With prices rising across almost every aspect of life and as many as 16% of UK households are facing financial difficulties, it’s clear that everyone needs to be more careful about money and focus on reducing costs where possible.
Even if you have a good income and are relatively financially stable, you need to remember that the future is uncertain, and you should try to keep a cushion of savings just in case you need it.
That means working to reduce your bills and ensure that you only pay for services and products that you actually need and use.
Some costs, such as energy standing charges, home WIFI and fixed rate rent or mortgage payments, stay the same each month, and there’s very little you can do to change them, particularly if you have an agreement with your supplier.
Other costs can change depending on how much you use, and what precautions you take, so it’s worth considering how you can lower these variable bills to save yourself money.
One bill that is prone to getting out of control is the cost of your mobile phone. The increased availability of smartphones means that many of us now use data on a regular basis, and if you don’t stick to your limits, then you could find yourself faced with a hefty additional charge at the end of the month.
The same goes for phone calls and text limits, particularly if you travel abroad. If you go over your allowance, then you could find that you pay a lot of extra money when your bill arrives.
If you use apps on your smartphone, then you may also find that you accidentally spend more than you bargained for on in-app purchases. While the amounts might seem small at first, they can quickly add up.
To avoid any of these scenarios and ensure that you always have enough mobile coverage, you need to be savvy and choose the right approach.
Here are some simple tips to help you ensure that you keep track of your mobile phone costs and reduce them where possible.
Think About What You Use Your Phone For Most
To start, you should think about what you use your phone for the most, and how you can get access to more of that coverage without spending money on solutions you don’t need. For example, if you rarely make phone calls or send texts, but use the internet a lot when you’re out and about, then you need to focus on finding a plan with access to a lot of data. However, if you prefer to use your phone exclusively for calls, then you need to find a mobile plan with lots of minutes. If you never use your phone abroad or to call internationally, then you don’t need to think about these considerations, but if you do, then you need to explore the cost of global coverage and how you can get the best possible value.
Consider A SIM-Only Deal
While having a traditional contract might seem like an easy way to know how much you’re paying each month, it can get expensive. If you want to cut costs and ensure that you only pay for the mobile coverage you need, then consider a SIM-Only deal. All you have to do is buy a handset or use an existing one, then find a UK mobile network provider like Lebara that offers a range of flexible SIM-Only plans. Their prices are fixed, so you know what you’re paying each month and can switch to a different plan at the end of each month if you need more coverage. The network is one of the few providers in the country to offer international calls as standard, so if you stay in touch with people around the world, then this could be the ideal solution for you.
Check Out Cheaper Handsets
It’s not just the cost of your network coverage that you need to think about, but also how much you spend on the device itself. If you have a traditional contract, then you’ll be paying each month for the device as well as the coverage. Switching to a SIM-Only plan can save you money, but it means you already have to own the phone. So, it would help if you found the most cost-effective handset on the market that gives you all the functions you need. Often, paying more for a handset means you get better quality, and your mobile phone lasts longer, but this isn’t always the case. Read reviews to find out which devices are the most durable and give you all the functions you need, so you can find one that will meet your exact requirements.
Put A PIN On For All App Purchases
When you’re playing a fun game or scrolling through the online store looking for a new app to save you time, you might not be too careful where you click and not notice that you’ve accidentally bought something you don’t need. These small mistakes can soon add up and cost you a lot of money if you’re not careful. Thankfully, there are simple ways you can avoid making purchases on your phone by mistake. The most straightforward approach is to go to your device’s settings and choose the option to add a PIN for payments. Then, whenever you press the pay button, the device will ask you to enter a PIN. If you don’t want to make the purchase and pressed the button by accident, then you can simply cancel the transaction before you spend any money. This approach will help you to stay safe and reduce the number of accidental purchases you make on your phone.
Try A Low-Tech Phone
If you don’t use your phone a lot or prefer not to go on the internet on it often, then you might want to consider downgrading from a smartphone to a low-tech mobile. It’s becoming increasingly popular lately to ditch your smartphone in favour of a low-tech device that only has the capability to make and receive texts and calls. These phones don’t use apps or the internet, so you won’t need a data allowance, which should save you money on your phone bills. You also won’t be able to buy anything on apps, so you won’t accidentally spend money on in-app items you don’t need. While it isn’t always possible to ditch your smartphone, for some individuals, it can be a great way to save money and reduce your reliance on your mobile.
To Wrap Up
Most of us are noticing a financial squeeze lately, and the situation will probably get worse before it gets better. So, whatever your financial situation, you need to make sure that you reduce your costs by only paying for what you need, particularly when it comes to the price of your mobile phone. In this article, we’ve outlined a selection of simple ways that you can keep track of your bill and save on your mobile phone costs, so you can enjoy the coverage you need without spending too much of your hard-earned cash. You’ll then be able to stay connected to the ones you love the most in the world and keep your finances on track.
