When you're choosing a mobile plan, the logical thing to do is look at your current usage and pick a plan that meets your needs without spending too much, right?
You're on the right track, sort of. While the core idea there is fine, the problem here is that many of us think in terms of how much data we're using now without thinking about the fact that many mobile plans cover two-year terms.
Two years ago mobile Netflix wasn't something that many Australians pondered, but today it's commonplace. Our own research suggests that average Australian mobile usage is growing by 71 per cent year on year, which means that the plan that you sign up for now might only be adequate for one year of your two-year span if you only go off your average existing usage.
Data usage varies by the user of course, but generally speaking Australians use 2-3GB per month on their phones right now, which means that the vast majority of plans, including most of the low-cost ones don't even meet those needs, not to mention the needs of users a year or two from now. Just a few hours of Netflix a month can easily gobble up your mobile quota if you're not careful.
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So if you were on a 3GB plan right now at about $50 a month (which is quite achievable), it might make sense to jump up a pricing tier to a higher data quota plan, because you don't have to go over by much before the differences become quite stark.
If your carrier offers 3GB for $40 and 5GB for $50, that's $10 a month, or a $240 difference over a typical two year contract. Go 1.5GB over quota per month (and with 71 per cent data growth that's likely) and you're looking at spending $60 a month for the same 5GB of quota, but spending an extra $240 again for the privilege!
If you use more, the problem just gets worse, because while excess data charges aren't as painful as they used to be, every part of a GB you go over your quota always hits that same $10 charge.
The other way to plan around this is to eschew 24-month contracts, which is fine if you're happy with the handset that you have and you've got a little time up your sleeve to keep track of current deals.
For many of us, the lazy tax of simply paying each month and not thinking about it is likely to kick in, and kick us square in the wallet as it does so, even on those month to month or prepaid plans.
As with anything data, knowing, predicting and planning can be key to keeping your mobile costs down. Optus recently announced deals that make Netflix, Presto, Stan and iView content free for qualifying customers, albeit in Standard Definition and on mobile devices only, which means no sneaky casting up to your main TV, but could be worthwhile pursuing if you're a streaming media junkie.
If your data usage needs go beyond video, though, it's worth carefully considering not just your usage today but your likely usage down the track. Spending a little more upfront may cushion you from a nasty data bill down the track.
Alex Kidman is the tech & telco editor at comparison site finder.com.au.