Should You Always Just Go for the Cheapest Mobile Plan?

It might come across as economical or the right decision to get the cheapest possible mobile plan. Still, there’s a downside to skimping out on a good mobile plan. However, the honest truth of it all is that there are not a lot of choices sometimes for people not making that much money. For example, university students studying are sometimes unable to afford plans over a certain amount of money.

Prepaid Vs. Postpaid

There are two types of plans: prepaid and postpaid. The most significant difference is that prepaid plans are purchased and paid for upfront in-store, online, or via auto-charge. Postpaid is the monthly mobile plan you’ve got.

A prepaid plan is sometimes more cut and dry and doesn’t really offer special offers or perks. However, Postpaid plans do offer perks offered by the carrier, which they’ve usually accounted for in the overall price, such as streaming subscriptions or additional data.

Suppose you are on a cheaper postpaid mobile plan, and you deplete the resources provided. In that case, you’ll end up making use of prepaid plans too, which drives up your overall bill.

What To Expect With a Mobile Plan Under $10

Here are some of the general things you might find in a mobile phone plan under $10:

- Roughly 1 gigabyte of data.

- Some plans on the cheaper end run on weekly or limited runs before recharging. This can be great for short-term needs, like if you’re travelling.

What To Expect With a Mobile Plan Under $20

Here are some of the general things you might find in a mobile phone plan under $20:

- In this price range, you’ll start to see unlimited calls and texts.

- There are some plans that offer international calls too.

- Data can vary from 1GB to roughly 8GB

What To Expect With a Mobile Plan Under $40

Here are some of the general things you might find in a mobile phone plan under $40:

- Unlimited calls

- Unlimited texts

- An average of 10GBs, but this can vary from carrier to carrier. There’s a lot of competition in this price range for the best offers.

- Various extras might be included in this price range, but this can depend heavily on the carrier.

Things That Make Can End Up Driving Up The Price

There are so many things that can eventually cause the cost of your plan to be far more inflated by paying for some extras. Here are some extras that can end up causing an increase in prices:

- Extra Data

- International Calls

- Extra SMSs

- Streaming Add-ons

Pros & Cons of Cheap Phone Plans

When a plan is cheap, it becomes super appealing to many. However, when you truly consider the pros and cons, you might realise they’re not as great as they appear. Here are some pros and cons to understand about cheap phone plans.

Pros:

- The price, which is why so many want them.

- There are a lot of choices when it comes to the plan, like postpaid plans and SIM-only prepaid plans.

- Data inclusion at heavily reduced prices is sometimes a significant perk for users.

Cons:

- If you’re someone who needs a large amount of data, you’re going to be disappointed.

- Extras are rarely included in cheap plans.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering a Cheap Mobile Plan

When you’re considering a cheap mobile plan, ask yourself the following questions to be sure you’re someone who can afford to have a less expensive plan:

Do You Use a Lot of Data?

If you’re someone who uses a lot of data on your current plan, then are you going to be able to survive on a new, reduced data plan? Unless you’ve got a new source of unlimited wi-fi at home or in your university that can get you by, you might not be able to swing such a deficit of data.

Consider what you use data for, understand what is important and potentially immovable and see if you can work with a reduced data amount.

The Apps That Use The Most Data, Are they Necessary?

Check all the apps and see which ones are consuming data like it’s nobody's business. Now ask yourself if you really need them. Don’t keep data sucking apps around if they’re not important. You’re paying for their intense needs and getting little to no benefit out of them.

There are three types of phone users:

1. Light

2. Moderate

3. Heavy

A light phone user is usually on their phone when there is wi-fi, and only uses their mobile data for emergencies and aren’t on their phones all that much. So they might survive comfortably with between 1GB and 10GB.

A moderate phone user will be on their phone a lot more than a light user, which means a heavier reliance on mobile data when out of wi-fi range. A moderate phone user would need between 10GB and 40GB.

A heavy user is someone who’s attached to their phone and uses it for all kinds of things like messaging, calling, socials, streaming, etc. So they need 50GB+ to survive.

Ask yourself which one you are and what that means for your mobile plan needs.

Conclusion

Cheaper is not always better, in our opinion. However, there are great deals out there with reputable carriers for reasonable prices. Don’t be afraid to spend just a little bit more than you originally thought. You don’t want to end up having to pay out of pocket for additional aspects of your plan when they run out.

We at Catch Connect are well aware that people need and have a desire to remain connected. That’s why we’ve cultivated a well-priced, reasonable, and generous set of plans. Our plans are even discounted for new users! In addition, we’re powered by Optus and have some great deals on our website. So check it out!