How slowing down can help you save on telco costs

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Nothing will make you rethink your spending like moving house during a cost-of-living crisis. I mean, I’ve always been pretty savvy when it comes to how I manage my money. I learned long ago that successfully managing the family budget results in making the most of every dollar that hits my account.
A recent example of this is a conversation with my partner about how I planned to get to work each day following our move. We are just a little too far for me to walk to the metro so, instead of catching a bus and then a train I decided I’d park at the shops for $13-$20 a day. My partner quickly pointed out it would cost a minimum of $39 a week (because I work in the office three days a week), which is $156 a month.
I immediately agreed before warning him to never share that calculation when it came to my two takeaway coffees on each of these work days (which at $4 per coffee is $24 a week and $96 a month — argh!) but the point is we need to manage our money in a way that stretches it as far as possible, while also budgeting for those little treats that make our days better. For me, that is coffee. And jumping on a bus before my train is a small price to pay for that privilege.
The same goes for all of our expenses, and the best way I have found for us to save is by rethinking all of our regular bills, phone, internet, electricity, gas and insurance.
Consider smaller, trusted brands rather than the ones your parents have been with for years and that you have been with for years. Many of the smaller players are just as reputable, including SpinTel, which is a multi-award winning NBN provider. NBN is very important in my home (teenagers!) and was the first provider I contacted when we decided to move.
A free budget-tracking app will help you figure out what you are spending and where you can make the most savings, although most banking apps now have a function that will do this for you. Initially, it can be a bit of a shock when you see just where your money is going. But then it is empowering because then you can figure out how to save.
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
1. Contact your telco

Chat with your telco and ask about how much you can save by choosing a plan with a lower speed. This is where you can save, and smaller players like SpinTel are super competitive when it comes to prices, but also offer a variety of plans that help you save (see infographic above).
2. Bundle your bills
Bundling your bills with one company can also help you save, and some telcos also offer energy services or vice versa. This can be a bit fiddly to switch them all across, but well worth it in the long run.
3. Post-paid options
I always pay post-paid, but I pay everything according to my monthly pay cycle. You can set and forget these payments and always round up the amount you owe so you can get ahead. This is particularly useful for quarterly and annual expenses like electricity, gas and insurance.
4. Family plans
Providers like SpinTel offer family or “business” plans when you have a few of you using the service in your household. I am able to pay less because there are four of us and we have multiple devices each, which qualifies us for potential group discounts.
5. Compare prices
Once or twice a year sit down and take a close look at all your bills, then do a little research and compare what you are paying with competitors. It’s an easy way to check you are getting the best value, and this is also a great time to contact current providers and ask if you are getting the best deal possible. Most will be happy to chat — and negotiate — to keep your business.
Now all you have to do is watch the savings add up.
SpinTel is a multiple award winner across Mobile, NBN, Internet, and Broadband by WhistleOut, Product Review, Canstar Blue, Finder and Money Magazine; and one of the most popular Australian telcos on ProductReview with a rating of 4.4 from over 10,986 reviews. Check out SpinTel’s award-winning plans here.