Hey! Hey! Hey! Happy Tuesday!
Today, I’m linking up for the first time to two of my favorite people’s newest monthly link up. Starting today, Ashley and Erika are hosting Tuesday Talk on the third Tuesday of every month. I called and asked Erika what we should talk about and she was like “anything”. I love that! So, I hung up the phone and knew exactly what we should chat about today. There is a very divisive topic at our house and I’m pretty sure I’m in the wrong on the subject…but I would LOVE to sort it out with you girls today.
Are you ready?
Here we go.
Today, I want to discuss…
SHOULD I GET RID OF MY HOME PHONE????
I know…a life changing/polarizing topic, right 😉 ?
Here’s the deal…I know that I should get rid of my home phone. Other than my in-laws, I do not know a single person that has a home phone. My parents are the least technologically savvy people you will ever meet in your life and even they cancelled their home phone about 3 years ago and solely rely on their cell phones…but I just can’t seem to cancel it.
Here are the facts as I know them: no one ever calls my home phone except for solicitors. No one. Ever. I don’t even give out that number to people…so that explains why, but seriously, no one calls it. Every time it rings (a solicitor is calling), Andrew says “we don’t even need that phone” but I ignore him because clearly I have home phone issues. I just feel like I should have a home phone. Sometimes, it’s because of this…
…but mostly it’s because it’s just hard for me to imagine not having one! Am I the only one so dependent on having a home phone??? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Should I call and cancel it and move on with 2017 like the rest of the world? Or should I keep it just in case cell towers go down and then I’ll be the only person I know who can actually call someone (ironically, I wouldn’t be able to call any of my friends or family because THEY DON’T HAVE HOME PHONES!)?
So, that’s what I wanted to talk about today in their new link up. What are your thoughts on landlines at home? I have a feeling you girls are going to have me calling my phone company by the end of the day to cancel 😉 .
Comment and share!
xo
Leslie Z. says
Cancel! Think of the clothes that you can purchase in the place of that monthly home phone bill. 😉
http://www.withlovefromgablog.blogspot.com
Elizabeth says
Check with your phone company. We have a few things bundled and it would literally cost us money to get rid of our landline because of the package deal we have. Also, check on how 911 calls are handled. In our area, 911 calls from a landline go to the local EMS while 911 calls from a cell are routed to the state highway patrol. We are keeping our landline for the next two years and then we will see if the bundled deals have changed.
Michelle says
Yes! It would actually cost us more to cancel our home phone also. We tried recently because the only people who call are wrong numbers or solicitors or for the people who had our phone number years ago. We have a bundled plan only because it’s cheaper to have it bundled with Internet and cable than to purchase the same “plan” individually. It doesn’t make sense! We just don’t have a phone hooked up.
Robin says
Same for us! We only have a landline because it’s part of a bundle. Only solicitors call it for the same reasons you mentioned, Shay, but I too need it to find my cell phone regularly! About two weeks ago as we were being interrupted for the bazillionth time by a solicitor during our family dinner, my husband was like, “why don’t you just unplug it? It’s not like you can’t plug it back in if you need to use it.”
Life changing!
However, i totally would cancel it if we paid for it separately from our internet!
l says
x
Angie Wilbur says
Do not cancel. Just call the phone company and have them reduce your bill to the bare minimum. Here’s why..because if you ever have to call 911, you will immediately be connected to a dispatcher to get someone to you the fastest (from a land line). If you call from a cell phone, you will be dispatched to a third party, who then has to connect your call to the place closest to you. This will add up to 5 minutes of response time. This is the way it works in California at least. Hope this helps.
Karen B. says
Shay – Definitely keep the land line for emergencies. I have one and while it is part of a bundled service, if all the cell towers go down, you need a back up to call 911. We had an earthquake here in the DC area a few years ago and NO ONE could call out on their cell phones. It was a nightmare.
Erika Slaughter says
You know my thoughts on this…..Let it Go!!! ???? I hope you read that in a sing-song voice. Thanks so much for linking up today!!!
Courtney says
Erika,
I totally read that in a song-song voice.. then read your next line and laughed! 🙂
I totally agree, let it go! The only thing I would caution is maybe if your kiddos need to use it to call their friends. But, in today’s world kids contact each other in so many different ways other than a landline.
Courtney
Suzie says
I feel just like you do! I know that I should get rid of our landline, but I just can’t bite the bullet to do so.
Aly says
My husband thinks/feels the same way. We don’t have a home phone but I wish we did. The one time Verizon did go down I heard a really bad domestic dispute at 4am up the street, it was that loud and I couldn’t even call 911. All I could do was pray that someone else could call it in.
Katy says
I’m thinking your phone would still call 911. I believe that old phones that are no longer connected to service can still connect to 911. Just an FYI!
Toni :0) says
We still have our landline phone. I think that’s how we have our internet? Heck I don’t know cause they ran a cable for that now that I’m thinking of it. Hmmm, I’m clueless. It’s so cheap though and it was used during a major power outage back in 2003 in this area but many still had landlines then. Such a good question! LOL
Kfran says
We have one so that our young children, who do not have cell phones, can call 911 in case of emergency.
LC says
Not at all trying to be a know-it-all but any phone plugged into a wall Jack (with or without a working phone service) can call 911.
jamie says
i’ve heard that. you’re not being a know it all, just informing us! i would want to test to be sure it worked…
JLH says
This is the same reason I have one and my son/DIL have one!
Eileen says
Still have a landline. It’s a low cost part of our internet/cable plan so kind of pointless to cancel it.
Sarah Shaneyfelt says
When we built our house a year and a half ago, we didn’t even install a phone jack in the house haha! My parents were really shocked because both of them still have home phones. My stepdad has one because he owns his own business, so I would keep your home phone if you use it for any of your businesses!
MeetTheShaneyfelts
Rachel P says
Yes! Us too! When we renovated our house, we purposefully removed all the phone jacks, ha! My parent’s still have a landline so when they sign up for a rewards card or something like it, they give out that number so they don’t get spam calls on their cell phones.
Rachael says
Cancel. I haven’t had one for 5 years. It doesn’t make sense economically in NZ to have a home phone. I look out for good deals from my cellphone provider that are outside of my cheap call plan and buy those as an extra so that I can call family in other countries xo
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Omg, you totally raise up a good question. I’ve never considered getting rid of my home phone before. As useless as it is, it’d be so weird without it!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Miss.lilly says
I would keep it, just in case if anything happens and my kids could call 911 – because there’s almost likely a security lock on any mobile…
Debbie says
I totally agree with keeping the landline…especially with little ones.
Mary says
I have a home phone and two people call me in it, but I won’t cancel! First, I hate talking cell phone to cell phone. Second, and the real reason is 911. God forbid something happens they know where you are – immediately. My daughter was just robbed, while she was home in her apartment, and she had to tell the 911 operator her address, while hiding in a closet, whispering, so for that reason, I’m keeping it! I have the bottom package – I pay under $30 a month, well worth it to me! I’m sure I’m going to be in the minority here! Ha ha
Karen says
That is exactly why I would keep my home phone. If the 911 is called, and you are unable to speak, they will still send the police, etc. What if there is a medical emergency, or something happens to you, and your kids know to call 911, but aren’t able to give any more information, for whatever reason (scared, hurt, etc.)? With a home phone, the emergency services will still come – with a cell phone, the emergency services wouldn’t know where to go. Keep it.
Blair says
I totally agree! Especially with young children who may not know their address yet, if they knew that someone was hurt, they could simply dial 911 and have emergency services come right to your home. Also, God forbid you have an intruder or cannot freely speak for whatever reason, you would still receive help directly to your home. I would keep! At LEAST until your kids are old enough to know their address 🙂
Danielle Morman says
Keep it. As your kids get old their friends can call that phone before they get cell phones. Or, what if there is an emergency and your cell phone is lost… Or your phone won’t work because cell phone have technology issues all of their own. House phones are cheap enough to keep these days. And for so many reason worth keeping. I still have my house phone. My parents are the only ones that call it… I just can’t part with it. I pray I never “need” it but I will always have it for an emergency back up. In south Louisiana anytime something bad happens like hurricanes or floods we lose our cell phone service because everyone and their brother are calling each other on their cell phones to check on one another. No one can get calls out… Except me on my house phone.
Marla says
I am the exact same way as you are. I can NOT give up our home phone. We do have some out of town relatives who still call us on our home phone but they would gladly and easily call our cell phones if we asked them to. I will say a few years ago we lost power for 10 days due to winter weather. This may not be an issue for you in Texas and it was a rare occurrence here, at least for that long. Anyway, I did see the value in our home phone because we couldn’t charge our phones and once our cell phones ran out of juice there was no way to communicate with people. I just always wonder about needing a phone for emergencies. I did manage to shovel a small area by my garage door so I could back my car out enough and charge my phone without the risk of carbon monoxide issues but I obviously have an unhealthy attachment to my cell phone. I guess I don’t have a solid reason but we are not giving up our home phone. It’s just not happening. Maybe it’s a security blanket of sorts, I don’t know, but it’s staying. Good luck on your decision.
jamie says
we haven’t had a landline in forever. since we moved about eight or nine years ago. while i haven’t looked back, i do, every so often, wonder about emergencies. only because could my sweet granddaughter {or any young child} find my phone, get through the password, and call 9-1-1, if the situation arose? the only thing i’ve considered to remedy that is get a cell phone that is the “house phone”.
Kendra says
We don’t have one. Although I am thinking the next few years when the kids can stay home alone I will either have to get one or get them cellphones (trying hard to hold off on this as long as I can….maybe another topic can be apropriate age for cell??).
Jenny says
My daughter is 11 and once she started staying after school and church for activities, it made sense for us to get her a cell phone. We were planning to get a tracphone but Verizon had an awesome deal and it costs us like $10 a month for her to be on our plan as a text only. She has limited data usage and then it’s wifi only and she can call out but it would cost 10 cents a minute. (She prefers to text anyways so this works great but the option is there to call if she needs to). I don’t think she’s old enough and in my day my parents would have never! But with activities between church and school, it made sense for us. My son also got a phone at 11 for the same reason and now that he’s almost 14, I’ve never regretted it! I love they text me during the day when they aren’t home and I feel it’s opened up so much more conversation for this momma with busy kids. They are allowed to text friends but all apps have to be approved by me and I monitor everything. This has just been my experience, but it’s worked great for us!
Crissy Talley says
We still have our land line and we lve that we do! Cell phones are so unpredictable! Keep it!
Katie says
My husband and I are expecting our first baby in a week and just got a landline! Our friends’ baby stopped breathing last summer and neither could find their cellphones and had to run outside and start screaming for someone to call 911! We got a landline for emergency reasons and ironically….towers in our area were down the day we installed our landline! I would keep it!
Lauren says
Where I live (NY) it is cheaper to have the home phone than to not have it shockingly! Everything is in a bundle so if I want cable and internet then it only makes sense to keep the phone too. I never use mine either!
Robin Firestone says
I am just like you – I know we should cancel the land line – but I just can’t make my self do it!
Amber Dowdy says
We canceled! Don’t miss it at all! My kids are older and have their own phones, because I did worry about them needing to call 911 and not having a landline!
Brittni says
I have a home phone and I use it every day. My mom, sister, and grandmother still have one so we call from landline to landline, as not to use up everyone’s cell minutes. I also have some no-service spots in my house so my home phone is more reliable.
Jade says
Keep it for emergencies! You never know if you, your husband or kids will have to call 911 and then you would regret just paying the darn thing even if it’s just solicitors. It’s almost like insurance, you pay to have it in the event you might need it 🙂
Also a fireman told me a long time ago that if you call dispatch from a land line the response time is quicker because it goes to a local dispatch center vs a cell phone 911 call? Not sure how accurate that is anymore since so many people have landlines so…something to think about.
Hope this helps! #keepthelandline
Aja says
As someone who has a ton of first responder friends I will tell you, it’s way easier to find you in an emergency if you call from a land line than a cell. Additionally, we have our land line for our alarm system and I don’t like to have long conversations on my cell phone, so I always grab my home phone if I need to actually talk to someone (vs text). It’s really my cell phone phone that is useless. I only use my cell for texting and internet.
Jeannie says
Here’s a question for you – is it really a ‘landline’ if it’s bundled through your internet? A VoIP line? If it’s a VoIP line, like those bundled with Internet and cable, can first responders still find you faster than calling 911 from your cell phone?
Amy Heinl says
Keep it….I kept mine exactly for what others said….if there is an emergency than the kiddos can call for help on it. i have a friend who got rid of hers and had a family member watching her children one night while her and her husband were out to dinner. That family member had a medical emergency and the kids couldnt call for help because the cell phone was password protected. It was terrifying for them…keep the phone
Laura says
So a lot of people have already mentioned the factor of being able to call 9-1-1. The nice thing about the landline is your address is already linked to the number. In the event someone were to call and not be able to give the address they could still find you. If you call from your cell they can only pin you down to a specific block.
Laurie Moran says
We still have ours! Mainly for emergencies, and during the flood of 2016 in Baton Rouge it was our life line.
Genevieve Perryman says
I go back and forth on this one too! We are keeping ours….for now. Our kids are 7 & 9 and would have no way to call for help if something happened to me or my husband. So until they are old enough to have their own phones… we are keeping the landline 🙂
Becky Simpson says
When my husband and I got married 5 years ago we never got one. Our cell phones are fine. My only concern is if my 3 year old would need to call 911 in the future and my phone is in the bottom of my purse.
Jill says
I would say keep it especially as your children get older. I don’t know when you plan to get them a cell phone but my children are 9 and 7 and don’t have one. So we keep our phone so when my kids want to make plans with their friends, they call the home phone. Start giving it to some of your kids friends as they will eventually be calling just to talk to them. I find this particularly helpful when I am out or away and someone wants to play with my kids. That way I don’t have to try to coordinate things when I am either out doing something important or taking a break from doing important things!!
Good luck!
Loren says
That is a great idea…. I didn’t think of this.
Kate T says
Reading these comments make me want a landline, ha! Thanks ladies. Great topic.
Anna H. says
Same here!
Kristen says
My husband worked for a pone/cable company and many of them offer bundle deals with the home phone in it. When you go to cancel don’t be surprised if your bill goes UP! Also, a home phone line just makes me feel better about calling 911. I say keep for safety reasons.
Sheaffer Sims says
We haven’t had one in like 8 years. But I’ve actually thought about the reasons that we should maybe get one. But I know that I will be so annoyed by random phone calls. I know this…I will be calling your home phone today. Just for giggles.
Sarah says
I say keep it until your kids are grown …. my kids are of the age that they can stay home alone for a little while but they do not have cell phones yet ? So, if we are gone, they can’t call for help or call us. We are pretty close to cell phone time so I may just push through until then but something to think about.
Brittany Hensley says
Hahahahaha I love this post & those memes
Sandy says
We have one. I like the feel of the landline phone when I am talking on it. I talk to my sister all the time while I am trying to accomplish things around the house. With our bundle, I don’t think it would make that big of a difference in our bill. I also leave my daughter home alone for short periods of time. She does not have a cell phone. We also have a babysitter who does not have a cell phone. If we were to get rid of the land line, I would feel we need to get something to have at home. That would most likely send the cost back up. So, we keep the landline for my talking and safety.
Kristen L. says
No one calls our landline either but I wil never get rid of it due to emergencies and my daughter being able to access and call 911 so easily.
Mary says
One reason that we kept ours is we often have babysitters/nanny for our little kids and don’t want to rely on them to have a charged cell phone in case they need to call 911 or us. We always have a charged phone in the house for them to use in an emergency.
Jennifer says
If you don’t use it, don’t pay for it. We got rid of our land line ages ago but that’s the rule for us overall. Are we using this? No? Then why is it getting our hard earned dollars? We are doing just fine financially but the smartest, most successful people I know still exercise frugality, common sense, and an emphasis on savings. We cut my Massage Envy membership recently because we were spending $50 a month on it and I never went. I would literally hoard the sessions and only go if I was really sore or stressed out. My husband pointed out that at the rate I went, I could spend $150-200 on an actual spa with a nice massage and still be money ahead. Bye Massage Envy!!! We switched to HBO now instead of the pricier TV version because we always streamed our favorite shows on Roku and cancelled Netflix since we always use Amazon Prime or On Demand now! It adds up! Between the land line, Massage Envy, HBO and Netflix, we’re saving over $180 a month. 😀
Lisa says
We totally still have a home phone. We actually added it when we bought our house. I like it because even though only solicitors call us, my oldest-9-call call 911 or me or my husband’s numbers. The baby-sitter has a cell phone, but I always like to have a back-up.
Tamara R. says
We still have one, my husband thinks I am crazy for having it, but I won’t get rid of it. I agree with many of the comments above (and am surprised most say keep!). My reason is I can’t stand having long conversations on a cell phone, it would be far more annoying to get solicitation calls on my cell phone, and I like that people (like contractors, kids doctor, etc) have one number they can use to reach/leave a message for either me or my husband. Mostly I like having a phone that rings through the whole house and everyone can hear and answer/use. My brother and sister-in-law got rid of their landlines a few years ago and a family member had an emergency in the middle of the night and no one could reach them because their cell phones weren’t near by and they didn’t hear the phones ringing.
Katie says
Keep it. Once your kiddos start staying home alone during your errands and such, you will be able to reach them to check in. Ours were too young for their own cell phones but old enough to stay home. I would have been in a panic if I wasn’t able to touch base with them aside from them being able to call me as well if they needed to. Also, when you(or your babies) dial 911 from a landline, your address is there for the operator, no need to give it. Just some thoughts. We still have ours but we know many that don’t.
Amanda C. says
I feel like I might be the odd (wo) man out on this, but we recently got a home phone after not having one for our whole 10 yeare marriage. I was afraid that we would have an emergency and not be able to find a cell phone in the craziness. The land line stays on my night stand and we haven’t given the number to anyone, but my anxious self feels safer knowing we have it. We’be also taught our boys (7 & 5) how to call both parents and 911 on it. I hope that helps!
Elizabeth Feldpausch says
We actually just got a landline a couple of months ago because when I had my baby I wanted a landline. At home I don’t ALWAYS have my phone on me or know where it is but in case of an emergency I want to be able to call 911 or make sure a sitter can!
Marcy says
same discussion in our home.. we don’t use it but haven’t cancelled it. Mostly for an in case of an emergency situation. In the event that 911 is needed and either you can’t talk or child is flustered and can’t remember address, landline phones show 911 your name and address ..
Jenny says
I cancelled my home phone years ago. Only solicitors called and always at the worst times. My folks were the only ones to call the house phone, but quickly they got use to calling the cell number. Be brave.. you can do it!
Lesley McFarland says
I think you should keep…kinda like a back up….and find yours when it is missing. We did not have a land line forever. Then my kids were old enough to stay by themselves while I went to the store, dropped one off or went for a run. My daughter did not get her own phone till she was 13 (gasp I know) they used the land line if they needed us. so it’s just a peace of mind for us.
Megan says
Keep!!! Just in case your children have to call 911 in an emergency. It’s much easier on a home phone than your cell phone.
Ashley says
We are keeping ours because I want to be able to monitor my children when they talk on the phone. once my children get cell phones (middle school for safety), I plan on them using the house phone then they are home.
Jordan says
We still have ours! When we talk to our (local) family we always call on our home phone vs our cellphones. And what if you have no service and need to call 911??
nic says
So not sure about other areas but here the only way 911 can trace your location is via land line. So we have a home phone in the event of emergency so literally anyone the kids included can dial 911 and drop the phone and police, EMS and fire will arrive. I think with cell towers they can get close with cell phone but not your address.
Lindsay says
Well, here’s my story. We had been discussing it for months & my husband was all “cancel it”, but like you, I was struggling with letting it go because “what if” this or that. Then we had a huge storm come thru on Easter Sunday last year. I got SO many calls from people wanting to come look at my roof & check out my property that it was driving me absolutely crazy & I turned off not only the ringer, but the answering machine as well. We lived like this for 4-5 months. I didn’t miss a thing about it, never had a need for it. Which was a good thing because one day I finally decided I was going to turn everything back on & our phone had died. I decided that was the sign I needed because I really had no interest in purchasing a new phone that NO ONE in the house used. So I called that day & cancelled our landline phone. I haven’t missed it one bit & it’s been about 9 months since we’ve not used it. If I need to find my phone (which happens), I will go to my iPad & text myself. It’s not as great as just calling yourself, but it works. And it makes me keep better tabs on my phone as well. Good luck with your decision, but I say cancel it.
Narci says
Girl, we haven’t had a landline in a good 7-8 years, but your commenters have me talked into getting one! Haha! If you cancel it, then just have them forward it over here and send us the bill. 😉
Kerri says
Keep it, but turn all the ringers off so you don’t have to listen to solicitors call. But it’s there if you need it
Stephanie says
My friends always think it’s so weird that my fiancee and I still have our home phone line. We’ve had it since we moved in three years ago (and yes, we’re only 30 years old). We’ve both always had one, even back when we were with our parents. It’s just natural to us, plus our Verizon FIOS bill would be a lot higher without it. Because of our home phone we don’t feel like we have to keep our cells attached to our hips because if it’s not near us, people can call our landline. Not a ton of people have the number, but we still always check the Caller ID when it rings and answer it if we know who it is.
So, yeah it’s kind of “out-dated” these days, but we’ll likely always have a landline.
http://aneducationindomestication.com
Erika Mills says
I debated this two years ago and the only reason I couldn’t cancel was if there was an emergency how could my kids call 911? Well turns out phone companies offer a 911 only plan for $6/month here and it gives you just 15 minutes a month. You could cancel that phone contract so you’d get a new number and just get a corded phone so the kids could call if there was ever an emergency.
Sarah says
Hmmmm. I say cancel haha! However, if you have a bundle deal it might be cheaper to just keep it??
Here’s an idea: Disconnect it for a week and see how you feel!!
-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com
Karah Stracener says
Cancel it! We haven’t had a land line in probably 5 years and do not miss it one bit. The only reason to have a land line is some home security systems are connected through your land line.
Christine says
We have ours because we have 3 kids and I want them to be able to call 911 if there’s an emergency. Without having to search for a cell phone.
Lindsey says
We were land line free for probably 10 years. But now we have a 10 year old and our kids sleep on the 2nd floor, while our room is on the main floor. What if there was an emergency upstairs and they needed to call 911 and couldn’t get downstairs to do so? Also, we haven’t left him home alone yet, but when our 10 year old starts staying home alone, he will need a way to call us and vice versa. And lastly, friends. My kids friends used to call my phone all the time. It was becoming rather annoying. So the land line is used for friend phone calls too! We could always get a cellphone just for the kids, and we’ve thought about that. But we just haven’t done it yet. We aren’t ready for our kids to have cell phones (4, 8 and 10)… but that may change when our oldest heads go middle school next year. Anyway, for now, a land line makes sense for us.
Angie says
Me: We need to get rid of home phone and save that money since we never use that phone and no one but solicitors ever call it.
Husband: No, we need to keep it. If cell towers ever go out we have a way to make a phone call.
Me: To who? No one else has land line phones but us.
Yep we’ve had this discussion more than I can count. LOL
Sandra says
LOL at Angie’s comment. This is exactly the conversation between my husband and I. Also more times than I can count!
Cindy says
Keep it! The kids (& adults) will always know where to find the land line in an emergency. (Providing……you keep cordless phone in the cradle.). Chances are it is not costing very much if it is bundled with your cable and Internet. My home alarm system is dependent on a land line. If I update, will lose my low monthly fee I currently pay.
Dixie says
We have had a landline on and off for various reasons. We have primarily kept it so that the kids can call 911 and there’s a phone for the babysitters to use. We honestly don’t have any incoming calls, it’s just for safety for our family.
Megan says
Cancel! I too was nervous about getting rid of it and we have not missed it once! (We also got rid of cable for Netflix and TiVo-also a great decision!). If you lose your iPhone just pin it from your Apple Watch. Problem solved. No more excuses. Cut the cord!
http://www.lettinginthelightblog.com
Holly Lacey says
Ok, I love this debate! I am on team keep it. My reason is in case of emergency. I misplace my cell phone a few times a day and I’m afraid that the one time I need to call 911 my cell will be missing. But since I never use the landline I always know where it is! Also, from a $ standpoint, bc our phone/internet/cable is “bundled” it really isn’t much savings to cancel it.
Suzie says
Keep it!!! I have four kids under 8 and I always fear something may happen to me and they can’t find my phone…. but they always know where the home phone is and how to use it! (My littles don’t even know my cell password)… so for peace of mind and in case of major emergencies, we keep the home phone. It’s not that expensive.
Julie says
Bwahahahaha!!! We still have our landline. But you know why?? Because we live out in the boondocks, and the ONLY internet provider out here is thru the phone company! No one calls us on that line. As a matter of fact, the ringer on the only phone connected to that line IS ON SILENT so we don’t have to hear it ring when a solicitor calls!!! If it weren’t for internet (and the very real fact that we also don’t have good/reliable cell service here, and I have 3 children, and what if I need to call 911) we would’ve cut that line several years ago! But that’s just me!
Taeryn says
What if your cell battery was flat and you had an emergency? I have kept my home phone (although I live in London where it costs almost nothing as it comes with a home Wifi / broadband package so maybe that helps. Whenever I leave my kids with a family member or babysitter watching them I always remind them about where the home phone is and recently our regular babysitter actually arrived here and mentioned her cell was flat!
If you want what I think is a better way to find your iPhone as it even works if your iPhone is on silent is the app Find my Phone. You can create an account on an iPad that’s normally at home so when you lose your phone in the house you can get it to play a loud ping!
Sandy says
We still have one. We don’t use it much, but I like that we have one. I don’t like talking on my cell when I am in the house and when I have a bunch of phone calls to make I grab the home phone. My kids don’t have cell phones yet so I like that there are other phones around the house that they can use. My oldest is getting old enough to stay home alone for a little while, but she does not have a cell phone yet . I don’t have to worry though because we have a home phone. My vote is to keep it!!
Kathy says
Think about when your kids are a little older and want to make plans with their friends – do you plan to get them cell phones at that point? Sometimes it makes sense to have a “family phone”
Bailey Bryant says
My parents cancelled their service a few years ago but have since gotten it back due to my grandparents’ health issues. Cell phones weren’t being heard or couldn’t be found when needed, but a landline could! Also, my sister is not of the age my parents deem appropriate to have a cell phone, but she is old enough to stay home by herself for a few hours; so she needed a way to get in touch with someone if needed. A landline is something you don’t need this day in age until you do. 😉 Better safe than sorry!
Kimberly says
This used to be a constant topic of mine also, until one day I was gonna do it I was just getting ready to call later that day and a friend said to me “what are you going to do if there is ever an emergency at home?” And that’s when I realized I had young children whom do not have cell phones and if I cancelled that phone and they needed to ever dial 911 I would feel terrible that they couldn’t! That’s when my plan changed I still have a home phone but we have just the basic plan I could get! (On a side note: my kids will never know how cool it used to be to 3-way call) 🙂
Lauren says
I say you should keep it-we have one and I love it. I don’t get great cell reception at my house so I use it all the time when I am home, if someone calls my cell phone I will say hold on let me call you on my home phone. Plus it is included with my bundle that goes with my tv and internet so I am really only paying dollars to have it each month. Don’t give in, keep it!!!
Lauren says
oh yes and I forgot about the kid factor-when we have a babysitter my 9 year old knows
my cell phone number and can use the home phone all he wants to call me to check in-it makes him feel better and me feel better as well!!!
Holly Allen says
Oh girl I have a land line too! I’m not getting rid of mine! I keep it for many reasons and here are a few: 1) i want easy ways to call 911. I have a set of four phones in different areas of my house. Because we never really use them, they are always where they should be and thus easy to find in an emergency. 2) my children do not have cell phones yet. I want them to be able to call me or 911 if they need to be able to. Even when they get cell phones, I want to make sure they can easily find a phone in the case of an emergency. We are always losing our cell phones! 3) if I know I’m going to be on a long phone call, I preferred to use my landline. It’s larger and easier to carry on my shoulder etc. I have a whole host of other reasons, but I’ll leave it here so as not to write a book! No more apologizing for having a landline!
Loren says
I am with you… I am hanging on to my land line. “Never let go Jack” 🙂
Nicole says
I don’t have one since it is just my husband and I. But with kids I think I would want some sort of phone that is always in the same place. Whether that was a landline or an additional cellphone so that if there was some sort of emergency they would know where the phone was and could call for help. I know my parents kept their landline until all of us kids had cellphones because once we were old enough to stay home by ourselves while they were out, they wanted to make sure they could get ahold of us and we could get ahold of them, we didn’t have cellphones at that age.
Court says
It might come in handy when you’re ready to let your kids stay home alone without you. They’ll have a way to call you when you’re out.
Katelyn says
Ditch the home phone!
Melissa says
I was like you and couldn’t bear the thought of not having a landline even though the only calls we got were solicitations. We moved last fall and didn’t put one in and I thought it would be so weird, but I haven’t missed it until this morning when I read all these scary comments-eek! My kids are a little older though and I feel like my 12 year old could handle an emergency better than a toddler. Do what makes you feel safe : )
Cathy says
I would keep it. Where we live our bill would actually increase but Id keep it for emergencies. My husband was actually held up in a nice area coming inside our home and one thing they stole his cellphone, he was only able to call 911 once they took off bc we had a land line inside. Second, we had a medical emergency and we called 911 from the land line. Several first responders have said the land lind will automatically route to the correct tower and pinpoint your address- they came in less than 4 minutes. Another time we had to call 911 from cell phone we had to be transferred TWICE and keep giving our address. Lots of wasted time.
Carrie says
The plain fact that it is actually cheaper for us to have a home phone with our cable package is one of the reasons we have it. But I also actually use the phone to make calls. I am only 2 years into using a smart phone and I have mixed feelings about it still. But my oldest is 9 and sometimes she talks to her friends on the phone and I don’t plan anytime soon on giving her a cell phone. I also agree with the use of it for emergencies. So I say if you need it for these reasons then keep it but if there is absolutely no use then don’t. Track it for 3 months and if you have not had a use for it then give it up. You can always get it back!!
Peyton says
Cancel! Every dollar saved can be put towards vacation 🙂
And use your Apple Watch to ping your iPhone 😉
Cheryl says
Wow!! I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of landline love on here!! I always thought I was in a very small minority keeping mine – I agree with all of the reasons shared here… Shay, if you’re not paying a NOMINAL fee for the phone, you might want to look into switching service or bundle options, but I say KEEP!
Kelly says
For the small amount of money, I would say keep it. I keep mine because if I have a babysitter here and for some reason her phone dies or for some emergency she might need the home phone. I also like to have the home phone here for my children. If they ever need to call me when I’m not home or if there was an emergency, they have a phone to use!
sarah says
We just got rid of ours and I kind of miss it! I’m thinking about getting the phone that are like home phones but it links to your cell phone, no land line required. Might be a happy medium! https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Link2Cell-Bluetooth-KX-TGE274S-Handsets/dp/B00ISKW2UU
Katie says
We still have one. The main reason is for our home alarm. The house was totally hard wired before we bought it and I love the security aspect of it. With a small child and a traveling husband it makes me feel safe in the event I need to call 911. I told my husband my fear is they couldn’t find me I’d i called from my cell:)
Holly says
I have tried to cancel numerous times but our phone company bundle (cable, internet & phone) is cheaper WITH a landline! So I am forced to keep it, however I don’t have any phones physically plugged in to the jack. That way I don’t hear the solicitors calling but if I do need that land line, I can just plug in a phone to use it (which I have never done!) LOL!
Megan says
You probably already know this but you can find your cell phone using your Apple Watch! Can’t help on the landline question. My husband and I have never had one.
Wendy says
I just got rid of my home phone this past year. Like you, the only people that called it were solicitors. I would hear it ring and no one would get it because of that reason. I kept the land line so long because of the 911 issue….our house was built with 2 addresses and 911 always had the wrong one (no matter how many times I called to correct it). So keeping the land line with the idea that 911 would come quicker was always a fallacy for me (reality is they would always be heading to a non existent street address). Two things I noticed while scrolling through your comments….you do not need to know passcode on a phone to call 911. You should explain how to do this with your kids and go over it a few times. Here is a good link http://tweenhood.ca/call-911-locked-cell-phone/
Second, to ensure that 911 knows where your cell phone is located, enable your cell phones location feature. Other things to note are a phone that says no service or an old phone that you have no cell plan on, will still call 911 (thanks to the FCC, this is law). Main thing is to always makes sure at least one phone in the house has battery life and that everyone knows where that phone is. This is all what I researched before turning off my land line. I haven’t looked back and haven’t missed it at all.
Jill C says
With your apple watch you can find your phone by pinging it so that solves that problem! 🙂
Holly Hopkins says
Okay so i get the whole emergency reasons for the landline but my toddler would be more comfortable with my cell or ipad the phone would be a foreign object to her because we dont use it. She sees me using my cell and can easily retrieve it for me. Unless you are going to stay on top of teaching the kids the landline I would say stick with the technology they know and are more use to. You could always get an emergency pay as you go cell too and put $10 on it for emergency use only.
Julie says
We got rid of our home phone years ago. What we did instead was activate one of our old iPhones and added it on our plan for $10/month. My kids are older than yours but now they have a phone to call me when they get home from school. We also send it with them to sleepovers and practices. I was freaked out too about the 911 thing at first but 4 years with no landline and it’s never been an issue. Not even once.
Bree says
As long as you have a pool and small children, keep it. I kept mine for the what ifs of needing 911. They don’t know your address from a cell phone.
Lizzie @ This Happy Life says
I say keep it! I wish we had a landline for a “just in case” scenario!
Debbie K. says
My husband can’t let ours go either. It is connected to our Dish and high speed internet, but surely there are other deals without having the phone. Even my parents got rid of their home phone several years ago, and like your parents, they are not techy at all! I say get rid of it, but then… I still have one at my house, so who am I to tell you what to do. LOL
Natalie Hoover says
Shay I had mine up until this past June.. my husband wanted to get rid of it years ago but I wanted to keep it for the school as my daughter was in high school we were on a rotary call list for school closing meetings whatever the school needed to call for… So this past June I finally got rid of it as my daughter just graduated., I don’t miss it at all. I felt the same as you but now don’t even care.. get rid of it..
Allison says
I say if you like it – keep it! There’s no harm and it makes you happy. Landline bills aren’t too costly and you have room on the counter for it to sit so forget about the angst and keep it! Done. 🙂
Dustie day says
We have one and the only reason is our cable provider (Comcast) keeps telling us it’s cheapest with the 3 than with 2 (internet and cable). It may be a complete gimmic but we keep it. We only get receive solicitor calls as well and annoying faxes trying to go through!
Krisitn says
I feel the same way you do. We have two kids in college, and I want to keep that number in case of an emergency with them. Maybe I will dump it when they graduate. But I mute my cell at night, so I like the idea of having a number people can call if there is a problem. It wouldn’t do us any good if we lost power though, because it is not a landline, but is VOIP.
Kathy says
We haven’t had a home phone for over 4 years! Have not had one incident that made us wish we kept it!! You will survive without it!!
denise says
We have a landline and I won’t get rid of it for two reasons. I do use it. I do a lot of volunteerism, and like giving it out like an office phone. Prior to that, I wanted to have a consistent and reliable way to reach my home especially when we had a sitter. Most sitters have a cell phone, but I wanted a reliable way to catch them without the “I didn’t hear my phone excuse.” I also want a way for my children who are now school aged to be able to communicate with their friends or reach me when they have a sitter or call out in an emergency. I get very bothered in fact, when my children go to homes where there isn’t a landline, because most of the time, they or the other children would not consistently be able to locate the cell phone and then dial for emergency help.
Ashley says
Holy comments. I had to scroll for days to get to the bottom haha This is clearly a topic of great passion 🙂
This said, let it gooooooo. Its time.
Actually Andrew if you are reading this… just cancel the phone. It would be months before anyone would notice anyways 😉
BecomingMrsWalsh says
I would keep it. You can always cancel it but keep it until you are really sure! I keep mine but keep it on silent. This way it’s here if I need it but not ringing audibly with solicitors. And I do use it to make calls sometimes. It’s particularly helpful when we are calling grandparents and use the house phone on speaker, this way my small kids aren’t pressing things on my cell phone. Good luck! Great topic.
Beth says
I hear ya on the landline! It feels strange to not have one but to pay for it is silly since no one in our house uses it. We ended up linking our home number to a free online number but canceling out landline service so we still have a house phone without the bill. Honestly I don’t know why we even have that but it just makes me feel better.
Priscilla says
You can actually call the phone company and TEMPORARILY disconnect your phone, say you lived one place six months and another the other six months. We did this during the election because of all of the calls we were getting, and we have not missed it at all.
Tish says
We have four kids and we cancelled our home phone years ago! We never answered it due to the massive solicitors! Our home security system is with Vivint and they have an emergency button on the console where you can call for help by pushing a button! It links directly with a person 24/7 and they can contact your local 9-1-1 for you. We felt good about this option when our kids were home alone before they had their own cell phones. We have two older kiddos 19yrs and 15yrs who have cell phones. Our two “littles” are 10yr and 7 yr now but they can Facetime us off their IPads because my husband and I both have iPhones. Our littles aren’t home alone except for maybe 5 or 10 min and not often, but the iPads are our backup if they needed us or if an older sibling needed help. Hope this helps!
Caitlin says
It drived my mom crazy that we do not have one. So she bought us a pre paid cell phone (a basic flip phone) that we keep plugged into the wall in the kitchen. That way, if my phone is dead she can reach us, and if my kids need to call 911 in an emergency they can ( no passcode). I don’t give the number out, it’s more like an emergency thing. But because it is prepaid, and we never use the minutes, it does not cost us anything.
Marion says
We do the same thing. We have 4 kids (ages 12,11,8, and 6) and if they need to call for 911 I want them to know where a phone is. We sometime leave them at home for very short periods. The older 2 have cell phones but sometimes have no idea where they are 🙂 And to be honest sometimes I use it to find my cell phone b/c I don’t know where mine is either 🙂 We have like 200 mins on it and we pay less than $20 a year for it.
Sarah Parsons says
We have a home phone for a few reasons. 1-it’s cheaper to bundle in the home phone with our tv and internet. 2-my kids love to use it to call their grandparents. 3-I just like the comfort of a home phone. 4-I actually use it a lot to call places and still work/do things on my phone when I’m home. 5-it’s the number connected to a lot of our savings cards (grocery store, etc.)
I’m a land line devotee!!
Jennifer says
We still have one, but mainly because we, “Bundle” our cable, internet and land line. Also, I believe our security system is connected through our land line. And change is hard!
Caitie says
We actually are going to be ADDING a home phone. Simply for the fact that in case of an emergency, our children will be able to call for necessary help. Both of our cell phones have locks on them due to business reasons and we are fearful they wouldn’t be able to locate a cell phone and figure out how to get the keypad to work in an emergency. I say keep it!
Jessica says
DITCH IT! The end.
Daniele says
The reason to keep it is certainly 911. I have heard some scary stories about parents calling 911 successfully from a cell phone. The scary part is that in our area the 911 call does know your location to dispatch the emergency responders immediately, if you call from a cell phone. This can cause a very scary delay in a major emergency. In the case that was shared with me, it was a child who was not breathing. We have kept our landline. It is a very small expense/inconvenience (with getting solicitor calls) for what we judge as a very major benefit we hope not to have to use.
Kiley says
Cancel the home line! You can always use your iWatch to ping your iPhone. And I wish I could tell you those solicitors wouldn’t find your cell number but they are crafty!! Good luck!
