5 Great Ways To Save Money On Your Mobile Phone Bills

This is a guest post by: Roshan from Simonlycontracts

Many of us are going through tough financial times where we need to start cutting back on our expenses and make sure our money isn’t being wasted and that we are getting the most bang for our buck! One of the most common expenses is the cost of having a mobile phone.

We live in an age where nearly every one of us owns a mobile whether we actually need it or not. It’s a part of our lives that adds convenience for contacting friends and family as well as being an informational and entertainment device giving us access to games, news, email, useful applications and more. However, for all these wonderful uses there is always going to be a price to pay. What price you pay will depend on a few different factors but ultimately, you are in control and can take the necessary steps to minimize the cost and not waste your hard earned money.

1. Change your mobile phone tariff – An easy way to cut your mobile phone bill is to change your tariff. If you are tied into your contract and find that your current tariff isn’t meeting your requirements then all it takes is a simple phone call to your network and you could be saving. This works whether you aren’t using all of you call allowance or if you are actually using more than you have been allocated, as many operators will charge you more per minute outside of your package.
2. Keep your existing phone and don’t upgrade – If you are at the end of your contract or coming to the end then consider keeping your mobile cell phone instead of getting a new one. If you are going to renew your contract it is worth calling your network to find out if they will offer you a discounted monthly tariff instead. Explain that you don’t want a new phone and are happy with the service but would prefer if the cost of the plan was reduce in exchange for extending the contract for another term.
3. Threaten to leave your network – Following on from the above, the converse is to phone up your provider and tell them you want to cancel your contract. Most companies have dedicated customer retention teams that are used to try and get you to stay with them and so in most case they will offer you an improved tariff, cheaper phone deal or meet the requirements that you have. Of course, don’t do this unless you are prepared to leave the network but it is certainly worth a try.
4. Change to a SIM Only Contract or PAYG – If you are at the end of your contract and happy with your phone or maybe you have bought a SIM-free phone then consider going for a SIM-only contract or pay-as-you-go SIM card. With a SIM only contract you can choose from 30 day and 12 months contracts from nearly all of the UK networks (O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Three and Orange). These best SIM only deals provide more value for money and so you could save hundreds throughout the year and you will have more flexibility being on a shorter term. PAYG on the other hand also offers great freebies for topping up a certain amount for example; you may get unlimited texts or free Internet data to use. This is great for those of you who don’t want a contract and maybe to don’t use your mobile too often.
5. Use Skype, International SIMs or Apps for calls abroad – If you make a calls to family or friends living a abroad, calling from your mobile can be a very expensive way to do it. Where possible, try to use something like Skype to make those calls over the Internet or get a FREE International SIM card that will allow you to top-up with credit and cheaper rates. There are also apps such as TruPhone on the iPhone that allow you to get cheap international calls straight from your phone.

There are more ways to save money on your mobile phone bills and I’ve just mentioned a few of them here. Above all you need to look at what you are spending and decided where it might be possible to cut back and hunt around for cheaper options on the Internet, in the shops or from your service providers.

Originally posted 2010-11-23 21:29:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter