How to save on the phone: 11 practical tips
1. Analyze consumption
The first step to reducing the phone bill is to analyze the consumption we make with both the landline and the mobile phone. For that, it is quite simple, since operators usually make the details of our calls available to us. Some even have tools that allow us to work with this data by exporting it to Excel.
From this data, we will be able to determine our consumption patterns. For example, observe if we make short or long calls to many individuals or a few very defined people (family, friends), in Spain or overseas, to landlines or mobile phones, mobile Internet use or not, in the morning or afternoon, etc.
This consumption analysis makes sense for individuals, but it is even more important for businesses looking to save money on mobile telephony. In a business, there are many professional phones, and consumption can quickly get out of control. That’s why you don’t have to be afraid to do an analysis to detect guidelines and abuse.
2. Choose the offer that best suits consumption.
In the telecommunications market, large and small companies have numerous plans (prepaid, contract, minimum consumption or not, etc.). They also have many specialized products (preferred numbers, calls to certain cheaper countries, schedules, etc.). What we have to do is study these offers and see which one best suits our usual consumption.
For example, if we make the majority of our calls to the same people (family, partner, friends), we can select an offer with preferred numbers.If we have family outside of Spain, we will look for the company that offers us a plan or an adapted product. If we make short calls, we will look for the company with the lowest cost of establishing a call.
In the case of a company, the least you have to negotiate with the operator is that the internal calls are free. That is, any call between two company numbers (fixed or mobile) is completely free.
3. Get used to using the landline instead of the mobile phone.
Although fixed telephony is losing a lot of weight, it still has great advantages over mobile telephony. Especially appealing is the fact that you can call any other landline in Spain for free, which is a feature of almost all fixed phone plans, especially when they are connected to the Internet.
Once you have analyzed your mobile consumption, you will be able to realize that you have probably made many calls to landlines (which would have been free from the landline) and to the mobile phones of people who have a landline. We are so used to the convenience of calling on the phone that we don’t realize that we could wait a little and make most of our calls from the landline.
Obviously, we will not be able to replace all calls, but if we can avoid waiting by thinking, “I’m going to call such and such to find out what’s going on in his life,” we will save. Another way to reflect is to ask the people we speak with if they have a landline.
In the case of companies, that strategy to save money on the phone can also be valid. It is usually cheaper to call through landlines than from mobile to mobile, as far as possible, of course.
4. Skype, WhatsApp, etc.
For those who do not have a free landline for national calls or who have to talk to family and friends in other countries, undoubtedly the cheapest option is to use the possibilities of the Internet. You can do it by calling from computer to computer or from mobile to mobile using WiFi. Skype is perhaps the best-known application and allows you to call other people who also have it installed at no cost. It also has interesting rates for international calls (generally cheaper than the offers of local operators, but this has to be checked for each case).
In recent years, the generalization of smartphones made it possible to call with those devices using data instead of voice, with the same Skype or many other applications, such as WhatsApp, Viber, FaceTime, and many more. However, you have to be careful not to go over it with data consumption, and that is why it is advisable to use it more when you have Wi-Fi. How to save money on phone cost
In companies, using Skype or free video conferencing applications is also a good way to save, with the added advantage of a more personal video call.
5. Electronic messages instead of SMS
Sending SMS had become an important custom, but nowadays it is in decline, especially since it is now much easier to send a message by WhatsApp or Telegram to all our friends at the same time or send an email. Despite the drop in price, SMS continues to cost around 10 cents, while its new competitors are free.
However, there is still a significant proportion of people who do not have WhatsApp installed on their mobile phones, especially in the business world. In general, it is a privacy decision to prevent work contacts from being too intrusive. In those cases, SMS may still be in use, although email is a very valid and free alternative.
6. SMS instead of short calls
However, there is a time when SMS can be used to save money. If we need to call someone for a specific reason (such as to confirm an address, an hour, or to notify of a delay), we will do so.SMS is usually more interesting than a call. That’s because they avoid the cost of calling, multiple calls if the other person is busy and doesn’t take them, and the risk of talking much longer than necessary.
And of course, a WhatsApp message is better than an SMS in these cases.
7. No more than 900
If you are looking for ways to save money on the phone, you have to know that special numbers are another important source of spending. You know, those that start with 8 and 9. If we remove the 800 and 900 that are free, the rest go from acceptable prices (local call) to prohibitive prices (more than one euro per minute).
Unfortunately, the technical support or customer service services of many companies are usually like this. To avoid paying for these calls and save on the phone, there are two options. The first is to look for an alternative, usually on the Internet (some companies have a free online chat or an information email).
If you can’t locate a substitute, visit No More 900 Numbers, a Wiki-formatted page that attempts to match fixed numbers to paid ones.
It’s worth a try considering calling these numbers can cost many euros. And it’s not the only one; you also have similar services, such as telephone, timetable, and others.How to save money on phone cost
8. Set a consumption goal and review the situation.
After determining your consuming style, set a spending objective.
For instance, if I call on average 6 hours per month and the optimum fee for my needs is €30 (with the various services contracted), I may establish a goal of €25 per month and monitor how much I spend (most companies allow you to check online consumption for free)
This is an idea that we are going to comment on often on the blog: to control spending on the fly and not wait for the end of the month or receipts. This control will make us more aware of what we spend, which will lead to less spending.
In the case of companies, it may be interesting to set up consumer alerts. in such a way that employees who exceed an expense are aware and are more careful. It can also be useful to talk to the people who spend the most and analyze the reasons with them. Sometimes it is totally justified, sometimes not so much.
9. A new phone and commitment to permanence, or a cheaper price and freedom?
Many companies attract us with a state-of-the-art phone, which they give us in exchange for staying 12 or 24 months. Picking up the phone to commit may be a good idea if the provider offers competitive prices. But you also have to consider the possibility of buying the mobile phone and opting for a cheaper company. In the long run, it can compensate you. The freedom to change operators is also valued because rates and offers may fluctuate.How to save money on phone cost
10. Cards to call outside
If you usually call other countries, an alternative to using Skype or instant messaging is to buy a prepaid card. There are many cards, usually specialized by country. They can be found in call centers. The best are those that allow you to call a landline, since then you get more minutes. With this type of card, you can speak for 1 euro per hour in countries outside the European Union. The greatest problem is that they only last a few months, so if we mistreat ourselves, we lose the equilibrium.
11. Use free competition and threaten to leave
Telephone companies (and many other service companies) are willing to negotiate and offer us better conditions, but only in one case: if we say we are leaving. And it’s not worth a simple threat. You have to be serious. Ask them to officially unsubscribe. They quickly offer a new phone or a new client deal
If we use this technique, which is highly recommended, we have to prepare ourselves for the case in which they do not protest or say anything. In fact, it is best to use a real offer from the competition as an argument.We don’t usually unsubscribe, but if we did, we’d just switch companies..How to save money on phone cost
12. Take advantage of the packs.
Businesses are bundling fixed, fiber, and mobile lines.
Check if the overall price is less than the sum of the three sections’ prices.
Avoid transitory and permanent offerings
These tips should help, and you may offer your own in the comments. How to save money on phone cost
