Money Saving Tips for the Homeowner

As the holidays quickly approach, we will continue providing you with money tips from National Access Long Distance.

Losing weight. Finding a new job. Spending more time with the family. A new year means setting new goals. Why not make saving money one of them?

If you're a homeowner, there are many ways you can cut costs and still live comfortably. The following tips will help lead you to financial success.

* First, set a budget. Figure out exactly how much you spend on the upkeep of your home. Compare each month's expenses with the previous month's to get a better idea of how much to budget for each necessity. Then, see what costs you can cut. Once you set a budget, stick to it.

* Save energy. You might be losing a substantial amount of energy dollars during the winter and summer because of air leaks. By caulking, sealing and weather-stripping all cracks and openings, you can save 10 percent or more on your energy bill.

Also, look into replacing older appliances with newer, more energy-efficient alternatives. Your light bulbs can make a difference, too. Fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. 

* Refinance. Shop around to see if you can replace your existing home loan with one that has a lower interest rate. You can easily save hundreds of dollars each month by refinancing your home.

* Purchase a home warranty. Most homeowners don't account for possible repairs in their annual budget. There is a 68 percent likelihood of a home system or appliance failure in a given year. The average replacement cost of one of these systems or appliances is $1,085. A home warranty is your best defense against unexpected and costly repairs to your home's appliances and mechanical systems.

The American Home Shield Home Warranty, for example, ensures you get the best possible service through the company's network of pre-screened technicians. The minute something breaks down, you can contact American Home Shield and a local service technician will schedule an appointment that fits your schedule. The warranty covers a multitude of household systems and appliances, regardless of age.

The American Home Shield Home Warranty is a one-year contract that requires no home inspection to enroll. Several affordable plans are available to fit every budget.

Remember!  Save money also with the low rates on long distance from National Access Long Distance!

Family Safety Tips

National Access Long Distance presents Family Safety Tips!

Have a Plan

• Make sure your family has a plan for every type of emergency.
• Create mapped out scenarios and routes for each room of the house.
• Pick a meeting area for once the house is evacuated.
• Provide each family member with their own plan.

Build a Kit

• Create different kits for all different emergencies.  
• Research which emergencies are most common in your region and what would be needed for these.
• For hints and tips, visit www.redcross.org.

Suggestions to Include:

• Water
• Food
• Flashlight
• Candle
• Batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Tool Kit
• Hygiene Items
• Cell Phone and Chargers
• Radio
• Contact Information for Family Members
• Blankets, Pillows
• Map
• Cash

Stay Informed

• Make sure you are aware of weather during different seasons.
• Create a community or neighborhood weather watch so everyone is aware of emergencies.
• Download an app that alerts you of an emergency in your area.

Invest in a Landline

• Corded landlines work without power.
• When cell phone towers are jammed during emergencies, landlines are still able to make and take phone calls.
• Landlines give exact locations to the 911 dispatcher to increase accuracy and response time.

The Insurance Line

            No one chooses to be a victim of a natural disaster or other emergency situation. We can, however, plan to minimize our exposure. We try to prepare with backup plans and emergency safety kits.  We purchase insurance for our house, belongings and cars.  Houses are built with rooms for different natural disasters.  But we can’t prepare for everything.

A part of the preparation that can be forgotten is ensuring our landlines remain intact. The landline provides an insurance line.  When people are cutting off their landline service and purchasing insurance on every electronic device, they are forgetting that the landline is an insurance protection plan for their lives.

            Landlines are generally more effective than cellphones in emergencies. They are familiar to older household members and their use can be taught to younger children with ease. Landlines do not go down when the power goes out. Not all cellphone providers have E911 that directs your calls to a local response center; your call for help may be sent to a regional center for routing, costing precious moments.

            In May, 2013, the central region of Oklahoma experienced severe thunderstorms, flooding, and several devastating tornadoes. Large swaths of land were ruined by nature’s raw power. Directly affected cellphone towers were incapacitated and the sudden influx of calls for help jammed the remaining ones.  That and local emergency responders and the civilian leadership scrambled to find landlines to coordinate their efforts. Human lives hung in the balance.

            This is but one set of incidents of many. Citizens in the large cities and smaller remote areas of the country are already well aware of the importance of maintain a landline in case of an emergency. Despite increasing acceptance of wireless as the primary telephone, many people not living immediately in the very large metropolitan area maintain a landline as their lifeline.

            If disaster struck, would you be prepared?

            Keep your landline as your insurance plan and contact National Access Long Distance to save money on your long distance services.  

The Home Phone for the Family

Having a cellular phone is a common occurrence in most households throughout the United States.  In our technologically evolving nation, almost everyone has some type of wireless device regardless of their age.  With so many different instruments available having the ability to access nearly anything one needs such as checking an e-mail, browsing the web, taking photos, getting directions through GPS apps, playing music, on-line banking needs, setting up accounts and paying bills, and of course making and receiving phone calls.  We can’t forget the face to face chatting and screen share programs now available.  These are just some of the numerous features and functions of a wireless component, which is designed to help achieve a more convenient life for the user.  But should a family eliminate their home phone for all the modern conveniences of a cellular phone, and give up the security, privacy and stability of the family home phone? 

