I also. Keep all your printed phone books, ask companies if you can borrow their phone books, or check your phone bill to see tens of dollars spent on directory assistance. Well here is a solution to this insanity.

This is great! A toll-free directory assistance number 1-800-Free-411, 1-800-373-3411. You have to listen to a quick announcement for a moment. But I sure like not paying $ 1.00 or more when I need to find a number and I’m not at home. Or when I am at home and I cannot find the number on the Internet.

When calling from a cell phone, you may need to enter what you are calling from a cell phone twice. It works after the second entry. The announcement you have to listen to is fast and I didn’t find it unpleasant.

Of all the companies, Google has launched another free directory service. This service only works for business listings. Dial 1-800-Goog-411, which is 1-800-466-4411.

Here’s an update on the costs associated with directory assistance from the major cell phone providers:

$ 1.49 Verizon Wireless

$ 1.75 Virgin mobile

$ 1.79 Sprint Nextel

$ 1.49US Cellular

$ 1.49 T-Mobile

$ 1.79 Cingular

$ 1.75 AT&T

$ 1.50 Alltel

Long distance land line carriers:

$ 1.25 Verizon

$ 2.49 VarTec

$ 2.49 Sprint

$ 1.99 AT&T

$ 3.49 MCI

You may want to consider putting the above FREE numbers in your phone’s memory. This way you are always ready when you need to get a phone number. Wow, MCI, that’s a fee you’re charging there!