What's the best deal.

[#1]

After two years, Mrs Minivanman thinks it's time to change her mobile for a new one, so what's the best deal out there?

At the moment she's paying about £10 a month, looking to perhaps pay £15, but one of our daughters has a new Samsung for £20 a month. Mainly used for keeping in touch with the kids......but don't mention her addiction to Candy Crush!

Mine is just a PAYG one that's kept in the car, never caught on to 'must have' a mobile m'self. 

[#2]

IMO the way to decide is to look at total cost of ownership (including usage costs) over the period any contract will run for compared to the options below.

If SWMBO is not a heavy user it may well be cheaper to go for PAYG.

It's often (usually?) cheaper to buy a handset outright and add your own SIM (either PAYG or PAYG monthly).

There's no way I would buy a phone by spreading the cost over one of those extortionate contracts, which try to make it look as if you're getting a cheap deal.  I suspect many people are sucked into them by the massive amount of included 'SMS and Minutes' on offer and who don't need anything like what's on offer.

I paid for mine outright and just added my Three 3-2-1 SIM from my really old Three phone (had to get Three to supply a nano SIM though).

[#3]

As mentioned by @RobPN have a piece of paper, and work out how many phone calls and texts is actually used "per month"   and get a rough "costing" of that usage... multiply by  12  and you will know how MUCH you are paying for a phone that you have got.... just to keep up with the rest of the world... ( i.e. "the Jones`s"..).. 

PAYG is a very good option ... as you would not carry around a red phone box all day and night... just to "keep in touch".. ! ! !.. it is an easy thing to "top up" as and when needed.. and you know you have not got that outgoing of  £15 per month... ( £180 per annum ) ... .. I expect she doesn`t actually use the internet "that" much to warrant having that,  but it is (can be) useful at times.

Go to a "Carphone Warehouse" phone shop.. ( or similar  ) and see if they have an offer on a "cheapy"  my last "upgrade" cost me £2.50.

[#4]

Virtual network mobile operators are usually always cheaper. Take a look at Tesco mobile @Minivanman. I was with them for  few years and and you even get clubcard points each month when you pay your monthly bill.

https://www.tescomobile.com/shop/

[#5]

I like O2 my calls and text  are unlimited  with 1 gig data , for £13 a month

the handset is a seperate charge if you want to take one , i just upgraded to a OnePlus T   phone is £17.50 month

but its your choice a Samsung S3 is only £5 a month

[#6]

One of the reasons for changing the Mrs tells me is wanting to use Messenger without having to be part of Facebook - which she has now ditched. Apparently her present mobile does not allow her to download a stand--alone app which would allow her to continue using it, but a new phone would. 

I hope my chain is not being pulled just to get a smart new phone. 

[#7]

@Minivanman dunno about "messenger".... Never used it... ( always send my messages in Morse over the internet ! !  )  ! !  ( or a runner with a cleft stick )        does it work on both  Android, and WIndows phones ?   

[#8]

On Android definitely, but being cut from Windows I believe.

[#9]

yes i believe it will run on either phone as a separate App , without FB.

But it uses the phone number as a identifier