Saving on your phone bills: a how-to guide
Phone bills can be a major problem, especially for people on tight budgets such as students. There is no doubt that mobile phones are extremely convenient devices. They allow people to take or make calls while on the move and offer an easy way to keep in touch with family and friends around the world, but they can also lead to major problems if the user racks up huge bills. However, for those who have a phone on a tariff, the prospect of unaffordable bills can be avoided by taking the following advice into consideration.
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Save money by downgrading
One of the main reasons students are paying a lot more for their phone bills than necessary is because they are on the wrong tariff. If they are not using their monthly call allowance, then they are paying more for the privilege of using the phone than needed. In such cases, the best course of action is to ask the provider for a downgrade. Some providers allow their users a cheaper tariff as long as they have been on the contract for a set period of time. Otherwise, the user may have to stay for the duration of the contract before downgrading or finding a cheaper tariff with a new provider.
Save money by upgrading
It may seem something of a contradiction, but students can save money on their phone bills by upgrading their contracts. When people exceed their monthly call allowances, the extra charges can be punitive. The best way to avoid these charges is to work out the number of minutes typically used for calls each month and ask the provider for a tariff that covers that figure. Providers will usually allow an immediate upgrade, as it means they will be receiving more money each month while the user will actually be saving in costs.
Search for cheaper deals
The United Kingdom is dominated by a handful of mobile network providers. However, there are much cheaper deals available if one is prepared to look for them. giffgaff offer excellent choices, particularly for students. Deals on giffgaff’s online store undercut those of the big providers. It offers customers plenty of choice, and SIM cards can be ordered for no cost at all.
Use pay as you go
One of the best ways to save on phone bills is to use pay as you go. With pay as you go, users effectively pre-pay for their calls and avoid any unpleasantly high bills. Pay as you go SIM cards can be bought online, in supermarkets or in mobile phone stores and are ideal for those who do not make big use of their mobiles. These SIM cards can also be used in existing phones, so there is no need to purchase a new handset.
Take advantage of VoIP apps
Owners of smartphones can reduce their phone bills by downloading a VoIP app to communicate with friends and family. Skype is arguably the best known VoIP app. Anyone using Skype can call a fellow Skype user for free wherever they are in the world. This is because the app ensures the call bypasses the provider and is instead rerouted via the internet.
Category: Deals, Featured, Student News
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