Looking for a cheap phone and cheap PAYG tariff

Poco_money

I'm looking to reduce my phone costs to save money because I realised I'm not using what I have already and it's a waste!

I currently have an iPhone 3GS on O2 PAYG. I have been pretty pleased with my current bargain tariff for a while until I realised I'm not even using that, so I want to do better!

Currently, I top up £10 / month on Text & Web. This gives me 300 texts and 500MB web. Then I have £5 of that buy the Family bolt on every month, giving me 1000 mins or texts to people close to me on O2. This leaves the 300 text allowance for texting everyone else and £5 credit left for calling everyone else.

However, I think I'm wasting £10 a month and wasting an iPhone I could trade in. Cex will give me £183 for it trade in (or £155 if they downgrade it to 'C' grade on the day). I don't really go on the apps anymore, I guess I got tired of them!

As for usage, I only rarely use web out and about, in the occasional shop to check something. Mostly I use web with Wifi at home, only out of convenience in not starting up my laptop. This last week, I texted 3 people in total, probably about 30 texts in total, then made a few calls which will have totalled less than 10 minutes. I'm not even using my usage!

So, I would like a tariff that's much cheaper on PAYG than £10 / month. Any ideas?

Then, if I trade in my iPhone, what cheap phone could I get which is ok quality - any ideas? I'm tempted to get a £5 retro style one but I used to hate the old style keyboards, I like some form of qwerty... I don't want one which is such poor quality that it crashes a lot either or makes it hard to find/do things.

Please make suggestions. Preferably not ugly, though I don't expect it to be beautiful. I'd like a phone I'm not so bothered about scratching, been babying an iPhone for too long. Texts and calls are all I really need, email or Wifi access is a bonus but I don't think I need mobile internet. A camera is a bonus but I don't need it, I should use my good digital camera more! The things I do most are texting, making memos and putting things on my calendar occasionally.

Thanks for the help!

grumbler

Just take a PAYG sim without anything extra.
Giffgaff is 8p/min and 4p/text. 30*4+10*8=£2.
AFAIK internet is free ATM, but this will not last for long.

For the handset use a filter at http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/phone-finder, then check if you can find a better deal elsewhere.

Poco_money

Thanks. At £2 / week, that's £8 - 10 a month, which is close to what I'm spending now and would be more if I had a heavier usage week. My current tariff gives me too much room for going over and I always get free web! Just would be great if for £5 a month I could get, say, 200 texts and 40 mins or something like that.



If it's possible, I'd be happy to put more top-up on if it lasted longer. The MSE page on PAYG says 3's top-up extras last 90 days. I got my hopes up but I think it's changed since March because I read the PDF on their website and it says 30 days.

As for handsets, just hoping for some recommendations if possible!

mrochester

Nokia C3 for a reasonably cheap QWERTY phone perhaps? Can usually be had for around £60 or so from Carphone Warehouse.

grumbler

Poco_money wrote: »

Thanks. At £2 / week, that's £8 - 10 a month, which is close to what I'm spending now and would be more if I had a heavier usage week.

I thought it was per a month, not per a week.
You can get 100+100 for 6p.m. at chitter chatter (or the same for £10ish at tmobile, but with £80ish casback through TCB).
Also talkmobile do 8p.m. tariff.

Hollie_Smith_2

Giffgaff also do a £5 a month goodybag:
For only £5 get 60 UK Minutes, 300 UK texts and a free extra minute for every minute you get called (as long as the call is not from another giffgaff number). Plus, you will still benefit from our free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts.