Living in Canada, expensive cell phone plans are the norm. For the past three years, I’ve paid approximately $70 including tax for my plan with Telus Mobility. It makes me cringe to read about some of the things you can do down in the US, like Mr. Money Mustache’s $10 iPhone plan. However, we do what we can. The last time I renewed my contract with Telus, various discount carriers such as Wind and Mobilicity were very new options. I wasn’t willing to risk leaving the safety and security of one of the ‘big 3’ and experience the possibility of (gasp!) spotty coverage.
Three years later, I’m just tired of paying more than my utility bill for cell phone coverage. Granted, I did just order a fancy new Nexus 5 and I do use my phone as a miniature computer, but I still think I can do better. After discovering that the Nexus 5 was only $349 + tax and actually available in Canada directly from Google, it prompted me to get all spreadsheet-y and figure out whether I should;
a) buy the phone outright and bring it to Wind
or,
b) sign up for another 2 year contract with Telus and get the phone at a discounted price of $100.
Accounting for the fact that I want the $30 Wind plan and I would spend approximately $70 at Telus for better coverage but less data, where do I save the most money. Do I save money at Wind despite spending more on the phone?
In fact, I do save money switching to Wind. Over the course of a 2 year contract with Telus, I save $640 to be exact! When you factor in a no-contract commitment with Wind and a break even scenario after Month 8, there really isn’t a choice. So, I pulled the trigger and bought the phone from Mr. Google and will now wait for it to arrive (apparently I’m not the only one who’s excited about the new phone…).
Any Canadians have any other helpful tips for saving money on your cell bill in Canada? I’d love to hear some more stories of cheap phone plans in the US as well!
