Siouxie

On $57k and with no family, I don't see how the OP wouldn't be able to live on their income.

As stated earlier, on an income of $30,000 I had to pay for a mortgage, utility bills, food, bus and taxi fares (no car), city taxes and a social life. I still had money left over at the end of the month.

I wouldn't have been able to in TO, for sure, but living within commuting distance the cost of living is considerably lower.

It really depends on your life style expectations.

Tangram

Exactly.

BristolUK

We both know you were having another dig at me - and incorrectly referencing coupons, spending all day shopping as usual.

scrubbedexpat091

Provided someone doesn't have massive debt, a single person making 32,000 a year can live pretty much anywhere, including Vancouver.

I managed in Vancouver on a lot less then 32,000 and while I didn't have a luxury lifestyle, I did okay.

You will need to share rent however, but by doing this you can find places in the 400-500 range including all utilities, you can use transit to save money, but one could buy a junker as well and just keep liability on it if they do need a car.

Its doable. If I could do it on 16,000 to 17,000 a year, doing it on 32-34,000 a year a single person should have no issues.

I know people with a kid who manage on 30,000 a year.

Its about realizing your income level and living the lifestyle appropriate to it.

I think sometimes many on here make a high wage, and think you need a high wage to survive. Which just isn't true.

I just figured it out, between myself and my partner we bring in 28,000 a year or so (she is on disability so her income is tax free) and yes we do have subsidized housing, but its still 582 a month or 583, somewhere around there, and even with my student loan debt, we still manage to have money left now at the end of the month no issue, and we have a car, its 17 years old, but it runs and is reliable.

Its doable, I wouldn't have a kid at our income level, but we survive and we do things as well that we enjoy.

More to life then money, I would certainly like to earn a bit more so I could save for a rainy day, but doesn't everyone? lol

Almost Canadian

When we first moved to Calgary, I earned $55,000. This supported a family of 5 with a mortgage of $250,000 ish.

We had a fair amount of capital so we were able to furnish our house without incurring debts and we also shipped the contents of a 4 bedroomed UK house with us.

We knew it was only a short term thing but we were able to live in a relatively comfortable fashion and, as our income increased, so did our expenses.

Only you can decide whether it is doable. There are lots of threads that show living expenses in various locations across Canada.

Tangram

Think what you like, but I used your constant references, admittedly light heartedly, to cheaper than UK housing, limited income and money saving schemes to illustrate the point.

If you don't like being used as a yard stick, perhaps don't bring the subject up in the first place. You can use as many thumbs down smilies as you like but they are the facts as you have stated them in the past and present. If they aren't the facts I apologise for incorrectly quoting them.

Let the thread move on.

BristolUK

Spot on.

I didn't. I hadn't even posted until you had the dig.

Tangram

Not in this thread, as you well know, but many others.

I have moved on, I suggest you do too, but I predict you will have the last word as in another thread when you said you had had enough.

Aviator

'Cut your coat according to your cloth' springs to mind.

Being well off or poor is relative. Someone used to $200k+ a year who drops to $80k would think themselves hard up. Someone used to earning $20k a year who goes up to $40k would think themselves well off.

scrubbedexpat091

True true. You are correct sir.

Englishmaple

I currently live on 30K in London Ontario. I pay a high rent though - $877 plus the electricity part of the hydro which is usually around $30 a month. I have a Bell home line which I bargained them down to $18 a month and an antique cell phone (not smart) which I pay Telus 11.40 a month. I pay around $15 a month on contents insurance. And I try to spend around $300 a month on food (sometimes I go to $400 - particularly if I include buying teas and cookies while I'm out). The bus pass in this city is $81 a month for 7 day monthly pass. My main bills are medical - I pay for therapy, for massage, for acupuncture .. and the list goes on depending on what I'm trying in terms of getting my health back. I live a very simple lifestyle and use the library a lot. So $30K is certainly doable. I think it helps to have low rent though - I would like to move from my expensive apartment but haven't yet because I don't have a job or a firm idea of where I will move to and I didn't want to sign a years rental contract in another location if I can't get work (London has a very high unemployment rate). I haven't included the cost of a car here and I do think that unless you live in Toronto or Vancouver (where the transit is good - I can vouch for Toronto but haven't been to Vancouver) then getting around by public transit can be very very trying - cars are often needed for work here too.

BristolUK

So when you said "don't bring the subject up in the first place" you meant don't give my opinion or experience of the subject in other threads where others have asked.

That's nice.

Tangram

No. I didn't mean that.

Siouxie

I think you two should get a room.

Could you keep the personal comments to pm's between you, rather than bringing your spat to someone else's thread?

Thank you.

Tangram

Agreed. Exactly what I suggested in post 36, let the thread move on.