Cellphones are one of the most popular forms of communication and they keep us connected wherever we go. Unfortunately they can also eat up a large chunk of our monthly budgets.
Take a highlighter and review your last three cellphone bills. Highlight information such as how long you usually speak on the phone for, who you phone most and how often you send text messages. This will help you figure out how and where you can cut on your cellular costs. Though it might not seem like much, even saving R10 a month will add up over time.
Here are some money-saving tips to help you reduce your cellphone bill:
Revise your current package
Review your most recent bill and compare the total number of minutes your package offers with the minutes you actually use every month. If, for example, you end up paying extra every month because you’re exceeding your minutes, then it’s time to upgrade. If you are on a strict budget, then a pay-as-you-go package might be the best option. With pay-as-you-go you’ll never have to worry about paying for minutes or data that you don’t need.
Use your free minutes wisely
Almost all packages offer free calling during off-peak times. So if you’re planning on having a long conversation with your Mother or your very chatty friend, rather make an appointment to phone them at a specific time later that day. Save more by thinking twice before picking up the phone in daytime.
Get family and friends to help
Some network service providers offer free in-network calling. If there are a couple of people you speak to on a regular basis, why not ask them to switch over to one of these providers? This way you’ll all save more. This will especially work great for you, your children and other close relatives like grandma and grandpa.
Lose the extras
Most packages include services such as caller-ID, text message packages and call-waiting, but are you aware of the extra costs for using these? Ask yourself: How often do I use this? Eliminate any of these extra services that you rarely use. Also be aware of hidden costs for downloading music, games and apps.
