Hold the iphone - cheap phone calls!

When you're in a long-distance relationship, and later when your wife will want to keep in regular contact with her former homeland, there is an easy way to save a fortune on phone calls. It's by using a clever little thing called a phone card. You may think of phone cards as something people gave to their kids (in the days before every ten-year-old had their own phone in their pocket), so they could call home if they needed. A credit-card sized piece of plastic with a pretty picture on it (remember the phone card collecting craze?). Now, their look and main purpose is somewhat different.

Firstly, the card is missing something - the card! A physical card is simply not needed. Secondly, they are used by anyone and everyone to by-pass all the traditional local phone companies and get super cheap calls to anywhere in the world. Most traditional phone companies will still charge big dollars to call Russia and other overseas coutries, and particularly so for some of the lesser known FSU countries. Phone cards change all that.

How does it work?
You buy a "card" with a certain amount of call credit. You choose the card that best suits your call needs and gives you the best rate. The cost of the card is the amount of the credit, or sometimes less (ie your rates are effectively reduced even further). The card issuer usually provides a local dial-in number, or a free-call number for you to make your calls through. You then enter your id number, and make your call. Note that you may be charged a much higher rate if you go through a free-call number or other central number. When you use all the credit, you either get a new card, or re-charge your existing card if that option is available with that card.

How do you get one?
(No, I don't sell them, and I don't endorse any particular service either). Simply type "phone card" into the Google search box and it will give you a list of card brokers. They will usually have a large list of different card issuers and types, the card rules, and call rates. Click and buy, it's that simple.

What sort of savings?
Do the above search and you will soon see for yourself. I've seen people go from spending hundreds of dollars a month on their overseas calls, down to just $20-30 a month. It can be that dramatic.

So now there's no excuse - call your bride!
Regularly!