Cell phones are no use.  Why do you still have yours?

Throwing out a cell phone sounds like a big deal to you.  I know it does.  What if someone needs to talk to me?  What if I have to call someone? Then do it later.  Why do we make ourselves available at everyone else’s beckoning whim?  If we’re engineering our lives, why are we allowing other people to control it?

I got rid of my cell phone last November.  I’ve loved life without it.  I call people when I want (although honestly, I’ve only really wanted to make 4.5 calls in the last 3 months).  It’s one less thing bugging me, one less thing jockeying for my attention, and I will tell you, it’s worth it.

Without having to delve into it – we know these things are expensive.  I know most of you are paying $100+ for your 3G, email, texting, calling, and picture-taking.  You’re paying $100 a month for more stuff in your life.  You’re paying $100 a month to let other people run your life.  $100 is a month of rent in an apartment on the beach in some places.

If you’re a business person and think – Hey, I have to talk to people all day long, I can’t live without my cell phone. No you don’t.  You can call them at work.  In Tim Ferriss’ book, he gives steps working up to completely getting rid of your email.  He also talks about calling people only when it’s completely necessary.  I know you could cut back on the calls you make.

But if you’re still not happy and simply cannot live without a cell, keep reading -

Need a phone that let’s you return calls when you want, text, and receive voicemail?   Want to access it from anywhere in the world? Want it for free?  Get a google number.  Here’s how that works -

You can get a google number (although you have to be invited, at this point), and when people call or text you – it shows up in your inbox.  Are you in Thailand (the popular destination now a days), and want to text your buddy back home?  Google voice lets you do just that.

I have a Google number, and when I get home in the evenings, I check my texts, and respond all at once.  When people call, Google will actually transcribe their voicemail into a text form on your computer.  You can also listen to it right from you Gmail inbox.  I usually respond in an email back to the person.  And about those 4.5 calls I’ve made in the last 3 months?  I use Gizmo5.  It’s like Skype, but a little better because it’s integrated and set up with Google voice.  Google voice can’t make calls from Gmail, it needs to call another phone to connect with, before calling your destination.  Gizmo5 is ‘the other phone’ that let’s you actually mak theh call.  From Google voice, I call my Gizmo5 number, it rings, I answer it, then it calls the number I’m trying to connect to, free.

You have to plug in some earphones into the computer, so the other person doesn’t hear themselves through the speakers of your computer, and voila, free phone calls, texts, voicemail.  The best part?  I respond to all of it, if, and when I want.