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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think £35 a month is a lot for a phone?

66 replies

KitKat1985 · 21/04/2017 21:13

So, DH needs a new phone as his old one has broken. The one he wants he tells me has a retail price of £650 new! My sodding laptop that I bought last year wasn't even that much. Basically he's been told that he can have the phone for £100 upfront if he agrees to a £35 a month contract for 2 years. I think this is excessive. He's already stretched on his monthly salary due to a car loan, and I've only got maternity pay coming in until I'm back to work in November, so things have been a bit tight money-wise at times.

We could just about afford it and obviously I don't want to tell him how to spend his money, but I have a perfectly usable phone for less than half that much per month (and cost nothing upfront), and I just think a fancy mobile is an excessive expense whilst our finances are stretched. I just don't get the appeal of flashy phones. Surely as long as you can do the essentials like get texts, e-mails, check the internet and make and receive phone calls then that's all you need? AIBU to ask him to look at cheaper options?

OP posts:

londonrach · 21/04/2017 21:17

Anything more than £12.50 per month is alot. My mum got it the £7.50 including free phone. I used to do payg and paid around £10 ish per month.

londonrach · 21/04/2017 21:18

Carphone warehouse by the way.

weeblueberry · 21/04/2017 21:18

Depends what you use it for and what you're getting with it.

My phone is £35 a month but it's an iPhone with unlimited calls and try's and 8GB data. Which I use virtually all of.

weeblueberry · 21/04/2017 21:19

Texts not try's...

MetalMidget · 21/04/2017 21:20

It depends what features you want. More expensive phones may have better cameras, faster hardware and graphics chips (ideal if you play games on the device), better gps, higher quality screens (better for watching videos), etc. Some may be impact resistant or waterproof (ideal if you do outdoorsy type sports and activities).

If you want it just for calls, texting and browsing basic websites, a cheaper phone would be better (they tend to have better battery life, due to being less powerful).

Madwoman5 · 21/04/2017 21:20

All in unlimited calls, texts and wedge of data and decent phone £23 pm on Three.

Bobbins43 · 21/04/2017 21:21

I pay way more than that but get 20GB of data, unlimited calls and texts. I do everything on my phone; shopping, banking etc...

It's my lifeline. But yeah, finances permitting.

Violetcharlotte · 21/04/2017 21:21

Depends on what sort of phone, how much data, etc. And obviously on your own budget. I pay £35 pm for my iPhone. I use it all the time, it's in my budget, and i prefer iPhones to any other model I've tried, so I see that as money well spent.

RedSkyAtNight · 21/04/2017 21:21

Well I think it's a lot, but presumably your DH doesn't because he obviously considers his phone important. However if money is tight, of course you could suggest looking at other options ... however first I'd suggest if you have a similar "vice" that DH might consider unnecessary?

Ellieboolou27 · 21/04/2017 21:22

£30-35 is average for a contract and a decent phone, my phones not flashy it's just an iPhone which is pretty much the norm these day

malibuandlemonade · 21/04/2017 21:23

I pay £70 a month for my iPhone 7 plus (on EE). But that does include insurance and 10gb of data!

SandyDenny · 21/04/2017 21:23

It's not unusual for a contract phone, it depends on what he'd get but if you can't afford it, it's too much.

londonrach - what's the significance of 12.50?

Goldfishjane · 21/04/2017 21:24

YANBU

Cheerybigbottom · 21/04/2017 21:26

It depend what you can afford, DH just got a new iPhone7 contract for £34 a month, but I just get his old phone and a £10 a month sim. But if it was a stretch and we were "just about" affording it then it would be excessive and you would not be unreasonable to discuss no new contracts until you are working again and family income is more unstable. He could get a decent handset from CEX or similar and use a pay monthly sim/cheap contract sim until November. Bang, Christmas present idea

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 21/04/2017 21:27

RedSky I don't think I do have a similar vice. I haven't even had a hair cut for 6 months as I haven't had enough spare cash. We're paying towards a holiday next year in instalments but that's a cost we're splitting between us.

DH's reasoning for the phone is that he's a heavy phone user and he needs a phone with decent memory etc to do what he wants with it. I do get that, but it still seems a lot of money to me.

OP posts:

youngestisapsycho · 21/04/2017 21:29

My iPhone 7 plus is £45.60 a month with 24gb of data... I've always gone for cheap phones and bundles to keep cost down... decided to splash out this time! I love it and use it more than my iPad now.

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 21/04/2017 21:29

Malibu £70 a month! That's £840 a year!

OP posts:

Fab39ish · 21/04/2017 21:32

12 quid a month here.

Topseyt · 21/04/2017 21:41

£10 per month here. Contract with a perfectly good phone.

I get 300 minutes, 5,000 texts and 500m of data. I am not a massive data user, and it is perfect for me.

UppityHumpty · 21/04/2017 21:47

I bought a new iphone from Apple at 38/mth (over 12 months 0 per cent interest). Sim 5/mth unlimited calls, 4gb data, unlimited texts.

Original poster

KitKat1985 · 21/04/2017 21:50

It's possible I'm just unrealistic as to how much phones are these days. [Daydreams back to my pay-as-you-go Nokia 5510 which had Snake and therefore was awesome]

OP posts:

SpreadYourHappiness · 21/04/2017 21:52

I pay £28 a month for data, having had the phone bought outright for me as a gift. It's an iPhone, and I'd say it's a necessity not a luxury (for me, at least).

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 21/04/2017 21:53

I pay £70 per month - I have an iPhone 7 plus and it was £140 upfront

I get unlimited calls, texts and 24gb of data though

nympthinyellow · 21/04/2017 21:53

Yup £35 a month here (I phone 6) I do it because the camera is amazing and it has crazy storage. DS is 8 months, I got it when he was a month old and it's been so special to be able to take so many good photos of him (and yes I do get the best printed!) also all the normal apps/ maps/ what's app etc are great. (I send photos of DS all the time to family, DM is so thankful you can do that these days so she never misses a moment.) so yeah, for me it's more than a phone

blackbunny · 21/04/2017 21:54

I'm with ID it costs £13.50 per month for 300 mins and unlimited texts, plus a very nice smart phone.Not sure about how much data but I'm on internet daily and never exceeded my quota yet.
Why pay more?

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