K&H: young people can significantly reduce their digital overhead if they are aware

Making phone calls and surfing the internet is a significant monthly expense for everyone, including young people. According to the regularly published research of the National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) – based on the latest data from 2023 – Hungarians paid an average of 20,900 forints for communication services, i.e. mobile phone, internet, TV subscription and home – landline – telephone, which represented a 13 percent increase compared to the previous year. Within communications expenses, mobile services, including mobile internet, were the largest item, with an average amount of HUF 12,400. The Authority’s experts indicated in the analysis that total communications expenses do not include streaming services, as people typically pay them directly to content providers.

Tips for digital savings

The financial institution also stated that in addition to basic services, there may be many other expenses. For example, packages from large, well-known software manufacturers that are necessary for learning and working from home. Starting from a word processor, through a spreadsheet, to a presentation maker or even an image editor. One of the most well-known software manufacturers has an office package for private individuals, called a family subscription, which can be shared with several people, which previously cost HUF 36,000 annually, but the latest bill is now HUF 46,500. Students can save money by proving that they are studying, which can significantly reduce the cost of the program package in question. The global company known for its search engine offers many solutions, even for free, but you also need to pay attention to the size of the storage space and the costs associated with it.

Many young people consume content and music through the applications of various service providers. Ad-free solutions usually cost money, but it doesn’t matter how much. It is worth comparing the current offer and the different packages and thus choosing the most suitable one. It is useful for young people to also discuss it with their family members; if one of the many is enough, then they can subscribe to a family version of it, so that the cost per family member can be significantly reduced.

Due to the incredible growth of artificial intelligence in recent years, students also often use the applications of one of the service providers. These have both free and paid versions, the latter providing more authentic and higher-quality information. According to K&H experts, it is worth checking which one is most suitable for the given young person and then considering a subscription solution if necessary. Testing different applications is also important because artificial intelligence applications can provide different answers to several questions.