Hello wjlusk,
Welcome to the community and thanks for posting. Having a data limit does take some getting used to. Good thing is, we have some tips in helping you conserve data and get rid of data leaks. Whether you are watching videos or just browsing, there are many factors that could affect how fast data is used on your network.
First thing I would do is use a browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Or Safari. These browsers offer useful extensions like ad blockers that will help you in using less data, and have a smoother browsing experience in general. This extension is from Chrome that I use myself:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock-plus/cfhdojbkjhnklbpkdaibdccddilifddb Second take note that many more devices are capable of connecting to the internet: phones, tablets, gaming consoles, SmartTVs, and even refrigerators can connect wirelessly to the internet. Keep track of what devices you leave running on Wi-Fi.
Do you have Windows 10? Your computer and any other programs you use will often keep working in the background, even if you're not actively using that program, in order to keep your system/program up-to-date. Anti-virus programs will periodically use your internet connection to check back with their malware database for any updates. You should have an option to turn off auto-updates and/or schedule them for a later time. You can also set automatic windows updates to run only during the bonus period if you have windows 7 or below. Win 8/8.1 and Win10 will allow some control of this mainly with its metered connection settings however here is a more in depth way to help you with Win10 data management. Take a look here:
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/monitor-your-data-usage-in-windows-10/For streaming lovers and multimedia content: Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, news sites, and other websites will contain videos, animated gifs, and sound clips that may start playing as soon as you land on the site. So much content, so easily available almost everywhere on the internet. For starters, try disabling auto-play video on Facebook:
https://community.myhughesnet.com/hughesnet/topics/how_to_disable_autoplay_videos_on_facebookor adjusting your Netflix playback quality to low/SD:
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/87 - more data sources can be found here, as posted by a fellow community member:
https://community.myhughesnet.com/hughesnet/topics/data-usage-sources-common-and-not-so-common The most important tool to download is the Status Meter, available in the Customer Support Center, to help you monitor your data usage: supportcenter.myhughesnet.com Your cooperation and patience are greatly appreciated. I hope all of this helps. We look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you,
Chris