Susy says
If you put your landline on the No Call List, it will reduce solicitors to almost none.
The cost is so minimal it is worth it as a backup.
And with an occasional ‘hole in the sky” that limits our cell phones’ coverage, we can always get a call out.
Three good reasons to keep it.
Amy says
If you didn’t have any young children, I would say cancel. I am sure it’s not that much per month.
It’s worth it for peace of mind while you have your four babies. We got rid of our landline and don’t miss it.
Simone says
I think for little ones it’s better to have a landline ? When they start calling friends, you don’t want them to use yours?! ?
Kristen says
You’re funny! We haven’t had the home phone since 2009. The only time I wish we did have one is so that I could run to the store and leave my kids, ages 12 and 14, home alone. They do not have their own cell phones and I would NEVER leave them at home alone without a phone, so they always come along with me. Keep us posted!
Tasha says
I love my landline! Better sound quality, nicer for talking on, don’t have to worry about battery life ( we actually have a cordless landline phone AND one with a cord that would still work in a power outage). I say keep it!!
Rene' Pingel says
Yes, Shea, get rid of the landline. This is Erika’s Aunt Rene’ and like your parents, we have not had our landline for three years. Use that money for something else. You can do it, girl!
Kristine says
We have a landline and always will. I think ours may be bundled into my internet. I would keep it. I like the security of having it in case of emergency. Especially with kids in the home. Only people I know have my cell #. I rarely get telemarketer calls ever on my cell. Which I like. I always use landline when home for calls. Just a preference. Plus, with cordless phones they are stationed around the house and you can answer or make calls without having to find your cell phone and they are always charged.
Kelly says
We still have ours for the primary reason of my kiddos staying by themselves while I run quick errands or when my oldest comes home alone after school while i am taking his younger sister to activities after school. My son is in middle school but isn’t getting a phone until he is 13 so that is our reasoning. And my dad was a 911 operator and he always has told me that I should keep for emergencies!
Valerie says
Keep it. I have several reasons. 1. When Hurricane Ike hit, there was no cell service for days due to damage to the cell towers. The kids and I had gone out of state and my husband stayed at home to take care of the house and animals. There was no way to get in touch with him except for the fact he could plug in a corded phone in the jack and call me. 2. 911. I want my family to be able to call 911 in case of emergencies. 3. About 3 years ago, my parents phone went out and they live in another state. We could not get in touch with them and family was worried about them to the point they were ready to drive over 100 miles to check on them. I checked the phone listings for their neighbors to ask them to go check on them and report back, but none of them were listed anymore because they didn’t have land lines. If it wasn’t for Facebook and pleading with some friends who still lived in my hometown to go check on them, my cousins would have driven a long way to make sure they were ok. 4. Home security systems don’t need a landline, but I feel better that I have it attached to a landline because the copper lines are buried vs. cell towers (see Hurricane Ike example above).
Therese says
We actually don’t have a home phone and I’m considering getting one. Here is why. I am petrified that during an emergency my kids won’t know how to call 911 on a cell phone. They are 5 and 7. I’ve tried teaching them how to call 911 on our cell phones. (which is really hard to do by the way without actually calling 911). It’s just so many steps… hit the home button, then hit emergency, then dial, etc…. It may not be any easier on a home phone but it feels like it should be.
Therese says
I should also state that mine and my husband’s cell numbers are from a different state than where we live. Most of the time, not a big deal. However, it does affect call routing for both 911 and the Poison Control Center.
Lisa N says
You don’t have to keep a landline charged. And there are still some people I would rather only have access to me at home.
Amanda says
I called to cancel mine last night because as you said, only solicitors call, and the only reason we have it is because I work from home sometimes and don’t want to use my cell. BUT our provider (who also services our internet) said it would be $20 MORE if we canceled the phone because they bundle….
Ended up keeping it and got $10 off what we pay now and just unplugged the actual phone 🙂 Will only use it if I’m working.
Laney says
My husband and I have this discussion weekly. I keep saying no! What if we have a babysitter and there’s an emergency and they don’t know our address off the top of their head. Or if something crazy happens and the kids need to make an emergency call. I just can’t get rid of it.
Jamie says
KEEP! I can speak from experience just a few years back…. I was in college and had come home for the summer. My parents had to go out of town for the night and of course the alarm goes off in the middle of the night. Who does the alarm company call? The home phone!!! If the number to call had been my mom or dad’s cell phone, I would have had no way to communicate with them. Also, I can remember staying home alone for a few hours here and there before I got my first cell phone… home phone was always good for emergencies and to communicate with mom and dad!
heidi says
We didn’t put one in our house when we built 6 years ago. ..HOWEVER… now I wish I had. My daughter is just 13 and now has started occasionally baby sitting for us and others. She doesn’t have a cell phone. So I always have to leave one behind. Plus 99% of the homes don’t have one either snd I don’t like the thought of her not been able to reach someone. But I also think she’s too young to have a phone. Tricky
Michelle says
We have frequent power outages where I live, and the landline is the only thing that works during those. I would never, ever get rid of my landline–having survived multiple bad storms, including Sandy–just no.
Krista says
I didn’t take the time to read all the comments so some of this has probably been touched on. Keep the landline! Our house was broken into three years ago and we had a safety officer come and talk to us. He said the obvious 911 thing but went on to say have a phone other than a cordless that we could plug in during a power outage. Although our phone provider is in the process of switching to digital so then I guess it will go through the modem and not work regardless. Also, when our oldest started staying home alone she didn’t have a cell phone and I imagine the same will be true for our youngest and we want them to be able to call 911 or us if they need something.
Abby says
Funny story—I actually considered GETTING a home phone line lol. With a little one around, I want to be able to teach him to go call 911 from a landline. 911 people say they can locate you more easily from a landline? And I would hate for something to happen to me (single mom) and my little one have to try to remember our address when he calls 911. With littles around, I would keep. Just turn the ringers off on your phones!
Also—-I feel like landlines don’t cost that much anymore? Would it really be that big of a savings to cancel it?
Jessica Tilson says
Cancel it! We only use our cell phones and it works out just fine! If my husband or I do not answer, then the person just calls the other spouse and usually one of us answers our cell phone. My parents went through this decision for several years and they finally canceled theirs about 6 months ago because they were also only getting sales calls.
julie says
I am so with you-I’ve come this close to canceling home phone so many times. Here is basically, the ONE reason I keep my land line. WHAT IF your cell phone is dead, lost, something?! and a child needs to be taken to the ER, or a doctor needs to be called or you need 911? I prefer to keep the home line JUST as back up. I know that no matter what, there is at least one phone that’s reliable and in the same place. Also, as kids get older, in between the time they are “older” and get their own cell phones, I think it’s good for parents to know who is calling them. And wouldn’t you use the home line for that? It’s not very much $ to keep a land line, so I do it for these few reasons. Good luck with your decision!
Susan says
Cancel! Lol! Now I know you have a home business and I don’t know if you have a fax for your customers for any reason? That would be the only reason to have a line. But many people are even getting away from faxes and simply scan everything and email. The thing about this is that all doctors offices, etc now end up with my cell phone number as primary so I never miss an important call from them if needed.
Robbyn says
We have kept ours for the reasons mentioned above as well. Our kid are 13 and 9 and do not have cell phones but are old enough to be left at home–hence the land line!
Heather Jones says
Shay, I am kind of with you on this one! As one who doesn’t have a home phone, I sometimes wish we had one! I am a just incase type of planner and after taking several safety classes I’ve repeatedly heard that the main reason to have a home phone for emergency purposes. Even with the advancement in cell phones, there are certain things that cell phones cannot provide for emergency dispatch systems. For instance, if you needed and ambulance or you had an intruder in your home and you call from a cell phone, there is no way to confirm your location and if you drop the call for any reason. They cannot call you back. As a mom with littles and where anything can happen, there is a comforting peace knowing that you have one! If it’s not breaking the bank or a true hassle, I’d keep it!
Nikki Sowell says
I was in labor and trying to get in touch with my doctor cell service was totally out in my area that day for everyone due to some technical glitch I had to facebook message my midwife (she is a good friend)….so that is what convinced me to get my landline back! I only pay about $19 a month and I think it is a good thing to have in case of emergency because I am always misplacing my cell phone.
Brooke says
We still have it for our young kiddos to call 911 for an emergency. They won’t know where your cell is but they know where the house phone is for sure. And especially for with a pool…what a piece of mind for only what $10bucks/mo?!? (We lowered it in our bundle at the cheapest rate knowing we never ever will use it unless it’s emergency). Keep it if you’ve got kids and especially I’m starting to leave mine alone at home for little bits at a time. Alarm and home phone. Boom. Don’t get rid of it.
Chrystianne Santos says
So many comments on this topic! Our phone line is a part of our internet plan so I don’t even know how much we pay for it. But a few years ago, after Hurricane Sandy in NJ, we had no cell phone reception anywhere for days. The only way we could contact friends and family was through our landline after being connected to a generator (which we all had). Plus, I am so paranoid that if there is an emergency and I can’t find my cell phone at least I know exactly where our cordless phones are since we never use them and they are always in the same spot lol. I think you should keep it!
ColleenB.~Texas says
I think I stand alone here. Have landline but No cell phone
Kp says
I have thought about canceling many times but our cable bill actually goes up if we do not have the basic phone. So the big question is do we get rid of cable. It seems like so many people are doing that now too. We just turn the ringer off so that we don’t get annoyed by solicitors. I did get rid of our wireless land line because it would get lost as much as cell phones. We went old fashion with a cord phone. I programmed mom, dad, and grandparents into the memory so my kids use it often now. I walk into the kitchen and find my kids talking to their grandma all the time. I want to prolong getting cell phones for them as long as possible. I think with out a land line we would need some sort of “home cell phone” for the kids. That would definitely be more expensive.
Breanna H says
I would keep it! What if you weren’t home and the kids were with a sitter and there was an emergency? I’d keep it until your kids have a phone of their own.
Jennifer says
I have a few friends that have gotten rid of their landlines, but in every case it was a financial necessity. As long as I can afford a landline, I will have one. I can’t imagine not having it. It would make me feel unsafe to do so. :-/
Kara says
You can register your home phone on the Do Not Call List to keep from getting unwanted solicitors. I keep a landline because our cell service is very spotty and it’s part of our bundle with AT&T so the cost is very low for call waiting, caller ID and unlimited long distance.
Shelly says
Keep it! When my sister and brother in law had their house broken into (they live in Southlake) they were making a list of things that were stolen. She told the policeman the phone was stolen , but not a big deal she wasn’t going to replace it as she never used it. He immediately told her to replace it and keep it. He told her that a cell phone is not always pin point perfect to location, but on a landline if someone in distress can get a call to the police they can find you quicker without mistakes. I have kept mine for all of these years because when my kids were smaller I always told the babysitter if an emergency happened there was a landline. I was concerned if something happened and panic set in then looking for a cell phone would cost time. My babysitters always knew there was a landline literally attached to the wall by the door to the garage. If they could’nt find their phone they could run to the one that never moved on the wall. I have to say when my husband fell off a ladder and panic set in for me I immediately went to the landline before trying to find my cell. Now that my kids are older and in high school I plug the phone in if I am gone so in case their cell phone is getting spotty reception (we live in Austin known for the hills and poor reception) I can get them if I need them. But I will say I unplug it for most of the time I am home because YES its only solicitors that call and make me crazy! KEEP your phone…..its an insurance policy 🙂
Donna says
I refuse to do away with my phone line just in case of an emergency of any kind. It’s hooked up with 911 so they would easily be able to find our address. My best friend and I use our landlines to talk because we generally talk for an hour or so and the landline is more comfortable and easier to talk and get things done at the same time. I have adult kids that live away and I always fear that their phones may be dead or turned off in the middle of the night and I wouldn’t be able to reach them in case of an emergency. So I may be old-fashioned but the landline gives me some reassurances that I’m not ready to give up on yet.
Kerrie says
I am actually on the opposite side of this spectrum – I just got a home line for the first time and I still feel kind of silly about it, but I do think it is necessary.
A couple weeks ago we had a very scary night. My daughter who has some chronic respiratory issues was having trouble breathing (she is recovered now), but I actually panicked because she had never struggled like that before and even though I knew what I needed to do to help her, I just got scared and panicked. And I couldn’t find my phone to call an ambulance. And I panicked even more because I was the only one home and I wasted precious time looking for a phone instead of doing what I needed to do. What felt like an eternity, but was probably less than 2 minutes, I finally got my game face on and did what I needed to do to help her. I found the phone in the laundry room once everything settled – and she really didn’t need an ambulance, she just needed her Mom to chill out and do what needed done. But the next day I called to get a landline. So if something happens to me or my husband and our kids need to call for help, they never have to wonder where our phones are. Or if in the next emergency and my kids really do need emergency medical attention no more precious moments will be wasted looking for a stupid cell phone.
I am probably being dramatic, but keep it. You will only regret not having it.
TG says
I am not a worrier, but, you must keep it–no question–so a babysitter or your kids can call 9-1-1 in case of a medical emergency. Your monthly bill couldn’t possibly cost that much. Peace of mind/safety is worth it.