A landline offers many valuable features in the home that many people forget about or simply do not think about.  One never has to worry about the home security system if it is connected through a landline or the ability to call for emergency assistance on a home landline.   For those who have children or an adolescent in the home, they know all too well how long a teenagers phone conversation can be to a friend.  People tend to spend hours on the phone with family, and friends, not realizing the length of a conversation until they have to count the minutes.  With a land line there are no roaming costs and you pay per minute without worrying about overages.  There is no worrying about the battery going dead during an important call with a landline.  A parent also has the capability to call their home to check up on the whereabouts of their child and have the peace of mind knowing they are safe.  Whereas when a parent is calling their child’s cellular phone and left unsure of their location. 

There is also the cost factor to consider.  A basic landline cost is usually, on average, around $25 a month compared to the astonishing costs of cellular phones that continue to skyrocket.    

All these issues are important points to consider when deciding on what is best for your family and if you would like to save even more money on your family phone contact National Access Long Distance.

Family Communication Needs

An important feature offered by landlines is the security of communication available to your family 24/7.  The power can be out or the cell phone misplaced, and you can still rely on the permanent landline. 

Every family can benefit from the availability, convenience and functions a landline phone offers the household.  It’s a fact that elderly residents mostly prefer owning a landline phone over a cell phone for the convenience.  Have you ever considered that they might be on to something? 

With the added threats in society, the landline provides an added safety factor to your household.  With a landline you can keep track of your children’s phone usage, who they are calling and how long they are talking.  You can make sure you also have a phone in case your cell phone is lost or stolen throughout the day.  A weight is lifted off your shoulders when you call your house phone and hear your child’s voice on the other line confirming that they are at home. 

Our family’s communications needs are important and their security is even more crucial to your peace of mind.  Maintaining a landline phone for your home will give you a great communication experience.  Don’t worry about a dropped call, poor signal strength or concern yourself with the battery life.  The landline phone is a time-tested piece of equipment that has proven itself over and over again.  Make sure your family recognizes its need for a safer house with the landline. 

Contact National Access Long Distance to save money on your long distance services.  

Your Family Wants Their Home Phone Back!

Could there be anything more important than the safety and security of our families.  Many would say nothing is more important and a landline is a way of providing protection.  With a landline home phone, the household is provided with not only stability, but a reliable way to contact people. 

Landlines are capable of working in times of crisis, like when the power goes out, or a natural disaster.  The home phone can work without power and does not rely on cell phone towers or radio waves.  When cell phone towers jam, trust your landline to get the call done.

Your family’s safety may not seem to depend on the landline, but when your family is at home, the landline is the more reliable option.  A cell phone is great for the road, for your teenager to contact you when over at a friend’s house.  However, what about when you want to check and make sure they are safe at home?  The responsibility of a cell phone for your children may be a larger one than you anticipated.  If they forget the cell phone at school and take the bus home, how are you able to know they have safely arrived?

In the occurrence of an emergency where the caller is unable to communicate, the 9-1-1 operator is still capable of sending emergency response service providers to the emergency location.  When dialing 9-1-1 from a landline, the system automatically reports the phone number and the address to a 9-1-1 dispatcher and the information is relayed to the emergency response team to ensure the quickest response time.  This is an important subject to take into consideration when making a decision that could affect ones family and household.  Many who live in condos or apartments face the added problem of the 9-1-1 response teams only locating the building, they cannot tell the exact number of the apartment or condo.

Some argue, cellular phones are cheaper and a more effective way to reach out, however what happens if there is an emergency where the caller must stay silent.  The landline allows the caller to be located without any assistance or speaking. However, if calling with a cell phone the emergency operator requires an address for fast response time.  At best, the 9-1-1 operator may receive a call back number and possible coordinates.

The average cost of having and maintaining a land line home phone, is around $25 a month for most families, what a small cost for the added protection.

Protect yourself and your loved ones with a landline.  Contact National Access Long Distance for affordable long distance services.

The Family Phone

Does my family still need a landline? Are we paying for something we do not need? Many families are considering these very questions when it comes to their home phone service. More and more families are canceling their home phone service and just using cell phones to make all calls. Before you completely give up your family's landline service, there are some things you should consider.       

    

The most important thing when you have a family is keeping them safe and always being able to get ahold of them when you need to. When it comes to reliability and dependability you can't beat a landline. Your landline does not lose signal or reception and you can always count on being able to make or receive calls when you need to do so. Your landline is stationary; it’s always at your house; it can't get lost or stolen.

What if something happens at home and your cell phone is with you? How will your family get the help they need? When raising a family you never know what or when something could happen. When your family is in danger or in need of medical attention and seconds count, it's important to be able to get the help you need when you need it. Keeping your home phone you have peace of mind knowing your family will always be able to get ahold of you or anyone they may need in a true emergency.

In today's economy making every dollar count is also important especially when you have a family depending on you to meet all their needs. You may think that by cutting your home landline off you will be able to save some extra money each month. Yes, this is true; however, what many families do not realize is there are ways to keep the reliability of a landline and also save money each month.

The family phone is affordable and reliable with National Access Long Distance as your long distance carrier.