But mobiles don’t have to be a drain on your wallet. Make the most of the spiralling range of money-saving apps and websites available on smartphones and they can actually make your life cost less.
Here are some of the best ways to turn your phone into a cost-cutting gadget:
When shopping: RedLaser (free, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone) users scan barcodes on items in shops to find the cheapest price in other stores and online.
If you’re always forgetting your coffee shop or other loyalty card, Loyalli (iPhone, Android, free) is for you â€" it accumulates them on your smartphone so you never forget to get stamped.
The Vouchercloud app (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, free) uses your phone’s GPS to search for discounts at nearby shops and restaurants â€" its thousands of deals include Prezzo and B&Q, and there’s no need to print off (and lose) vouchers any more.
When you’re buying groceries, the free Mysupermarket app a nd website covers all the UK’s big chains including Morrisons, Ocado, Aldi, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose: you can prepare your shopping list online to see where it would be cheapest, or use the app instore to scan products and see their price elsewhere.
Cashback sites Quidco and TopCashback both also have free iPhone and Android apps that pay you back money for shopping on the High Street.
To make money: the Swagbucks app (Apple, Android, free, or swagbucks.com) pays users for watching videos or adverts, answering surveys or playing free online games. Dedicated users, who earn as much as £30 a month, receive points that can be converted into gift cards or charity donations.
Similarly, the GetJam app (free, on Apple, Android, BlackBerry) pays users to watch adverts for games, films and more. On your computer, visit Qmee.com and download its software.
Then, when you search the internet in the normal way via a search engine, Qmee put s extra adverts on the pages and you will be paid money. No need to click on the adverts, and average earnings are about £5 a month.
Users of the Fieldagent app (iPhone, free) become mystery shoppers â€" checking prices, snapping displays or auditing stock in local shops â€" and are paid for it. It pays up to £10 per assignment, into PayPal accounts.
For budgeting: moneydashboard.com is a free website to help you keep track of your spending and saving. You enter info on your current accounts, credit cards and savings, and it does the maths for you, revealing how much money you have left over after paying bills. It’s read-only, so you (and, crucially, fraudsters) can’t make transactions via this site.
For communicating: avoid spending extra on your mobile phone to call 0800 or other pricey numbers, or overseas. With 0800 Wizard (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, free) the app dials alternative landline numbers rather than 0800 ones, which co st as much as 41p a minute on mobile phones.
Sister app 08 Wizard (iPhone, Android and Windows Phone, 69p-99p) deals with other expensive numbers, but comes with a fee. Download the Skype (iPhone, Android, Windows, BlackBerry, free) app to use your mobile phone’s Wi-fi connection to call others with Skype, in the UK or anywhere else in the world free. It’s a useful way to stay in touch with others when you’re on holiday abroad, too.
Viber (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, free) is a similar alternative. WhatsApp (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Nokia is free for one year, then 99 US cents a year) allows you to text fellow users anywhere in the world at no cost.
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