Almost Canadian

IIRC my net income was very similar when we first arrived. But we had minimal debt and the prospect of earning significantly more within a short period of time. We didn't need to use food banks. I accept that we were fortunate.

ann m

When we first moved here, we took home about $3500 a month I think. Family of four. No mortgage, rent or debt and we able to set ourselves up with new appliances and a couple of cars and all those niggling annoying things you need to make the household work. And we found it tough.

Food is more expensive now than five years ago. Entertaining two growing girls is more expensive now than five years ago. Utilities are more expensive. You get the picture.

I work full-time now on a very average salary. We still use/spend every penny.

Minimum wage is what? $8-10 an hour? Double that to $20, say $25 an hour, and I really don't understand how a family of five could live on that for any length of time.

As others have said, if you have some back-up cash AND you anticipate a hike in income within, say, six-months to a year - you might make this work. There is little to no assistance here. I really cannot see the appeal to move here, to then need to approach food banks for help.

That's not to say you can't do it - we don't know you, or how you live or what your motivations are. But please take heed of the precautionary tales.

Alan2005

Maybe. But it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect the amount left for food/clothes etc to be less than $1k after all the rent/bills are paid. $250 a week to feed and clothe a family of five doesn't sound like a lot to me (and even $500 seems too little really). This level might not be actual poverty, but it's only one or two bits of bad luck away from it imo.

JonboyE

I was listening to a documentary on the radio yesterday about child poverty in BC. One featured couple with (two?) children, recent immigrants from China, told how husband had two part-time minimum wage jobs. She was a pharmacist in China but, of course, that means nothing in Canada. She had not been able to find a job that paid more than childcare. They were getting by on $17,000 a year.

I have to assume they consider this just a temporary situation otherwise I cannot imagine how bad life must have been if this is an improvement.

$40-$50 k with three kids? It can be done and I know there are Canadians living on that income who are content enough with their lot. But, they will be counting every single penny and it will be a life bare of anything resembling luxury. Their kids may not be able to have the out of school activities their friends take part in.

I also think Deisel1980 has correctly identified the demographic shift and there will be opportunities for young people. However, the opportunities will still have to be earned and are not guaranteed. Most careers require some sort of post-secondary education. In the trades you can seek an apprenticeship, otherwise that post-secondary education needs to be paid for. It is not cheap.

dbd33

When we first arrived, I took home $2850 or so (it was $18/hour but I don't remember the exact hours worked).

We had come with nothing. We had no television, ate minimally and drank a six pack of Molson Stock a week. We did have a car so I could get to work but didn't insure it. Upon the arrival of our first child, almost a year later, we bought a crib from the Salvation Army. We forgot some parts and a man in uniform appeared at the door with them. Seeing our apartment he offered us furniture and food as a charitable gesture.

The point of this sob story is not that poor people can't make it in Canada, we did, but that we were living in near poverty with only one newly born child on nearly the money mentioned above.

That was in 1981. Things cost more now.

HPJOS

I have a friend who does a lot of volunteer work here in Calgary, especially around her church. For a while they had 2 homeless families living in their church hall. They had moved from Atlantic Canada and seen the comparatively high hourly rates for jobs but had not taken into consideration that it would translate into higher rents and they were stuck not able to afford to get home.

Remember here there are no free prescriptions, eyecare, dental care, there are very limited resources for people on low imcomes. A recent prescription for me cost $96, a trip to the dentist (check-up, x-rays, cleaning) $450 and I spent almost $400 on a new pair of glasses this summer. Make sure your salary includes healthcare/dental plans otherwise you are going to be struggling big time.

If we were coming here now with 3 children I would not want to be moving into the Calgary area for anything under $80-90k in a one income family if I was needing to pay rent or have a mortgage, it is not a cheap city to live in. It can be done on less but please think very carefully because there is not much worse than being broke far away from home.

Helen

Siouxie

£400 is NOT $800. It is $636.60 at today exchange rates.

You say your wife will "pick up something" but are you aware how hard it can be to find work? I am not trying to put you off, but there are no guarantee's your wife will be able to find a part time evening job and you should ensure that you have an adequate income should she not be successful.

Nobody is trying to dissuade you, people are just trying to point out the pitfalls - and hopefully make you aware that unless you have some funds available to you for start up costs, you could find yourself in trouble.

Any rental is going to require first and last month's rent. You will need to buy basics - possibly even white goods like a washing machine, dryer and fridge.. they are really expensive here (I was shocked). If you are going to pay your own utilities and telephone/cable/internet you will have to pay deposits for them all. Buying a car and insuring it will cost you an arm and a leg! Then there are the costs of starting over again regarding all the bits and pieces you take for granted - lamps, tv's, alarm clocks, vacuum, curtains etc., and in the kitchen - toaster, kettle, cleaning products, food etc. School supplies, bus fares, uniform (if the school has one) the list is endless...

It really adds up and you should definitely take them into consideration when reviewing how much money you will need.

Only you can decide if it is worth the risk - and what ever your decision I hope it works out for you.

JonboyE

Bock on topic. There is nothing inherently wrong with co-op housing. There is quite a lot in BC. Some of it is very up-market and expensive.

A friend lives in a more typical co-op arrangement. Rents are adjusted according to your income. Someone with a decent job will pay market rates, maybe even above. However, my friend and his partner have no retirement savings so will be living off CPP/OAS in a few years time. They have comfort in knowing their rent will reduce substantially when they retire. It is a rather utopian arrangement but it seems to work. It relies on people dying off every now and again so they can recruit new members paying the full wack. It is a well-managed co-op and supports several people with little or no income without having any undesirables.

deise1980

Thank you very much for all the honest opinions even if some of them weren't what i wanted to hear .We are still only considering our options so its good to get any feedback good or bad so we can make the right decision .

Some views are that i would need around 80k. coming into the house after taxes etc to support a family of 5 which i respect but am astonished as i have seen carpenters wages at around 40k per year so what kind of jobs would get you 80k a year in Calgary ???
Engineers ,school teachers ,GPs ,company director or managers ? so in other words a man can't provide for his family in Calgary Canada unless he works at one of the afore mentioned jobs i can't understand that ?

I worked in a call centre here in Ireland for 7 years and earned 35k and we were able to holiday twice a year and have a high ish standard of living with 2 cars on the road so you can see why i am so bewildered that i would need 80k to have any chance in Canada ?
Rgds
Deise1980

Alan2005

Welcome to the downward spiral of the middle classes. It's been going on for decades.

Almost Canadian

Most "professional" type jobs in Calgary would pay $80K. A very large number of "skilled" jobs in Calgary would pay $80K. Calgary is a relatively affluent city with lots of very high paying jobs either in Calgary itself, or commutable on various shifts.

Calgary isn't Ireland.

deise1980

Calgary may not be Ireland but I'm going on many peoples views on this forum that the cost of living in Canada is comparable to that of the UK which isn't all that different to Ireland .
Rgds
Deise1980

Dashie

Calgary is at the higher end of cost of living I believe. For us in Ontario, the cost of living is significantly cheaper in the UK overall, Calgary is more expensive than here. It can be subjective though, depending on your lifestyle, and income in each country. We'd have been laughing on 35k in the UK, but here we struggle without my hubby doing significant amounts of overtime, on a salary higher than what you have been offered in Calgary. We have 2 children and one car, and a lowish mortgage.

Siouxie

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...ayCurrency=CAD

Comparing Calgary, AB to Hamilton, ON : http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...city2=Hamilton

Dashie

Good comparison. Where we live is cheaper than Hamilton too. Definitely wouldn't want to attempt Calgary on those kind of numbers personally.