How do you keep your mobile data usage down?

gycraig_2

Just pay the 3 quid a month and get the extra gig from the network.no point paying 25-30 quid a month for a contract and nice phone to then be constantly worried when you use it

rollingmoon

Probably not a viable suggestion for Twitter/Facebook/Instagram addicts but...

Turn the data off and only put it on when you specifically need it, e.g. using traffic apps. Not only does this drastically reduce your usage, it has quadrupled my handset's standby time! I got rid of my contract and now only put £10 credit on the phone every three months

splitinfinity

gfplux wrote: »

Hello splitinfinity
Sorry you would find it a chore.
Checking my "stuff" is just what I do.
Internet usage, bank account, credit cards, gas usage, water usage, electricity usage, etc, etc.
I just like to be in control of my money.
As you say although the information is there but you have not checked it recently. ? Last month? Last year? You sound like you "nearly" have everything at your fingertips.
When it comes to money I only work for myself, that should be a full time job.
Apologies if that comes across as rude.

No it is not rude at all. In answer to your question, I know that I have not overpaid my mobile bill in the last 4 months (I had to call 0800 number to do a car insurance change so I could drive the new car back home) - I can see the correct amount going out of my bank account every month - so do I need to log into my account and check the data usage, and then write it down in to my evernote app? or is that redundant?

It is fair to check up on bills and finance and "to be on the ball" as they say. My point was, noting down information per month using a spreadsheet/evernote (google drive and evernote are great apps btw) and so on seems very repetitive. When things become repetitive, I like to find ways to make the job easier - for example instead of logging into all of my financial accounts separately, I use a service called moneydashboard, to see my incoming and outgoings in one place - instantly saving me some time but still allowing me to check my "stuff". Similarly I could monitor my data usage at the end of the month and write it down every month, or I could log in to my online account and voila, see the information there - several years of data without having to check periodically or note anything down. And why bother, I can see my £12 going from my bank account to my network provider, so everything is ok. If it was more than that, then I would investigate the extra cost.

Both you and I like checking "stuff" - i find it helps me stay on my feet and keep on top of every aspect of my life. I keep track of bills, water usage, energy usage, broadband usage (bought a second router and installed custom firmware), fuel usage, miles driven - hours worked for clients, invoices paid by them, money received into my business account. Its a lot of numbers, and every bit of automation is a blessing.

I too work for myself, and every minute saved from checking numbers is another minute for myself and my loved ones.

gfplux

Lots of great points splitinfinity.

Mrs_Ryan

My 3G is always switched off. I only switch it on if I'm out somewhere, there's no wifi and I need it for some reason. My phones always connected to my home wifi so no need to use it at home. Plus it runs my battery down! Never gone over my 1GB yet.

frugalpam

Lolli101 wrote: »

Highly recommend 'My Data Manager' free from Google Play for android & from apple for iPhone users.
You can setup alarms to stop data usage when you reach your monthly contract allowance and even for wi-fi.
You can view how much data is used by all your apps either hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or by your plan dates.

Many thanks!