IN an idle moment over the cornflakes one morning this week, the Margin contemplated the most recent telephone bill. The usual exotic categories of line and equipment rental nestled comfortably on the already-paid account. (Have you noticed how direct debit makes you less interested in your bills?) Anyway, back to the telephone bill.

Further down the list of charges a previously unnoticed creature emerged - 21 mobile (calls to) clocked up 152 units at a cost of £14.44. This compared with 166 local one-unit calls which cost £15.77.

At this rate making a call to mobile friends costs 7.23 times more than calling them at home on the old-fashioned land line. The Margin quickly amended his list of strategic New year's resolutions - don't call the mobile - let the mobile call you.