In Nigeria, data is still quite relatively expensive, especially now that there are many data consuming applications that we find difficult to resist. A lot of us panic when we see a “Dear Customer, your data balance low” notification. We scramble to check our account balance to see if we even have any credit balance, then dial the usual USSD code, accept whatever generic plan pops up on your screen according to how much credit balance we have or could spare for date, and watch another chunk of out hard-earned cash vanish into thin air.
In this day and age, internet isn’t so much of a luxury; it has come to stay as an invisible infrastructure of our daily lives. We use it to work, catch up with loved ones, stream on our favourite social media apps, and also navigate our cities. But somehow, buying data often feels like taxing and tasking our lives.
If you are tired of watching your data balance go down faster than power bikes on 3rd Mainland Bridge, it’s time to have another think about how you subscribe. You don’t need a degree in telecommunications to spend less, you just need a few smart ideas. Here are 6 smart ways to get cheaper data for you internet needs.
BUY FROM THIRD PARTY MERCHANTS
A lot of people see advertisements from third party apps or even loan apps advertising very cheap data and somehow think it is a scam, trap or there has to be catch somewhere. However, we can tell you for free that the offers are real, as far it isn’t from phishing website.
This is how it works. Corporate organisations buy bulk data worth millions of naira at very low discounted rate from telecommunications companies to distribute to their staff for official duties. Third party apps take advantage of that discounted bulk data offering loophole to get cheap data from telecommunications and resails to you and I for cheaper than it would be, if you subscribed directly from the telecommunications companies. This is why a particular amount might give you 3Gb from a telecom company but give you 4.5Gb from 3rd party app.
Some 3rd Party merchants even buy data from regular subscribers and resale.
So if you are looking for cheap data, 3rd Party merchants are good at this.
BUY CLEAN DATA WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA BUNDLES
Have you ever looked at a data bundle and wondered why it comes with 2GB of “Instagram and TikTok access” when all you actually need is have enough data for a zoom meeting of WhatsApp video calls. These network operators love packaging bundled data because it looks massive to the eyes. They throw in allocations for social media apps under the assumption that everyone use those apps. But if you are not a heavy user of those specific platforms, that “bonus” data remains unused until it expires. You are essentially paying for something you would not use option but when you look at the option before subscribing, it seems massive.
Imagine buying a plan of 5Gb but 3Gb is actually tied to YouTube you rarely visit. Effectively, you bought a 2Gb plan for that amount but psychologically, they made you think it is 5Gb.
So, always look at the fine print. Always opt for clean, direct, unconditioned data. Buy a straightforward gigabyte allocation that goes wherever you go, rather than a fragmented bundle that locks your browsing into apps you barely open.
BUY SHORT-VALIDITY PLANS
So why do you buy data of one week validity or one month validity when you actually consume it in two days?. Seeing a long validity period is a kind of psychological trap because instinctively, you would tell yourself that if you do not finish consuming this data in a short time, at least it could remain in your phone for a longer time. It feels safe mentally. But you might be lying to yourself. You could finish up that data in just 24 hours.
Why this is important is because packages with short validity period are beefier. You might get 1Gb that is valid for one week or 3Gb that is valid for 2 days for the same amount. Consider the package that is valid for 2 days. If you monitor your usage patterns, you will realize that data bought in shorter bursts often comes at a significantly cheaper rate per gigabyte
By matching your purchases to shorter, active windows, you buy precisely what you need at a fraction of the cost, eliminating waste from idle days.
TARGET DATA ROLLOVER
Instead of watching your unused data expire , vanishing into thin air just because you didn’t manage to stream enough videos, learn to incorporate rollover into your data plans That data represents your money, and losing it feels personal. This is a situations whereby your expired data is added to a new subscription if you quickly subscribe within a short period after the expiration.
It is important to actively check and choose plans with data rollover capabilities. Rollover ensures that the data you paid for today rolls over to support you tomorrow. It bridges the gap between your fluctuating usage habits and rigid carrier expiry rules. It ensures that something remains for the rainy day. Trust us, you would need it when you least expect.
And choosing plans that roll your unused megabytes over into the next cycle guarantees that you get 100% of what you pay for.
BAND TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS/FAMILY AND BUY IN BULK AND SHARE
It is no secret that the more data you buy the less expensive it gets. This is a classic bulk purchase discount in sales, much like the very first option above where 3rd Party merchants buy bulk data as corporate organisations and resale. However, this time, you are banding together with a few friends and buying bulk data, then using the share USSD code to share it equally or according to the ratio of your contributions. Banding together with family, close friend or colleagues to purchase a large bulk or family data plan unlocks bulk pricing that individual buyers never afford.
BUY FROM OPERATOR NATIVE APPS
A lot of mobile phone users do not even know that their network operators have native apps you could download and manage your account from, including data purchase. Some of those that know about apps hardly see any reason to download one more app that would take space in their phone or consider it a waste of time, subscribing from an app instead of the fast USSD code. However, one of the easiest ways you could cheap data if buying from within the app. Operators sell cheaper data within the app because it ensures they use lesser network resources when you subscribe from within the apps. You could get 1.5Gb of data for a particular amount by using USSD code yet get 2.5Gb for the same price inside within the operator app. There are also a lot of promo opportunities within the app.
KELECHI OKORIE
