Anyone who has been a college student or has a child in college understands how much of a challenge it can be to save money while working your way through school. Even with a scholarship, you still have to have money set aside for food, gas, fun and living expenses, including your phone bill. That's why many students are choosing to use Internet -based phone services to help them keep in touch with friends and family back home. These cost-effective solutions allow students to make free (or at the very least, inexpensive) calls that can make that high monthly long distance bill a thing of the past. There are several options to choose from depending on your needs.

One option available to you is to use an Internet phone service that works using your computer. If you use your computer, the only additional hardware you need is a headset or a microphone/speaker combination. Then, all you do is fire up your favorite internet calling software program and you'll be able to speak and hear the person on the other end. Most software allows you to call landline phone numbers, though some might charge a fee for this. You can also place calls to other computers and this is usually a service that is offered free of charge. This can be a great option for people who both have computers and the appropriate hardware on both ends of the call. You get all the benefits of crystal clear calls without having to pay expensive long distance bills. And even if your service charges a fee for calling to a landline phone, the fees are usually much cheaper than what you would pay using your local phone company.

The other option is to use an Internet phone service that works using an actual stand alone phone...either your regular phone or a specialized phone made to work with such systems. You local phone company might already offer this service, making it pretty easy to switch over. In addition, there are several companies that specialize in providing only Internet-based phone service that you can easily switch over to, including keeping your existing phone number. Typical prices for these types of services are anywhere from $15 to $30 per month, depending on the plan you choose.

Of course, with prices so low, you might be concerned that the quality will suffer or be much worse than a traditional phone. However that's far from the case. In fact, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between calling on a regular phone versus calling via the Internet, especially if you're using a broadband Internet connection, which most companies recommend (and some require).

All in all, using the Internet as a means for placing calls and keeping touch with family back home can be a great option for the cost-conscious student. Gone are the days when you have to hunt around for the best calling card or be stuck with high per-minute charges for long distance from your local phone company.

If you're interested in learning more about your Internet telephony options, a quick search online will point you towards numerous companies providing this new and exciting service.