Natalie Clark says
Since my husband and I got married almost 7 years ago, we have never had one. I’m not gonna lie, I have definitely thought about getting one, because I just like the comfort of having that landline, plus, (this is ridiculous) there’s a really cute space in our kitchen that would be perfect for a phone to sit! We just cancelled cable since we really only use Netflix, so we will no longer be paying for even the option of having a phone. I say cancel it, because I am all about getting rid of stuff right now and saving money, but if it makes you feel good, why not!
Suzyh says
We still have ours….I work from home and I would much rather take conference calls on my home phone. The sound is more clear, no chance of the call dropping if I am walking around the house, and I am probably just old fashion – I want a home phone. 🙂
Kristy Hudson says
We have a home phone! I guess I could give you my number so that in case of a collapse you could call us lol
Of course, we have it because there is no cell service down in our neck of the woods. So I guess the question there is…could you live somewhere your cell phone didn’t work?
Susan says
Well we can’t cancel ours because we live in the country and hardly have cell service, but if we ever do I don’t know that I would want to cancel it.
Shawnee says
We cancelled ours in 2015 when we sold our house in town. When we built the new house last year we didn’t even install phone jacks because we knew we weren’t getting a landline. I was hesitant to cancel but don’t miss it at all because we never used it. My husband is a police/fireman and everyone knows where we live so if we had an emergency and couldn’t recall our address they know where we are.
sarah says
One more thing. Yep, I totally miss having my home phone to call my cell to find it. Now I use my iPad and the find my phone feature to make it beep!
Laci says
I have used my cell phone as my land line for over 8 years and I have never once thought “oh man if I had a land line it would be easier”….cut the cord, let it go, whatever you need to do. You can dial 911 from any cell phone regardless if it’s hooked up or not. 🙂
leslie says
We keep our landline so if our child needs to call 911, they still have the landline/tracking system to get here. I know he knows the address but in an emergency, I feel betting knowing if he called they could track it no matter what he remembers to tell them.
Constance says
Our family cancelled and bought an ooma! It connects with your Internet and is free. You just pay a flat fee of $100 for the box but won’t have monthly fees!
Angela Ellingson says
Hahaha! This topic is great. Hmm, well, we don’t have a landline either. I almost think it’s kind of sweet/romantic in an old school sort of way that you do. I like classic things. Hey, I say keep it if it makes you feel better. Even if you can’t call friends’ homes in case of a cell outage, you’d still be able to call 911, etc.
Adie says
We have a landline and don’t use it for anything but have a phone plugged in with the ringer turned off. So it never rings, but is there for an emergency or if all the cell towers go down. I don’t have to hear it ring but I know it is there.
Elizabeth D says
We still have our house phone too. And like Andrew, my husband says we should get rid of it. I’m a stay at home Mom & I like knowing that I have the security of having a home phone. I like that in a few rooms I know exactly where the phone is in case of an emergency. I don’t ALWAYS have my cell on me. I also like knowing that when the kids are home they also know where the phone is and how to use it easily if we were to have an emergency. I don’t mind paying $20 a month for a little piece of mind.
JM says
We just eliminated our land line this month when we learned that we can keep our home number and have all calls directed to our cell phones. Our cell phones don’t actually ring, but we receive a text indicating the number that called. If a message is left, we receive a text with the transcribed message. I like this feature, but but I do worry about my son having to get my cell phone should he need to call 911. I also have to remember to keep my cell phone turned on.
Mallory says
Get rid of it! My family hasn’t had a home line in 12 years and we’ve never once missed it.
Kathryn says
I wish we had a land line because it’s happened so many times that I call my husband or family and no one picks up because they’ve left their cell phone in some distant room. If we had a land line, they would at least hear that ring! Also, for the same reason many people have said, I think it’s important in emergency situations.
Ruth says
I’ve kept mine because I have unlimited texting but limited talking minutes so it helps if I actually want to call and chat with people. But most importantly I keep it just in case cell service gets spotty, which it can, and I actually have to call 911. I also have a yearly deal of $40 so it’s not much.
Ella says
I always feel you need a home phone in case of a blackout or if your battery is dying.
Also for the kids. What do your children use to call their friends and call lines?
Deb says
Keep your home phone, at least while you have kiddos at home. It’s good to have a back-up, if for no other reason than peace of mind. I had a hard time parting with ours, and we don’t even have kids living at home anymore. There are times I wish we still had it , like when I’m trying to reach my husband, who leaves his phone on vibrate, and puts it on the counter with his car keys, when he gets home. If he’s in an another room, he doesn’t hear it and, well, you know the obvious. I do tell him to keep it on even at home, and he’s doing better, but, he still forgets. If there was an emergency, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach him. Ugh, I may have to get a land line again!
Jill says
I kept my home phone until my kids both had cell phones. I wanted them to be able to call someone in case of an emergency.
Sarah says
I do not have a home line but I WANT one! What if your cell phone isn’t working/out of battery/powers out? What if there is an emergency…… Hoping these points convince my husband we need one 😉
Sarah Lewis says
I LOL’ed when you put the picture about using your home phone to call your cell. That’s what I use my hubby’s cell phone for too. Well, that is till I got my Apple Watch!! Did you know you can “ping” your phone from your watch??
If you slide up when you’re looking at your watch face, there is a little phone under the bell with the slash. This “pings” your phone out loud so you can find it! I use this a lot when I’m folding laundry because apparently my phone likes to end up inside the pile of clean clothes…. 🙂
alice h says
My grandma still has her home phone. LOL! But I haven’t had a home phone in about 10+ years and I am almost 35. Get rid of that thing!!
Emily says
We don’t have a home phone and haven’t had one in over 12 years. We have kids now, though, and I worry about NOT having one for two reasons:
1. I want them to have proper phone etiquette and know how to politely answer the phone, take a message, etc.; and
2. I worry about them dialing 911 in an emergency. With a home phone they know exactly how to do that, no 6-digit code or fingerprint needed.
Jerilyn says
I have kept our landline for the same reason as most…peace of mind in emergencies. Is your home number on the “do not call” list? It doesn’t totally eliminate solicitors but it definitely helps!
Joy Krupka says
We have a home phone. We originally had it when I was a teacher because I didn’t want to give out my cell number to all my student’s parents. That was 10 years ago. I’ve thought we should probably just get rid of it, but it’s through Vonage and it’s less that $15 a month…it may only be about $5 a month…so not breaking the bank. My husband has “fought” to keep it and I’m glad we have it for when cell service drops out…we live on a farm in the country. We rarely use it, but we do still have one. It’s grown on me so now I say…keep yours…ha!
Lauren D says
So we have one simply because the package is cheaper with it! Also we get bad service inside the house except for in one or two rooms. I don’t give out the number but often say “let me call you back from the landline.” If I’m at home making calls it’s on the landline, but you are right, if the phone rings we know it’s a telemarketer. Another plus is in the event you have to call 911 its quicker to do t from a landline – cells get transferred to the national group or something first and then linked over. But – if it wasn’t cheaper to have it sigh the package, I don’t think we would have it.
Rachel says
I plan on keeping my landline. I feel better knowing that when the grandparents or other babysitters are watching our kids that anyone can just use 911 in an emergency instead of trying to find a cell phone, unlock it and then figure out how to call! Plus then the emergency personnel automatically have our address and my kids don’t need to remember in a stressful situation.
Amanda McD says
We actually just got a landline for the first time in 7 years, and our reasoning is the same as many other commenters. We wanted a central phone that was easy to find in an emergency. I feel much better knowing my six year old knows how to call 911 from the kitchen instead of having to find my phone, unlock it, and then call! Ours is tied into our internet, so there is no need to plug in a phone cord, etc. Cheap and easy for the piece of mind it gives!
Amy Johnson says
We keep our landline for emergency services as well. You wouldn’t have time in an emergency to go searching for a lost cellphone. There’s no lock code on a landline to fiddle with. It doesn’t go dead like a cellphone can. My husband says the same thing all the time, but I like the security of knowing my kids could call 911 if need be.
Cheryl says
Keep it for emergencies! 911 from a landline gets routed directly to local emergency but cell phones get rerouted and take longer to reach them. It’s the most annoying thing to get bugged by solicitors but a small price to pay for safety 🙂
Connie says
We have a landline, always have. I think for the kids sake its good to have. Especially for emergencies. If the kids have no cell phone, how would they call 911 if needed? Everybody probably knows where the house phone is. Plus, with the service, its probably cheaper to keep. :0)
Julie Mayfield says
I have four children who are older now, but we kept our landline until our youngest had a cell phone. You will most likely start leaving them home alone for short periods of time long before they have a cell phone. Even if you were to get them a cell phone at a young age, they do not always keep it charged or in the same place.
Debbie Dehrer says
We went without a landline for about a year while continuing to pay for our alarm service. Then we found out that our alarm was not being monitored because they do it through the phone line. If you have a home security alarm, you should check with them before deciding to get rid of your landline.
Kenra Newton says
You can get on the website wheresmycellphone.com and have it call your phone for you! I have done this numerous times!
Catherine says
Keep it and sign up for Nomorobo. You will never get a solicitor’s call again! And it’s free!
Audrey says
Ours is also part of a cable-internet-phone bundle. My 2 younger kids don’t have cell phones yet and when they call grandparents or a friend they use the home phone. I don’t necessarily like to give out my cell to everyone. The blast phone messages from our school district or the township go to the landline. I like knowing that when my cell rings, it’s an actual person that I want/need to speak with, not an automated message. Now I can tell you that I don’t always answer the landline when I’m home, it often goes to voicemail. Also, it drives me nuts when I’m out and call my teenager when he’s watching his siblings and he’ll tell me- my ringer was off. Can’t turn off the landline ringer!
janet says
My only concern for keeping the landline is the age of your children. Would they have access to a phone in case of emergency? I only did away with landline this summer after moving. My previous house was not a good area for cell service.
Stefani says
I totallllllly say keep it! We are keeping ours till AT LEAST both of our kiddos have cell phones incase of an emergency!
Sabrina roux says
KEEP IT! We visited the fire station on a field trip and they said it takes longer to reach 9-1-1 when you dial from a cell phone. I actually had to call from the road after seeing a car accident and they were right….it took about 3 whole minutes to reach a dispatcher! Yikes! If you call from a landline, they can be on their way to your house before the call is even finished because they can now track the calls from inside the emergency vehicles. We live in a new community and sadly our streets are not located on city maps yet. If you call from a landline, they can still find us even though it doesn’t display the street name on the map.
Tiffany says
I might me in the minority here but I’m really missing our landline right now. Our son is 9 and he’s mentioned that he thinks he can be left alone for short periods of time (while I go for a jog or run down the street to the bank, etc.). And I think he’s right. To help with independence, we do need to start letting him stay home every now and then. But I won’t leave him at home without a phone. We haven’t had a landline in almost a decade but he’s too young (in our opinion) for his own cellphone so now we’re stuck.
N cowick says
I was hesitant to get rid of our home phone also. Once my oldest was old enough to have one of our old cell phones, my kids know to use that one for emergencies and if they are home with a sitter, they still have access to a phone that is ours.
Amanda Hertzler says
One thing that you should be aware of is that 911 operators still don’t all have the technology to be able to locate your cell phone to your exact location (I’ve watched a few news stories about this, it’s really unbelievable). A landline is still the most accurate way of determining your location if you would ever be unable to give it. The other side of emergency calls is that cell phones are not always easy to find if you’re stressed/frantic.
Now, all that being said, I do not have a landline because outside of emergencies (which is really just a “what if” scenario), I don’t see much of a need for one. My husband and I have talked about getting one for when we eventually have children because they would always have a phone to call from if (God forbid) something happened. If you choose to keep it, you could always turn off the ringer so that you’re not bothered by solicitors.
Becky Cowen says
We got rid of our landline in 2016. The only thing we have run in to is that my oldest is starting to get to the age where she can stay home alone for short periods of time and I want her to have a phone in case of an emergency (you know in like the 7 minutes that she is left unsupervised! 😉 ). I want to hold off on getting her her own phone as long as possible but I do feel she needs something…
Lauren K says
We’ve kept ours because of our kids. They know how to use our cell phones, but in an emergency I don’t want them to have to run around searching for Mommy & Daddy’s cell phone (they’re 8 & 6). Also when they get old enough to stay home they probably won’t have a cell phone yet (like age 13). I’ve also worried about having a babysitter that might not have a cell phone yet! I feel better safe than sorry!
Jennifer says
I had similar concerns years ago when my husband wanted to cancel our home phone. My boys were little and back then kids were not quite as technologically advanced as they are now. My big fear was that something might happen to me (I was a SAHM) and they would have no way of calling 911. Like you, the only people that called our home phone were sales people and I finally realized that we were paying for a phone that we never used. I probably waited longer than I should…..I finally just taught my kids how to unlock my phone and call 911 if needed. It felt weird at first but now it was the best decision ever. I should have done it years before!
Bernadine says
First I was like “what a weird and silly topic”. But then… oh my, these comments – WOW! Donyt you use it for your internet or security service provider? Keep it, you can then one day teach your kiddos about rge “old school” way of contacting friends and family. I can just see ashby and Bowen chatting for hours one day…
Allie says
If you have it, I think you should keep it! We ended up getting one after our babysitter (she was 14-years old) came to babysit one day and didn’t have a cell phone (I know, we couldn’t believe a 14-year old didn’t have a phone!)! The first time we left my phone so she could dial my husband, but we decided it was better to be safe than sorry!
