Some might say that I have too many phone numbers, or only realize 1 or 2 numbers. However, each number I have serves a purpose. With that said, I will be going into detail of all of the numbers I have, and why I have them. This may not change your perception, but will be there to provide for you to know nonetheless. In case you would wish to know, I am including the cost of each number in case you want a similar situation, or feel I might be spending too much money – although I don’t have to justify my money to anyone except me.
Numbers
- All Phones ($6/month)
- Faxage ($4+/month)
- Home ($4+/month)
- Home 2 ($4+/month)
- iPhone (est. $18/month)
- Razr (free)
- Voicemail ($1/month)
All Phones
This is a private telephone number that will ring my home phone, my iPhone, and my Razr. I only give this number to people that I would reliably expect that they may need it, and I am close enough to call them a friend. Not all of my friends have this number, but this number is only available to family and friends that I think will benefit from having this number. As expected, calling this number will ring all 3 phones at the same time. I don’t pick up, then it will go to my home’s voicemail service.
Faxage
This gives me fax service without having to reactivate my Ooma service. Someone sends a fax to my fax number, and the service will convert it into a .pdf and email it to me. I don’t normally receive faxes, so this is a just in case I need it number.
Home Lines
I have 2 home phone lines. The first one is my main home phone number. This is the number that shows on my contact card in addition to my iPhone number. I also have a second Home phone number for domain registry services. If this number becomes infected with scam calls, I will revert back to the voicemail only number, and phase the second home phone out. Obviously, if I am not home, I can’t answer the phone. In which case, you would leave a voicemail message, and I will return your call when I can.
iPhone
The iPhone is my main telephone, and the phone number I provide to everyone. One might think it might make more sense to provide the “free” phone number I have with my Lifeline provider, but they do not support eSIM, and iPhone 14 Pro in the US is eSIM only. With that said, I have service that I pay $205/year for service, and it meets all of my needs. I could even call Canada, Mexico, and the UK for free. With the iPhone, it is also my music player, and I use bluetooth earphones to support this role while I am out, and about.
Razr
There is at least one app that is not available on iOS, and that app has benefited me every time I used it. However, with it only be available on Android, I needed an Android device to use the app. I didn’t want to give up my iPhone as I prefer that OS more. This forces me to have 2 phones, and therefore 2 phone numbers. While it might not have been worth it if I had to spend $50/month for phone service, this is not the case. Since I live below the poverty line, I qualify for Lifeline. The carrier I chose gives me 3,000 minutes, unlimited SMS, and 4.5GB of data. I don’t even use 3,000 minutes on my primary phone number, so this will be overkill. The Lifeline provider charges $0 for the line, so I only had to buy the phone.
Voicemail
As the name implies, this is a voicemail only number. This number was acquired as I was getting too many scam calls for web design services, and SEO marketing. This was because my telephone number was listed as contact information for my domain registries. A domain owner must provide a valid telephone number in case there are any issues. Since I changed my contact number to the Voicemail line, and closed my infected number, I have receive 0 such calls. Scammers will not give out a means to call them. This is because they know what they’re doing is illegal.