With local phone tariffs, in the old days, only a few years ago, it seemed cheaper to call my brother 2,100 miles away in the San Francisco Bay area than to call my brother who lives 41 miles away in the Chicago suburbs.

It really rankled me when I got my landline bill.

But Skype has smoothed things over.

My Unlimited World subscription with Skype makes it the same price to call either my brother or my cousins and friends in Europe, South America and Australia via Skype on the landline phone without toll charges.

Though my wife is a tech type, she hasn't taken to using Skype on the computer just yet. So I came up with a plan.

I signed up for a Skype To Go number, which comes with my Skype subscription.

You can also use a Skype To Go number if you have Skype credit.

After I got my Skype To Go number, I set up speed dials for some frequently called numbers--across town and across the world to reach friends, family and business associates.

With Skype To Go, you can call phones abroad or in this country, reaching whomever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want.

In addition to the United States, To Go numbers are available in Australia, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom .Low-cost calling rates are applied for those using Skype credit. Calls are free to countries included in my subscription.

So, my Unlimited World subscription gives me free local calls via my To Go number. This way my wife and I can call our son in downtown Chicago.

I also use To Go while I'm on the go on the commuter train or walking in downtown Chicago. My speed dial listings serve as a minimalist phone directory for commonly used numbers. I can catch up with my friends in UK or Arizona while riding the commuter rails and since I have Unlimited World subscription these calls are free.

I shared my secret with a student friend. She's from Switzerland but attending grad school in Chicago. She now calls her family and friends around the world while commuting to class on the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). Nice.

It's a sweet deal to reach out and call someone--without running up charges while calling Lake Zurich, the Chicago burbs, or Zürich, Switzerland's largest city.