hi all

Moving on from the minimum wage thread and related to the monthly budget thread I would like some opinions or advice please.

We are a 2 income family with 2 young uns at the moment.

trawling the messages seems to indicate it can be quite hard for the non arranged employment partner to get the work they are used to doing. I am quite happy to work at whatever to survive as if we get in it will be on my wife (RN).

Her likely salary could be between C$60-80000 would this be enough to get us established? we don't expect or want an extravagant lifestyle, only a reasonable family home in a decent area and some cash to have fun with the kids. We also have the equity from our house (@C$200k) to go with so we wouldn't have a full mortgage.

We are looking at BC or Alberta i think that we might be leaning Alberta way at the moment but until we get out there and recce its a bit vague.

I will start putting my resume about as soon as OH gets a job offer but OH would like some comfort that we can go without a job for me and survive for a while.

Anyone know about Architects offices in Alberta or BC are they booming?

Thanks all
Tom

We get by (just) in a cheap part of ontario on my mid/ high 60s salary alone. Kids are 2 and 5 more or less, but we have been here long enough that we qualify for the various child tax benefits, and a newcomer would not for a while.

We dont need the tax benefits to make ends meet, but we do need them for sensible planing for retirement and college funds. We dont lead an extravagant lifestlye, and both our cars are currently paid for, and the morgage and taxes only about $800 a month.

In a more expensive area we would need more income.

Thanks for your Candour Iain. I understand this can be a delicate subject for people and that no 2 people make the same choices, but you guidance is very helpful.

Thanks
Tom

Hi Tom,

We did the same, moved from Scone on two salaries to Calgary on mine.....
Thankfully my wife is a typical Scot and we manage to get by OK, short arms, deep pockets....
Like you we had the same amount to put down on a house here which means we have a 55% mortgage. We only run one car, it's all we need. I get the bus to work, and don't let anyone tell you here that the transit is rubbish etc, it is 100% better than the UK's systems, especially coming from Scotland...and it only costs $75 a month for complete freedom of movement. We holiday a couple of times and manage to get in some skiing. One piece of advice, shop around with regard to food etc...we have Co-op, Walmart, Safeway and Canadian Superstore all next to each other so its easy to move from one to the other.

But like everyone will tell you on here, it's all about personal choice and lifestyle....

Cheers

Dobbie

Snap but then I'm in a cheaper area too, no where near to housing costs of Calgary and BC, but again a 55% mortgage.

Thanks Dobbie thats what I needed to hear (or more correctly OH needs to hear). I dont think living on one salary is a long term aim but its good to know we could live on it if need be, certainly couldnt here. I think 1.5 salaries would be good to be able to make the most of the improved lifestyle we believe Canada offers.

Hi we have gone from two full time salaries in the UK to one Full time salary, then I worked part time for a year, then I quit the job for several reasons - haven't found another job yet but hubby has just had a couple of pay rises which more than covers what I was earning as a Part timer. We are comfortable - the 1st year was the hardest as it all seemed to be spend spend spend, but it's settling down now. My hubby earns around what your wife will be earning.

Are you sure? In NS we were told we qualified for Canada Child Tax benefit (I think thats what its called) as soon as we arrived. We get about $180/month for the CCTB bit and another $100/month for the child who is aged under 6 (I think thats tha cut-off age). It was actually a few months before we got around to claiming it but when we did they paid it retrospectivley.

its not much but its a bit of extra spend

Mr L2S works for a very large consultancy firm in Vancouver which has a big architecture sector. They are ssooo busy. They are putting so many foreigners through BC PNP as they just can't get Canadians.

No, Im not, maybe that was a work permit thing or a tax return thing. Might be something in this thread...
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437624

I guess when you have only ever had one salary coming into the bank each month you pretty much know what you can and cannot afford.
We moved to Canada in July and the plan has always been that I work and my Wife stays at home until the little one is of School age. Even with her working part time it will only be at Walmart etc so she's not bringing home much.

Suddenly going from two incomes to one is hard, especially if things are tight on twin incomes

I didn't read the other thread but I don know you probably dont get it if you are just on a work permit - I think that we were able to claim from the date we became PRs (which cooincided with the date my wife and kids arrived een though I had been here previously on a WP)

this is great info just what we were afteras always here

Piff thanks for the insight

L2S that sounds promising I know there is a building boom and lots of trades needed but wasn't sure if the design side was as busy.

Danny We do expect it to be a bit tough but hopefully it will only be for a while. I just dont want to come over and expect to get a job right away I have read many threads where this just doesn't happen.

thanks all

We've gone from two to one and 'tight' describes things at the mo - but we've not got to the end of our spending-phase quite yet (does one ever get to the end of it?). We have two expensive children, two cars, and the usual monthly bills - but we do have decent savings to dig into if absolutely necessary (just trying not to). It's quite feasible to get by. With some care.
By the new year, we anticipate more income, both from hubby, and from me showing willing in the world of work.

How about getting a p/t at somewhere where you will get a discount on things you would be buying anyway e.g. food.

Friends of my parents - one work for Sainsbury, the other for Thomas Cook. Therefore their big annual spends (holidays and the weekly food bill) are greatly reduced through staff discounts.