I got a new phone number a few months ago which brought problems as I had to change a lot of 2FA authorities and the number needed to be updated in all the various places who have it like banks, taxation department and government agencies generally, health, technology and insurance providers and more; it took a while and was annoying. I had to change my number with friends and family as well, some whom didn't actually believe I was me, annoying in itself. I still had (have) my old number and a phone for that SIM card which made things a lot easier though.
I'm still paying for it, still find a need for it because every now and then something I've forgotten about and haven't changed pops up there. I'm actually keen to retain it for a while to be honest, but not so keen on paying for it.
I have three SIM's all bundled on a business account which makes them all cheaper.
One is my main phone, (the new number), the second is the old number (in a new cheaper phone), and the third is a SIM in a USB dongle-thing which connects a solar array to the internet at one of my properties at which I do not live (so it has no internet connection hence the SIM) - it reports on the solar collection and electricity usage at that property and I don't want to lose that functionality. The three cost me $137 Australian dollars a month, $1,644 a year, and I decided to see if I could reduce that without losing usability.
As it turns out I was able to do so by putting my old (nearly redundant) number on a prepaid plan (within the same business bundle) that now costs just $74 a year instead of the $52 a month I was paying - $52x12 is $624 so with it only costing $74 annually now I'm $550 a year better off; that's not bad right?
As for the plan itself, that pre paid plan for $74 gives 220 minutes of calls and 220 texts a year...I'll use none of that though because I don't use that phone for outbound calls or texts. The plan needs to be renewed every 12 months and I have that on auto-renewal so I'll not have to think about it and just like that I'm $550 better off a year and have lost no functionality at all. Eventually I'll get rid of that second phone number altogether but for now it suits me to have it and for $74 a year I reckon I've had a pretty good win.
What does $550 buy me?
I think you get the idea, it's $550 I wouldn't have had and turning it into something tangible makes the effort to save it well worth it. I usually look at my outgoings to see where I could shave a bit off; I'm not obsessive about it but I also don't see the point in giving money away for no good reason.
Have you ever managed to reduce an outgoing expense by shifting things around, getting creative, or simply calling and negotiating a better deal? I think it's important in these financial times to make cost reductions where possible so what are you doing to make that happen? Comment below if you like.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Image(s) in this post are my own
