76 a month for a voice line, a fax line, a Virtual UK number, and a 800 number.
We seldom used the 800 number. Most folks have some kind of bulk long distance calling these days anyway. We bought a SkypeIn UK number for $24 for a year.
We signed up for the MyFax service for ten bucks a month. It works with your email, so less ink and paper too! $120 a year.
Magic Jack costs $19.99 a year for the phone service.
That’s a new current yearly total of $163.99
Vonage was costing $76.25 a month, and that works out at $915 a year.
Doing the math: 915 -163.99 = a saving of $751.01 a year or just over $62 a month!
Tags: 911, area code, audience, benifit, blog, call forwarding, canada, cool gadget, gadget geek, google, magic jack, much money, phone number, phone numbers, routing service, shipping, telephone calls, usb port, windows pc
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