Aviator

Neither did they. It came as a bit of a surprise. Quite a few years back, I had to have a lot of work done, $7000, thankfully I had enough insurance to cover it.

I don't think anyone budgets for major dental work, nor any unexpected expense.

scilly

True .............. but then not everyone has good teeth, and that can be a matter of heredity, what happened in childhood, or for unknown reasons.

OH has terrible teeth, I happen to have very good teeth that need relatively little other than cleaning and check-up ................. that is after the School Dental Clinic back in the UK removed 3 molars because they needed small fillings but it was "easier to remove them" (1950s and all that)>

Over the years, I think we have spent close to 6 figures, if not over that amount, on OH's teeth, including all the treatment that he had for first 26 or so years of his life in England and then over here. None of the treatments that he has had have been "cosmetic".

He can't help it

Nor do I know why I have much better teeth than he has.

You are darn lucky ................ but not everyone is, and things do come out of left field at people!

scrubbedexpat091

Dental is a luxury in Canada, if one has the money to save, certainly worth saving some for dental if the means are available.

Vulcanoid

Vaguely stunned at $2000 a month for food (groceries + eating out + takeout) but I guess that's the lifestyle thing you mentioned at the start. (As a contrast, my partner and I spend about $100/week for the two of us).

I'm eyeing up your car costs - you're budgeting $100/month for gas. At the amount that would buy you in BC, it doesn't seem like you're planning on driving that much (and you describe it as non-commuter), which calls into question if you actually need to have a vehicle and all its costs, or if you'd be better to just rent one when you want to use it. The type of car you're looking at would likely run about $40 to rent, so if you got one every single Sat+Sun throughout a year, that would get you to about $4500 rather than the $7k odd you're budgeting to lease.

If you do want to own, I'd be surprised if insurance was as much as you're budgeting (although I know the LM probably adds some costs). My last truck was $1400 for me in the interior with no no-claims, and my partner and I currently pay $1300 for a large car on the island.

scrubbedexpat091

When we had our Mazda 2, living in Vancouver we were paying $170 or so a month, so not too far off from $200 and that was with maximum discounts.

It was like $150 when we first moved to Vancouver and our address was X street but when we moved into another unit in the same building our address changed to XX street and rate went up despite the car being parked in the same building as before.


The food seems crazy high, but suppose its perspective, for some that's a month income, for others is just a food budget. We average $75 or week out of necessity.

scilly

I guess $2000 a month on groceries + eating out + take outs depends partly on what you include under "groceries" and how much you splurge on restaurants and take-outs.

If groceries includes all household needs as well as food .......... eg, paper goods, cleaning items, diapers, female hygiene etc etc etc, then that could make a difference between $100 a week and close to $200 a week.

We eat out once a week at a local Japanese restaurant and average around $35 including 18-20% tip, another local "Canadian" restaurant would cost us around $55 including tip.

Perhaps the OP should also consider that "take-out" here will not be the same as he may be used to in the UK, if he is thinking in terms of South-East Asian foods. "Take-out" here is more likely to be pizza, Japanese, Chinese, and such. Not too many good fish and chip shops!!

yakstar

Thank you for sharing your own experiences.

That makes sense and we can easily survive on a tighter budget by cooking larger meals which last the next day (or two or three) as lunches. This cuts down on groceries (includes toiletries and baby food, etc) and work lunches as well as take aways and potentially meals out. This is one area in my budget were flexible with.

But yes take away are often a mix of fish and chips, kebab (kebob :P), Chinese, Indian or pizza. So it’s likely to cost more if battered sausage and chips for £3 each are off the menu. We tend to have a takeaway on Friday evening and sometimes mid week ($30 x2 pw). On weekend we go out for lunch and/or dinner ($75 x2 pw). Wife goes to baby classes and socialises with friends a couple of times mid week and has lunch there ($15 x2 pw). This is the main reason to have one car ($575 pm + $200pm insurance), so that she’s able to get around and go places during the day. I however will take public transport to work ($178 pm) and buy lunches out ($10 x5 pw). I currently live outside of London and am used to 1bus per hour + 35min trains to London (every 20 mins).

scilly

OK ................ first you have to be aware that some of the takeaways that are now so common in the UK, such as kebabs, curries, Indian* foods, etc are not generally found in many areas of BC.

Takeaways are Chinese, Japanese, pizza, Korean, etc

I live in a part of Vancouver where the most places to eat are Japanese sushi .............. I think we have about 10 in one 5 block area, with one more opening soon ............. Japanese Bubble Tea (at least 3), Chinese/Japanese combo, Filipino/Canadian combo. We once had a kebab place and a Donair but I think only the Donair has survived.

