Categories: Real Life & Real FrugalOur phone broke recently. It was dropped (by our continuously curious 3yr old) and the ringer stopped ringing. We lived for a week without a ringing phone then I picked one up at a garage sale and plugged it in. The ringer worked but the receiver didn't. I then plugged the old one back in and had one phone that rang (quietly, upstairs, since there's only one phone jack on the main floor) and another phone to talk on. Not the best scenario. I looked online to see what phones are going for these days and was having trouble finding a simple phone. We didn't need an LCD screen, call display or speed dial memory buttons, or speaker phone or multiple receivers....we just needed a phone. Pick up, dial....talk. Ring, Ring.. answer.
My husband argued that we don't need a home phone, or we could live with our ringer-less broken one. He suggested we check our messages 4x/day and called people back as necessary. I wasn't comfortable with that idea...not at home with a family and with family far away from home. I didn't want to miss the important calls , the calls from friends, the calls from school, the emergencies. I spent two years living in a cabin in the woods of British Columbia without electricity or hydro, a 30 min drive from a payphone but that was in my 20's, not now with 3 little ones dependent on me. I want to pick-up the phone and hear:
"Come on over for a swim!"
"I'm pregnant"
"Your child is sick, please come pick them up"
"I love you"
"Want to go to the beach?"
"I'm engaged"
"It's a boy!"
"I'll be home soon"
etc. etc. etc.
We investigated using a cell phone as a home phone but my worry with that was the 911 service. All phone companies have complied with the new regulations that all 911 calls from a cell are to be directed to the nearest cell tower but I was afraid of hiccups with that set-up. Having called 911 recently from our house, I can't afford to lose the call or be stuck with an un-charged phone or lose time being re-directed to our local emergency stations.
So, yes, we needed a phone. Yes, we're on a tight budget. How to get a home phone without any of the extra features.....for free? I searched the used sites and the cheapest I found was $8 but it was a 25 min drive to pick-it up. I put the word out on Facebook and a friend kindly donated a phone they weren't using. It worked for 3 days. I recently visited my parents and noticed they had 2 phones in their basement. Simple phones. I asked if we could have one, "yes, of course" they said. It works! It was free! Now if only we can keep our 3 yr old from breaking it, we're all set.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it broke, research your options,search the web, ask around, you'll likely find what you need without all the unnecessary bells and whistles. Quite honestly, I don't know why you have to "see" who's calling you....just pick it up and say "Hello".
Make sure it rings though.
Ring ring ring.....
