Since we’ve been married (3.5 years!), we’ve lived away from friends and family.  We’ve also moved 2 times in those 3.5 years, and have lived in 4 different provinces (don’t try to do the math!).  SO, we have lot of people to connect with.

I’m not sure what the telephone plans are like where you live, but I know where we live and with the amount we make, it’s expensive.  If you’re paying for internet, and cable and all that good stuff (which we’re not!) on top of that, then you have even more to pay!

But you still want to talk to friends and family.  I hear ya.  I really do.  Enter: iChat and Skype.

Both of these are great because not only can they help you connect with loved ones, but they are FREE!  

If you are mac lovers like we are, the iChat is a feature that automatically comes on your computer.  Our laptop has a built in webcam which is brilliant, and very helpful.  When you’re signed into iChat you can see if someone is online (green), if they’re idle (yellow) or offline (red).  If you have a mac, you can use iChat.  As far as I know, if you don’t have a mac, you’re out of luck.  But hold on, I’ll get to you PC-lovers soon!  For those of you with a mac,   

Then there’s Skype.  Skype is very similar to iChat.  You can download Skype to your computer by clicking here, and it will prompt you to choose what you need.  Follow its instructions.  With Skype you can type-chat to others, you can voice-chat, and you can video-chat!  For more info on how to find friends or family, go here.  You can make calls from your computer to a land-line or mobile phone, but that costs you money.  To call computer to computer is free.  Something you need to watch out for on skype is people who are not on your list "calling" you.  Sometimes sketchy phone calls will try to come through.  Simply disconnect the call, and don’t answer it and you’ll have no problems.  Now, if you want to talk to people you don’t know, that’s your prerogative…

Of course, you can sit around waiting for people to come online, or you can make "dates" to meet up with people so that you know they’ll be online.  This has been especially helpful for people I know who have significant others in other parts of the country or world.  

And if you have children, it’s a great way for grandparents who don’t live nearby to see the kiddies grow!  My parents love to see my niece and nephew on the webcam and weekly spend time on iChat chatting to them.  

Have you tried either iChat or Skype?  How do you find them?  Do you have another way of keeping in contact with loved ones through the virtual world? 

*And no, I don’t get anything out of this for promoting the products.  But I’m still sharing.  

It works for me!