We spend way too much time and money on our smartphones. Buying a top brand smartphone such as Apple or Samsung will easily cost you over a thousand Euros. When you consider the costs related to purchasing one, maintaining it and also the money spent on the internet, phone calls and messaging, it can easily become a leading expense category. If you are not careful, you can easily find yourself overwhelmed with smartphone-related expenses, especially if you are subscribed to automatic top-ups. In this article, we discuss some of the pitfalls on how you can splash the cash on your smartphone.
The internet plan
Ever feel like your internet data plan is being consumed too quickly? Are you ending up with no data just a few days or hours after you top up? Are you getting unexpected bills from your service provider? If yes, you are most likely subscribed to the wrong data plan which is eating out your pocket. Our advice? Monitor your smartphone internet usage and determine the best package depending on the data you consume. Do not overpay for data which you are not using!
Steer away from messenger and Instagram whilst you are out and only have a look at these once you are at home. Sounds tough? You will be surprised how satisfied you will feel once you tame that social media addiction.
Buying different models
Are you that kind of person who drools with the prospect of a newly launched smartphone? Are you constantly changing phones to keep up with the latest model? If you are buying a phone every year, you might be the kind of person who spends around eur 800 after selling your current phone and replace it with a brand new ‘XS Max’. Yes sir, you are spending money you shouldn’t be. If you, like me, an average income earner, you should change your phone only if it is no longer working or has become incompatible with the latest software or technology.
Insurance
If you bought an expensive smartphone, you would do well to have it covered by insurance in case the unexpected happens. With that said, a more expensive smartphone brings with it a pricey insurance premium. Something else to eat your savings and is added to your regular expense list.
Skipping on the case
Your smartphone costs money. You would do well to protect it! Many people spend money to fix the damage they could have easily avoided with a case, like a broken screen or any other breakage which is due following a hard impact. Well, if you do not like living on the edge, buy a cover for your phone NOW
Subscriptions
It is very easy to get into the habit of buying subscriptions for news portals and other content. A few Euros a month can easily flip into another unnecessary commitment. Take stock of your current subscriptions and keep the ones you actually need.
Games
Similar to subscriptions, you can also fall in the rut of playing a number of games on your phone which will cost you money.
Do you really need the most expensive phones?
Really, do you use your grand worth phone to the max? I bet you don’t. All mobile phone brands offer a slightly inferior product which can surely satisfy your needs with a fraction of the price you are currently spending on your latest edition. Think twice kiddo!
So with all the possibilities of having your money leeched out, do you still think that a new phone is a good idea?
