Your mobile phone is more than just another piece of technology in your ever-growing collection.
It’s an important tool for staying connected with your friends, family, colleagues, and even the wider world. Most of us spend our days glued to these pocket-sized computers, with the average person clocking around 3.5 hours of phone time.
However, as much as we love our mobile devices, they can also come with a lot of costs. As the cost of living crisis continues to worsen, many of us are looking for ways to reduce the dreaded phone bill.
Fortunately, there are ways you can cut down on your phone costs, without compromising on an amazing service. Here are some of the top strategies you can use to minimise your bill.
First, it’s worth taking the time to choose the phone you need. If you’re hoping to get your hands on the latest Samsung device, or you want the most recent iPhone handset, you can expect to spend a decent amount more than you would for last season’s phone. With that in mind, it’s worth assessing the features offered by each phone model, and how important they really are to you.
For instance, let’s look at the latest Apple iPhone. If you’re looking for fantastic data storage, great photography, and a 5G mobile connection, you might automatically assume you need the iPhone 14. However, the iPhone 13 offers most of these features too. Even the iPhone 12 is capable of 5G connections and brilliant internet performance.
You can also look at comparing the handsets available from outside of the big name technology vendors. Exploring options like Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, or Honor could help you to save some serious cash, while still accessing a host of amazing features.
If you’re dead set on having the latest model from the most recognisable brand, consider purchasing a refurbished phone instead of a brand-new model. This will cut the costs associated with purchasing your handset, and allow you to take advantage of our second tip.
The price of the most recent smartphones has increased drastically, to the point where many people are paying over £1,000 for just their handset. When the cost of a new model is this high, it’s easy to see why a lot of people are drawn to the option of a monthly contract. After all, you can get rid of the fees associated with buying your phone up-front.
However, many contract prices can end up being more expensive in the long-term. You’ll be paying the price of your phone over an extended period. For instance, you might pay £30 per month for 24 months, rather than buying a £400 up front. While this seems cheaper initially, you’re actually paying a lot more overall, and you’ll be restricted to using the same phone and provider for a certain length of time. SIM-only options can be a lot more affordable, and give you more freedom.
According to a report in 2021, customers pay the equivalent of around 23% APR for taking a combined airtime and handset from a network, rather than buying the tariff and the handset separately. It’s worth looking into which strategy will really save you the most money.
If you still think a contract is best for you, then it’s important to make sure you compare all of your options carefully. You don’t have to focus on getting a deal from a vendor you already know, like O2 or Virgin. You can also look into some lesser-known brands if it means you’ll save some cash.
Remember, it’s not just the monthly price of the deal you need to think about here, but also what you’re going to get from your purchase. For instance, is the handset included, or do you need to pay an extra fee to get the handset and contract together? How many minutes and texts do you get per month, and how much data will you have access to?
It’s also worth looking for vendors who offer additional “bonuses” with their contracts. For instance, some providers will give you the option to roll the data you don’t use one month into the next month. This makes it less likely you’ll run out. There are also phone contract providers who can provide free gifts, like a new set of Apple AirPods with each contract.
There’s a lot of competition in the mobile network landscape, which means most companies are willing to do whatever it takes to keep their customers around for as long as possible. If you’re currently with a specific provider, and your contract is coming to an end, consider calling them and asking them what the best offer they can give you is for your new phone.
Don’t be afraid to mention any issues you’ve had with the company in the past, and make it clear that you’re willing to switch networks if you need to. This will push your network provider to pull some extra strings if it’s possible to save you more money.
If your provider absolutely won’t give you a better deal, then make sure you’re ready to jump to a new network. This might sound like a daunting concept, but Ofcom launched the text-to-switch service in 2019, now which means all you need to do is send a simple text message to a network provider when you want to leave their service.
If you’ve paid off the price of your phone, you could always consider staying away from a new contract for a while, and using a pay-as-you-go option instead.
Even if you think you have a good deal on your mobile phone contract right now, you could find you end up paying extra fees at the end of each month. It’s easy to end up over-spending on things like extra data, or app purchases. Here are some of the hidden costs you need to be aware of:
If you look at your monthly bills and notice you’re constantly going over your allowances and racking up extra costs, then you could look into whether your provider will allow you to cap your spending. This simply means you block yourself from spending more than a set limit on your phone bill.
The good thing about this strategy is it means you won’t accidentally go over your limit. Your provider will usually send you a notification if you’re about to hit your cap, so you can figure out what you’re going to do next. The downside is that you could end up being unable to use your phone if you hit the limit too quickly.
Of course, if you decide that you’re hitting your limit too fast, then this could be a sign you need to switch your provider, or move to a different tariff.
These days, saving money on your mobile phone bill is more important than ever. The good news is there are plenty of ways to cut costs. Using the methods above, you can reduce the amount you spend not only for your initial phone and contract, but also your long-term subscriptions.
Remember, when the time comes to upgrade your phone or start a new contract, it’s worth taking some extra time to do your research and determine exactly what you need. Comparing your options thoroughly before you dive in will save you a lot of headaches in the long-term.
Further reading: Do I need a new SIM card for 5G?
Experienced copywriter and content producer with years of background in the Technology, Social Media and Business Development fields.
Responsible for researching, writing, editing and posting a variety of content relating to various different niches. My career has taken me into a host of different industries, ranging all the way from Telecommunications and Artificial Intelligence, to Instagram marketing.
Ofcom has laid out its plans for the auctioning of 26GHz and 40GHz mmWave 5G spectrum.
