There were lots of responses to our post on the scaled-down tech we have with us (see especially on our Facebook page). Many of the questions focused on phone plans and the like, or what we’d call meta-tech. So we thought we’d do a post on that. This is an area in which are not at all experts, so we’re especially interested in your thoughts and suggestions.
Phones, Etc.
We have an international plan with T-Mobile that gives us unlimited texting and 2 GB of data for $90 a month. We pay $.25 per minute for phone calls, and therefore we don’t use our phones for that. All but the most remote hotels and flats, everywhere, have wireless internet. (This is one of the many ways Airbnb has made things better for travellers like us!) To talk to those at home, we use FaceTime through Apple, or Skype, or Zoom, depending on who has what. We have a personal Zoom account, which is free and allows 40-minute meetings. (Tip: if you run out of time, you can get right back on using the same link.) These all have audio and video options, and work on computers/tablets or phone (most easily through an app). Skype also offers phone service; we use it for toll-free numbers in the U.S. and in-country phone calls. For non toll-free numbers there’s a small per-minute charge.
Streaming Services
We’ve had a Netflix subscription for a long time. Almost everywhere has a version of Netflix, although the offerings differ slightly because of licensing and presumably, interest. Netflix now comes with our T-Mobile plan so we save a few dollars a month that way. We also have Amazon Prime ($139 a year), which gives access to some movies and shows for free or rental. We think Amazon Prime is worth it because we often send presents to people in the US and we then don’t have to worry about postage. (But this post has us reconsidering…) We had intended to get one or another streaming services (e.g. BritBox), for either the short- or the long-term. But everywhere we’ve stayed so far has Netflix, and many flats also have access to a national streaming service. We don’t actually watch that much TV, so we may never run out of stuff to see, especially since the options change as we change countries. And we also have a subscription to Spotify (so does our current flat!). We haven’t tried Apple Music or Apple TV, but are considering both, so if you have any thoughts on these, please let us know.
Books
This one is rough for us. As you might be able to tell, we really like books. And we like them most in their paper form, as god and nature intended. But because books are heavy and we are on the move, we’ve been gradually switching over to electronic formats. We have a Kindle account, and we subscribe to BookBub to get recommendations. (Pro tip: we have a US and a UK Kindle account; books are often inexplicably much cheaper in one currency than the other.) And we have long been fans of Libby, which allows you to check out e-books and audio books from any library of which you are a member.
What meta-tech makes your life easier on the road? What have we missed?
Also consider Kindle Unlimited through Amazon. It’s a throw back to the subscription libraries. You can check out a specific number of books at one time and have them for as long as you want. You return the book and check out another one. All for a flat fee. It’s a great way to explore new authors, subjects and topics you aren’t sure about.
Thanks Kim! We’ve looked at that and not yet committed; still working through the books we have. But it sounds like a great way to get a bunch of books…