Tips for finding a budget-friendly mobile phone plan.
In today’s digital age, mobile phones and internet access are almost essentials. However, these expenses can quickly add up – especially in large families. Here are some practical ways to reduce your spending on these things or get better value for the money you do spend.
Be clear about what you need.
It’s a good idea to review your bills over the past couple of months to see how many calls you make, how many SMS messages you send and most importantly how much mobile data you use. If there are multiple phones and data plans in the family, pull all the data together so you can look at both individual and family needs.
If you are consistently using fewer calls, messages and data than your current plan provides, you may be able to downgrade and pay for less. On the other hand, if you are consistently using more than your plan allows, it’s probably worth upgrading to avoid paying a higher rate for calls, messages and data that exceeds your plan allowance.
Negotiate your mobile plan with your current provider.
Give your current provider a call and see if you can negotiate a better deal with them. They might be willing to discount your current plan to keep you as a customer, or they may be willing to change your plan if there is a cheaper offer that better suits your usage.
Compare mobile plans and shop around.
Unfortunately, most mobile phone providers don’t reward loyalty. In fact, some give better prices to new customers, so it pays to compare plans and shop around. With number portability and eSims, it’s becoming easier and easier to switch between providers.
Comparing mobile plans can be complex and time-consuming, so using a comparison site like whistleout.com.au can help a lot.
Use any comparison site with caution and check whether suggestions are influenced by revenue arrangements and whether they include all products and services available in the market.
If you’re with a major telco, look for a cheaper provider that uses that same network.
It’s a little-known fact that many of the smaller, cheaper mobile phone plan retailers use the networks of the larger providers. So, you might be able to get access to the Telstra or Optus network infrastructure and network coverage without paying the premium that these larger providers often charge. Examples are ALDImobile™, Everyday Mobile™ and Belong™, who all use the Telstra™ network, and Coles™, Dodo™ and Moose™, who all use the Optus™ network.
Look for bundled services where you get real value (not just extras you don’t need).
Many providers will discount for bundling services such as mobile, home internet and streaming services. There are more exotic bundles where companies bundle electricity and gas with internet, or banking with internet, electricity and gas.
Evaluating these bundles can be complicated, especially if some of the services are discounted and some of the others aren’t. You’ll need to carefully consider your options, but they are certainly worth considering.
Look for family mobile plans with shared data allowances.
Some providers are now offering family plans with data sharing. The idea is that rather than have several phones on individual plans, you can put all the family’s phones on one plan and share the data, call and messaging allowances. In some cases, these family plans work out to be much cheaper than the equivalent number of individual plans, with the flexibility to share data among family members.
Look out for other ways of bundling and saving.
Everyday Mobile™ (part of the Woolworths Group) offers 10% off one shop each month for mobile phone subscribers, saving up to $50 a month¹. Coles Mobile sometimes runs similar promotions (check the Coles Mobile website for details). If you shop at either of these grocery retailers and you plan your shopping well, you may be able to save up to $50 a month on groceries – which may be enough to pay your mobile phone bill each month.
Use Wi-Fi data as much as you can.
Make sure you connect to Wi-Fi networks in locations you spend a lot of time at, especially home and work. Using Wi-Fi data rather than mobile data will help keep you within your data allowance. Mobile data you use over your allowance is usually expensive.
In modern families, mobile phones are a necessity and the costs can really add up. Being clear about what you need, shopping around and making a few basic changes to your setup could save you a lot. Remember, we are here to help.
