This is a collaborative post
If you’re in need of a new smartphone, you might be wondering if there’s anything that you can do in order to pay less while enjoying a nice phone model. Monthly contracts are getting more and more expensive, so it’s understandable if you would rather look for alternative options that allow you to save money without having to deal with a cheap, old phone. Thankfully, getting an expensive phone contract isn’t the only way to get a new phone, so it’s worth considering all these options before you decide on which is right for you. Here are tips for saving money.
Keep Your Current Handset
Ask yourself, do you really need a new phone? If the one that you already have is working fine, there might be no reason to upgrade it other than to get a newer model. Is getting the latest iPhone model really important to you, or can you stick with what you’ve got? If your contract has run out on your current phone, then it’s yours to keep, so it might be worth making savings by hanging onto it for a little longer instead of getting an upgrade.
SIM Only Deals
If you decide to keep your current handset, you can make some great savings by opting for a SIM-only deal. Lebara offers some of the best SIM only deals on their website for instance for just £5 a month right now, you can get 2GB of data, 1000 minutes, 1000 texts, and 100 international minutes, which is a lot cheaper compared to getting a smartphone contract with a handset included. You could easily make savings of over £50 a month if you decide to keep your old handset and opt for one of the best SIM only deals instead.
Refurbished Handsets
If you want to get a new phone but don’t want to be tied into a lengthy and expensive contract, buying a refurbished handset outright and pairing it with a SIM-only contract can be the way forward. Refurbished handsets are available directly from manufacturers like Apple, or you can buy one from a trusted retailer like Music Magpie. Always opt for a refurbished handset that comes with a warranty for your peace of mind, but don’t think that just because a phone has been refurbished, it will have to have been broken or damaged in the past. Many refurbished phone handsets are perfectly good, working gadgets that have simply been taken out of the box and used in the past.
Pay as You Go
If you’re looking for a phone contract with no credit check you might not have access to the cheapest options. If you have bad credit, and are keeping an old handset or buying a refurbished one, another option that you might want to consider is paying as you go. This option allows you to top up credit to use as and when you need it, allowing you to be more flexible compared to a pay monthly or SIM-only contract deal. Unlike contracts where you will need to pay a set amount each month, pay as you go sim deals give you an additional layer of flexibility by allowing you to choose exactly how much you want to top up and use at any one time. If you need to use your phone more often for a couple of weeks, you can top up more than usual, or top-up less if you are unlikely to need it – it’s up to you.
Second-Hand Phone Handsets
When it comes to getting your phone handset, another option that you might want to consider is purchasing it second-hand. Many people sell their old phone when they upgrade their contract, and you can often find some great deals on preloved phones on sites like Gumtree, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. Have a look around to see if you can get the phone handset that you want cheaper by purchasing it directly from somebody else. It might be a good idea to wait until a newer handset model is released, as this is often a prime time for people selling phone handsets at great prices as they want to upgrade to the latest version. When buying a phone second-hand online, it’s worth opting to buy from somebody locally so that you can go and take a look at the phone first and check it over to make sure that it is in good working order and that there is no damage.
Try a Longer Phone Contract
If you have your heart set on getting a new phone and don’t have the time to save up to purchase it refurbished or second-hand, a longer phone contract could be an ideal way of making monthly savings. Some networks offer 36-month phone contracts rather than 24 months, which allows you to spread the cost over a longer period of time and can be ideal if your main concern is the amount of money that you are going to be paying out on a monthly basis.
Opt for an Older Model
If you have decided that you want to get a new handset on a phone contract, the latest iPhone 11 Pro Max might look tempting, but it’s also likely going to be the most expensive to purchase. Instead, it’s worth looking into the older phone models in the range, such as going for an iPhone XR instead of an iPhone 11, as this is likely to be much cheaper in comparison to the latest one. Consider what you actually need from a phone and compare the different models to find one that will meet your needs without being the most expensive option on the market. Since new iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones are released each year, you can often get great deals on last year’s handsets that are still very new and modern.
Trade-in Your Old Phone
Whether you are getting a smartphone contract or opting to buy a refurbished or second-hand phone handset, trading in your old smartphone can be a decent way to earn some money to put towards your upgrade. You can sell your phone easily to companies that will refurbish them, but if you want to get the maximum amount of money, consider selling it privately on a site like eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Do some research to figure out the current market price of your handset and how much it is worth based on its condition and what it offers. Once you’ve sold your handset, you can use the money to put towards purchasing a new handset outright or paying a larger deposit on a monthly phone contract so that you can drive your monthly payments down. Some phone networks will offer customers the option to trade their old handset in with them when upgrading or getting a new contract in return for money off the contract price.
Getting a new phone isn’t always cheap. While phone contracts are certainly a popular and convenient way to get a new phone handset, they can also be a very expensive process over time, especially if you go for the latest model. But thankfully, there are plenty of options to consider if you are looking for a new phone deal and want to save money. It might mean going for a slightly older handset or hanging onto the one you’ve got for a while, so weigh up what’s important to you and consider how much you are willing to pay for a phone handset or contract.