British Expats

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-   -   Do you have an improved quality of life? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/do-you-have-improved-quality-life-593640/)

Sleeping_Beauty45 Feb 24th 2009 8:42 am

Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
Do you have an improved quality of life in Canada - more time with the kids, less stress, more of an outdoor life, not stuck in front of the computer/TV 24/7 etc etc?

Or is it a case of same sh*t, different place?

S E A N Feb 24th 2009 8:58 am

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 

Originally Posted by Sleeping_Beauty45 (Post 7317079)
Do you have an improved quality of life in Canada - more time with the kids, less stress, more of an outdoor life, not stuck in front of the computer/TV 24/7 etc etc?

Or is it a case of same sh*t, different place?

very good question, I look forward to reading peoples responses...

Avabava Feb 24th 2009 9:08 am

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
I am also really interested to hear what people think of this xx

cdnexpat Feb 24th 2009 9:13 am

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 

Originally Posted by Sleeping_Beauty45 (Post 7317079)
Do you have an improved quality of life in Canada - more time with the kids, less stress, more of an outdoor life, not stuck in front of the computer/TV 24/7 etc etc?

Or is it a case of same sh*t, different place?

What's wrong with being stuck in front of the computer :) Seems like people on this forum probably spend a lot of their free time in front of a computer.

pennyhp Feb 24th 2009 11:15 am

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
For us personally? YES!!!

BUT. We were able to ditch our motgage and buy a hobby farm outright.
So we are able to work part time and still have time to enjoy the outdoor life.
Although through the winter I have done more than my fare share of sitting in front of the computer, and TV. You can only take so many re runs of CSI though I find. Thank goodness for the box set of Sharpe DVDs we had imported from the UK. Good old Sean Bean and his pals and their exploits.

Anyway I digress. Our children are grown up and have flown the nest so cannot comment on family life from that perspective.


All in all we love it and wouldn't choose to go back to blighty.:D

BristolUK Feb 24th 2009 11:25 am

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
Lower cost of housing = mortgage free = lower income needed than the UK (and covering Four, not just one) = not having to work any more.

Not having to get up for work, not having to meet stupid and irrelevant targets, not having to listen to managers with their clichés and the latest buzzwords, not having to listen to pathetic excuses and lies from the clients, not being respected at work by managers or clients..........

Quality of life (excluding being buried in snow once in a while) is considerably improved.:)

gryphea Feb 24th 2009 12:32 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
We have an improved quality of life.

My OH worked ridiculously hard in the UK for not that much money. We never saw him, even at weekends as he was exhausted from travelling over the UK and burning midnight oil. He saw little of his children, let alone take a stake in daily management of them. We were headed for the divorce courts I reckon and he was headed towards a heart attack

He works much less here. WE see him- he isn't too exhausted at the weekend. He coaches soccer- takes son to basketball etc, is there for their swim lessons. Is there for desicions etc

We ski way more than we would from the UK

We camp, which I cannot bear in the UK. All those tents shoved together.

But- we are very lucky as OH is in a profession underpaid in the UK and it pays much better over here. He is a water engineer and took a step down to come here as all he was doing was managing people, nightmares etc, he wanted to get back to projects. He earns more in dollars than he did in UK and he took a step down. WOrking life is much better for engineers here.

Gryph

jericho Feb 24th 2009 12:44 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
Without a shadow of a doubt.

Tangram Feb 24th 2009 12:47 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
More free cash, more stress at work ( for me not other half ), some different activities generally, different living environment, different experiences.

On the whole wouldn't go back. If I could afford to change what I'm doing it to something I enjoy it would be nearly perfection.

iaink Feb 24th 2009 12:53 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 

Originally Posted by Sleeping_Beauty45 (Post 7317079)
Do you have an improved quality of life in Canada - more time with the kids,
Didnt have kids before I came here, so YES

less stress,
YES

more of an outdoor life,
YES

not stuck in front of the computer/TV 24/7 etc etc?
No, British expats has seen to that:)

Or is it a case of same sh*t, different place?

That too to some extent, the same day to day worriesover money etc, but less time in traffic, and a nice home in the country

MikeUK Feb 24th 2009 1:37 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
No

No better no worse

Much the same, just do different things in different more extreme seasons


Similar pay to the UK
Similar Job to the UK
Similar responsibilities to the UK
Similar sized mortgagee to the UK (3.2 x income)
And on average the Budget is about the same

But having said that living in the GTA means I haven’t had to give up much either, unlike those that have gone rural

or4ngecrush Feb 24th 2009 1:38 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
without a doubt yes

Not been here that long but......

I can live on my own-In the UK this wasnt't possible after I spilt with my BF.
Nice pace of life,
Great scenery,
Massively improved social life,
People are so helpful and nice,
My quality of life has improved-not stuck in a tiny 3rd floor flat with no money to do anything other than pay the bills,
So many activities social event and parties my little black book has never been so full and thats me not even trying to get out there and network.

If I think of anymore I will add but overall I am on my own supporting myself in a brand new country with lots and lots of opportunities for me e.g. I want to run my own business from home in the future and the size of houses/basements may make this dream more possible.

I have been adopted by so many families who don't want me to be on my own and lonely so Christmas was the best Christmas I have ever had in a long time.

I have so many free things on my doorstep which make me very happy. The stuff that is free is the outdoors and as a photographer this is very precious to me.

My 40cents worth, can you tell I LOVE IT HERE :)

or4ngecrush Feb 24th 2009 1:39 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 

Originally Posted by MikeUK (Post 7317904)
No

No better no worse

Much the same, just do different things in different more extreme seasons


Similar pay to the UK
Similar Job to the UK
Similar responsibilities to the UK
Similar sized mortgagee to the UK (3.2 x income)
And on average the Budget is about the same

But having said that living in the GTA means I haven’t had to give up much either, unlike those that have gone rural

I do think it's where you are and the last part of that quote pretty much sums a lot of it up. I always feel it depends on where you are.

MikeUK Feb 24th 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 

Originally Posted by or4ngecrush (Post 7317910)
. I always feel it depends on where you are.

Don't forget what you did before too

I already did all those outdoors things people talk about doing when they come here....

I hiked, I skied , I paraglided, I cycled

My life style didn't change, just its location :blink:

Piff Poff Feb 24th 2009 2:04 pm

Re: Do you have an improved quality of life?
 
In some ways yes, in some ways no. Yes we are less stressed, have more time, more money and are generally happier.

I am now totally bored with my job - which leads to disatisfaction, I'm not sure if I want to learn something new but I do know that a different store will not alleviate the problem. Winters also seem to knock the stuffing out of us - a lot of people we talk to feel the same.


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