With the expansion of cell phones and their ever decreasing costs, a lot of people wonder whether it’s better for their budget to have just a cell phone, just a land line phone or both. There is no black and white answer as it all depends on how you use your phone(s). Here are some things to consider:

How Big Is Your Family? - The bigger your family, the better the chance that a land line be a cheaper alternative than cell phones.

How Much Do You Talk? - If you talk a moderate amount, either land lines and cell phones can work as they cost about the same. land lines become a better value the more you talk on the phone

What Is Your Current Lifestyle? - If you are away from home, travel and use your cell phone as your main contact phone, then it’s worthwhile considering whether or not you need a land line at all. On the other hand, while a cell phone may be convenient, you should consider if it’s truly necessary for the amount it costs.

Reliability - Cell phones have vastly improved over the years, but they still aren’t quite at the level of land line phones when it comes to reliability. There are also 911 emergency call issues.

Battery Life - While battery life for cell phones continues to improve, they still may need to be recharged on a regular basis which can cause problems.

Wireless Contracts - Land line phones don’t have long term contacts. Many cell phones require a long term contract and if you cancel your contract subscription early, it can mean penalties in the hundreds of dollars.

Locating You - There isn’t a centralized directory for finding cell phone numbers. This means that someone who doesn’t have your cell phone number may not be able to contact you if you don’t have a land line. This can be positive or negative depending on your perspective.

Summarized from Cell Phone or Land Line