The cost of communication?

[GVGjr]

TCD's iPhone thread got me thinking but hasn't the cost of communication gotten expensive especially when you consider how much people are prepared to spend on mobiles, landlines and internet connections etc?

A mate of mine is spending close to $350 per month for the family. I think the break down is him and his wife with $70 plans, the two children on $30 plans, calls and rental on the land line $50 and about $100 per month for the internet.

Anyone beating that?
Does anyone have some good ideas for keeping the costs down?

[Rocco Jones]

Re: The cost of communication?

Does anyone have some good ideas for keeping the costs down?

Not letting my partner access the internet on her iPhone. She went over her limit by a massive 30MB which will cost her $150.

The main issue I see is going over your cap/data limit which I have done in the last. I am pretty wary of how much I have used now and regularly have a look if I am in doubt.

[AndrewP6]

Re: The cost of communication?

Agree with Rocco... I fell into the "Gee it's cool to access internet on my mobile" trap... cost me a LOT of money... learnt that lesson the hard way.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: The cost of communication?

I am pretty wary of how much I have used now and regularly have a look if I am in doubt.

How do you check that?

[Rocco Jones]

Re: The cost of communication?

How do you check that?

We are both with Virgin so I log onto the site with my phone number and password and check my bill. It shows how much of your cap you have used and you can also check how much of your internet data allowance you have used. Be warned they can often be on a day or two delay.

My internet is through a USB and I just go into the stats part to check that. There's no problem with getting a big bill there cause it just slows down in speed.

My cap and data allowance is a fair bit more than my partners but she kept on previewing songs on iTunes.

I also have just got an iPhone and love it (outside of my partner's upcoming bill!).

[AndrewP6]

Re: The cost of communication?

How do you check that?

I'm with Telstra, I can log onto the BigPond site, and check usage there.

[boydogs]

Re: The cost of communication?

My bill is usually around $70/month. We have 2 mobiles for my wife and I which we have paid off but are still using that are each on $14/month plans with 3, including free 10 minute calls and texts to each other (other 3 phones) and 25c for 10 minute calls to landlines nation wide, which my wife uses to call her Mum in NSW. My Mum also has a 3 phone.

We have 3 Mobile Broadband for Internet, we got the USB modem free being mobile phone customers. We are on a fair bit so have the $39/6GB plan, however they go as low as $15/1GB. We can change our plan up and down month to month as well which is good

This means we have no landline phone, broadband modem or broadband line which makes a big difference

We don't have cable TV either, the new 'freeview' channels must be making it hard for those guys to keep their customers or get new ones

[LostDoggy]

Re: The cost of communication?

How do you check that?

Some companies have an app that allows you access showing you how many texts, calls and data you have used eg im with optus and use 'yes' my account.

If there isn't you can access it online, or for quick data usage checks on the iphone goto settings > general > usage...but remember to reset it everytime your bill comes.

[GVGjr]

Re: The cost of communication?

I guess I should have also added Pay TV in the list of communication costs.

It all adds up doesn't it.

[hujsh]

Re: The cost of communication?

Not letting my partner access the internet on her iPhone. She went over her limit by a massive 30MB which will cost her $150.

The main issue I see is going over your cap/data limit which I have done in the last. I am pretty wary of how much I have used now and regularly have a look if I am in doubt.

That's where prepaid phones are handy for me. I'd waste so much money if it didn't tell me I was out of money.

[mighty_west]

Re: The cost of communication?

Myself & my partners are probably around the $280 mark per month, that includes:

Foxtel IQ2, all channels except movies - $100
Landline approx $60/month
Internet Broadband $40/month
Mobile 1 approx $20-$30/month [mine]
Mobile 2 approx $60/month [the missus]

We did try & save by bundling it all at one stage, but were late by 2 days with the bill; and my mobile was cut off, meaning had i been stranded at 4am breaking down somewhere, well........we changed that.