Bernadine says
First I was like “what a weird and silly topic”. But then… oh my, these comments – WOW! Do you use it for your internet or security service provider? Keep it, you can then one day teach your kiddos about the “old school” way of contacting friends and family. I can just see Ashby and Bowen chatting for hours one day…
Keisha M Dawson says
We haven’t had a home phone for the past 12 years, but we got one last year. It was ultimately a decision between getting the kids each their own cell phone or getting a home phone. Cell phones for my tween boys scare the crap out of me, so we went with the home phone. They are now old enough to stay home for short periods of time by themselves, and I just feel safer with them having a phone to call me or 911, if needed. We’ll probably get rid of it when we finally bite the bullet and get them their own cell phones, but for now, it works for our family.
B.Y.S. says
We have a home phone since we can’t get a good cellphone signal where we live. Our number is unlisted but a lot of people have our number since that is the main number we have unless we’re out and about then some people do have our cellphone numbers.
Amy
Christie H. says
We still have our landline. I use the cordless when working from home (which is often) but we also still have a wall phone in the kitchen. People poke fun when they visit but we don’t care. A few years back, we spent 6 days with no power due to an ice storm and the landline was a life saver since we couldn’t charge the cell phones. It’s also easier to speak with my grandmother and some of my neighbors who are close in age to my grandmother on the landline.
Danna says
Wow, a lot of comments already on this! I feel 100% the way you do about not being able to let go of our home line! I’m a stay at home mom who is literally home about 80% of the time now that our kiddos are in high school. Maybe my oldest has made me watch too many world ending movies and I feel like that if the cell towers went out, we would still have contact with our land line. Hee Hee! Maybe its nostalgia…growing up with one and the old rotary phones. Dating myself but I just can’t give it up.
When business, people,organizations or websites (that I just don’t feel comfortable with) ask for a phone number instead of giving my personal cell number, I give them my home phone number!
Ok, I forget my cell phone at home a lot or leave it in the car after I get home because I’m hauling in groceries, etc. In an emergency the school can still contact me via the home phone.
Teens will ignore your calls and texts especially if they have chores to do so I can call the home phone and after the answering machine picks up, I can still talk to them or ask (yell) for them to pick up their phone! (sigh!)
My husband would let it go in a second but thankfully understands my wanting to keep it. Everyone says its like ripping a bandaid off but this one I’m okay with leaving on! (wink wink)!
Yvette says
The only reason we kept our home phone was for emergency purposes for our boys. They were old enough to stay home by themselves for bits of time but still didn’t have cell phones. Fast forward to now and both have cell phones, but Cox says it’s still cheaper on our bill to have the home phone because of the bundle. Ugh. So we still have it but it isn’t ever used.
Jody says
We didn’t have one for years & then just got one again last year. Simply for the kids to be able to call us if we are on a date night… basically just for safety.
Lori says
Keep it! You can call the phone company and get a low rate without all of the bells and whistles. Basic phone service without caller ID, etc… Sounds like the same conversation at our house, but I’m keeping it. I want 911 to know exactly where to go if I need them. I don’t want my cell phone number pinging off some cellphone tower. I want them to know my address.
Laura says
I don’t have a landline, and I have been stressing about getting one! Here are my reasons and my solution:
We have two kids (ages 8 & 5) who are left with grandma and/or babysitters at times. If for any reason my kids need to call 911, I wanted them to have a way. My husband was completely against it.
My solution… add a line to our cell phone plan and our “house phone” is a cell phone. I am not worried about towers being down; I am worried about my kids having a way to call for help when I’m not there, if needed.
Stacy says
We use and adapter and Google Voice for our landline. I think the adapter is around $30 (one time charge) and Google Voice is free. I’m really pretty clueless about it all, my husband is into technology and set it all up. Research if you’re interested in keeping a landline.
Heather says
KEEP! Like others above, my opinion changed a few years ago when I took my kids to tour a fire station. During the “what to do in an emergency” lesson the firefighters gave the parents a polite but stern warning to KEEP home phone lines for emergency situations. Just like in above comments. If the cell phone isn’t quickly accessible or dead battery or locked up, it delays your ability to call 911 quickly. Their biggest reason why we should keep it though was because our home phone lines quickly display our location while cell phones do not. They had seen too many situations where a caller could not be easily found because they were calling from a cell phone. I view it like insurance. Small price to pay if it can help save my kids and family in an emergency!
Katie says
I still have a landline, and the number one reason is so my elementary school aged kids can give that number to friends and not my cell phone. When kids want to talk to my kids (who don’t have cell phones), I don’t want them blowing up my cell. I also like the reliability of the landline vs cell. Luckily for me, my husband’s employer requires him to have a landline, so I just throw that out when people say accusingly, “you still have a landline?!”
Marti says
Still have a landline for many reasons: (1) It is bundled with our internet and cable so it doesn’t cost much to have it. (2) I live in a small town/rural area and sometimes the cell coverage can be a bit spotty. (3) My parents are elderly and have health problems. I’m afraid if we went to cell phones only, I would not hear the cell in the middle of the night OR I would have ringer off. (4) I HATE talking on a cell phone–much prefer a landline. (5) Don’t want to have my cell phone near me at all times so I can hear it. (Is there a way to get a cell phone ringer to ring loudly through out a house?) (6) Still a bit anxious about having cell phones only and the power be off for a long time. I’ve scene enough post-apocalypse movies to know that isn’t a good thing. LOL
Jennelle says
Don’t cancel! What happens when friends start calling your kids? Are you going to hand over your cell phone? We have an Ooma phone, which lets us keep a landline and all we have to pay each year is taxes (like, $12). I think it was $200ish initially, but now…$12! I love that I have a number I can give out for things that is NOT my cell phone. (You don’t want solicitors calling that!)
Seriously, though – look into the Ooma. 🙂
MelanieL says
Similar to others, we still have our home phone because our kids are of the age where they can stay home for a little while by themselves but don’t yet have cell phones. We could get a house cell that would eventually become theirs but I feel like the reliance on that being the only way I could reach them or vice versa is only as good as the battery life, on/off, etc. I know the time will come but I’m just not comfortable with it while I have still have middle school age kids at home. Great topic!!
Kara says
I say cut the cord! I did it last year. I had held on to it for faxing (which hardly ever happens anymore) and my alarm. I switched to an alarm company that runs without a landline, and I’ve been happy with that decision.
Now, I can NEVER find my cellphone, but having a land line didn’t really help that because my phone lives on silent. I did get a new device for christmas to help that problem. It was on Oprah’s favorite things list, and it is now my favorite thing. It’s an Orbit Key finder. I don’t have a problem finding my keys, but there is a reverse function where you press a button on your keychain, and it makes your phone ring, even if it is on silent! https://us.hbutler.co/en_us/orbit/
Kelly Testerman says
The struggle is real!!! We are building a new house right now and even though we don’t have a home phone in our old one, we are making sure to have a land line in our new one. Here are my reasons: 1) I don’t want my kids having a cell phone too young. So, they want to call one of their friends? sure, use the house phone! I don’t want them giving their friends my cell number, but they can give out our home phone and chat away! 2) when my oldest child is finally old enough to babysit her younger brothers. I’m seriously looking forward to my daughter being old enough for this so my husband and I could sneak away for a quick dinner here and there! That being said, i would never feel comfortable doing that if she didn’t have access to a phone to dial 911 if needed. Which leads me to 3) If she does dial 911- they can find us! We live out in the country and knowing 911 could track our location just makes me feel better! If your gut is telling you to keep your landline, don’t let it go! I know lots of people have parted ways, but I see some major benefits for keeping it.
Megan Butler says
I say cancel!!! But my kids are too young to the phone anyway!! But your older two are at the age where you could run down the street if needed so I totally get the necessity of 911!!! Sooo really I am no help!!
Jessica says
I feel the same way you do. I will not give up the house phone. I keep it in case of emergencies. And by emergency, I mean real ones (like fire, etc.) And real ones to me like my cell phone running out of juice. ? Also, my husband and I both have out of town cell numbers. It is nice to have a local number.
Torey says
I say keep it! In case of an emergency you can call 911 and the schools still call our home phone. The last family emergency we had my mom reached me on my home phone because my cell was on silent. I just like the peace of mind knowing I have a backup line.
Vanessa says
We haven’t had a land lines for a couple of years now and we do not miss it, BUT I only got rid of it when my youngest got a cel phone. Now that we all had cel phones, I didn’t see a reason to have a land line. I think if I was in your shoes with a house full of young kids, I would keep my land line for emergencies or for them to use if need be.
Jenna says
Hmmm; I am definitely not the ideal person to answer this question, but I figured I would leave my reply along with the other 165 commenters. 😉 Haha!
I don’t have a cell phone (I’m 14) and love having the “back-up” of a home phone when I’m home alone or with just my siblings at home. Whether I need to check with my parents on something or possibly call 911 (thankfully, that’s never happened! :]), it’s nice to have that option. I don’t know what your plans are for getting your children a cell phone when they are old enough to stay at home with no adult, but I think they should definitely have some form of contact. We actually give our home phone number to a lot of friends, so we don’t worry about it being useless. 🙂
Let us know the results!! 🙂
~Jenna
WendiMcD says
I have 2 very specific reasons for keeping my landline, First, because you are in a major metropolitan area, you probably won’t have this problem, but my niece in California did, and we sure do. When you call 911 from a cell phone, it goes to the nearest cell tower, which then goes to the 911 Service/County closest to that tower. My niece’s fiancee was welding in his garage when something happened and there was a fire. The garage was on fire, and he was on fire. She called 911 from her cell phone and her call went to Riverside City 911. Well, because technically, her home was a part of the Riverside COUNTY fire department, Riverside City 911 transferred the call to Riverside COUNTY. Well guess what happened? The call got dropped, she called 911 again, call was dropped during transfer again, so she finally just put him in her car and drove to the emergency room herself. We live in a rural area in VA, and we have the same problem. When we dialed 911 when our then-2 year old son was bitten by a dog, the nearest cell tower routed the call to the next county over. They transferred the call to our county’s 911 (and our call didn’t get dropped), but what if those couple of minutes were the difference between life and death?? Plus, it takes a while for them to “find” a cell phone, so if you are in a situation where you can manage to dial 911 but cannot speak (i.e. stroke, burglar in the house, etc), they can immediately trace your call to your home. Not so with a cell phone – they can do it, but again, precious minutes wasted.
Sarah says
I am #teamkeepit My reasonings are many but I will lost the top ones for you:
1. We don’t always have the best reception with our cell phones at out house (thanks AT & T) and I can’t stand people saying, “what was that, you are cutting out” I would rather just call them on my home phone so that I know they can hear me.
2. I feel strongly that my children do not need cell phones. It is not a financial issue it is a entitlement issue. Just because every kid in their class has one does not mean you need one. With that said, my kids don’t ask for one. But I like them to have a phone they could call friends, grandparents, prank (just kidding).
3. Lastly, solely for emergency times I just feel safer and it is a small price tag for my feeling safe.
Alexis says
Cancel it! Use the ping feature on your Apple Watch to find your cell phone. I use it 5 times a day for sure!
Cathy says
You are not the only one. I thought we were. I do have a reason though. My mom can’t hear well. If I call her on my cell phone she can’t really understand what I’m saying. If I call her on the landline, she can hear me, sort of. So, since we bundle. It stays. I call my mom every morning and every night. I have to make sure she is ok. I don’t give that number to anyone either and your right. It’s mostly solicitors.
Heidi N says
I say keep it. I still have mine even though no one ever calls it. It’s for my kids. Soon some of your kids will be old enough to stay home alone in a few years and the piece of mind it gives me is worth every cent.
Desirae says
Cancel! I haven’t had a landline since 2003. I just couldn’t justify paying TWO phone bills since I could only use one phone at a time and the cell went with me everywhere I did.
Katie A. says
We have kept our landline, but have switched to ooma. It is much cheaper than the phone service we had with our cable company. The main reason we kept our landline is in case our kids have to call 911 or need to call us (parents) with questions. Our kids are old enough to stay home by themselves, but do not have their own cell phones at this time.
Stephanie says
We cancelled our landline because we were paying $40/month (ridiculous), but we switched our home phone number over to Ooma – an internet based phone service. We had to buy the Ooma unit (around $100) & our monthly bill is $4. It gives our kids without cell phones the ability to stay home & contact us if they need to. It works with our home phones we used with the landline & we get free long distance with it (in case our cell phones are dead & we want to talk to family far away). Call quality is good – very happy with it. Also, I just bought a power backup that I have our router/modem & Ooma plugged into just in case the power goes out – it is supposed to give 5-6 hours of power for those devices in an emergency. So we would have phone service even if the power goes down for a short time (the chief selling point for landlines in my opinion).
Cristin says
I work a lot of early mornings and late nights…and I wanted to be able to wake my husband up in the middle of the night if there was an emergency. He always has his phone on vibrate, and he usually misses calls if the phone is not in his pocket, so we bought a blue tooth house phone. When one of our cell phones rings, it rings through the blue tooth phones throughout the house…even if the cell phone is on silent, the “house phone” rings in the kitchen, the office, our bedroom. It also has a connection to the wall jack so we can call 911. Its a win-win!
Cristin says
I forgot to add, we cut our cable years ago, too. Between the cable and the house phone, we are saving over $100 a month…that is an extra vacation our family every year!!
Amanda says
We have decided to keep our land line phone for the following reasons – 1) in case of an emergency. Not only do I worry that emergency responders would not be able to accurately fine us if we called on our cell, but also, what would happen if something happened to me and my kids needed to call 911 and they couldn’t find my cell? They will always know where our land line is. 2) our land line is connected to our alarm system. 3) our bundled verizon bill would actually go up if we got rid of the land line, so there is no cost savings
I’m very curious to hear what you end up going with!
Lisa Richardson says
You are officially my SOUL SISTER!!! I refuse to give up my land line, but I do talk on it. I hate talking on my cell! I actually hate talking on the phone which is ironic since in my past life I’d spend HOURS talking on the phone as a teen and then when my babies were young using my 20 ft. phone cord so I could talk, cook, change diapers, and clean all while on the phone. I feel like I can never hear good on my cell and I can’t prop it on my shoulder…LOL. AND what if 1996 calls and wants to send you a FAX….then WHAT???
Kate says
Keep it! Much easier to teach children to dial 911 incase of emergency on the home phone. Or if there’s an emergency you can grab and dial versus having to hunt for your phone first since you always know where it it. Plus it traces differently. Good to have as a backup! Better to have and not need than need and not have!
Jill Brown says
I haven’t had a landline for 13 years. No one ever called me so I got rid of it. Once I got married, my husband had no need for one. We have no children. Our 911 service works just fine where we live. Our home alarm is not connected to a phone line. We’re happy campers….no solicitors calling us!
Melissa says
I would say get rid of it, but a conversation with a friend recently has me thinking. My friend has two daughters, ages 9 and 11 I believe. They are just starting to get old enough to stay home alone for a few minutes but are not old enough for her to get them cell phones. She said she ended up buying a cheap cell phone to use as a home phone because she needed her daughters to be able to call her if they were home alone and needed her or needed to check in or anything. So I would think about what your plans are once Kensington and Smith and everyone gets old enough to stay home alone. Will they have cell phones by then or will you need a way for them to be able to reach you when they are home alone?
Colleen @ 50 Days of No Grey says
My friends and I have had the same conversation many times. But considering we all have young children (under 12), if there is ever an emergency and they need to call 911, they can use the landline. The operator also will always know the address where the call is originating from in case the kids can’t remember. It is always in the same place and they will never have to run around looking for mom or dad’s cell phone. But you are right, the only people who call are the telemarketers.
Jenna T says
I would say cancel it! All cell phones have emergency dialing on the home screen that you do not need a code for. Also, if you both have cell phones and misplace one, you can dial it from the other, or from an iPad, or from your Mac using find my iPhone. The only thing I would check is that your landline is not connected to any other systems such as home invasion alarms, as this is sometimes the case. The only reason that my parents still have one in one of their homes is that it is connected to the alarm system. But, you will NOT miss it.
Jodi Guntle says
Keep it. Everyone I know who ditched it gets solicitor calls on their cell. Personally I’d rather all those tunnel through the home phone, you can turn off the ringer, than come to my cell. I also like having it for online orders or library reminder calls that sort of thing. I don’t give my cell phone out to business’ so having a landline is useful for that. Our internet, tv, and phone are bundled together and we would pay more that we do currently to drop the phone. Even though we really don’t use it much I won’t get rid of it.
Jodi Guntle says
Also, teaching a child to dial 911 on a landline that always is in the same place verses a cell that could be anywhere is so much easier!
Meredith Gaddy says
I felt the same way until we pulled the plug and got rid of it about 3-4 years ago…and we haven’t looked back one single time! We truly haven’t missed it at all! Just do it! 🙂
Kelly Miller says
I think my opinion may differ from everyone else. Hear me out…… I think landlines are awesome. I love to “un-plug” from technology-every evening as well as on weekends. It is much easier to do this knowing if something urgent was to happen , my family or friends could call my landline. it gives me no excuse to go check my phone, to take time away from my babies. I tell everyone- past 5pm & on the weekends. If you have something important you need to tell me- call the home phone, if you don’t reach me there…then call my cell. We may be out and about! There are still a few positives to a landline.
Louise says
As so many have said, after I had my son a few years back I got my land line back for 911 purposes only. I was concerned that in the event of an emergency either myself or a sitter would not be able to locate their phone to call 911 quickly, not to mention in my town the police can locate the address from which the call is being made. I have a 12 dollar a month plan and don’t use the phone at all otherwise. It rings constantly with solicitations and I just don’t answer it. It’s worth it for the peace of mind.
Brittany S says
I am exactly the same way! Our landline drives me crazy, but I’m too nervous to cancel it. Our cell phone service is not super reliable and drops a lot of calls, so having the landline in case of an emergency makes me feel better.
Kristen Taylor says
So, this has been a debate in my house and I looked into it because I thought about cancelling as well. Here is what I found…and I haven’t read the comments so maybe others have said this, but the reason I am keeping my landline is because if you need to call 911 for whatever reason and you are unable to speak your address they can find you much easier when calling from a landline rather than calling from a cell phone. They are able to determine your location much faster than if they have to find where your cell phone is pinging from. That is the SOLE reason I keep my landline. Maybe that has changed since the last time I looked into it, but I do know that that was once the case.
Bernie says
Cant. Read. More. Comments.
Please tell us the verdict tomorrow about how many said keep it or let it go? Unfortunately
Angie says
We still have ours and the kids know to use it in case of an emergency. We also use it often to find our missing cell phones. If it’s not costing you much, I say keep it for the peace of mind!
Kelly Henderson says
Keep it .. if for nothing else, to give out to every store that asked for your phone number to sell it to those solicitors. I would 100% rather our home phone get those calls than my cell phone! Also we have a 10 and 13 year old who stay home alone after school. The 13 year has a cell phone but she’s not always willing to share with her brother. If you’re planning to get your kids cell phones sooner rather than later, it’s a non issue. We were those hold-out parents who finally got our daughter one for her 12th birthday as she was entering 7th grade, she was the LAST one in her class to get a cell phone by at least a year. Her brother will be waiting until then too! Like some others have said, ours in bundled with our internet and TV provider so it would cost us money in the end to let it go.
Kelly McNellis says
Cut the (phone) cord and move on! You will save yourself some money in the long run and won’t have to listen to annoying solicitors. 🙂
gina says
We have kept a home phone for only one reason…our children. We have two boys ages 13 and 15. I feel more secure when they are home alone that they have an additional way of contacting us or calling 911 in case of emergency. Besides that I would cancel in a heartbeat.
Samantha says
Cancel! Unless you have a bundle package with tv/internet where it would end up making your bill more.
Lindsay @ Lindsay's Sweet World says
SHAY!!!! I feel the exact same way! We still have our landline and I just can’t bring myself to get rid of it even though we NEVER use it. I’m so afraid the second we do get rid of it, my cell phone will die and I’ll have an emergency and I won’t have a phone to use! Lol. I know, that’s crazy!
Pam says
So funny you should post this today! I just called Comcast this week and told them I’m ready to lose the home phone. I’m soooo tired of solicitors! They talked me out of it for the reasons you suggested and gave me $30 one year credit to offset the non-published fee to ward off solicitors. They obviously don’t want to lose the service, and it would have only decreased my overall bill b $10 since we are in a bundled package. THEN….we re-evaluated our TV package and we ended up get all the premium networks (Showtime, Cinemax, HBO, etc) and my bill went down by $20/month. Bahaaaa! So it’s good to call and negotiate. BTW, hope you had a great stay here in Utah this last weekend! It was yucky inversion, but hopefully beautiful ad fun for you!
Alicia F says
We actually are wanting to get one! I think it is like $10 extra a month and I want one for safety reasons! My cellphone is locked due to my work email, so if there was an emergency, my kids (8 and under) would have a hard time opening it. The oldest knows the code, but I doubt he remembers it now. Purely for emergency reasons, I want one. We talked about getting it and just turning off the ringer. We can call out, but we would not hear the solicitors!! I vote KEEP.
Hillary Kinzel says
Because our internet, tv, and home /office phones are bundled it doesn’t save much to cancel. Also, I have taught my kiddos to dial 911 from land line because it pinpoints exact location. Per fireman who did my last CPR class, dialing 911 on a cell phone does not guarantee you are speaking to closest dispatch and you need to be able to give your location. Also, my kids are getting close to the age to be left home alone for short times. I want them to have the home phone to be able to call my cell phone if they needed. It might change in the future but for now we will keep it.
Leticia says
We have kept ours. For most of the reasons stated above, 911, for the kids’ use… And also, with most of the family getting rid of their land lines, it’s good for us to have one in emergencies. We’ve had the same number for 25 years and even though no one can rattle off any cell numbers, most family knows our house number. My s-i-l was mugged a few years ago, got hit pretty hard, and when people were helping her the only numbers she could provide were ours and an uncle who still have house phones! That sealed it for me, we’re keeping it, just bundled it with the internet/TV.
Lauren Solarsh says
KEEP KEEP KEEP did I mention KEEP! There is one main reason that keeping a house phone is worthy every penny. Emergency! Last March my husband had a seizure in the middle of our high rise hallway in Downtown San Diego, CA. I was in complete shock and didn’t even know where to start not to mention run considering we were on the 20th floor. Its not like I could run outside for help. Luckily our close friends were with us and dialed 911 from a cell. They were on the phone for at least 2 min before connecting to a dispatcher. Meanwhile a thoughtful neighbor had heard me scream and dialed 911 from a house. They had called and hung up with 911 before our friends cell phone even got through. I am not sure about Dallas but here land lines are still by FAR the quickest way to reach 911 for emergency. I am sure you would agree this is completely worth the $9.99/month! Good Luck!
Tanya M says
Agree with those smart thinkers saying that your kids don’t have a cell phone,
so if there ever was an emergency and they would need to call 911 they would be out of luck with a home phone if they couldn’t reach or access your cell. You have 4 kiddos that won’t have cell phones for quite some time. That reason alone should convince you to keep that landline.
I am one of those who continually debates with my husband who wants to cancel the landline.
Call your provider and get the bare bones plan and ask for an awesome deal on it. My hubby just did this and got a great deal. The landline is here to stay. ?
Tracy says
Let it go! 🙂
Coleen says
So, I’m 28 and I had this conversation with my dad literally last night — why do he and my mom still have a home phone? And not only a home phone, but a NON-CORDLESS PHONE! I work at a school, and the only time I am happy that someone has a home phone is when I need to call a student’s parents and I’m not sure if I should call mom or dad, so having a home phone solves that problem – whoever picks up gets the report on the child! But, now that my sister and I are grown, I don’t see them having a need for a home phone (especially one with a cord that is attached to a wall!). But, since you have kiddos, maybe the fellow educators out there will agree that having a home phone doesn’t make us choose which parent we have to go to 🙂
Julie says
We don’t have one, but here is why I (almost) wish we did. We have two small kiddos-and although it’s not often, we will have a sitter come-sometimes it’s a paid sitter we use, sometimes it’s just grandma or grandpa. Once, my dad was over babysitting and forgot his phone. Another time, our sitter texted to let us know her phone was going to die. I quickly reminded her where we kept our chargers and to please plug her phone in. In either of those instances, especially if our charger hadn’t been compatible with our sitters phone, we wouldn’t have been able to contact the person watching our children, nor would they have been able to reach us to ask questions, or have had an emergency. In these cases, there is value in a landline because no one can ever leave it at home by mistake or let it go dead. I think I just convinced myself to call and set one up 🙂
Laura says
My husband and I do not currently have a landline because it is just us two and we live in an apartment. However, if I lived in a house your size with so many kids, I would definitely have a landline, with at least one phone on each floor in case of emergency – if you or one of the kids faints or falls and one of the other kids needs to call 911, you do not want them to have to run around the house searching for a cell to use. If you would save a lot of money by canceling then I still think you are safe to cancel, but you would not want to have to call 911 and be unable to locate a cell.
Melynda says
I don’t have a landline, but wish I did. My reason is for my kids. My oldest is 9, so I don’t leave them home alone yet, but it won’t be long before I’ll be ok with the idea of leaving him home for 20-30 minutes while I run to do a quick errand. I don’t plan on giving him a cell phone by that age (I know, I’m old school in my feelings on that), so I’d like for him to have access to a phone just in case he needed to call me or someone else. I also would prefer he (and my other kids) start talking to friends on a landline without as much privacy as a cell phone allows. I know that’s not normal these days, but I think it was helpful to my parents to be able to hear what my siblings and I were talking to friends about when we were 11 and just starting to talk on the phone a lot.
Anne says
Keep it! Landlines are much easier for 911 to track and locate your emergency than a cell phone! In an emergency, it would be helpful to know where exactly you can find a phone if you’re anything like me and always throwing your phone down somewhere (on a counter, furniture, etc)…
Tracie Richey says
I didn’t read ALL the comments before mine but in skimming, I don’t see anyone else mention that like us they don’t have ANY phone jacks in the walls at all. The last house we lived in had phone jacks and I find them not only ugly but difficult to cover. I was trying to explain to my kids that telephones and computers at one time had to be plugged in and they did not understand at all. I guess the decision has been made for us – we’re not going to have a landline installed in a rental home. Also we always have more than 4 lines on our phone plan so if I had to, I could just keep calling one line after another …
Angela hunter says
We got rid of our home phone(land line) 6 months ago ; can’t say I miss it at all!
