As part of your 5-minute budget, you already know how much your bill is each month.
The average Australian pays $51 a month for their mobile plan according to our Consumer Sentiment Tracker.
If you're doing better than that, great! But if not, it's time to start hunting around.
The average cost of a mobile plan in the Finder database is $38.04 a month (excluding promotional offers). Prices start at $4 a month for 500MB.
It's not only what you pay each month that matters, but how much data you use.
The average Australian consumes 12.8GB of mobile data each month, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
If your plan offers you way more data than you use each month, consider switching to a lower data plan to save money.
You can check your latest phone bill or use your provider's app or online portal to see how much data you're using each month.
Aussies already paid a $2.2 billion loyalty tax in 2023 by not shopping around. Don't let the new financial year get away from you either.
The average Australian can save $156* a year by switching mobile plans.
Mobile providers often provide discounts or deals to new customers to get more bang for your buck.
For example, Southern Phone is offering 20GB for $19 a month for the first 6 months, then $24 a month ongoing.
felix is giving 50GB for just $15 for the first 3 months before the price reverts to $30 ongoing.
Southern Phone has access to Optus's full network. Similarly, felix customers can enjoy Vodafone's network without any limitations.
It's cheaper to sign up with the smaller providers than with Optus and Vodafone directly.
The deals we've mentioned are only two examples. There are so many more options available to score a cheaper mobile plan.
We've picked a few great offers that will save you money if you're paying the average mobile plan each month.
It's easy to switch between mobile plans since a lot of plans nowadays feature no-lock-in contracts.
First, compare mobile plans that suit your budget and data needs.
When you've landed on the right plan, go ahead and sign up to your new provider.
It's important to remember to not cancel your plan with your old provider at this point, as the process is not quite complete.
You'll need a new SIM card. If you've opted for an eSIM or have a physical SIM card by shopping in-store, your new plan should be available as soon as you purchase it.
Otherwise, you'll need to wait for your physical SIM to be delivered.
Once you have the SIM, you need to activate it, which should only take 5–10 minutes.
You can also port, or transfer, your existing number over. You would have indicated you wanted to do this during sign-up.
This is usually a relatively quick process that only takes a few hours.
Some providers only port numbers during business hours though, so keep that in mind when switching.
Once you've received confirmation that your number has been transferred to your new provider, your old plan will automatically be cancelled.
Month-to-month SIM only plans are just one type of phone plan you can get.
You can cut down your costs even more if you look at a long-expiry plan and get up to a year of data sorted.
If you need a new phone, you can compare deals with brands such as iPhone and Samsung.
*Based on average mobile plan of $51 per month compared to the average cost of month-to-month mobile plans on Finder.
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