Five ways to slash the cost of your mobile phone bill
ONE way to save cash right now may be sitting in your bag or pocket – as while mobile phones tend to be seen as an “essential” part of everyday life nowadays, they don’t need to cost us as much as they often do.
Comparison website Uswitch’s mobile expert, Ru Bhikha, has some tips for saving money on your mobile bill.
CONSIDER GOING SIM-ONLY
IF YOU’RE nearing the end of your contract and are happy with your handset, it could be worth going Sim-only. A Sim-only deal covers just the mobile service, meaning you’ll get a fixed allowance of minutes, texts and data. These often work out cheaper – you may even find deals that have a better data allowance.
KNOW HOW MUCH DATA YOU NEED
THERE are tricks to figure this out. One route is to log into your account on your network’s website to check your usage.
Another is to measure how much mobile data the apps on your phone are using, via the “settings” menu. If at the end of the month, you’re still left with lots of unused data, you could be paying for a data allowance that is too generous for your needs.
CAP YOUR SPENDING
SELECTING a contract with the capability to put a fixed data cap in place means you will receive a notification if you reach your data limit, so you won’t overspend unknowingly. You could also look into asking your mobile provider to place a cap on your data.
CONSIDER A REFURBISHED PHONE
THESE can be cheaper due to being pre-owned. Their condition may vary, but they should have been checked to ensure they are working. They often come with a warranty, as well as a charging cable. You may not receive all the accessories that you’d get with a new phone, however.
CHECK OUT OTHER PERKS
A PHONE package can give you more than you’d expect – for example, free streaming services for certain fixed time periods. For those who love travel, there are international network roaming perks available, which may be worth considering in the future even if you’re currently staying put due to the coronavirus pandemic.