Top Tips to Save You Money When Buying a New Phone

With the average person spending roughly three hours a day on their mobile phone, you want to make sure that when you’re purchasing a new phone you’re getting the best product and a plan that’s tailored to your needs as well as making sure you are not overspending unnecessarily. It’s reported that seven out of ten people could save up to £222 a year by switching to a mobile phone contract that is better suited to them. Follow these useful tips and tricks to make sure you are getting the best product at the best price with the least hassle.

PAY FOR WHAT YOU USE Look back at your previous usage in order to make a better judgment of what sort of plan you should be looking for. If you don’t use that much data then you should be staying clear of costly unlimited data plans. At the same time if you have been overspending in the past on bills because you have been going over your allowance each month, then stretch out on a little more data. It will save you more money in the long run.

BUY THE PHONE UPFRONT Mobile phones aren’t the cheapest if you are looking to buy them outright, especially if you are looking at the latest models. It may look like a lot of money at first, but you will be making a much bigger saving in the long run. Paying off the phone in monthly credit instalments often works out cheaper than any plan a shop could offer you.

SIM ONLY DEAL If you are coming to the end of your contract but are still satisfied with the phone you have already got, then it is definitely worth considering a sim only plan. You will be paying considerably less money a month when you aren’t having to pay the extra cost of the mobile phone as well. It will usually entitle you to better benefits, offers and deals at no extra cost.

REFURBISHED Maybe you aren’t looking to purchase the latest phone with all its fancy new additions you’ll never use. An alternative option is to buy a refurbished older phone. A lot of people are put off by the thought of having a once faulty handset, but not all phones described as refurbished were at one stage faulty. Some networks and retailers classify ‘refurbished phones’ as handsets that were returned by customers who changed their minds within the 30-day cooling-off period after they signed up for a contract. Before being put on sale, all refurbished phones have been thoroughly checked and tested to ensure they’re in full working order.

TRADE-IN YOUR OLD PHONE Your old phone isn’t as worthless as you might first think just because you want a new one. Some carriers and retailers will trade in your old phone and offer a discounted new device. In some cases, you may get more money if you go to a private seller and can use that towards a new phone. It goes without saying, you will get a better price for your old handset if it’s in a good condition – no dents, scratches or smashed screens.

FAMILY PLANS If there’s more than one person in your house who uses a mobile phone, then don’t waste money on multiple plans, family plans help to consolidate multiple bills at a discount, this way you can share the benefits and the rewards. Family plans usually cost much less than you would pay for multiple accounts, and there’s generally more than enough data to go around.

COVERAGE If you decide to switch to a different network then don’t forget to check if the new supplier has good coverage where you need it. The Ofcom website has links to coverage checkers for all the main suppliers.

DATA ROLLOVER When deciding which mobile plan to go for, you kind of guess at how many minutes, texts, and data you’ll be using each month, but realistically, everyone’s usage changes month-to-month. The option of a data rollover contract gives you another chance to use that unused data at a future time, at no extra cost. Each scheme varies in how long it lets you keep rolled over data for, and there are a few networks that don’t offer data rollover at all. Some networks will discount your next monthly plan for all the unused data from the previous month down to the MB, making sure you get back every penny.

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