FOR many people their mobile phone has become an essential, cannot live without part of their everyday life.
And with stores full of special offers at this time of year, some people will be planning on treating themselves to a new mobile phone for Christmas.
But before you upgrade your handset or decide to enter into a new mobile phone contract, it may be worth considering some new research from a charity that found some people are struggling to keep up with the cost of their mobile phone bills.
The research from National Debtline, run by the Money Advice Trust, found that young people in particular can find it difficult to juggle mobile phone bills.
Some are missing payments and turning to borrowing to cover the cost, a survey of more than 2,000 18 to 24-year-olds found.
According to the research, around one in 12 (8.5 per cent) young people said they regularly struggle to pay their mobile phone bill or top up on mobile phone credit.
Among those who have a mobile phone contract, eight per cent have missed at least one monthly payment in the last year while seven per cent of people in this age group said they have borrowed money from a friend or family member to pay a mobile phone bill.
So why do some mobile phone users think they have ended up struggling?
The research found many people ended up paying more than they had expected on running their mobile phone.
On average, 18 to 24-year-olds said that they spend £21.88 a month on their mobile phone.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) reported that what they currently pay on their mobile phone is higher than they had expected.
The length of the contract may also be an issue for some people. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) said they felt that 24 months is too long to be locked into a contract.
However, the majority (61 per cent) of those surveyed said they think they get good value for money, despite 30 per cent disagreeing.
National Debtline said that around one in ten of the calls it receives involve telephone debts, up from around one in 25 calls in 2007.
Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, said: "We would urge anyone who is falling behind with their mobile phone, or any other household bill, to seek free advice from a charity-run service like National Debtline, as soon as possible."
National Debtline said that to avoid paying more than they need to people should check they are getting the right minutes, texts and data for how they will use their phone.
It also suggested shopping around and using price comparison websites such as MoneySuperMarket, uSwitch or comparethemarket to help find a good deal.
Meanwhile, Ofcom, the regulator for the UK's communication industries, said that it is working to help improve support for mobile phone customers who are struggling with their bills.
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "People who are struggling with mobile debt must be treated fairly.
"We're already engaging with mobile providers to encourage them to work more closely with debt advice organisations and improve the support they offer to customers facing payment difficulties."
Ofcom noted that if consumers exceed their call allowances, call phone numbers that are not covered by those allowances, send texts that include emojis or use too much data their bills will potentially be pushed up.
Ofcom has tips to avoid a bill shock on its website at tiny.cc/OfcomBillShock.
Meanwhile, for those who want to use their phones to help them save money in other ways, a mobile phone app that can automatically move money into a customer's savings account if they decide to make a "guilty pleasure" purchase is being trialled by high street bank HSBC.
The HSBC SmartSave app will allow people to pre-set rules for moving money into their savings, to help them boost the size of their cash pot by regularly putting small amounts of money away.
The app can be set up in different ways, depending on how the customer wants to tailor it to suit their circumstances.
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