Competition has made it easier to save money on phone calls than it was twenty years ago. Telephone providers constantly have to make new enticing offers and lower tariffs in order to keep up with other providers.
But there are even more ways to keep your phone bill as low as possible.

Flat rate and package deals:
Many companies now offer bundled services, telephone, cable TV, DSL Internet, etc. These all-inclusive packages are often much cheaper than if everything was billed individually.
If you make a lot of calls, a telephone flat rate is a good option that allows you to make unlimited calls to landlines. There are various offers, from free weekend calls to free calls to landlines in seven European countries. Think carefully about what type of telephony you are before deciding on a tariff.
If you rarely call and are more likely to be called, it is more worthwhile for you to charge per call.
If you have or want to have cable TV, digital TV, DSL Internet or similar anyway, go to a provider that offers everything in one package. You'll definitely get away cheaper than with individual bills, and you only need to concentrate on one bill instead of four or five.
Always compare the prices of different providers. However, this does not mean that you should constantly switch providers as soon as something cheaper pops up. The competition, and therefore your provider, will have to follow suit sooner or later and you can save yourself the hassle of switching providers.
Avoid long gagging contracts with your provider. With a long contract term, you limit your ability to switch if a better offer comes along.
Always read the small print on the contract, as small extra fees are often hidden there.

Fixed telephone numbers:
Some telephone providers offer a particularly favourable tariff for friends and family, where you specify their numbers in advance.

Internet telephony:
Programmes such as MSN Messenger, ICQ, AIM or Skype (and many others) now make it very easy to make calls or hold video conferences. You pay nothing for calls within the respective programme and calls from Skype to any landline number are very cheap. Internet telephony is particularly suitable for international and especially intercontinental calls.
Disadvantage: It's not everyone's cup of tea to speak into a microphone to make a call. You have to get used to it first. Depending on the quality of the microphone or loudspeaker, you can hear unpleasant feedback (you hear your own voice as an echo). It's better with headsets, but the other people present can't hear the conversation. There are special Skype phones, but they are not cheap at the moment.

Send messages:
If you have a broadband internet connection anyway, it is often better to simply send a short message via Messenger or email. This doesn't replace making a phone call, but it's often easier and doesn't cost anything extra. However, you should always make appointments by phone because you don't know when the recipient will read your message.