I have multiple telephone numbers – each with a role to serve. The first is my voicemail telephone number. The second is my toll-free telephone number. I also have a cellular telephone number. And last, I have an SMS number, and a pager number. All together, I pay about $67/month for telephone services.
My voicemail number is a telephone number I had since 2005. Since this telephone number serves multiple roles, I will likely keep this telephone number even if no one calls it. As the name implies, this is a voicemail telephone number, and will never ring my phone. I budget $8/month, and pay monthly.
Next is my toll-free telephone number. Some people may question why a toll-free telephone number, and the answer to that is I do not wish to give my cellular phone number out. I even setup my phone to send unknown callers straight to voicemail. With that in mind, I needed another number that would have used a VOIP app. I could have probably gone with TextNow, and paid less, but with a toll-free telephone number, anyone in the US or Canada can call me as a local call. It also unmasks anonymous callers which is another benefit to me. My toll-free telephone number is budgeted for $15/month, and paid annually.
My cellular telephone number is intended to allow people (who are in my contacts) to call me. They could also use my toll-free telephone number, but many would prefer to call my cellular telephone since I had this number longer than I had my toll-free telephone number. I am using Mint Mobile with their 4GB annual plan. This is $180/year + $25 in taxes. I budget $18 per month for that, and pay annually.
I also have an SMS only telephone number. Calling this number will not yield positive results, and intended for SMS only. This telephone number is $10 every 30 days. This means I lose a day on months with 31 days, and gain 2 days in February. This situation is not ideal, but I will make it work. This number is plugged into my iPhone 12 Pro.
And last is my pager. While some people might joke about the 1990’s wanting their pager back, it actually serves a role. It is provided to people that I would consider as important enough to have the number. If there is an emergency, and they can’t reach me on my telephone, they will use the pager. I will get the page to call their number, and will call as soon as possible. I pay about $14/month and paid annually.