Cell Phones vs. Landlines

Thinking of giving up your home phone for a Razr or Sidekick? Don't disconnect just yet.

Cell phones offer a great deal more than landlines--but there is a price. While a consumer can subscribe to a typical landline company and have unlimited incoming calls, a cell phone user cannot. All minutes used during cell phone calls are deducted from the total amount of minutes allotted in a particular cell phone plan. The plan treats incoming and outgoing calls the same way when tallying your bill.

Tip: To avoid additional fees, a keep track of minutes you've used.

Although many landline plans have unlimited outgoing calls for a set fee each month (except, often, international calls), you can't take it with you--so it's a good idea to have both a landline and cell phone.