By
eHow Personal Finance Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Step1
Call your telephone company to see if they offer a package where you can pay one price for long-distance charges. Most families will spend more money making long distance calls than calling locally. Sign up for the package that best fits your needs and your budget.
Step2
Limit your family's phone usage if your family's budget cannot meet the prices of the advertised packages. Limit phone calls to a certain numbers of minutes per call. Also, you can purchase a calling card for members of your family and allow them so many minutes per month as well.
Step3
Research cell phone plans and packages to find out if it would be easier for members of your families to own cell phones. Most companies now offer family plans where all members can have phones and call each other for free. Also there are several companies that offer "in calling" where individuals can call other individuals who have the same phone company for free.
Step4
Use toll free numbers instead of long distance numbers when needed. This will avoid long distance charges as well.
Step5
Email or send a letter to the person you are calling if it is not urgent to contact them. Sending an email or letter is actually cheaper than making the phone call.