When you are looking for a phone deal, don’t be enticed in by discount offers for mobile or landline calls or cheaper after hours calls unless they suit exactly what you want. Negotiate a low rate for all your mobile phone calls whatever time or destination you are calling.

Only pay for what you use, so get per second billing on your phone calls, especially mobile phone calls and international calls. Companies charge per every 30 seconds but statistics show that only 50% of the very last 30 seconds are used so if you make lots of short calls you are actually increasing your timed call charges up to 50%. Telaustralia offer fixed wire and mobile plans charged in 1 seconds increments (except for the $zero Mobile plan).

Flag falls are a connection fee for timed calls for mobiles and landlines. These are expensive and often hidden away, so watch out. If making many short calls, check flag fall rates. Telaustralia offers flag falls on average 50% lower than the main Telco’s.

If work involves traveling, make sure you have coverage otherwise you will be charged at higher rates by other networks. You must be on the Telstra network, Telaustralia mobiles are on this network and the BlackBerry service is on the Vodafone network.

If making lots of long distance phone calls, a capped plan is probably your best deal. It usually consists of an hour for a set price and works out cheap. However, on average a long distance call is 2 minutes so service providers get you to sign up with a call caps but then charge a much higher first per minute rate, meaning most calls are more expensive.

If you have a business, request itemized bills to identify which department is making costly calls and manage your staff accordingly. Billing can also be accessed online. Telaustralia offers over 100 alternative itemization choices and customers can get to see their phone bills online.

If traveling abroad and using your mobile phone roaming charges can be costly and totally dependant on the 3rd party carrier charges in the country you are in. SMS is cheaper to use, or let all calls direct to voicemail, then return calls from a landline. Another option is to buy a local SIM card and use that to make mobile phone calls within the country.

Mobile phones can be really pricey to use, especially if they have all the latest gadgets and technology, cameras, web browsers, etc. A basic phone will mean cheaper rates; calls, Bluetooth and a basic camera are the most commonly used features for mobile phone users. These features are offered in phones retailing at under $300.

The best way to get your moneys worth from your phone is to arrange a plan that fits with your call patterns. There are many all-inclusive plans but realistically, will you use all those minutes? Telaustralia reveals opting for a standard low rate plan is cheaper in the majority of cases. Unlimited plans tend to charge flag falls, higher monthly line rental and other little extras. Ask service providers to carry out a bill analysis for you before signing up. Telaustralia has a free phone bill analysis service, fax a bill to 1300 765 182 and receive a written analysis within 48 hrs.

Using your landline phone to call internationally is hugely expensive. If your business makes lots of overseas calls or you have family abroad, consider a plan with cheap International IDD call rates or if you have a broadband connection a VoiP connection for calling overseas.

TELAUSTRALIAS TOP 10 PHONE SAVING TIPS 

Saving on your phone bill is high priority for many businesses. Business Phone costs can be expensive so here’s a few tips to get your Business Phone charges down.

1. If you are a light mobile user get a low flat rate mobile phone call plan. Ensure you get a single low call rate across all your calls regardless of destination or time of the day. Avoid half price for mobile or landline or cheaper after hours calls unless you are certain they suit your call patterns. Telaustralia Mobile phone plans have a single flat rate 24/7. If you are heavier user get a capped or unlimited mobile phone plans thats suits and is aligned to the number of calls you make. Its better to pay a little bit more get a plan that allows you to stay under your capped spend limit so you dont get charged additional call charges. Call it bill shock insurance.

2. Call charged in 30 second increments are costly as you only use on average 50% of the final 30 seconds of the call. On short calls this can increase your timed call charges by up to 50%. Ensure you get per second billing on your phone calls, in particular mobile phone calls and international calls so you only pay for what you use.

3. Flag Falls are a hidden cost. Most providers charge flag falls as a connection fee on any timed call for both mobile calls and timed calls from a landline. Many service providers don’t advertise their flag falls for very good reason – they are expensive. Make sure you have low flag fall especially if you make a lot of short calls. Telaustralia has flag falls typically 50% lower than the major Telco’s. Get more information at http://www.telaustralia.com.au/mobile

4. Line Rental is often the major portion of the phone bill. With ISDN 10/20/30 Primary rate and ISDN 2 Basic Rate Digital Phone Lines you can cut down the number of lines you have by using an In dial Number range and therefore reduce your line rental costs. An India Number range will allow up to another 100 numbers over and above the number of lines you have. Get more information at http://www.telaustralia.com.au/fixed_line/isdn_10_20_30

5.  Long Distance calls can be costly. The average Long Distance call is around 2 minutes. Many Service Providers entice you with Call Caps for 1 or more hours but charge a much higher initial per minute rate meaning most calls cost you more. Only go for an attractive capped plan if you make lots of long calls. 

