Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
#91
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
Not locals around my way. We have a great selection at roadsides and farmers markets. Plus freebies from those that do grow their own.
#94
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto. ON
Posts: 919
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
Hi
House built in 2006, 2450 sq ft over two levels with an additional 1200 sq ft in finished basement. Have in floor heat (this appears to be the problem!)under all porcelain area's and hot water base board else where. Temperature set at a maximum of 21 C and 16C over night. Water is on demand with very little hot water storage. 2 people plus sprog.
SAW 04
House built in 2006, 2450 sq ft over two levels with an additional 1200 sq ft in finished basement. Have in floor heat (this appears to be the problem!)under all porcelain area's and hot water base board else where. Temperature set at a maximum of 21 C and 16C over night. Water is on demand with very little hot water storage. 2 people plus sprog.
SAW 04
$450 a month for oil !! Wow. My house, built in 01, is a 2,200 square foot bungalow with a finished basement. I also burn wood in my basement fireplace. When it's going the furnace never comes on. I burn about 2 cords of wood each winter @$165 a cord. I have an oil fired hot water heater and forced air heating. There are only two of us. We go away for three months or so in the winter but there is a house sitter here so the place is always at 22 degrees C. My budget oil bill is $100 per month ! What temperature do you keep your place at ? When was the house built ?
#95
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
what are you going on about
Anyone wishing to apply via the pnp community identified stream, has to demonstrate in great detail what contributions they can bring to a community and that includes economically as well as socially.
The relevent RDA will go into great depths to determine how you propose to contribute either through work or the opening of a business, even a cute little gallery will require a thorough business plan
I have learnt a lot from some of your previous posts, however on this occassion I feel I need to add to your comments
Now and again facts are important, hope this helps,
Flogs
Also the RDA's that we saw out in NS were more interested in the companies that we had made contact with for potential employment than the properties we had seen on mls!
Anyone wishing to apply via the pnp community identified stream, has to demonstrate in great detail what contributions they can bring to a community and that includes economically as well as socially.
The relevent RDA will go into great depths to determine how you propose to contribute either through work or the opening of a business, even a cute little gallery will require a thorough business plan
I have learnt a lot from some of your previous posts, however on this occassion I feel I need to add to your comments
Now and again facts are important, hope this helps,
Flogs
Also the RDA's that we saw out in NS were more interested in the companies that we had made contact with for potential employment than the properties we had seen on mls!
#96
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
$450 a month for oil !! Wow. My house, built in 01, is a 2,200 square foot bungalow with a finished basement. I also burn wood in my basement fireplace. When it's going the furnace never comes on. I burn about 2 cords of wood each winter @$165 a cord. I have an oil fired hot water heater and forced air heating. There are only two of us. We go away for three months or so in the winter but there is a house sitter here so the place is always at 22 degrees C. My budget oil bill is $100 per month ! What temperature do you keep your place at ? When was the house built ?
Our log home being eco friendly and warm in winter uses less than 3 cords in a large wood stove. We have only had to use the back up electic heat ocasionally over the winter. It originally had under floor heating with wood furnace, but the previous owner unfortunately removed it.
#97
Immigration Consultant
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,144
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
what are you going on about
Anyone wishing to apply via the pnp community identified stream, has to demonstrate in great detail what contributions they can bring to a community and that includes economically as well as socially.
The relevent RDA will go into great depths to determine how you propose to contribute either through work or the opening of a business, even a cute little gallery will require a thorough business plan
I have learnt a lot from some of your previous posts, however on this occassion I feel I need to add to your comments
Now and again facts are important, hope this helps,
Flogs
Also the RDA's that we saw out in NS were more interested in the companies that we had made contact with for potential employment than the properties we had seen on mls!
Anyone wishing to apply via the pnp community identified stream, has to demonstrate in great detail what contributions they can bring to a community and that includes economically as well as socially.
The relevent RDA will go into great depths to determine how you propose to contribute either through work or the opening of a business, even a cute little gallery will require a thorough business plan
I have learnt a lot from some of your previous posts, however on this occassion I feel I need to add to your comments
Now and again facts are important, hope this helps,
Flogs
Also the RDA's that we saw out in NS were more interested in the companies that we had made contact with for potential employment than the properties we had seen on mls!
My point is that to come through this stream you dont need to have a job offer and that makes it (at the moment) one of the very few ways into Canada without having to have a job lined up or make a substantial business investment. And therin lies the danger. Because if someone has high likelyhood of getting a job offer then why not simply wait for them to get the job offer and have them apply as a PNP Skilled Worker?
So it tends to attract people instead who dont necessarily plan to work straight away when they get here and therefore havent really fully tested the market for their chances of employability or getting a decent wage. So there are potentially some suprises for them down the road.
Many applicants who apply through NS PNP CI stream plan to start some sort of business and of course they have to produce a business plan and of course the RDA assesses them rigorously but the trouble is they are assessing the business plan based on the benefit to the region as much as they are the viability of the business. Unfortunately their prime concern isnt that you, as a would-be business owner, are going to make huge profits and live very comfortably here; they are more interested in how many people you are going to employ or how much money you are going to invest in developing a new building or some other facility. All great for the region but not necessarily great for you.
So that is what I meant when I talked about the "cute little gallery in a remote rural area". Its an example of a business that is romantic in nature rather than profitable. Someone who sets up that type of business invests a lot of their own money in the local economy but then discover they can only make $15k a year from it and it isnt enough to live on.
Am I making any sense? I dont mean that people shouldnt set-up cute little galleries in rural areas or any other kind of business that is enjoyable to operate but doesnt really bring in much money - of course they should - but it cant be your primary income; the cost of living here simply doesnt allow for that.
Last edited by Paul Wildy; Aug 12th 2008 at 9:00 pm.
