Want to add an extra $1500 a year to your yearly family travel fund?

Travel is such a fun part of family life, and it’s often a fair chunk of the family budget.

Let’s look at how you cut down on expenses so that you can travel more (or in more style!).

Here is one of the simplest ways that our family has added to our travel fund in recent years.

One of our most significant expenses has been our mobile phones. I was sure I could reduce this expense, and I found a great option in Aldi prepaid mobile plans.

At first, hubby and I were both super sceptical about leaving a prominent service provider, so we swapped my plan over first as a trial.

It went great, and I didn’t notice any change in service, so we swapped his mobile phone over too.

And honestly, we’ve never looked back.

Aldi offers some of the most affordable mobile phone plans on the market, AND they use the Telstra 4G network to deliver their services. This means, as an Aldi customer, you can access Telstra’s impressive nationwide coverage at a fraction of the cost.

Switching over saved us $1500 per year in our household alone, and our family and friends that we’ve converted have now saved $18K combined.

So, it’s certainly well worth investigating, and yes, you can even keep your existing number!

I've listed a basic 'how to guide' below, so that you too can break up with your current mobile phone provider and put away some extra cash for your next family holiday. 

Step 1:

Find out if you’re still under contract. If you are, find out how long you have left, and how much you’d need to pay in early exit fees for your handset and service. This should be as simple as walking into your provider’s store or making a call (or you might even find it listed on your bill).

Step 2:

Weigh up if it’s worth leaving early (even if you have to pay an exit fee) or staying put until your contract expires.

For example:

Cost of staying on your current plan for 6 more months: $85 x 6 = $510

Cost to cancel with an early exit fee + new $25 plan for 6 months: $300 + ($25 x 6) = $450

Step 3:

Get a new handset if required. We weren’t able to keep our existing handsets when we left our service provider, so we initially used two older mobiles we had lying around the house initially. In time, we bought two near-new reconditioned iPhones from Catch of The Day!

Step 4:

Grab an Aldi sim card. You can pick one up at your local Aldi for $5, or you can buy one online via their website and have it posted out to you.

Step 5:

Activate your new sim using the instructions on the package. During setup you’ll have the option to keep your existing number — then, sit back and let Aldi do the rest. They will contact your old provider and swap your number over. This should take around 10 minutes but can take up to 24 hours.

Step 6:

Once your account is activated, log into Aldi Mobile and choose a plan with call and data allowances that are right for you. Set up automatic recharges and you’ll never be without credit! Pre-paid plans aren’t the hassle they used to be as you no longer have to worry about recharge receipts – phew!

Step 7:

Save money each month by setting up an automatic transfer for the difference straight to your travel savings account!

Step 8:

Start daydreaming now - where will your savings take you?

Our My Big Adventure Travel Diaries turn any holiday into an adventure. We have books for many family fave holiday destinations, including Bali and Thailand – with many more to come!

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