I got a notification earlier this morning that my data bundle will expire the next day at exactly 9:00 AM. This is something I knew would happen, but I had been praying for a miracle—maybe for the data to keep running. Lol.
I have been scared of this day because data plans across all networks suddenly increased overnight. Right now, subscribing to a data plan requires serious thought, especially for those of us who rely heavily on data. The worst part is that after hearing about the data increment, I was hoping that the bundle plan I usually subscribe to would remain unchanged. It is not widely known, and many people do not even like it. I have been using this plan for several months since last year. It is called ALWAYS ON, where I purchase 45GB for N6,000 per month. Under this plan, my daily usage is capped at 1.5GB. Some days, I exceed this limit, but because of the rollover of unused data, I usually have enough to sustain me. This plan has been saving me from spending excessively on data each month, especially compared to those who consume larger amounts.
Upon receiving the notification about my data expiration, I checked the available subscription options, only to find that my preferred plan was no longer listed. My mood instantly changed. This means I will have to return to my old pattern of heavy spending on data because all the current plans available are outrageously expensive.
On this same day, a lady who stays close to my workplace, whom I usually share WiFi with, asked to connect again, and I refused. Although I still had data left, which is set to expire the next day, I just decided not to share my WiFi with her this time. She has not been recharging or buying data bundles because I always allow her to connect whenever she asks. She asks very often because she runs a POS business (where people deposit and withdraw money). I told her to go and buy her own data subscription since the cost of data has skyrocketed. She started frowning, but I did not care. Imagine that! She has never shown appreciation for the fact that I have been the one providing her with internet access for her phone and business. Yet, the one day I refused to let her connect, she got upset. Lol.
Even when I manage to subscribe tomorrow, I am no longer sharing my WiFi with her. If she does not know how expensive data has become, she should subscribe for herself and see firsthand.
By the grace of God, when I subscribe tomorrow, I am definitely going to set a strict data usage limit to ensure I do not exhaust my data before the validity period ends. It sounds funny, but I believe this control method will go a long way in helping me manage my data effectively. The plan I used to subscribe to did this automatically, and I survived on it.
Thanks for reading.
Photo used is mine
