Cut your recurring bills.
Most Canadians overpay on their phone bill, internet, streaming, and gym by $40-$150 a month because they never call retention. Here are the real phone numbers, scripts, and cancellation links - organized by category. Every dollar you cut here is a dollar you can invest.
Phone & internet
Rogers / Fido / Chatr
What to say
“Hi - my plan is $X and I've been a customer for Y years. I was comparing plans and Freedom Mobile has a similar one at $Z. I'd like to stay with Rogers but I can't justify paying more than that. Is there anything you can do?”
Rogers retention is aggressive - be willing to actually cancel. The first three offers are always below what they can do. Stay polite but firm. Never mention you're on MyMoneyMap's script.
Bell / Virgin Plus / Solo
What to say
“Hi - I'm currently paying $X/month and my contract is up. Telus offered me $Y for a comparable plan. I'd rather stay with Bell if the price is right. What can you do for me?”
Ask for 'loyalty' or 'customer retention' - the front-line agent cannot give you the good deals. Bell's best offers come on the SECOND call, not the first.
Telus / Koodo / Public Mobile
What to say
“My contract is up and I'm deciding between staying and porting out. I saw Rogers/Bell at $X. What's the best you can offer to keep my business?”
Public Mobile is already cheap; Telus/Koodo have more negotiation room. Telus tends to offer the best retention deals of the Big Three.
Freedom Mobile / Shaw
What to say
“I've been a customer for a while and I noticed your new-customer promo is cheaper than my current plan. Can you switch me to the new-customer rate?”
Freedom was acquired by Videotron in 2023 and pricing has been more stable since. Less margin = less room to negotiate.
Internet (Rogers / Bell / Telus home)
What to say
“My internet bill has gone up to $X and I see you're offering $Y to new customers for the same speed. Can you match the new-customer rate?”
Resellers use the same underlying cable/fibre as the incumbents - the only difference is customer service and billing. Distributel, TekSavvy, Oxio, and VMedia are all legitimate and often $20-40/month cheaper.
Cable TV bundles
Bundled cable TV is almost always the biggest overspend on a phone/internet bill. Most Canadians don't watch more than 5 channels regularly - Crave, Prime, and YouTube are cheaper replacements. Call retention and ask for 'internet-only' pricing; often it's $30-50 cheaper.
Streaming
Netflix
Cancel onlineNetflix has no retention discounts in Canada. Either downgrade to a cheaper tier or cancel and share with family on a premium plan. Consider pausing instead of cancelling if you watch seasonally.
Crave
Cancel onlineCrave often has 50%-off promos for returning customers. Cancel, wait 30 days, re-subscribe during a promo.
Disney+
Cancel onlineThe annual plan saves ~15% vs monthly. If you're sure you'll use it year-round, switch to annual.
Spotify
Cancel onlineDuo ($15/mo for 2 people) or Family ($19/mo for 6) is cheaper per-person than Premium Individual. Consider sharing.
Apple Music / iCloud+
Cancel onlineApple One bundles iCloud+, Music, TV+, News+, Fitness+, and Arcade for less than buying individually. If you use 3+, it's cheaper.
Subscriptions
Amazon Prime
Cancel onlineAmazon offers refunds for the unused portion of your annual fee if you cancel early. Always use annual billing - it's 25% cheaper than monthly.
Fitness
Gym memberships (GoodLife, Fit4Less, etc.)
Canadian gym contracts have mandatory written cancellation - walk in with ID and a signed cancellation letter. Many gyms charge a 'cancellation fee' for early termination; check your contract before paying it. Some provinces (Ontario) have cooling-off rules that can help.
Insurance
Insurance (auto, home)
Insurance rates can be negotiated every year. Get quotes from belairdirect, Intact, TD Insurance, and Ratehub.ca - then call your current insurer with the competing quote. Typical savings: $200-500/year.
Banking
Bank accounts (Big Bank chequing)
Compare alternativesSwitch to EQ Bank (3% interest, $0 fees), Simplii (free, CIBC ATM network), or Tangerine. Average savings: $200/year in fees + interest earned on balance.