Mobile data usage: Mint employees get real about their data habits

Hi, Mint Fox here. Here at Mint Mobile, streamlining mobile data usage and helping people pay for only the data they need is kinda our thing. (So we’re all on the same page, mobile data is the information sent from and received by your cell phone using a cellular connection; you rely on mobile data in the absence of a Wi-Fi network.)

Mint employees are a lot like you. Being bipedal with opposable thumbs, you can probably relate on a lot; but for today’s purpose, let’s just focus on mobile data usage. Like you, Mint employees are always looking for clever ways to save on data, including switching to Mint themselves. So to give you a better understanding of how to get the most from your mobile data, I asked several Mint employees in our Marketing and Creative departments about their own experiences. 

When asked, “How much data do you use per month?,” Mint employee responses ranged from 3 – 16GB, with the average monthly usage coming in at 7.7GB. This is a surprisingly low amount, considering how heavily big wireless carriers push their unlimited plans. Not-so-fun-fact: carriers are banking on you using mobile data constantly, even in the presence of Wi-Fi. 

Could it be that you’re being misled into paying for more data than you need? I gathered some of the most insightful Mint employee responses below to shed some light on the mobile data usage question.

MF: Did you keep track of – or even know – how much data you used on a monthly basis at your previous carrier? What surprised you about your usage once you learned about it?

• “I never really looked at it until switching to Mint. I thought I would be blowing past 15GB, but I think since I’m on Wi-Fi all the time that’s where I do all my data usage. Seeing that I only use 4GB was a shock.”  – Michelle, Associate Director of Media & Acquisition

• “I did not, and I don’t think that my previous carrier was very forthcoming with that information. However, after my first 3 months at Mint, even though I was on an unlimited plan, I was sent an email that suggested I could save money by downgrading to the 10GB plan, which would save me money. I was surprised because I’ve never had any idea how much data I actually used, I simply assumed I’d need an unlimited plan no matter what.” –  Mandy, Digital Analyst II

MF: What do you use the greatest amount of data on each month?  

• “Disney+, because I need my children to not ask me a million questions while I drive.” – Tracy, Digital Experience Manager 

• “I use data on perusing social media sites and, surprisingly enough, my Photos app which houses about 34k photos of my toddler that are for the most part unremarkable, but which I cannot get myself to delete.”  – Rona, Sr. User Researcher  

• “Watching Google Maps, praying to the gods of the 405 Freeway for a change from red to green.” – Wyndie, Sr. Brand Manager  

MF: Where do you use less data on each month than you would have thought?

• “Libby, my library app where I download books and audiobooks…and maps! I use GPS all the time because I have no sense of direction.” – Jessica, User Insights Coordinator 

• “My Target app – somehow I use more data on Google Sheets than Target and that doesn’t make sense to me at all lol.” – Rona, Sr. User Researcher 

MF: What would you tell a friend is the most important thing to know when it comes to mobile data usage?

• “Actually go and look at your wireless bill and data usage. Likely you’re like me and paying tons of money for unlimited when your actual data usage is smaller than you thought. You’re overpaying, friend.”  – Michelle, Associate Director of Media & Acquisition 

• “Look into how much data you actually use and compare it to what you are paying for. You may not need as much as you think. Especially if you are connected to Wi-Fi during the day!” – Jenna, Director of DTC Content Strategy

• “Start low, and work your way up. It’s effortless to move up plans. You can always order more…if you’re still hungry.”  – Jeremy, VP of Retention

Take it from us: Don’t fall for big wireless’ unlimited data trap. Pay only for the data you actually need and start saving today.