5 Reasons Why Landlines Are Still Relevant

Don’t get me wrong. I do love mobile phones. In fact, I own more than one and I use them heavily each day. I definitely enjoy the convenience of staying in touch with everyone wherever I go.

Despite that, I am a firm believer that landlines are still very important to have these days.

Watch this short video and let me show you what I mean:

Do you agree or disagree that phones are still necessary in these days of smartphones and other devices? Share your thoughts in the comment section and let’s talk about it.

Reducing Your Telephone Bill

Image credit Tomomarusan (commons.wikimedia.org)

Most people nowadays heavily rely on mobile phones for their daily communications to the point that they sometimes forget they have a landline connection at home.

Telephone bills, however, come on a regular basis, usually every month. If often neglected, this could lead to problems such as having an expensive bill or, worse, permanent disconnection of the service.

If you want to retain your phone line connection at home and avoid huge monthly bills at the same time, allow me to share some pointers here for you. This comes from my personal experience so listen up. These tips could definitely help you save money!

1. Get rid of the voicemail

Telephone companies often encourage their subscribers to take advantage of voicemail features. Actually, you can get rid of this extra service. An answering machine pretty much does the same job. If you’ll do some computations, you’ll even discover that it’s often less costly to purchase your own answering machine than to pay for voicemail every single month.

2. Switch to a per-call package

Since we’re mostly using mobile phones, a per-call plan is definitely a money-saving option. Inquire with your provider if this alternative is available. This is very effective because you will only pay for the times and days you actually use their service instead of having to pay big bucks all the time.   

3. Use the internet when possible

Another idea is to take advantage of online technology whenever possible. Try to avoid excessive phone use because frankly, that’s not the only way to get in touch with people. Take note that international calls, in particular, are way more expensive than local calls.

For example, you may want to use Skype and other similar services as you make calls to a different country. If you have a webcam, then that’s even better because you can have video call.

Electronic mail also lets you send messages anywhere in the world. Your message will hit the recipient’s inbox in seconds. This also gives you the chance to practice writing long letters - a forgotten art in these days of SMS prominence.

Conclusion

An additional tip here is to refer to your monthly statements and try to determine which calls are costing you expensively each month. I did this several times and upon identifying the culprit, I made adjustments to my usage (I kept those calls as brief as I can) and it surely helped me decrease my phone bills.  

You may also like:

Telephone Savings Tips (puco.ohio.gov)

9 Reasons to Keep Your Landline (tdstelecom.com)

Build a Proper Shed, from the Outset

Photo credit: Christine (flickr.com)

Only neat freaks avoid clutter from piling up, and you're probably well-acquainted with the piles of knickknacks on your garage or basement. You can get away with clutter if it's tucked away in a forgotten corner in your home, but you have to admit your well-worn and used tools need space to call their home. That being said, there's a concern handymen and homemakers have in common: the shed or at least a small alternative to it. It's the ultimate solution to problems of backyard organization, and you have to build one of your own if you want workspace and storage that's functional and easy to the eyes. Building a shed should be an invested effort, and even if you can avail of easy-assemble sheds at a home depot or online store, you still have to make sure the space is prepped and the project is properly executed.

Location Is Crucial

Your shed will be a standalone structure in your garden or backyard, so you have to choose the best spot to build it. Choose level ground found high up on a rise in your property, make sure water doesn't collect and sludge around its foundation. The right spot saves you time, costs, and effort building drainage around and away from your shed, and it's also displayed as a prominent structure on your property. Sludge rots and rusts wood and metal, even if you invest in a solid foundation. This is all the more important if you're building a shed large enough to serve as your private workspace.

Prerequisites to Building

Believe it or not, but such a small project requires the approval of a building inspector just the same. It's important that you're aware of this at the outset, be friendly with yours and make the process as smooth as possible. A building inspector should be your best friend throughout the process, reviewing the plans, checking out the site, and making sure everything complies with local building codes. You'll also get free advice if ever your shed plan doesn't meet the standard. At the very least, your inspector spares you from building a costly mistake, so consider yours a blessing in (heavy) disguise.

A Stable Foundation

Your shed's foundation makes all the difference in stability, and you can choose between solid bricks or pressure-treated timber for yours. Depending on the size of your project, the foundation should be laid along the grade. Avoid using hollow bricks as these eventually buckle under the pressure of the structure. For larger projects of at least two hundred square feet, you'll need a permanent foundation of poured concrete. Consider shed building advice you can find online if you’re up for something more elaborate. You'll have to dig deep for the poured concrete piers and the timber posts. The specifics are more involved, though, and you can check with your local building codes for details on laying the right foundation.

Building sheds shouldn't be too troublesome if you start right it right. While it's true that the simplest shed needs no involved prep work, no red-blooded handyman will ever settle for something that's second-rate and substandard. Settle on the best design and build, whether you're doing it from scratch or choosing the convenience of easy-assemble projects.

You may also like:

How to Put Up a Garden Shed in the Backyard (videos.huffingtonpost.com)

Why gardening is good for your health (edition.cnn.com)