christmasoompa

Out of interest, what kind are you referring to? I'm intrigued to know what opportunities you think will be available in Canada but not the UK.

Might be worth reading some of the threads from people returning to the UK in the Moving Back to the UK forum to get an idea of why people leave Canada to return home.

I'd also suggest you start a separate thread asking whether $40k is going to be enough to live on as it may have been lost amongst this thread and I think could seriously affect your enjoyment of Canada if you have to struggle. I've no idea if $40k is a good wage in that area but it seems awfully low to me, so hopefully those that live in the same area will be able to help you out with an opinion.

Good luck.

dboy

40 k is very low and well below the average. If it is a stating wage then fair enougth I suppose, but long term it simply will not be enough. If you were single perhaps one might scrape by, but not with a family to support.

mrvp

Out of interest is there a general guide to what an acceptable wage is? I know I can hit the $40-50k bracket in my line of work and as a single person, renting (e.g. worst case approx: $12,000 per year), I'm figuring $40k should be enough (or am I being a bit dim - I haven't looked into this too thoroughly yet).

Incidentally I totally agree with Cato's point that Canada should have a lot more opportunities than the UK for the next couple of year's (one's overcrowded and has a substantial budget deficit that they are correcting through substantial cut's - the other has a budget surplus - last time I checked and is less densely populated and hopefully should be in a better state economically).

christmasoompa

Depends - which province/town? You need to look at how much tax you'll pay on that, plus your other bills etc - cost of living will be about the same as in the UK if that helps you figure it out, but other things will vary depending on where you are going. If you can post your intended destination, then hopefully those that live there can tell you if it's a reasonable wage for a single person.

I thought Cato was referring to opportunities for her kids though so was intrigued as to what she thought those were. BTW, jmo but I'm not sure I'd agree that Canada has lots more employment opportunities than the UK at the moment, particularly for newcomers to the country with no Canadian experience. There are people on the forum who have been looking for work for a year or two without success, it's really not easy anywhere at the moment.

Kaye5

$40k is about all I am capable of earning...! And I think it might be a wee bit less than that.

Having said that, we moved from London to Scotland 7 years ago and I went from a £32k salary to £18k. But we didn't have a mortgage (in London that took half my salary) so disposable income didn't turn out to be all that different. When we came back, we reversed the situation, but net position is still similar. We both work at the moment, and that's the plan for Canada too, if we get PR (we'll also have a safety net of quite a lot of equity - we are selling up now, as we will move regardless of whether we go to Canada or stay in the UK).

We have three kids - they do without the latest computer games consoles; doesn't do them any harm. They get activities, but not as many as some of their richer friends. We're not afraid to take hand-me down clothes. We do without going out (and that means you don't need going out clothes) and other luxuries - doesn't bother us - so guess it all depends on what you want to spend above necessities and how much those necessities will cost you - no or a low mortgage must make a big difference.

Opportunities for kids? Have you ever tried to play hockey in London?!

ann m

$40k is insufficient, in my humble opinion, for a family of four to live on. The OP has indicated that their salary should rise to $55k after four months (I'd be getting that in writing) - which is more respectable but again, in my opinion, is still not a lot of income.

$40k will be approx $2,500 take home pay - give or take, I think

Now throw in rent or mortgage payments, groceries, car insurance and bills - and seriously - why would you move for that "standard of living".

BUT - if you KNOW this is a short-term start-up issue, with the potential to grow into something bigger and better - then only the OP knows if it's worth the leap.

$27k savings will likely be swallowed up very quickly, especially if being used to prop up the monthly income during the first 4-6 months.

As and when the UK house sells, the cushion for financial comfort is considerable.

Can the OP manage OK until that house sells? What if it takes another year? Will the OP have any savings to make a move back to the UK if they hate it, or the job doesn't work out or deliver on it's promises?

Like I said before, all regular nerves - and things to consider!

christmasoompa

http://www.streathamstorm.co.uk/
http://www.eastern-stars.co.uk/
http://www.londonlegion.co.uk/

Not sure being able to play ice hockey regularly is something I'd consider a vital opportunity for my kids, but hey!

rivingtonpike

I must admit it doesn't sound very much. It's the initial costs of getting to CAnada and settingup a new home that can be tricky. However, I fully admire your attitude to expensive luxuries. When you're embarking on a new life, certainly for our kids, exploring the beach, the lake, the hills, was at least as thrilling as slumped on a sofa oggling the same or similar programmes as the UK. It would, I'm sure, be naive to pretend money isn't important - but so is adventure. Who knows, a move to Canada might change more than just the geography aspect of your lives...

