How to save money by switching mobile plans
Lisa Du is director of ReadyTechGo, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology.
I can recall many occasions when I am with a client and I get a glimpse of their mobile phone bill and think, “Wow, you could be paying half that amount!”
Several months ago, we wrote about different telco plans, and how it's important to revisit your phone plans. Telcos are frequently updating their plans, and a simple phone call to them can help save you money.
After I wrote that tip, I jumped onto the Optus website and saw that their plans were updated. I contacted Optus and was able to change my plan to the new offer, saving money, and getting more for my money.
I notice that many of our clients are either with Telstra or Optus for their mobiles, and many people are no longer in contract (which means you are no longer locked into a plan, as you have already paid off your handset). If you are no longer in contract, there are many great deals that you can benefit from.
Telstra is known to have great coverage, but choosing Telstra often means paying a premium.
Recently I had a client who was spending $50 per month on her Telstra mobile phone. Her plan included 1GB of internet data and $500 worth of calls and text. This was an old plan, and Telstra have now updated this plan with more inclusions - however they won't call you up and update your plan for you. You need to call them!
I discussed the plan with my client, and we worked out what she needed in a mobile phone plan. We made a few changes, and she is now paying $25 per month, and getting more for her money!
How? By switching over to a silent achiever! Smaller providers are reselling Telstra and Optus coverage, without the high prices. There are many smaller providers on the market, and here are our top picks:
ALDI MOBILE
Aldi sells SIM cards online and through its supermarket chain, and offer really great value on Telstra network.
We chose Aldi Mobile for our client so she could stay on the Telstra network.
We opted for their "L" pack and for $25 per month, you get the following:
- Unlimited standard calls
- Unlimited SMS
- 4GB data
- Plus 100 international minutes
As you can see, we slashed her mobile phone bill by $25 per month, and we gained an additional 3GB of data to use per month, and unlimited calls and text!
What's even better - You can keep your existing mobile number! I was quite impressed with Aldi's process. We activated the Aldi sim, chose to keep our phone number, and within 20 minutes, the Aldi sim was up and running!
AMAYSIM
Amaysim runs on the Optus network, and has some great sim only plans.
We chose Amaysim for another one of our clients, as they were already on the Optus network and didn't need much data.
We chose the "Unlimited 2.5GB" deal for $20 a month, which included the following:
- Unlimited standard calls
- Unlimited SMS
- 2.5GB data
Amaysim also offers a "Unlimited 1GB" deal for $10 a month. This includes unlimited calls and text and 1GB of data, so it's a great option for those who don't need much data in their phone deal.
If you are currently with Telstra or Optus, it's definitely worth revisiting their current deals, and thinking about switching over to a smaller provider such as Aldi Mobile or Amaysim.
What are your thoughts?