#98
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
I think you misunderstood me. I'm not saying the RDAs or the Provincial Government dont assess people who apply thoroughly or that they ask people how many properties they have seen on MLS as one of the selection criteria.
My point is that to come through this stream you dont need to have a job offer and that makes it (at the moment) one of the very few ways into Canada without having to have a job lined up or make a substantial business investment. And therin lies the danger. Because if someone has high likelyhood of getting a job offer then why not simply wait for them to get the job offer and have them apply as a PNP Skilled Worker?
So it tends to attract people instead who dont necessarily plan to work straight away when they get here and therefore havent really fully tested the market for their chances of employability or getting a decent wage. So there are potentially some suprises for them down the road.
Many applicants who apply through NS PNP CI stream plan to start some sort of business and of course they have to produce a business plan and of course the RDA assesses them rigorously but the trouble is they are assessing the business plan based on the benefit to the region as much as they are the viability of the business. Unfortunately their prime concern isnt that you, as a would-be business owner, are going to make huge profits and live very comfortably here; they are more interested in how many people you are going to employ or how much money you are going to invest in developing a new building or some other facility. All great for the region but not necessarily great for you.
So that is what I meant when I talked about the "cute little gallery in a remote rural area". Its an example of a business that is romantic in nature rather than profitable. Someone who sets up that type of business invests a lot of their own money in the local economy but then discover they can only make $15k a year from it and it isnt enough to live on.
Am I making any sense? I dont mean that people shouldnt set-up cute little galleries in rural areas or any other kind of business that is enjoyable to operate but doesnt really bring in much money - of course they should - but it cant be your primary income; the cost of living here simply doesnt allow for that.
My point is that to come through this stream you dont need to have a job offer and that makes it (at the moment) one of the very few ways into Canada without having to have a job lined up or make a substantial business investment. And therin lies the danger. Because if someone has high likelyhood of getting a job offer then why not simply wait for them to get the job offer and have them apply as a PNP Skilled Worker?
So it tends to attract people instead who dont necessarily plan to work straight away when they get here and therefore havent really fully tested the market for their chances of employability or getting a decent wage. So there are potentially some suprises for them down the road.
Many applicants who apply through NS PNP CI stream plan to start some sort of business and of course they have to produce a business plan and of course the RDA assesses them rigorously but the trouble is they are assessing the business plan based on the benefit to the region as much as they are the viability of the business. Unfortunately their prime concern isnt that you, as a would-be business owner, are going to make huge profits and live very comfortably here; they are more interested in how many people you are going to employ or how much money you are going to invest in developing a new building or some other facility. All great for the region but not necessarily great for you.
So that is what I meant when I talked about the "cute little gallery in a remote rural area". Its an example of a business that is romantic in nature rather than profitable. Someone who sets up that type of business invests a lot of their own money in the local economy but then discover they can only make $15k a year from it and it isnt enough to live on.
Am I making any sense? I dont mean that people shouldnt set-up cute little galleries in rural areas or any other kind of business that is enjoyable to operate but doesnt really bring in much money - of course they should - but it cant be your primary income; the cost of living here simply doesnt allow for that.
I appreciate the points you are making here NS Paul, but I feel this could be said for anywhere.
One thing re the CI stream, whilst there may be a high proportion of people that arrive in NS and do not seek employment or start their own business shortly after, there are others who will be looking to gain employment fairly quickly.
The CI stream provides some flexibility re time scale wise in as far as perhaps trying to sell a house and not being in a position to actually accept a job offer from an employer, as you have no idea when your personal circumstances may allow you to make the move. Therefore the CI stream I feel is something that is available if you can meet the criteria laid out which enables you to perhaps have a little more control over what is going to happen when.
It also means hopefully in the long term that when you find employment the paperwork has been sorted and you are free to work, which means you may find better opportunities available to you.
Just my thoughts anyhow fwiw
#99
Immigration Consultant
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,144
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
You're right - it could be said of not quite anywhere but certainly a lot of places. The minute you create very little barrier to immigration then you get lots of people that move to that place, buy a cheap house and then struggle with becoming "economically established" (to use the CIC terminology). Brits have been doing it in France, Greece and Spain for years. The trouble with Nova Scotia though is that the general cost of living is not on a par with Spain and that makes it just that bit less viable for many people.
#100
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
Other than that there are good Aussie wines; Chardonnay for around $12-$15 & various Shiraz/Cabernet/Merlot for $17.
The Hardys wines are always decent value too. Stamp label whites for $10 or $11, reds for $2 or $3 more.
I find I pay the same as I paid in Sainsbury's, for pretty much the same wines.
Last edited by BristolUK; Aug 12th 2008 at 10:30 pm.
#103
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,020
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
We probably pay slightly more out here than in the UK; certainly if we want to drink European wines. But then we're earning 40% less, so in relative terms it's a lot more expensive. But what can you do?
#104
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: North
Posts: 1,357
Re: Cost of Living - monthly outgoings
Jackson Triggs white Merlot is around $9 or $10 a bottle here. It's a perfectly decent Rose if you're not one of those who looks down their noses at Roses.
Other than that there are good Aussie wines; Chardonnay for around $12-$15 & various Shiraz/Cabernet/Merlot for $17.
The Hardys wines are always decent value too. Stamp label whites for $10 or $11, reds for $2 or $3 more.
I find I pay the same as I paid in Sainsbury's, for pretty much the same wines.
Other than that there are good Aussie wines; Chardonnay for around $12-$15 & various Shiraz/Cabernet/Merlot for $17.
The Hardys wines are always decent value too. Stamp label whites for $10 or $11, reds for $2 or $3 more.
I find I pay the same as I paid in Sainsbury's, for pretty much the same wines.