Our mobile phones are one area where people tend to spending money unnecessarily. Here are ten great tips to reduce your telephone costs!
Do not have conversations via text message. SMS messages, or Short Message Service, is charged on a per message basis, so if you are having a back and forth with someone making plans for Saturday night, make a quick call – from a landline – instead.
Don't get lured into a smart phone with endless features that you don't need. Ask yourself if you really need, or will even be able to figure out how to use, that built-in MP3 player and camera your smart phone comes with. Because you will be paying for it!
Finding yourself spending most of your commute on your smart phone, surfing the internet and checking out Facebook? While a smartphone can be a great reliever of boredom, these activities can also be costing you a fortune. Try to reduce your online time on your phone – aim for once a day and you will notice a difference.
Never make calls bored. Unimportant calls to catch up with friends from mobile phones can go for half an hour – costing you a lot of money. Save these calls for a landline.
Considering switching to pre-paid. If you are constantly going over your plan, despite your best laid plans to reduce your call time each month, switching to a pre-paid mobile is a sure fire way to stop you over-extending yourself.
Make all possible calls from a landline. Even if you have the world's cheapest mobile phone plan, using a landline is always going to be cheaper.
Considering upgrading your plan. A bit of a spend to save option, but this suggestion is based on the principle that you are going to be better off on a higher plan than having excess call charges. Effectively, you will be saving money because the higher plan will be giving you a cheaper call rate, whereas on a lower plan excess call charges will add up.
Insurance for your mobile phone has come into vogue. As a general rule, if you can afford to replace your mobile, don't bother with the cost of insurance.
If you are using your mobile phone for work, you need to be keeping track of your business calls and getting a tax deduction. Keeping accurate record of the calls you make is necessary to be reimbursed from your employer (if you are not self-employed) or from the tax man.
Be mindful of off-peak calling times, which are always cheaper. Particularly if you are planning to have a long chat (and cannot get to a landline). Also, some networks offer special low rates, or even free periods, between callers of the same network.
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