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| Subject: Two week report continued |
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Thanks everyone for your input. Yes it´s true, we are in a more rural area, and that is the biggest adjustment for us. Things like high costs...well, I suppose everyone is right, we´ll get used to it. I don´t mind paying for health care and social services of course, but banking fees? Ugh.
We have the same concerns, Richard, and are wondering how it will all work out. Even though the benefits my husband gets from his new job are good by Canadian standards, apparently, they don´t come close to those from his job in the US. Retirement is affected big time, and in time that might cause a lot of stress.
To be honest, we´ve spent so much time trying to get the little immediate things done that I haven´t spent much time thinking about the fact that we´re actually in Canada. I think it will take awhile for it to sink in. And, it will take awhile to stop comparing here vs there, Canada vs US, although the sooner I can break the habit the better. I am definitely looking forward to this adventure, though the process is proving already to be a challenge.
[20-08-2008,10:56]
[***.166.78.243]
wannabecanadian |
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(in reply to: Two week report continued)
I don´t care whether you move from big city Canada or big City US to any sort of small community - the adjustment is huge and while there are benefits on paper, you don´t really know what it will be like until you do it.
Look for a credit union - the fees are usually much less. I bank for free.
[20-08-2008,14:47]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon |
(in reply to: Two week report continued)
While the price differential may make one wonder if they can make it in Canada, I am the living example that you can. I live in NB and had a 40% drop in salary when I moved here a little over 3 years ago. Now I am past 100 grand in savings and have zero complaints. After the initial shock, one needs to re-calibrate spending and even eating behavior. i walk a few miles every day (and purposely grounded the vehicles months before the spike in recent oil prices) and lost about 20 pounds. Now I am lighter and stay awake more hours than I used to in the US. How to enhance income? Look for contract jobs, on top of the regular job. If it creates too much stress, no need to do it. I also stopped eating at fast food joints (in the US it used to be a given on most days) and cook for myself. It is kinda nice after you get used to it. Banking costs? I bank with PC financials (all costs go to zero) and park savings (GICs etc) in other banks (ICICI, SBI in Toronto give highest rates on GICs; some of my GICs earn 4.2% APY right now). keep looking for better deals. it is all in the strategy... and some adjustment. I recently had an invite from the University of Colorado (my alma mater) for a job and I had to decline. Who would go through the US mumbo-jumbo about security and their stupid immigration process now? The few extra I would have made there would have gone into meaningless expenditure anyways (Boulder is much more expensive to live than NB). I looked back toward the US for about 6 months after landing here but then I stopped about thinking about it altogether. And I was at a national lab about 35 miles from NYC! Fun in life lies in simplicity... to each their own, of course.
[20-08-2008,14:59]
[***.202.38.153]
helper |
(in reply to: Two week report continued)
Expensive living cost would be a coomon complain for all coming from the US, only way to heal it is to get used to with time and some practical tips like Mr. helper suggest. Also like wannabe said, stop comparing the price with US.
May feel comfort rather comparing with Europe. I used to do it, comparing the prices with UK and have a peace of mind.
[20-08-2008,15:16]
[***.254.208.246]
DC |
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