Apologies for the delay in approving your comment, btw. If you choose to comment again on PAS, it should go through automatically.

Thanks, Susan. Yes, I have a SIM-only contract with 3 as well. It sounds very similar to yours, although I’m not sure I get as much data as that. But as I tend to use no more than around 500 MB of data every month, it’s pretty much academic for me too!

Thanks for the comment. Yes, that’s a reasonable strategy. It’s important to let your service provided know you are doing this and ensure they switch you to a cheaper, SIM-only contract once the phone is paid off.

Doing this does of course mean you will get a “locked” phone from your provider, and you will need to unlock it if you wish to switch to another service provider once the device is paid for.

I had PAYG for quite a while but these days opt for the middle ground of a rolling contract which gives me flexibility. I have a 3 contract for £9.50 a month that gives me unlimited calls and texts plus 8GB which I’ve come no where near using. Every so often I look round for a better deal and will ditch and switch immediately once I’ve found it.

Good point about PAYG – I didn’t really cover that in the article. I know one or two people who still have PAYG phones, but I guess most people have inclusive deals now.