We happen to like Japanese, and the one we go to has a full range of sushi and various hot meals. We went to the Filipino/Canadian one last weekend, OH had fish and chips and was not impressed. I had baby pork back ribs and fries, which were good. But the prices were quite high for twice a week dining out.

If you want south-east Asian foods, better look at Surrey which has a very large population of South-East Asians. But it is going to cost you much more than what you seem to be expecting

Battered sausages and fries are basically unheard of here ........ there was a thread on the Maple Leaf a few weeks ago by someone who was desperate. I must say they sound awful!

You may not even like fish and chips ............ good ones are VERY hard to find!


Indians* ............. get used to NOT using this term here.

Here it has always referred to the First Nations, but is now considered to be a derogatory term and not to be used.

People for the subcontinent of India are usually referred to as South-East Asians

Siouxie

Are you basing your prices on UK prices converted, or actual cost in Vancouver?

I live in a mid sized City in Ontario - which is generally known to be far cheaper to live in than Vancouver - and while (where I live) there are multitudes of take out places that will deliver (try 'skipthedishes' for prices), it's not cheap! Don't forget to add on the delivery charge as well, unless ordering over the minimum.

Lunch for $15? what's that for, coffee and a sub or a burger? If you're talking going to a restaurant I think you could pretty much double that - and don't forget to add on 15% for taxes and another minimum of 15% for the tip (gratuity) at any establishment where you have been served (not McD's etc., lol).

My son had sushi last night - very basic amount, sashimi 6 pieces in total, 8 maki slices, seaweed salad - with taxes and delivery $58! For enough food for 1.
I went out to dinner on Saturday with 2 female friends. They shared 2 small dishes, I had my own (arctic char fillet and a side salad - $27 plus 15% tax), I had 1 drink, they had 2 and we all had coffee, they had dessert - the bill? $189 without a tip (thank goodness I wasn't paying)!

We can get a decent Indian, Thai, Mexican, Lebanese (kebabs), Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Pizza, Wings and even fish n chips takeout here though

dbd33

I enjoyed an Indian, delivered by an Indian, in Vancouver. I was advised that Kits is not the best spot in the city for Indian delivery but it was certainly passable.

beckiwoo

I still refer to it as Indian food or an Indian curry...no one has accused me of being racist yet

scilly

Certainly not common in most areas of Vancouver.

I know of one highly recommended long-time place just off the Granville strip in downtown. A couple of "gussied-up, expensive places run by Vij. The place to go in Vancouver used to be Main Street between about 41st and 49th ......... but everyone has moved out to Surrey, and so all the merchants have moved down there as well! I think there might be just 1 dessert place left, although that might well have moved recently.


Siouxie ............ FWIW, the usual recommended tip in Vancouver is more like 18-20%

I have lunch in a Japanese restaurant every couple of weeks, my bill for 1 is usually around $12-14 minus tip .............. and Vancouver is often reckoned to be about the best and cheapest place to buy Japanese food, especially sushi Prices for 6 pieces of sushi range between about $1.75 for kappa maki $2.75-3:00 for California Roll to $12.00 for special maki rolls at an ordinary small place. Then there are the much more expensive touristy places.

dbd33

We went to Vij's on a prior trip. It seemed to be an Indian restaurant in the way that Bebe Rexha is a country singer.

Siouxie

I was factoring in the minimum tip that should be left - not what is usual to leave. Where I live too, 18-22% is the norm.

There are the 'all you can eat' Japanese restaurants - where everything is cooked/prepared fresh to order - where you can pay a flat rate of $29-$32 per person for dinner - or for lunch $19-$22. However, you pay per piece if you don't eat everything you order on top and there's a maximum time permitted to order and eat; plus taxes, plus tip... plus any drinks you might have. Pretty much you are looking at a minimum of $40pp for dinner and $28.50 for lunch, even if you just drink water.

For A La Carte I think the cheapest I have seen maki is $4; $4.50 for California Roll and $8 for 'special' - at a run of the mill place, eating in, so yes Vancouver appears to be more reasonable, for that at least - based on what you had, it would cost $19 plus your drink, plus tip, here. We don't do 'tourists or touristy' in the Hammer, lol.

scilly

The original Vij's on 12th Avenue was good in the first few years after it opened in 1994. That's the only time I've eaten there. But then they (Vij and then-wife, still business partners) "expanded their menus". They opened another place next door to the original, and then finally opened on Cambie Street a few years ago. People seem to either love the new incarnation of Indian food or not ......... but it doesn't seem to be absolutely "authentic".

Another good place was in a little mall at the corner of Oak Street and Broadway, now demolished and replaced by a high rise.

I've also gathered that Indan food in the UK is different form Indian food in India, and different from Indian food here!