From paying monthly for Globe Postpaid — with more SMS and call minutes than I actually need in an average month, and with any data usage charged extra — I am now going Prepaid with whatever mobile network I feel like using at the moment and mostly going for Data.
Sun
So in February 2016 I bought a Sun Broadband SIM for Php39. With the SIM, I got 1 day of data.
Very important to note that at the bottom left corner of the package it says, “This SIM can also be used for call and text.”
Anyway, I am proud to report that for 2 months after I got the Sun data SIM, I’ve been thrifty and managed to have 130 MB of data without spending.
Read on…
Kickbit
From Sun Cellular’s website, I learned about Kickbit. Since it’s recommended by Sun, I checked it out. It’s one of those apps that tell you to download and try other apps, and in return you earn points that you hope will actually be useful to you.
Out of the 130MB of free data that I got…
I earned 64MB even before I tried any apps in its list — 30MB for creating an account and 34MB for completing their User Experience questionnaire. Not bad.
I later successfully tried 6 apps to earn the rest of the 70MB. Yes, not all attempts were successful. A few trials didn’t earn me points. And I don’t recommend watching videos to earn points. They never worked for me.
It’s not for everybody, especially not for those who download apps without doing a little due diligence.
IMPORTANT: Before downloading an app, be sure to check the Permissions that the app requires, and only download an app if you are willing to let it get all those permissions on your device.
Redeeming Kickbit points for Sun data MBs
When redeeming points for megabytes, the minimum you can redeem is 10MB. You can redeem more, of course. Given my lazy vacation mode schedule, 10MB was enough for the navigating and chatting that I would do in a day.
It’s a smooth process — a confirmation SMS from Sun arrives just seconds after redeeming via the Kickbit app.
So I had 13 days of 10MB free data per day. I’m quite pleased with that. 🙂
But after the 130MB, I got tired of Kickbit. Kickbit was running out of apps for me to try anyway. So I finally uninstalled it from my phone.
Sun Broadband Prepaid – MEGA5
It’s much easier and far better to spend 5 pesos only on the days that I want 20MB of data — i.e. Sun’s MEGA5 prepaid data. That’s more than plenty for me to use for navigation and chat.
Yes, it’s possible to be thrifty with mobile data — even in the Philippines where internet is not so great, cost-wise and speed-wise.
Ah yes, there is one more downside: international roaming. Sun doesn’t have the international roaming coverage that I need. No worries. That’s what my ChilliSIM is for. 😉
This is not an ad.
This is not exactly a recommendation for Sun or for Kickbit. It’s just a little testimony in case someone out there is wondering about these same things. This is not a paid ad nor an affiliate link post.
In closing…
I no longer see any value in keeping my Globe mobile number of almost 20 years. The only people that really need to reach me instantly are my family and closest friends. I can change my Philippine SIM (if I get tired of Sun) and only inform them (and my bank and my employer) of the change. Everybody else can reach me via chat or email. If they really want to bug me, they’ll have to call or text my roaming number. That will definitely eliminate a lot of spammers, time-wasters and creepy peeps.
I was spending at least 334 pesos monthly with my old postpaid account even while I was out of the country, working at sea. I aim to bring my Philippine mobile costs down to less than 200 pesos a month by going prepaid. And I will actually spend zero during my quiet out-of-the-country months.
I should probably also mention here that I’ve seen and tried other apps that entice people with points and offers. But earning enough to have any use for any points earned seemed like mission impossible. Too much trouble for too little benefit. Kickbit was usable enough to post about it, even if it was useful for only a while.
