Money Saving March: Mobile Phone Tariffs
March 20th, 2006
In a previous Money Saving March post, Cancel Unused TV Channels, I suggested that you worked out whether you need all of the satellite television channels you have, and if not, to negotiate with your provider to pay less for just the channels you need.
A similar way to save money is to look at the mobile phone tariff you are currently paying for, and working out whether it is really suitable for you.
Many of us concentrate more on the features of the phone we’re getting than the tariff we pay to the mobile phone companies, but when you’re signing up for a new contract, have a think about the type of usage you get from your phone. Here are a few things to consider:
- When do you make the majority of your calls? Daytime or evening?
- How long do these calls last?
- Who do you call the most? Are they on a landline or a mobile? If they’re on a mobile, which network are they on?
- How many text messages do you send?
- Do you ever browse the web on your phone?
- Do you get many voice mail messages, and does it cost you to retrieve them?
- If you’ve got an existing contract, what package do you currently have? If you’ve got free minutes and/or free text messages, or have paid for a certain amount of these, do you use them all, or would it be cheaper to buy more upfront?
Take a look at your mobile phone bill every month to see if there are any obvious areas where you could cut down on costs. Also, take a look at this post on saving money on phone calls, which might give you some more ideas.
Armed with all of the information above, give your mobile phone provider a call and see whether they’ve got any deals on, and of course, you could always threaten to switch to another provider if they refuse to “sharpen their pencil” for you.
In extreme cases, if you’re on a monthly contract, and don’t use your phone that often, it’s even worth considering switching to a pay-as-you-go tariff.
This post forms part of the Money Saving March series.
Categories: Money Saving, Tips
