Being alive is expensive. Despite having my phone basically glued to my hand 24/7, my monthly bill still shocks me. It shouldn’t, but it does. But if there’s one thing that softens the blow, it’s getting more bang for your buck. Instead of fretting over the dollarydoos you’re chucking into something you need to live your best life, do yourself a favour and make sure you’re getting more value from the dosh you’re spending on a phone plan.
So, for all my points-racking pals who love to snag grocery specials on a Wednesday, this one’s for you. Here’s five ways to get more value from your phone.
Take advantage of being a student
Ah, to be a student again. Look, the money you earn in your student days is usually not fab compared to what it can be a little down the track, but the deals you can grab a hold of? Mamma mia. It nearly makes up for that difference. If you’re still studying, take a look around because you can defs save everywhere but especially on phone plans. Phone providers know young people drink that data up like it’s their overpriced morning coffee so they usually have offers on a platter for you.
This semester, Vodafone is giving data-hungry students who sign up or upgrade to the $45 Lite+ SIM only or handset plan the option to pay $40/month and get a whopping 80GB of max speed data per month, for as long as they stay connected to the plan. Whether you’re after the extra gigs to better your education or to catch up on the latest Euphoria ep – you’ll be covered without copping hefty charges.
Update how you pay
Going paperless is not only good for the environment but it can save you some dosh, too. Most providers charge a couple of extra dollars for you to receive your bill in the mail rather than online. A few bucks doesn’t sound like much but, first of all, who wants to receive paper bills anyway?! If anything, it’s costing you more for the hassle of getting it in the mail. And secondly, those few dollars add up over a 24-month or 36-month plan – it’s not megabucks, but it’s still money you could save and spend on a fun treat for yourself. Buy a gatorade or a curly wurly from the servo – you deserve it.
Be on top of your usage
Always be mindful of when you’re eating into your data. I made a grave mistake last year and racked up a phone bill of $236 (RIP) after my home wifi stopped working. I didn’t realise hotspotting some Zoom meetings would jack up my data at lightning speed. GREAT TIMES.
Anyhoo, don’t be a dummy like me. Always make sure you’re connected to wifi when you can be and, for the love of God, sign up to usage alerts so you know if you’re getting close to (or sickeningly over) your limit.
Trade in your old phone
Turns out, you no longer have to shove your old phone in that dusty ‘crap’ drawer filled with blu-tack and batteries. You can now make money off of it! Trade your old phone in with your provider and get credit taken off your bill.
Ensure the potential value from your phone is as high as possible by keeping it in tip-top shape. Look after it, use a quality case and a screen protector.
Right now, Vodafone is offering an extra-special $600 bonus trade-in credit that could save lucky ducks up to $1320 on the cost of a new Samsung Galaxy S22 series device, when they pre-order a phone in the series, trade in an eligible device and sign up or upgrade (and stay connected) to a selected plan.
Confused? Here one trade-in option you could try on for size. If you’ve got an old Samsung Galaxy S20 hanging around that’s in good condition, you can trade it in for the new Samsung Galaxy S22 with 40GB of max speed data per month on Vodafone’s Lite Plan. For the plan and device, it’ll only set you back $49.13/month over a 36-month plan. And if you’re one of those clever students, you might have put two and two together by now. You can cop this deal and, if you mosey on back to point one, combo it with that to save on a new phone and a stack more data.
Suss out your phone eligibility and how trading it in all works, here.
Make sure to claim for it
If you’ve ever had to use your phone for anything work-related (especially if you’ve had to work from home lately), suss out if you can claim some of your phone charges at tax time. There are a few different ways to work out how much you can claim back, so keep some records handy and head to the ATO to prepare yours.
Whether you’re in the market for a new phone, tablet, or just looking to reduce your mammoth monthly expenses, try the above tips to get more value from your phone so you can reinvest it in yourself.
Vodafone’s network will soon have greater reach than ever thanks to its landmark networking sharing agreement with Telstra, bringing 4G coverage to 98.8 per cent of the population and greater 5G connectivity through regional towns, holiday spots and highways.
Student offers are available in store and via customer care to customers with a valid student ID. Head to the Vodafone site to find out more.
