Phone plan costs have really dropped in the past few years — but has yours? Cellphone plan costs have dropped 50% since 2018, according to data from Statistics Canada. That sounds promising, right? Well, the Globe and Mail took a closer look at those numbers and found that this drop only reflects the advertised prices, not what most people actually pay. “If you haven’t negotiated your phone plan in the last two years, you are paying too much,” Mark Goldberg, a telecommunications consultant, told Peak Money. When you approach your provider, you might score a lower price for the same plan. More commonly, though, you could end up paying the same amount while negotiating for better perks like more data and unlimited calls and texts across Canada and the U.S., Goldberg said. Canada has some of the highest phone plan costs in the world, so getting discounts where you can goes a long way. Goldberg suggests that the months leading up to back-to-school season are prime for negotiating or switching plans, as telecom companies often roll out sales to attract students heading off to university. In short, it pays to keep an eye on your phone plan costs and not hesitate to ask for a better deal — you might be pleasantly surprised by what you can save or gain.