Kaye5

Ha ha, I think we may be an exception to the rule on here! (Haven't come any other Brits on here who understand the enthusiasm for hockey - but there must surely be some)!

Yes, you've found the total of three hockey rinks in the whole of Greater London! One rink is currently closed (Ally Pally), one under threat of closure (Streatham) and the other is where we go right now (Lee Valley). The problem is getting there from where we live can be impossible with London traffic (we set off as soon as work finishes, but regularly get there too late for the training). Hoping to get back to AP soon, which is closer and hopefully with decent ice time.

mrvp

Thanks for the comments these are helpful - I'll probably start a separate thread when I get my destination a little bit clearer (so far I know there is possibilities of work in Halifax, Calgary and I'm expecting Toronto or Vancouver - a friend got work in Edmonton two years ago with the State Government and the last I heard he was doing okay - so I think it's viable, I was aiming at Tim Horton's or Starbucks but people on these boards have said I should be able to pick up an engineering job).

Re: the opportunities point - sorry I didn't make that clear, all I was getting at was certain private sector industries in the UK are largely public sector facing and given the level of cuts this limits opportunities in certain fields (e.g. one of my former employers has a workbook that is 85%+ public sector facing and has seen their share price drop about 70% in the last 12 months and they are regarded as one of the stronger companies in the sector). Cuts are being front loaded and it's not pretty.

YoshiPal2010

What makes you think Canadian companies are any less prone to the impacts of public-sector contracts being cut. Don't forget, the Tories in Canada don't have a majority, and no chance of forming a coalition, unlike the UK variety. If Harper gets a majority after the next federal election -- likely sometime in the spring -- then I think we will see something akin to what's happening in the UK. Just MHO!

Dowski

The nerves are understandable!

The first few days (months more like) were fear, doubt and panic filled for me. But it passed.

Best Wishes and Good Luck!

p.s. get Skype, definately get onto Skype...

dboy

40 K in vancouver is possible but would require a strict budget. Toronto is more or less the same perhaps a bit cheaper.

If you were down town then a car would not be needed. if it is around 2500 per month then here is a very rough guess:

Rent - downtown Vancouver

Rent of one bedroom - varies quite a bit but I would say min $1000 - 1200 sharing with someone or renting a studio (bedsit) apartment would reduce this as would staying somewhere not as central. (there is no council tax and principal bills are usually included).

Bills

cable, phone, and internet: $150. Hydro $20 (heat, hotwater, garbabge removal, water etc is all included in the rent..some places even have cable)

Medical

$48 (i think)

Groceries

Will vary of course but I think about 300 - 400 a month is conservative, and eating pretty healthy.

Entertainment

Tough one.... moive is about 10 bucks, meal out is anywhere from 10 bucks to ??? Pint is at least 6-7 bucks. Movie rental 5 bucks. Average cab across town 8 bucks... Gym member ship 35 bucks.

Can't think of anything else total seems to be about: 1750 for rent, bills and food. Leaving about 750 for entertainment (which is not a lot really)....nowt for savings.

It is doable.

ninaDGBCA

$40K is not much but I know people who've done it and survived (that's prob the best way to describe it). It all depends where and what standart of living.
And in my opinion I'd rather be poor in Canada than poor in the UK, especially in the current climat.
I think if you stick to your budget and don't go out a lot, have a reasonable priced house ( maybe some Townhouse), one cheap car (TD was the cheapest insurance quote we got), shop with the flyers, food basics, m+m, be aware that you can't save a lot and don't expect to go to the Bahamas or back to the UK once a year, a family of 4 can live on $2500-$2800 a month.
If you have to pay a loan (cos of the move, or car etc.) or want to save up for a house deposit $2500 probably won't be enough.

hellcats

[QUOTE=Kaye5;9105976]Ha ha, I think we may be an exception to the rule on here! (Haven't come any other Brits on here who understand the enthusiasm for hockey - but there must surely be some)!


Me. I play over here and can't wait to live in Canada so I can play more.