Help!

[c9]

leapfish and I currently have DSL, basic cable, a home phone, and a cell phone. The cell contract is ending, so we're looking at our options for simplifying / cheapening our lives. Let me just say this: there is nothing to depress you more than trying to navigate the Bell, Rogers, Telus, and Fido websites. You will fear for the future of humanity. Also, you'll be angry at them in a vague way.

Here are my notes, if you're curious:

B E L L

==== contract ====
2 x nokia 6016i, unlimited between us, 100 Anytime minutes, Unlimited weekends, additional:
35¢/minute, Long distance: 30¢/minute. $70 hookup fee, $50/month, 12-month contract, $0 due today.
--> $670

==== pre-paid ====
30¢/minute for the first 2 minutes, 5¢/minute thereafter
unlimited weekends/nights $50/month
voicemail free, if we're on the automatic-top-up program (which is required for unlimited above)
$148 for two phones due today
--> $748 plus daytime calls, or $198 plus all calls
--> it would take 21 2-minute calls per week to cost more than $50/month

==== bundles ====
- DSL 12-month contract = $35/month
- bundle DSL with a contract cellphone and we save $10 total per month

R O G E R S

==== contract ====
$100 (I think) for two phones on two year contract
$45/month shared 150 minute plan with free evenings/weekends
--> $640 first year, $540 second year

==== pre-paid ====
$280 for two phones, $100 mail in rebate
20¢/minute for the first 5 minutes, 12¢/minute after that

T E L U S

==== contract ====
$27.45/month with 100 daytime and 1000 evng/wknd minutes, unlmtd to each other
25c long distance, $200 for two phones, $35 hookup fee
--> $564.40

V I R G I N

==== pre-paid ====
25¢/min for first five minutes each day, and 15¢/min for rest of day
long distance 25c more/min, $160 for two phones
--> $160 plus all calls

F I D O

==== pre-paid ====
100 daytime mins / 1000 evng/wknd mins, unlmtd incoming, ... I give up.



Any suggestions for us? I want it simple and cheap, and ideally with a cell phone for each of us instead of a home phone. Low minutes are fine. Nuisance is not.

Basically, I'm venting. I'm not expecting that you'll be able to decipher my (probably incorrect) notes and find the (possible) gem(s). But Canadiansresidents of Canada (sorry jdhorner and senhor) with good setups are encouraged to tell me their secret. :-)

Comments

[cap-hill-latte.livejournal.com]

Oh, I forgot the other beauty part of the "North America" plan. It includes roaming inside Canada as well. So any calls you make from the US or Canada to the US or Canada are covered.

And now that I think about it, if I made C&V "family" on my plan, and we kept our combined daytime calling to < 500min/month we could have all of our calls covered for $25USD/mo + tax.