How Much Mobile Data Do I Use?

Is more always better?

Most of the advertising you'll see regarding mobile contracts emphasises the huge quantity of talktime, texts and mobile data you'll get. But do you actually need it?

If you're paying for something you really don't need, then you're wasting money. Worse still, being persuaded to sign up for a contract that ties you in for months or years could be very costly to cancel if or when you discover the mistake.

Conversely, taking a contract which has insufficient data or call allowance for your needs can quickly become expensive if you don't set a fixed limit or allowance on your phone or with your service provider. Excess data charges can mount up particularly quickly.

There's a useful guide to understanding what data you're currently using at the link below. It covers all the main phone operating systems and shows how to get this data from your mobile settings: How To Monitor Your Mobile Data Usage

A few top tips from me:

1. Know your numbers. Find out what you're actually using before entering/renewing a contract and don't get 'up-sold' by sales teams who try to push you to take more.

2. Opt for a contract that allows you to increase AND decrease your talk and data plans to suit your needs without penalty.

3. Seperate your mobile handset payment from your talk plan. This ensures you aren't tied to a single supplier. Once the handset is paid for, you don't keep paying the higher rates.

4. Minimise how much of your data allowance you're using by remembering to connect to Wi-Fi at home or work. Also, prevent data hungry apps from using background data.

5. Remember to cap your contract or set a limit on your phone to prevent any nasty shocks on your bill!