Here’s a brainstorm of ideas of how to keep in touch with your family and friends while you’re residing overseas. When you’re on a holiday, you often can afford to call your family from the hotel or use the automatic roaming service on your mobile, both which can be very expensive. However, if you’re residing in a country over a certain period of time, you would certainly need to source for a cheaper alternative.
There are a few cost-effective methods that you could consider. The following will provide several good value alternatives accompanied with brief accounts of my personal experience using them.
1) International Calling Cards
International Calling Cards are used on physical phones like a mobile phone or a landline and can often be purchased at the local newsagent or if you’re internet savvy, you could always google it and check out the different sites. Most reliable websites are fast and efficient and you will be able to get your calling details within minutes. However, the downside of it would be that you’re usually required to submit your credit card details, which not many of us are frankly willing to do so for safety and security reasons. There’re so many different kinds of calling cards and it is almost impossible to compare them all and find the one card that best value for money. I personally do not prefer to use a calling card, but if you have a landline, it might be worthwhile to use a calling card as the rates are much more attractive, you have more minutes on your callcard as opposed to calling from a mobile.
2) Calling from an Internet Cafe Booth
This is the easiest method for someone who’s not a ‘computer’ person and who dislikes technical details. Very common for the older folks and is a fast, hassle free method. Basically, you would just have to find a local internet cafe, most of them these days have phone booths where you can make international calls. Go in, dial the number, chat all you want, pay at the till, and you’re pretty much done. Most operators make use of the VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, so you as a customer can expect to pay what you think would be a good rate. For example, a call from Ireland to the UK would costs about 10cents per minute to a landline and 20cents to a mobile from an internet cafe phone booth. That’s considered reasonable for most people. This is not the best method, but it’s one of the easiest, especially if you can locate a local internet cafe easily.
3) MSN Messenger
Today, MSN Messenger is one of the most widely used messenging service in the world. It is instant and no matter where you are, as long as you’re logged onto the internet, you could instant message your friends and family. Even when you’re using someone else’s computer or if you’re using a computer facility at a netcafe, you can always use MSN WEB MESSENGER. This is one of the best methods to keep in touch with your family and friends if you’re always on the internet and if you have a good broadband connection. However, you would need your family and friends to have a MSN Messenger installed in their computers too, to make use of this FREE and easy service. You could see your contact on the messenger via a webcam installed and you could also voice chat if you have a microphone. Visit messenger.msn.com for more information
4) SKYPE
Skype is downloadable at www.skype.com and like MSN Messenger, it is one of the fastest and most efficient ways of keeping in touch with family and friends abroad. Features are rather similar to that of MSN Messenger. It is FREE from computer to computer and you could use a webcam and microphone to see your contact and chat, but an added advantage is that you could purchase call credit and ring from your computer to any phone number, landline or mobile! Works like a telephone callpad and really easy to use. This is especially good if the person you wish to contact is not internet savvy or do not have a computer. The rates are fairly attractive. However, the success of your call do depend on the speed and quality of your internet connection. Overall, I would recommend this method to anyone who’s always on the internet and who has a good internet connection.
5) Other VOIP services
Last but not least, you could google for other VOIP services. Most services are easy to use and if you find the right service provider, the rates can be unbelievably attractive. You just have to purchase credit and download the software onto your computer and you use it like a phone. Like Skype and MSN messenger, you would need a microphone and a pair of headsets and like all VOIP methods, you would need a fast enough broadband connection to maximise the quality of your call. Like purchasing most things on the internet, you would have to find a reliable and reputable provider to give the best value and service without any hiccups.
Overall, there are many ways of keeping in touch with your family. The above methods are only some suggestions that I’ve personally used over the past few years and that have proven effective and efficient. Till now, I’m still using a combination of methods for different convenience purposes.
Do send in your suggestions if you know of a cheaper alternative to the above or share your personal experience.