If you are studying abroad and not sure if you are going to be homesick or you need to call home alot. You might want to consider the following alternative cheaper methods to stay connected. First of all, you can always use email, if you a a laptop and have webcam, you can always have video conference, etc. If you have to talk on the phone alot, i would suggest you to purchase a phone card or something, because that's much cheaper than using whatever long distance provider they have over there.