A mother from Liverpool has revealed a simple trick that helped her drastically cut her phone bill and save money. Sian Emily, once riddled with debt, successfully managed to clear £2,500 in arrears while maintaining household expenses and nursery fees. The 26-year-old managed to bring down her monthly phone bill from £50 to a mere £11, saving nearly £500 annually.
She employed a simple strategy taught by her parents and no longer frets over the hefty bill being deducted from her bank account each month. “My stepdad was the one who initially suggested, ‘You need to buy a phone outright’,” shared the assistant psychologist. “He arranged a zero percent interest loan for me.”
“He lent me the money to purchase the refurbished model. I repaid him and since then, I’ve only used a sim card.” Sian advises choosing a less expensive phone over the latest model and buying refurbished to save additional cash. The mother suggests that saving money received as birthday or Christmas gifts could help if you can’t afford to buy outright, reports the Liverpool Echo.
“Some places offer zero percent loans on their phones – I know for sure Apple does,” she added. “Try to set aside money or, if possible, make overpayments towards phones to break free from a contract.”
Now, Sian spends approximately £70 daily on nursery fees and slightly over £80 weekly on groceries – leaving her with roughly £200 to cover the rest of her family’s needs. She emphasizes the significance of setting aside a certain sum each month as a trial to see if you’d miss the cash influx if you did secure a contract.
“If you can’t cope then you know not to go through with it,” she cautioned. “If you can, then you sign up for it.” The 26-year-old is now educating herself about wealth management and striving to adopt an ‘overall better mindset with money’.
“Nurseries are a big expense and it’s so important [to budget], especially with social media nowadays,” she continued. “You’re bombarded and it’s hard not to get stuck in that cycle of trying to keep up with everyone. You’ve got to show it’s not normal to fall into overconsumption.”
