Absence makes the heart grow fonder -- Cliche? Yes. True? It depends.

Missing a person could be one hell of an ordeal. The stress it may bring is almost tantamount to mental torture. Distance is often the most fearsome test for relationships to withstand. What if a person has been away for too long? The tendency is that the person desserted or even both parties cope through looking for other activities with the attempt to make preoccupation forget the loneliness or homesickness a person feels.

But you know what? The rigors and melancholy that these trying times could bring may be alleviated. How? It's as easy as getting the phone, dialing the phone number of that person and talking to that person. Calling your loved one more often and a lot longer is a surefire way to surmount that "abandoned" feeling.

Now the real problem is what if you need to be tight on your budget? Phonecards used for international calls often come with a hefty price tag. How do you deal with that when there's some tuition, utilities and other bills waiting for you to act on.

Don't fret. There are some ways for you to save on international calls. Just read on.

One way for you to not pinch much from your wallet while making that awaited international call is to know what kind of phone will receive your call. Overseas calls to mobile devices such as pagers and cellphones can cost you much more than when you call to a land line phone. This is because of the system called "calling party pays" employed by several overseas carriers. Ask your honey if she can just look for a landline instead of calling her through her latest Nokia.

How about getting some help from your good old smooth operator? NOT. Unless your call is for an emergency, don't let the operator sweet talk you. You'll see that what you can pay for only a few cents per minute could cost you some precious dollars after asking an operator to assist you with your call.

Go PPC. No, it's not about your pubo-coccygeal muscles or those Internet marketing hype known as pay-per-click! It's about using prepaid phone cards. Enjoy the convenience of not having to think of your bills after making that international call through the use of prepaid phone cards. Just make sure that you don't fall for the mistake of buying expired cards or those that have high connection and maintenance fee.

Opt for pre-paid plans. If you're not a prepaid card person despising all the fuss on knowing first all the hidden charges, prepaid plans could be of great help for you to save your hard-earned bucks. Websites that especially cater to those who'd really like to save on their international calls abound.

Choose what will not burn much of your time and what you're most comfortable with. With these tips on how to save on your international calls, you don't have to look for other activities to just resist the temptation of making that international call. Just call!