6. If you are running a business make sure you have itemised bills that allow you to analyze your spend by user, department and days of the week. This way you can determine where your Telco spend is going and allow you to manage staff that may have excessive use. Online billing can also be used to view recent accounts to establish particular call patterns. Telaustralia offers over 100 itemization options and all customers get free access to online phone bill view.

7. International travel can result in very large phone bills when you get back home. International mobile phone roaming charges are expensive and can be unpredictable due to 3rd party carrier charges in the country you travel in. SMS are more expensive while roaming as well but can be much cheaper method to communicate than using your mobile phone. It is also cheaper to let all calls go to voicemail and then accessing them in one go to work out who requires a call back and who can get a SMS response. It can also be cheaper to get a local SIM card to make mobile phone calls within the country you are traveling in.

8. Mobile Phone handsets can be incredibly expensive. Everyone loves to have a handset with all the bells and whistles .. Phone cameras, Music MP3 players like Apple iPhone, web browsers, diaries all can add up to be very expensive phones. Do you need all those features and will you use them. Considering less than 70% of phones last 2 years before being damaged or lost and requiring replacement this can really add up. Most people could get by with a phone that makes phone calls and Bluetooth for connectivity and may be a basic camera. These features are available in phones that cost under $300.

9. Get a plan that suits you call patterns. Some of the major Telco’s are offering all-inclusive plans that sound like good value but will you really make all those calls? Our analysis show that going onto a standard low rate plan will be cheaper in about 90% of cases. When the major Telco’s introduced these plans, it as never with the intention of lowering their margins or profits so ask your self why would they offer it this way? Even better get your potential provider to do a bill analysis for you prior to signing up. Telaustralia has a free phone bill analysis service Fax a bill to 1300 765 182 and we will return a written analysis within 48 hrs.

10. A Business PABX Phone system can be used to access the cheapest call rates available by using Least Cost Routing (LCR). Most modern phone systems have access to LCR. Installing a GSM gateway can reduce call costs for heavier users by routing calls via the Mobile network using a Capped or Unlimited mobile phone plan. With your phone system avoid bundled deals as you will end up paying a higher cost for your phone system and probably your phone calls.To find out more information about current PABX business Phone Systems and PBX Phone systems go to http://www.telaustralia.com.au/phone_systems

Moving is stressful-not only physically but financially. Even if you don’t hire a moving company, you still need to spend some bucks for the moving. But if you know how to save some money when moving, then you will probably have cheaper moving. You may be asking how you will do this. Simple-just follow these five ways to cheaper moving. You’ll be surprised that you can still save some dollars even if you hire a moving company’s services.

Cheaper Moving Tip No. 1: Turn off all your house’s utilities on the moving date.

Inform your cable, Internet, or phone providers that you will be moving on a certain date. This way, you don’t have to pay for the services that in the first place you never used. You can also cut other regular services in advance so you can save even more money.

Also, check your house’s lights, water heater, thermostats, and other similar utilities. Make sure that all their switches are turned off so they won’t add up to your last bill.

Properly lock and seal your house’s windows and doors too. You can protect your area while it is empty by doing this.

Cheaper Moving Tip No. 2: Reduce your items’ weight to reduce expenses.

Moving companies usually charge depending on your items’ weight. So make sure that you only get charged for the necessary items. You can do that though getting rid of all your unused items.

Hold a garage sale, sell some of your items online or to a second-hand store, or donate your things to a charity. You’ll not just earn some money or some pride doing these but you’ll also save money.

Cheaper Moving Tip No. 3: Pack your things by yourself.

Most professional moving companies offer packing services. But getting this will only add up to your expenses. Why not pack your things instead? You’ll not just save money but you’ll also be able to take care of your valuable things.

You can save money while not disturbing your work through packing your items on your free time, say once in a week. Ask some of your family members to help in the packing too.

Cheaper Moving Tip No. 4: Get services from a moving company.

Do you have your own truck? Do you have enough manpower to load and unload all your things? If you say “no” to all of these questions, then you definitely need services from a moving company.

You can still save doing some money when you hire a moving company through shopping rightly and choosing the best. Do this through getting quotes from different moving companies and comparing these quotes. Don’t base on the price alone, though. Base you decision on the overall standing of the moving company like the services, charge, and reputation.

Cheaper Moving Tip No. 5: Estimate how much the moving will cost and stick to that.

How much will be the moving company’s service costs? Add some for the snacks, packing materials, gases, and other things. Don’t forget to include some bucks for the emergencies too.

Saving is still possible even when hiring a moving company. As long as you know how to be resourceful, you will certain save more than you ever expected. Besides, if you’re really on the budget, you don’t have any choice but to cut and cut your expenses.