A BARGAIN hunter has revealed how he’s slashed his mobile costs to just a penny a month and it’s much simpler than you’d think.
Peter Redhead, 61, puts his savvy savings down to checking comparison websites “every week of the year”.
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The painter and decorator who usually works on cruise ships out at sea used to spend over £25 a month on his mobile and data costs before Brexit wiped out his free roaming allowance.
Peter, from Newcastle upon Tyne, told The Sun: “I’ve always budgeted and looked out for the best deals and put it down to checking comparison sites every single week to make sure that I’m not paying more than I need to.”
With this trick in mind, the 61-year-old has put his bargain-hunting skills to good use and has managed to chop his mobile bill down to just 1p a month.
Peter said: “The trick to cut mobile costs is to always have an unlocked handset with dual sim capabilities.
“This is because I’ve found that the cheapest monthly deals are always reserved for those who take out sim-only deals on a rolling 30-day basis.”
“I’ve got unlimited calls, text and 3GB of internet for just 1p per month, thanks to my obsession with checking comparison sites regularly.”
These cheap deals often only become available for a short period of time and are only out there for customers looking to take out the deal on comparison sites.
So that’s why it’s vital to check these sites as regularly as possible.
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The Lyca Mobile deal that Peter took out is on a 30-day rolling basis but has its price locked at 1p for six months.
Peter used to pay for unlimited data but said it’s a “total swizz and waste of money” as most don’t use more than 100GB a month.
Instead, to boost his data allowance he then bought a prepaid Three data sim on Amazon which he uses as a second sim in his phone.
He recently spent just £66 on a 3 data sim from Scancom and gets 80GB of data per month fixed until December 2025 – working out at an extra £3 a month.
So in total, he pays just £3.01 a month for data, calls and texts – which means he saves £263.88 a year compared to his old £25 a month 3 tariff.
The Sun has previously covered how these prepaid data sims can be used by households to get cheap superfast broadband without a fixed line or lengthy contract.
How can I cut my mobile costs?
Switching contracts is one of the single best ways to save money on your mobile bills.
But if you can’t switch mid-contract without facing a penalty, you’d be best to hold off until it’s up for renewal.
In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with what deals are available.
It’s a known fact that new customers always get the best deals.
Sites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, allowances and provider.
This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider.
However, if you don’t want to switch and are happy with the service you’re getting under your current provider – haggle for a better deal.
You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than rolling on to the tariff you’re given after your deal.
If you need to speak to a company on the phone, be sure to catch them at the right time.
Make some time to negotiate with your provider in the morning.
This way, you have a better chance of being the first customer through on the phone, and the rep won’t have worked tirelessly through previous calls which may have affected their stress levels.
It pays to be polite when getting through to someone on the phone, as representatives are less inclined to help rude or aggressive customers.
Knowing what other offers are on the market can help you to make a case for yourself to your provider.
If your provider won’t haggle, you can always threaten to leave.
Companies don’t want to lose customers and may come up with a last-minute offer to keep you.
It’s also worth investigating social tariffs. These deals have been created for people who are receiving certain benefits.
Both EE and Voxi offer social mobile tariffs costing between £10 and £12 a month for those on certain benefits including Universal Credit.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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