How to Save on Calling Abroad

I have been living in New York City since the summer of 2007, and during all this time I have been struggling to find the best (and cheapest) way to call my relatives and friends, who live in Russia. I have discovered several ways to reach out to them; all of these ways have their advantages and disadvantages.

Calling Cards

There are several good things about calling cards. First of all, they are available almost everywhere, and some of them can be bought for as little as $2. Second, they are easy to use, and you can either call from your cell phone or a landline. Third, the menu options are often available in many languages. And finally, cards are great for a one-time use, if you need to call a friend who is away for a short period.

The list of drawbacks is bigger than that, however. The conversation is sometimes interrupted for technical reasons, or merely every amount of minutes you talk. One of my favorite cards used to be Moskovskaya, which allowed me to talk for about 2 hours 30 minutes for just $5, but my calls would be always interrupted once I pass through an hour of talking. No need to say - and this is another shortcoming - they charge you a fee every time you dial their number, and the funds on your card are disappearing pretty quickly. Often, the line would be busy, and I would end up calling every number they had on the list (thank God, they had about six or eight of them to choose from) to get through to my mom. In addition, they never actually give you the amount of minutes they promise. They say that you have 445 minutes or so, but you would speak for no longer than an hour and a half. I personally liked the cards that do not charge a fee for every dial and tell you up front how many minutes you have exactly. But I would only get 55 minutes for $5 there. Also, sometimes the connection was so bad that I could barely hear the person at the other end of the line. That happened to me with different calling cards.

If you decide that using a calling card is convenient for you, there are two money-saving tips I would like to give you.

One: do not call toll-free number if possible. Otherwise, your minutes will be spent faster.

Two: avoid calling cell phones unless the person you are reaching out to has no landline . Connection is better for home telephones located in other countries, and you will usually get more minutes for your money.

Phone Service

First company I came across was Metro PCS. Along with unlimited calls and text messages in the US, their service may include international text and call, any time for only $5 a month extra. This was a really great deal for me, as I had a cell phone with Sprint at that time and I paid $75/month for 300 minutes (incoming free, though) and 300 text messages. With Metro PCS, I only paid $65, everything (and Internet, in addition) included. However, it was at the end of 2009, and they had just started out at that time. I could not pay my bill over the phone; I did once, the payment was not posted to my account, but the money was taken. I had to go to the office and have the problem fixed there. When I attempted to pay online, they asked me what city I was born in. I entered my native city. It didn't work. I put New York, Brooklyn, Moscow, Bronx, Santo Domingo... I was so frustrated, partly because I needed to pay as quickly as possible, partly beacuse I have never told them my native city's name. Neither have they asked about it. Also, they had no service in Washington DC (when I went there, I was cut off from the world by a cell phone that did not do its job), and reception in New York would go on and off from time to time. I must admit, though, that I was completely satisfied with New York reception; it didn't give me any particular headache and was perfect in most situations. When I went to San Francisco in October 2010, the Metro PCS phone worked well, too. The biggest problem I had with the company was that I didn't like the phones they offered. My phone looked like a remote control. It was small, and I was not able to check e-mails or go online, but it was the cutest phone they had. Even though I loved the price and the opportunity to call internationally, I had to switch to T-mobile. I wanted a Blackberry, and guess what? Two months after I signed the contract with T-mobile, Metro PCS got Blackberries as well. But it was too late.

If you don't care what mobile phone you have in your pocket and all you need is to call abroad (and you do it often), this is a great option for you. You will get both international and local calls and texts, unlimited and affordable. This option is also good for those who spend little time at home. I would often call my mother while I was on a train or walking somewhere.

When Metro PCS was not a choice for me anymore, I was reluctant to use phone cards, and at the same time, I learned about Vonage, a landline that gives you international calls for $15-25/month. It is an internet-based phone that requires high-speed Internet connection, so if you don't have that, this is not an option for you. It also eliminated the oportunity to call on the go that I enjoyed with Metro PCS. But I needed a landline, and I wanted to call Russia without paying too much, so I got an account with them this January. It has been going well so far, except for the fact that someone who had my number before owes money to different companies and debt collection employees call my house looking for them. Well, I guess, nothing is perfect, is it?

Skype

I have heard of Skype from different people. Many of my friends told me they used it to call cell phones and home phones for an affordable price, and skype-to-skype calls with or without video they made were completely free. This is a great option if it works. I made my mother create a skype account, buy a camera and a microphone and even upgrade her Internet from dial-up to high-speed, but we could never establish good connection. Her Internet still came out slow, and there would be times when I heard nothing or she heard nothing. If one of us pulled up a video, the connection slowed down even more, and we could hear less and less. We would send each other skype messages until I felt fed up and went to a nearest grocery store to get a calling card instead.

As far as skype calls to phones are concerned, they did not come out cheaper than a calling card for me, so why bother if a calling card does not require me to stay in front of my computer all the time? Again, if it is cheap for you, use it. Sometimes you just need to call someone and you feel lazy to get out of the house and walk somewhere to get a calling card. Be aware, though, that the minimum amount you need to put on your skype account is $10. If it is going to be your only phone call, this maybe not your best choice.

 As you see, there are a few ways to connect to your relatives and friends if they live in another country. Knowing about as many as you possibly can and trying various options will definitely help you choose the most convenient one and be able to stay in touch with those you love.