$60 cell phone bills are so yesterday's news! Keep your bills low with Skype and 3G

I've always had this theory that everything man-made in this world can be reinvented in a radically new way. For example, LCD replacing analog TVs, digital cameras replacing Polaroids, and the Tesla Roadster and Chevy Volt replacing conventional gas vehicles. And yet, there's still so much to be reinvented!

Anyway, over the last few days, I've been applying my un-named theory to "reinventing" my finances by trying to replace my cell phone and allowing for easier synchronization with how I live. So after lots of research, I've found a nice setup that is beneficial to anybody. Besides, it's about time I get rid of my old Razr and unreliable but economic T-Mobile phone service.

Imagine this: Instead of using your normal cell phone service and your antique camera phone to call, using a plan less than $50/mo that grants you unlimited minutes with free long distance, a network that covers almost the entire US, voice, text, video, and on occasion, games on a cell phone that's essentially better than the iPhone (and costs less). Oh, and and you'll be Sounds good to me. Probably sounds good to you. So why are we all just listening to it instead of actually living it?

Okay, so it doesn't sound easy to get together. That's because it isn't easy. So here we go:

 Step one: Get Skype. If you already have one, good for you! Now register for their paid service Skype Pro; It'll allow you to call land lines and cell phones in the US and Canada (if you happen to live in the States) and get a number of other features (like voice mail) as well as some nice discounts. Once you get that, get SkypeIn, which gives you you're own personal phone number at the area code of your choice so people can call you at local rates. Both of these services combined cost $8/month, and that's before Skype Pro discounts (60% off SkypeIn service).

Step two: Get the Nokia N800. If you already have one, then you're my new best friend. It has a touch screen, full web browser (Firefox core), mp3 player, stereo speakers, a Linux-based OS, WiFi, a webcam, and tons of other features. Oh yeah, and it has Skype. This phone is essentially another iPhone, but tons cheaper ($225 at Amazon) and it came out about 5 months prior to Apple's pride and joy. The only problem is that you can't get it in a bundle with a cell phone carrier.

Step three: Get a 3G/4G carrier. AT&T has a 3G that covers much of the US for ~$35 ($40 after fees), though I'd wait a couple of months before signing any contracts. Why? Because Sprint, Nokia, Google, Samsung, and other notable companies are making a combined effort to create a Next-Generation network that'll connect the US to the internet like never before! Think of it as a WiFi hotspot that spreads to the entire city. This project is called XOHM (pronounced "zom"), and it's network will be ready for use by the end of this year, delivering speeds from 800kbps to 4mbps, depending on signal strength.

But let's just say that you go with AT&T's current 3G PDA Personal service, paying $42 per month. Now you are connected to the internet almost everywhere you go! It's a good thing you're using the best deal in internet tablets to date, and that phone works with Skype, too! So now, you're paying around $48 per month for unlimited minutes nationwide on the strongest network in the world (and dirt cheap international calls). Oh, and you can call through your Skype account both on your cell phone and your PC or notebook. Definitely worth investing in, no?

By the way, because you'll be using Skype 99% of the time with this system, you can get a cheaper home phone service. You can get rid of it, but then you won't have anyone to call when an emergency arises (i.e., 911). So yeah, this setup is going to save me more than $350 after one year of use.

Can I get an Amen?

Amen!