How To Choose The Best Value For Money Phone Plan

How To Choose The Best Value For Money Phone Plan

Looking for a great phone plan that gives you good value for your money? Your phone is something that you probably can’t live without; these days, our whole lives are stored on these pocket devices. But your usage can make a big difference to your bill. How can you choose a plan that works for your phone and data needs?

Consider Your Usage

While we all spend lots of time on our phones, the way that we use them differs from person to person. Some people will use their phones to stream music or watch a lot of video content. Some people will spend hours posting and scrolling on social media. Others might need to hotspot their phone regularly when out and about. And some people will hardly use the internet at all, but may make a lot of phone calls.

When you’re looking at a new phone plan, consider your own usage and what you want to prioritise. If you never make international calls, you can discount plans with good deals on this service. Similarly, if you love watching live sport on your phone, you can look out for entertainment extras included in some plans. And if you’re looking for a phone plan for someone else – like your kids – think about how much usage you want them to have access to as well.

Check Your Coverage

A lesser known mobile service provider may offer a great low cost phone plan, but if they don’t have a strong phone signal in your area then it will result in nothing but frustration for you. Check the provider’s signal in the places you live, work and visit frequently. There is nothing more annoying that being unable to hear someone on the line, or for webpages to be unable to load because of bad service. You can find coverage maps on most provider’s websites.

New Phone Or Not?

When a fancy new phone is released, it can be tempting to bundle it into a new phone plan. But if you can continue to use your current handset, you will save more money on your plan. Options when using your current phone include prepaid plans, which allow you to pay for usage in advance, or SIM only plans, which usually involve monthly billing and 12-month contracts.

If you do need a new phone, or can’t resist the temptation of new tech, you have two choices. You can buy the phone outright and pay the full cost upfront, adding your prepaid or SIM only plan into this. Or, you can buy the new handset on a plan, committing to a contract and paying your bill monthly. Through this method you pay off the phone over the term of your contract.

Features To Look For

There are some key features you should consider when comparing phone plans. Comparing plans based on these features will help you decide which is the best plan for you.

• Contract. You may not want to lock into a long term plan. Contracts are typically 12 months, but can be 24 or 36.
• Minimum total cost. This is the minimum amount you will have to pay over the length of the contract. For some plans, this can include the cost of the phone itself, if you’re getting a new handset as part of your plan.
• Make sure that the data allowance included in the plan will be sufficient for your needs. Watch out for plans which charge exorbitantly for going over your monthly limit.
• International roaming. If you travel with your phone, check if it makes sense to use your plan overseas or if it would be cheaper to purchase a local SIM.