Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
Sep 9th 2014, 3:42 pm
#61
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
Sighs
In the city there are things called buses, trams, subways. Kids can use these things to get to the mall, the library, the swimming pool, to visit friends, go to the cinema. In the countryside there is no choice so parents have to spend more time and money driving the kids around. If city folk don't want their children to use public transit that's their choice.
The OP wants to know if $20k is enough so they need to factor in these expenses.
In the city there are things called buses, trams, subways. Kids can use these things to get to the mall, the library, the swimming pool, to visit friends, go to the cinema. In the countryside there is no choice so parents have to spend more time and money driving the kids around. If city folk don't want their children to use public transit that's their choice.
The OP wants to know if $20k is enough so they need to factor in these expenses.
Like I said they already have factored it in & like the OP said $20k is just their minimum amount they'll get without working, they plan to top it up with wages so personally I think they'll be alright. $20k would cover my basics of food, bills, & cars etc. so I would think being semi self sufficient which allows some of these expenses to be reduced they should be able to survive
Sep 9th 2014, 3:55 pm
#62
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Location: Ontario
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
I suspect you will find that, in most cities and towns in Canada, parents spend a large amount of time ferrying their kids to and from activities as most locations for activities are not situated close to routes for public transport. It's one of those things parents have to accept.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:09 pm
#63
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
The OP has $1500 in for gas. Im only 20 mins from town and we spend that between 2 cars in 3 or 4 months. I dont think they appreciate how far things are apart here.
Personally I dont think 20k is anywhere near enough to get beyond a subsitance existence of cliping coupons and hoping the racoons dont eat all the veggies you are counting on harvesting.
They also seem to have no provision for either retirement savings for themselves, or education funds for their kids. IMO Canada is no place to be old and poor, or to be young and without qualifications.
Personally I dont think 20k is anywhere near enough to get beyond a subsitance existence of cliping coupons and hoping the racoons dont eat all the veggies you are counting on harvesting.
They also seem to have no provision for either retirement savings for themselves, or education funds for their kids. IMO Canada is no place to be old and poor, or to be young and without qualifications.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:20 pm
#64
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Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
Sep 9th 2014, 4:29 pm
#65
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
On 4+ times that we struggle to save for retirement and education and havent had an overseas holiday for 5 years. Thank God for defined benefit pensions. As dbd observed, rural living isnt cheap, and can be horrendous if your water source of septic goes for a crap.
Plus we have a vegetable patch. Im getting sick of cucumbers and zuchininis!
Plus we have a vegetable patch. Im getting sick of cucumbers and zuchininis!
Last edited by iaink; Sep 9th 2014 at 4:36 pm.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:29 pm
#66
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Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
My house is a similar size but I heat with oil, it's costs around $3500 a year to heat & that's with the heat on low because no-one is living in it. I would like to change to wood but I don't think I have the space to store it but just out of interest how much is a cord?
Its a really lovely and cheap way to heat.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:34 pm
#67
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
We too have an insert. In Ontario we are about to pay $270 a bush cord if the guy ever shows up...
Most of the heat goes up the chimney, especially in a power outage when the fans are not running. Its enough though to warm the end of the house with the thermostat so we dont burn too much oil (Still $220 a month for oil though averaged over the year, but that also heats the water for 2 kids constant bathing), but we run the furnace fan anyway to try and spread the heat around.
The immediate area around the fireplace is lovely, and its certainly nice to watch the fire (glass door), but its a lot of work and dirt compared to other sources, lets not kid ourselves.
A woodstove would be better from an efficiency standpoint (more heat transfer), but again, the heat isnt well distributed, and you need some fuel source to heat water anyway.
Most of the heat goes up the chimney, especially in a power outage when the fans are not running. Its enough though to warm the end of the house with the thermostat so we dont burn too much oil (Still $220 a month for oil though averaged over the year, but that also heats the water for 2 kids constant bathing), but we run the furnace fan anyway to try and spread the heat around.
The immediate area around the fireplace is lovely, and its certainly nice to watch the fire (glass door), but its a lot of work and dirt compared to other sources, lets not kid ourselves.
A woodstove would be better from an efficiency standpoint (more heat transfer), but again, the heat isnt well distributed, and you need some fuel source to heat water anyway.
Last edited by iaink; Sep 9th 2014 at 4:38 pm.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:34 pm
#68
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
Sighs
In the city there are things called buses, trams, subways. Kids can use these things to get to the mall, the library, the swimming pool, to visit friends, go to the cinema. In the countryside there is no choice so parents have to spend more time and money driving the kids around. If city folk don't want their children to use public transit that's their choice.
The OP wants to know if $20k is enough so they need to factor in these expenses.
In the city there are things called buses, trams, subways. Kids can use these things to get to the mall, the library, the swimming pool, to visit friends, go to the cinema. In the countryside there is no choice so parents have to spend more time and money driving the kids around. If city folk don't want their children to use public transit that's their choice.