Sara W says
We have a dedicated home phone number, but we go through a internet phone provider instead of the old school landline. It allows easy access to a phone in case of emergency, with wireless phones propped in several rooms of the house. If someone calls, it not only rings on the house phone but also our two cell phones. We rarely miss a call that way, which is a huge plus. I feel confident our kiddo’s school could reach us asap if they ever needed to. If we are unable to answer a call that comes through, the voicemail is emailed in both text and audio format to both my hubby and myself. It’s been a great option for us, and we wouldn’t be in a hurry to swap to our cells only. Only downside — it doesn’t work when your home internet connection is down. That said, it would still work via the cell app, so you wouldn’t need to miss any calls/voicemails.
Anne says
I had the same debate not long ago. I added up what I would save every year if I disconnected it and that was all info I needed. I haven’t regretted it for a minute and haven’t had one need for it since cancelling!
Catherine Silver says
We have a home phone number mainly for emergencies. If, God forbid something happens, I want my kids to be able to pick up a phone and call 911. I don’t want them to have to find my phone, unlock it, hope they have sevice…plus calling from a land line, I think the 911 knows the address. Until my kids are older, 7.5 and 5 now, we will have a land line. Also, since I rarely get service in my house, I like that I can make calls out with the land line,but I never give out that number.
Kelly says
Keep it! We had a friend and her son was choking, she didn’t have her cell phone on her, couldn’t think of where it was in that moment but was still able to call 911 because she had a home phone. I have also heard that if you call 911 but are unable to speak they can get your location from a home phone within seconds, it takes a bit to get it with a cell phone. We have a land line, it actually makes our Internet bill cheaper to have it. I have a phone in the basement, main floor and master bedroom but have the ringers turned off because no one had that number but me and my husband so I know I’m not missing any important calls. And yes, with a husband that travels it is the ONLY way I can find my cell phone some mornings lol
Andrea says
Keep it for emergencies! Put your number on the national Do Not Call registry and that eliminates telemarketers. The companies have 30 days to remove you from their lists. It took almost 60 days but now I get at most 2 calls a week and I answer the phone and if you ask to be removed they are required by law to remove you. I get very very few telemarketers anymore!
Terry says
We have a landline through the internet via a service called Ooma. Relatively inexpensive, but worth it. My youngest is 10 and he uses it all the time to call me when I’m out. Sometimes he stays home alone for a bit and I need him to have a way to contact me. He also uses it when he’s home with his dad and wants to talk to me. He’s too young for a cell like his brothers so we will keep it for now.
Monica says
Keep it! I canceled ours for a year or so and found myself in so many situations wishing that I had it back! I bundled and I think ours is $9/month now so I think it’s well worth being able to call 911 and them actually pinpointing where you are…… with cell phones they can’t. My kids are teenagers now and stay home alone at times and it’s my little insurance policy to make sure they can call out for emergencies! Plus, I do hate having a cell phone up to my head constantly…. yes, I’m one of those crazy people!
Courtney Cammarano says
So, here’s the thing for me.
#1 (and to your point): Practically the only people who call on the home phone are solicitors. If I don’t have a home phone, guess which number they’re going to call on. Certain stores, websites, etc. ask for a phone number to sign up or enroll in rewards programs or what have you. That’s the number they get so when it gets out on calling lists (and it will get out), they go to the “junk” phone. And don’t tell me about the Do Not Call list. Reputable solicitors respect that list; disreputable ones and scammers do not. If they did, they wouldn’t be disreputable.
#2: The cost for my home phone is all bundled into the price of my internet/cable/home security. If I cancelled the service, my bill would actually go UP. I know this because I have asked and I have actually done it before. It is cheaper for me to keep it. And serves its purpose by catching all the junk calls.
Nancy says
Keep it and transfer it to another cell line. It costs us $10 a month through Verizon and we kept our original home number. No biggie. We give that number out all the time. I don’t like putting all my chickens in one basket…..
sascha says
I haven’t read the other comments but i would definitely keep it – especially for emergencies. I’ve read too many stories of emergency situations where the cell phone call to 911 didn’t route correctly and those few precious minutes of a delay created more problems. Especially with Ashby, it’d be important. Just having kids and possible emergency situations – if you called 911 from home phone it’s the best option.
Brittney says
As someone who does not have a home phone anymore BUT can never find their cell phone…
https://www.callmylostphone.com/
LIFESAVER 😉
Kristen says
I say keep it!!! When we built our house a few years ago my builder looked at me like I was crazy when I asked about a land-line. For me it’s as simple as I think I can hear more clearly on that than my cell so even though no one really calls my land-line (except drs offices), if I’m home I ALWAYS use it to return calls. Hope we all hear you keep it! ?
Randi says
I love that this is your Tuesday Talk! Soooo – my husband is in technology and as a matter of fact works with phone/internet/VOIP (voice over internet) “stuff”. FOREVER he has been talking (threatening) to take away our landline. He kept telling me we didn’t need it and trying to persuade me that we are the only ones that have a landline, etc..etc..
Finally about 18 months ago we compromised. We have what I “think” is a “landline” – it’s really a handset phone that plugs-in and I have cordless phones but it is really a line that is VOIP (voice over the internet). My biggest thing was the 911 service and we have that and are able to have that. WE payed $10 total for 3yrs for the 911 service. I have no idea how it all works or what is what…but I will say I have phones that look like landline phones, they ring like a home phone, it has it’s own number that is the same as our old number.
After seeing this today though I am thinking I mmmmaaaaayyyy be ready to totally get rid of the home phone. It has been a process.
Laura says
I personally think since you have children that one day they may need to call 911 and what would they use? 🙂
Sasha says
I was a little reluctant to cancel ours a few years ago, but took the leap and NEVER looked back! You won’t miss it…because solicitors will still call your cell phone! ?
Keely says
Wow. A lot of people have opinions on this! No home phone here, and after a remodel last year–no jacks either. Of course, we didn’t notice this until after the fact. ?
Josie says
So many reasons to keep it!
1. Security and 911
2. Main phone for store reward cards
3. Children having access to a phone and can call for help etc
3 main phone for basic reminder calls – doctor appt, pharmacy ready for pick up, library reminder, school etc. I like that there is a “family” line and it isn’t stored on someone else’s phone or text.
4. I want this for as my kids get older that there is a Main line for their friends to call. They learn how to answer a phone and there are no secrets or hidden calls or texts.
That is just me!
Kellie says
I still have one too!!! I used to have the reason that my alarm was tied to it, but now it isn’t….I keep it anyway. I mean you never knew we might need a land line one day right??? 😉
Terri says
My parents have some “thing” worked out with their phone company where they have a landline, but it only accepts incoming calls. They cant call out (except for 911), but I can call them if for some reason they arent answering their phones or the cell service is spotty. I think it costs them about a 1.50 a month?
Kelly says
We canceled our home phone about five years ago. I haven’t missed it at all except that I had to get my youngest daughter a cell phone earlier than I would have because I had to have a way to communicate with her when I was away from home. And even now, with two kids in college and a ninth grader, I still have to remember to tell them to turn their ringers on before I leave the house. It’s been a learning curve, but I love not having to pay for a home phone.
Melanie Bostwick says
We’ve held on to ours…we have kids that are old enough to stay home for a short period of time but not old enough to have a cell phone. This lets our kids reach us when we run to the store or are gone for a little while. Because if they had an emergency and couldn’t call 911, what would they do?
Lexi Gerrickson says
I have struggled with this so much. One of the dumbest reasons is that all my (not sure what word to use here) rewards cards? for stores are associated with my home number. I know that won’t change but I keep thinking what happens if someone else gets my number and then we get all mixed up. Yes I realize how completely illogical this is but I can’t help it. We actually cancelled our landline for about 72 hrs and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I’m not sure why I can’t give it up. I called the phone company and begged them to find my number (and after way too much trouble) I did get the number back. My husband says the exact same thing as Andrew… we don’t need it and only solicitors call. Ever. But I also think about my kids and even though I’m sure someday they will have their own cell phones, I want their friends to be able to call them without having to use my cell number. Most of the time (well, honestly all of the time) if their friends want a play date the mom calls/texts me and eventually their friends will use their cell phones to plan things but I just can’t seem to give it up. I do tell my husband that in an emergency you are supposed to use a landline. Thank goodness he loves me enough to ignore this ridiculous reason.
Kay says
I have a landline so that my slightly older children can call me when I’m not there, or so I can call them. I have eight children, and only two of them are old enough to have cell phones. Plus it would be way too expensive to buy everyone their own! I love having the landline and don’t want to go without it. Keep it if you love it. Who cares what everyone else is doing.
KFed says
We keep our home phone because of our kids. 12 and 14 years old. The 14 years old has a phone but gets it taken away for behavior or misuse. So I feel more comfortable knowing they have a way to get ahold of me or call 911 if it’s an emergency.
Sharon says
I LOVE our home phone and won’t be getting rid of it. For some reason, I like talking on it better. It’s more comfortable. But, that said, I just make calls out. No one calls it. Our free alarm system by the HOA also requires a home phone and our home phone runs off of our internet so the cost is really low! I say keep it :-). Also, we aren’t going to be giving our kids cell phones until they are pretty old so will be good for them.
Michelle says
Let it go!! Unless it’s bundled with your internet or cable and it would be more expensive to get rid of it- I don’t see the need for one. We actually added a line to our cell phone plan for only $10 – got a free cheap phone- and we keep that one in our house as a “home phone” for emergencies. Our kids aren’t old enough to need it yet, but we figure if for some reason the babysitter needs to use it, etc. That way it’s there just in case. Much cheaper than having a regular home phone!
Kerri Jones says
We have a land line but only because it came with our bundle. We don’t even own a home phone to plug in…do they even make them anymore HA! 🙂
Jennifer S says
Keep
1. Emergencies
2. For young kids to use before getting cell phone (which is way more expensive) – our land line is $10/month
3. Bundle packages
4. For elderly relatives to reach you – since we bought my husband’s parents home, we still have the original phone number. This is the only number many great aunts, uncles, long-lost cousins, etc. know. We get messages to pass on to our side of the family constantly.
Jill says
I am 33 and got a land line about 2 years ago after being without for years. I was frustrated with my cell phone being unreliable and dropping important calls at home (a number of times when I was talking to my children’s daycare provider, the pediatrician, etc). I also had a babysitter over one time and realized she didn’t have a cell phone. I had no way to get ahold of her and she had no way to call in an emergency other than go to a Neighbor’s. It made me very uncomfortable. I ended up going with Ooma and we use it infrequently but it is nice to have as a backup and as insurance in the event of an emergency. I always know where the phones are so if someone had to call 911 and the cell phones were who knows where, there are two house phones available. My brother in law laughed at me when we got it. Whatever, it is worth it to me for the peace of mind and convenience when needed. Also I don’t get any solicitations on the phone whatsoever.
Courtney B says
First off- you are adorable and I love you! Second- keep your landline! I am only 25 and have had a new apartment every couple of years and let me tell you, setting up a landline phone is ANNOYING, but my mom has always made me do it. She says that should there be an emergency that your landline is the one thing that is always in the same place and never out of battery!! It is a lot easier to find a landline phone than a cell phone which could be dead or have no service!! 🙂
Heather says
I still have one. We live in the country and my kids don’t get cell phones until they are driving. I like the peace of mind knowing that I can go to town, leave my kids at home, and we can call each other or they can dial 911 in case of an emergency.
kristen says
we still have our landline. i have kiddos who are old enough to be home alone for short periods of time but who do not have cell phones. it is definitely for peace of mind. i can get in touch with them, they can call me, and they have access to 911 if needed. plus i do not like talking on my cell phone. if it know it’s going to be a long conversation, i totally use my landline. it is part of our bundle with internet and tv as well so i see us keeping the landline for years to come.
Catherine says
We are keeping ours because I have kids that are old enough to leave home by themselves but don’t all have cellphones. So we use it all the time to call our kids at home. Sometimes, I might run late getting home when school is out so I have my kids call me as soon as they get in the house.
Lisa says
Smart911, sign up for it. We don’t have a landline, but I wish we did so my young children could call 911 and the dispatcher would automatically know their location. My solution was signing up for Smart911. You enter your home address, description of your house, who lives in your house, any special medical needs they may have and you can even upload a picture of your child(ren) incase it is needed for a missing child. When you call from your cell phone 911 automatically has all your information as if you were calling from a landline (and more!).
Lindy says
Keep your land line in case of emergency! Our cell phones are locked and what if they are high up or in my purse and my kids can’t find my cell phone to call 911?? Plus with having three kids and babysitters, I feel more comfortable there’s three land line phones all over the house if there cell phone were to die. Also – my daughter is almost 7 and when she wants to start Calling friends I really don’t Want to be fielding all of my kids calls on my cell!
Sandy Manning says
I keep one for emergency reasons as many have stated. But I take it one step further. We have a cordless phone on our landline but I also have an old phone that just plugs into the jack so if calls couldn’t go out wireless (say due to a power outage), we can still plug that phone in to use.
Halley says
I am a 911 Dispatcher. You can still make emergency 911 phone calls even if you don’t have phone service. Any phone that is plugged into a jack for a land line call dial 911 regardless if there is phone service to the phone or not. So in essence, if you are only keep the home phone service for 911 emergencies, than you could still cancel the phone service and just have a phone plugged in and still have the ability to call 911 directly and they will receive all of your address information immediately. 🙂