Yesterday I was reading a post asking for advice about less expensive home phone service, especially for cheaper long-distance options. I left a comment telling him to check with his phone company to see if there is a bare-bones plan available (so he can keep his dial tone for 911 and his DSL line) and then install Vonage (or another VOIP program) for unlimited calling for about $25 a month. I have cable internet and Vonage, so we do not even have “regular” home phone service here, but if I had to have DSL I would try my suggestion for cheaper phone service. However, another reader left a comment about a USB port device called the Magic Jack, which proclaims to offer unlimited local, long distance, call waiting, voicemail and caller ID…for $19.99 a YEAR, not per month. Yep, a once a year charge of $19.99 is supposedly enough to get you full phone service for 12 months. It looks easy to hook up – you just plug your phone into the tiny device and plug the device itself into a USB port on your computer. So my question to you guys is – have you tried this? Do you know anyone who has tried it? I think I am going to sign up for the free trial to see if it works, and I will report back as soon as I can. I will gladly get rid of my $25 a month Vonage in exchange for $19.99 a year!
With everyone’s energy costs rising so rapidly and our economy in question at least for another couple of years, we are all starting to look for easy ways to cut energy use and save money, for little to no cost. And here is where this list, and you, the reader, come in…here are my 29 ways we can cut energy usage (some of which I do, and some of which I wish I could do) and save money for barely any cost. What can you add to the list? Please share in the comments! 