The OP wants to know if $20k is enough so they need to factor in these expenses.
When I was 12 we moved from Brighton to rural Wales (I was ecstatic) I could ride, swim in the river, play in my friends house, watch videos round there etc etc. I was so damn pleased to be abway from all that was Brighton - the buses, the trains, the cinema.
I hate the concrete and love the outdoors, the green, the fresh air, the views. I grew up not knowing how to use an oyster card (as someone mentioned further up this thread) and learnt as soon as I needed to when my job took me to central London 3 days a week.
I personally feel bad for city kids.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:35 pm
#69
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
That's sooo cheap, I'm jealous
Sep 9th 2014, 4:37 pm
#70
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Joined: Aug 2005
Location: South of Calgary
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
This really isn't necessary in Toronto nor Vancouver. I'd guess it isn't in Montreal either. However, we're thinking of the country so transit isn't an option. The budget needs to include getting the children vehicles at whatever age it's first allowed and insuring them for the vehicles, I believe that can be quite expensive and suggest that the amount needed to be saved for the insurance dwarfs that needed for college fees. Rural living aint cheap without children, it must be ruinous with them.
Last edited by Almost Canadian; Sep 9th 2014 at 4:41 pm.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:38 pm
#71
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
We too have an insert. In Ontario we are about to pay $270 a bush cord if the guy ever shows up...
Most of the heat goes up the chimney, especially in a power outage when the fans are not running. Its enough though to warm the end of the house with the thermostat so we dont burn too much oil (Still $220 a month for oil though averaged over the year), but we run the furnave fan anyway to try and spread the heat around.
The immediate area around the fireplace is lovely, and its certainly nice to watch the fire (glass door), but its a lot of work and dirt compared to other sources, lets not kid ourselves.
A woodstove would be better from an efficiency standpoint (more heat transfer), but again, the heat isnt well distributed, and you need some fuel source to heat water anyway.
Most of the heat goes up the chimney, especially in a power outage when the fans are not running. Its enough though to warm the end of the house with the thermostat so we dont burn too much oil (Still $220 a month for oil though averaged over the year), but we run the furnave fan anyway to try and spread the heat around.
The immediate area around the fireplace is lovely, and its certainly nice to watch the fire (glass door), but its a lot of work and dirt compared to other sources, lets not kid ourselves.
A woodstove would be better from an efficiency standpoint (more heat transfer), but again, the heat isnt well distributed, and you need some fuel source to heat water anyway.
Our elec is $200 a month but that runs a pool pump in the summer, and a hot tub and adds some baseboard heat in the family because the fire doesnt get it above 16c due to the layout and we hold the basement at 15C, and all the other things elec works on - lights etc.
We just got a heat pump installed in the family room so I am hoping to see an impact on my elec bill due to that.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:39 pm
#72
Slightly Canadian
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 10,129
Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
I hate the concrete and love the outdoors, the green, the fresh air, the views. I grew up not knowing how to use an oyster card (as someone mentioned further up this thread) and learnt as soon as I needed to when my job took me to central London 3 days a week.
I personally feel bad for city kids.
I personally feel bad for city kids.
....London is great to visit but I wouldn't want to live here.) However it's possible to do all that without living a rural-hand-to-mouth-hard-scrabble-life-of-poverty which is what the OP seems destined for. Fine for them if thats what they want but a bit hard on the kids.
Last edited by Atlantic Xpat; Sep 9th 2014 at 4:50 pm.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:42 pm
#74
Happy
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,942
Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
Right. I grew up in semi-rural Suffolk/Norfolk and had some similar experiences. Today I'm fortunate to live in an area with a lot of green space & room for kids to roam. I'd no more like to live in a City in Canada than I would in UK. (He says looking out of an office window at the vista before him that includes The Shard....London is great to visit but I wouldn't want to live here.) However it's possible to do all that without living a rural-hand-to-mouth-hard-scrabble-life-of-poverty which is what the OP seems destined for. Fine for them if thats what they want but a bit hard on the kids.
....London is great to visit but I wouldn't want to live here.) However it's possible to do all that without living a rural-hand-to-mouth-hard-scrabble-life-of-poverty which is what the OP seems destined for. Fine for them if thats what they want but a bit hard on the kids.we are 40 mins out of the city on a subdivision and its a great neighbourhood.
Sep 9th 2014, 4:57 pm
#75
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Location: Ontario
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Re: Attempting Self Sufficiency in NS - how much additional income?
This, to me, is the point of living in the country. If you can't keep some horses you may as well be able to walk to work and to the pub. However, provision for riding is a whole other league of cost, that implies land, fences and facilities. Rather a lot of capital would be needed to be able to support that lifestyle on $20,000 of income.