Spusu is helping mobile users budget this winter

Last year, Ofcom put the average monthly phone bill at over £37. On top of mid-contract price rises and a cost-of-living crisis, it’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed by our phone bills.

Manchester Evening News, with help from mobile operator spusu, looked at how you could possibly save money as well as provide some useful hints and tips for the months ahead.

Mobile phones have become a modern-day necessity. Most of us have no qualms in accepting that it’s a cost we must budget for. We all know about shopping around for cheaper food options and better-priced energy bills — but how about your phone plan?

Recent figures by Sky Mobile show that UK mobile users typically only use around half their data per month, amounting to around £80 worth of unused data per person every year, as reported by Telecoms.

Therefore, taking the time to review how much of your monthly data you actually use is a quick and easy way to save. This can usually be done through your mobile network operator’s app, or by logging into your account online.

Taking the time to look at other contracts on the market can help bring some perspective to what you’re paying. If you’ve had the same contract for a few years, check around to see if you’re still happy with your plan.

Popping into a nearby phone shop can be a convenient way of sussing out available packages, but you might be missing out. The best deals are typically found online, where it’s far easier to compare multiple plans at once.

But take care to avoid pitfalls, such as mid-contract price rises. These normally occur in April each year, with mobile operators raising prices to accommodate for increasing costs, generally calculated based on inflation.

This year, some phone bills increased