Cimorene

When I was calling the US and Canada all the time, I picked up one of those phone cards that you buy at the supermarket or youth hostels or newsagencies, and the rates were insane: 1 cent per minute, plus, I think, about a 15cent flagfall. Which meant, basically, that I could call the US for an hour at local call rates + $0.75. Which, since our local calls are 15cents and untimed, worked out under a dollar per call.

The upfront fee of $20 (or $30 or $50) can be hard to come up with, but it meant that calling the US or Canada for me wasn't even a deliberation, I could just work out the time zone and call.