Settlers_Unlimited

NO! Sorry there is no icon for shouting. Six months is NOT enough. Even in better economy. One year with minimum budget. And on arrival, don't forget that you planned for minimum budget (if you did). If you run out of money, you will have to take a survival job that will make looking for a real job more difficult.

Our necessary expenses for a family of four in Mississauga are 1500+, it's just rent and food - all very frugal. Don't forget about buying some minimum furniture at the beginning. Living in apartment complexes, where people constantly move in and out, helps to acquire some stuff for free when people give it away.

christmasoompa

Are you saying that even for those that have jobs lined up they need at least a years money in savings? I'm assuming your comment was directed at Jackie (as you mention furniture, and as I said previously we're shipping ours) but just wanted to clarify for the sake of others reading. And why are you shouting at me when others have suggested it's ok to move over with $5k - shout at them instead!!

Auld Yin

Many people looking to come here do not have one year's living expenses saved before coming and probably could never accumulate such an amount. Jackiewalters infers her husband has a job to come to, so will be making money right off the bat. There's absolutely no doubt that one or more year's expenses is preferable but it's not realistic for everyone wanting to come. Jackie doesn't say is she has children coming. If so, that adds a different dimension to the question. It would be much more difficult with limited funds but still doable provided everything is done with caution and no high expectations. If no children, then it is very doable if hubby has a job from the outset. My wife and I arrived many years ago with today's equivalent of about $5,000. I had a job to come to, she got a job within a week and we've never looked back for one moment. Now, I recognize the job market has changed considerably over the years and the economy is not the greatest but with hard work and a little luck Jackie and her OH will do just fine.
Go for it Jackie.

MarkG

No, but it's good if you do; even with a job you're going to need some funds to get started, e.g. rental desposit and living expenses for the first few weeks until you get paid.

I wouldn't have had much problem with turning up here in my 20s with a job arranged and, say, a thousand pounds in my pocket, but I wouldn't do that today.

acer rose

Fine in a hot economy. You would have to think twice about taking that approach with the current outlook though.

acer rose

We moved with one job, enough savings for one year if we were really careful with our spending, and the return half of our ticket because returns were cheaper than singles. It can be done but the economy is not what it was two years ago IMHO.

Edit: Food costs for BC for anyone doing research

jackiewalters

You know what? I am so glad that I have put my questions to the forum as the guidance and advice given is amazing!! Brian Scotti, your a star your words have truley inspired me at a time when my husband and I are both pushing for this dream to happen, we are not happy in this country that we love but are very disappointed in. Yes we do have children but I am convinced that we can make it work and Brianscotties words has made us feel stronger, where our resolve was waivering due to the length of time we have to wait before we find out about our LMO, and PNP and then eventually our PR!!
Every thing is going to be ok, I just know it!!

jackiewalters

This country that we are living in at present which is Shropshire England!! by the way!!

Auld Yin

Jackie, where in Canada are you thinking of settling? People on BE are spread all over the country and many can help you understand the area you're going to.

chumley

you can nmake anything work if you wan ti badly enough and I think you will be fine

for us we have had a genuine total change of lifestyle which is exactly the whole point in coming to canada for us!!

we had no choice on the work front we are not PR's yet so we simply cant work and we didnt have any idea how long PR will take still dont

so it was s&*t or bust for us ie stay in basket case Uk and wait for ever miserable in a life we no longer enjoyed or simply go for it.....
thankfully we chose the latter

we have managed very ncely thankyou on a budget of £500 month and have done so for 8 months and can do so for another 12 if we have to.

admitedly we have zero housing costs as we did have enough to buy our canadian home with no mortgage but we live well and happily without waste here.

it alll depeds on where you choose to live of course as Nova Scotia ( rural) is a different planet to other parts of Canada

looking back we have lived far better than if we had waited it out in the uk (finanancially aswell as lifestyle )

the increase on our mortgage there as we would have come out of a low fixed rate and the rip off britian prices for everything else etc and the plumeting interest rates on savings etc

we came with only two bags and two dogs and bought the whole cabodle here
we are glad we did for many reasons
particulalrly as so much uk stuff is not comaptible elecrticals bedding etc and we wanted authentic canadian iin our authentic canadian home of course

you can pick up tons of great stuff at yard sales etc
huge luck where there is a will there is a way!!

christmasoompa

I understand that Mark, and I did say in my first post that as well as allowing 6 months living expenses we were also budgeting $10k for set up costs like you've mentioned as well (plus emergency flights home for the 4 of us). But I was just querying Settlers_Unlimited statement that a years funds is needed.

We are lucky as we don't even really need the 6 months living expenses as we've got the back up of a good job and contract, but I was really just wondering for others as a years salary seemed like a lot more than most would bring - particularly as a lot of people can't release the equity from their homes these days.

MarkG

Welll, I brought about six years' salary, but much of that has gone on paying down the mortgage .

Auld Yin

That's not quite the same as living expenses. Whether that six years' salary was savings or the equity from your UK residence doesn't matter. You had the money which many UK'ers do not have and never will. It's easy for me to say, given I've weathered the storms of em/immigrating, albeit in better times, but if people are unhappy with their lot in another country they should try somewhere else. It is that unhappiness/seeking a better life that morphed into Canada, the US, NZ and Australia 200-400 years ago. Nobody says it's going to be easy for Jackie and family. They are their own people and have to do what's right for them. Hopefully they have some support system here but, if not, they will soon develop one.

nooka

Moving to a new country is surprisingly expensive, and having available cash does make a bit difference. Also remember you have no network of friends and family to fall back on when things get tough, which may mean that you are more likely to spend money to cheer yourself and your children up (going out for meals, cinema, swimming and that sorts of stuff all adds up). Plus you need to include costs of things like warmer clothes, winter tires etc, all things you may not anticipate. Bear in mind that it doesn't work out for everyone, so you need to make sure you have enough in the bank to go back to England should you need to, otherwise you will be stuck. That means flights and shipping. Also that job security is much less - my husband lost his job eight days after he started working, for example, and there are others that have had difficulties on the work front (although I am assuming that you both will be able to work which makes a big difference).

In short you can do it without much cash, but if you have children you have to make sure that you will be more than OK, and that you can go home again if things don't work out. Having said that with enough planning and thought, and if you have the fortitude to survive over the tough times, then I think Canada is very welcoming.

acer rose

There should be a big difference between a year's salary and a year's worth of funds for minimum spending. The latter does not include setting anything by for pension, birthday/Christmas gifts, trips out, holidays, etc. I would hope that a salary would cover these extras. If not, why would you move here (refugees, asylum seekers excepted).

Depending on province, a good contract might only mean a week or so notice if the job goes sour.

We were comfortable with 12 months of minimum survival money. Others may be comfortable with less but we'd saved and gone without while waiting for the visas so we could give Canada our best shot in the location we thought was most likely to suit us. If we hadn't got anywhere in 6 months, we may have moved on and tried somewhere else in Canada for 6 months. That was purely our preference and plan. We did this without equity from our house.

I was aware of people talking about a property crash in the UK in 2001ish when we got back to the UK from a previous stint overseas. If your emigration rests on raising the necessary funds you have to have been planning for the current circumstances during the long SW wait surely. Of course, people on the fast track schemes for getting in to Canada (TWP, PNP) may have had less time to plan but may have better job prospects and less need for having access to quite such a "large" contingency fund for the move.