Mobile phones are two-a-penny these days.

Well, not quite that cheap perhaps, but they’re an attractive alternative to sharing a single landline with your housemates. As well as the (dis?)advantage of being contactable at all times, you get your own personal number and the cost of calls isn’t too high if you choose your package carefully and don’t go crazy.

Pre-pay phones are particularly handy for those that don’t use them that much – you can usually just top up the credit as and when you need to rather than having to worry about being tied into paying a fixed amount each month.

It’s worth looking into any special deals available – most networks offer discounts if you bulk-buy text messages in advance, for example.

Contract mobiles are generally more expensive, but can work out giving better value to those with a heavy talk and text-life. As a rule if you're spending over £20 a month, a contract will cost you less - aside from doing the obvious and sending messages by semaphore or pigeon. Most contracts give out a free or heavily discounted phone and then include a bundle of free minutes, texts and the like as part of the packages. Most contracts last 12 or 18 months and getting out early can be as easy as climbing a skyscraper smeared in margarine, so think carefully about whether you’ll be able to pay the bill for the whole period before signing up.

With several different phone companies in the country, it’s a competitive market and deals change all the time. Keep looking out for special mobile offers advertised in newspapers; sometimes you can get the latest model handset with free connection and other benefits for a very good monthly price.

Whatever deal you opt for, keep an eye on what you actually spend. You may want either to switch tariff or learn to talk quicker/breathe less.

• Landline phone and internet
• Household bills and utilities
• Dosh drains

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