British Expats

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- Canada (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/)

- - PEI (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/pei-661742/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winston Green (Post 8460272)

Pri is lovely in the summer but desolate in the winter. The winter last about 7 months of the year and a large amount of the inhabitants are on EI for most of it. Move to ns or nb and holiday in pei.

Errr what?

I have to totally disagree. I'll do my own posts with my own experiences at lunch time :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 8462850)

I accept that properties are cheaper than they would be in the big cities as a result of which mortgage payments are likely to be cheaper. That aside, how is the cost of living cheaper? I am not trying to argue, I am curious as I hear this alot but can't understand how it would be. One would assume that groceries, gas, utilities etc are comparable with cities.

Thanks:thumbsup:

Hey AC,
Perhaps I should qualify that - the cost of living YOUR LIFE is much cheaper :) for example, people sell food items from home or local roadside stalls straight off the farm, eggs, cheese, meat, veg etc etc -

There are lots of bake sales and fundraisers where products can be bought at a fraction of the price. Because the emphasis is much more on community spirit, rather than profit at all costs, most businesses donate freely to community fundraisers; I recently got a meal for two at a local restaraunt for 10bucks and my yard tilled for 30bucks. You can get most anything at fundraisers and the community go to support others in the community; That is sort of cheaper I mean.

I also find a lot less emphasis on the way people dress, the car they drive, entertainments etc, all costs if you upgrade regularly or stay in fashion. We mostly go to each others houses, taking something with us as buffet food/ go to the pub for bands and good quality reasonably priced food and people really don't eat out at expensive resteraunts too often (not that you could find one if you wanted too!) It is a much simpler way of life, with a mountain of laughs rather than the latest gadget, therefore quite a lot cheaper in that respect.

Most people make their own wine / brew their own beer, if the pub has private functions, which it does regularly, people are even allowed to bring their own booze for a small corking fee - again much less emphasis on profits, much more on community spirit and fun.

Gas is the same price, but neighbours car pool a lot to take the kids wherever, and kids prefer this as they get to gossip on the way!

Not everyone's cup of tea, granted, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else:thumbsup:

HTH

Quote:

Originally Posted by rach_woz99 (Post 8462958)

OK

Most of those happen in Calgary as well:thumbsup:

It sounds like you mean the cost of living in Canada is cheaper than in the UK, as opposed to other areas of Canada:p

Everybody has their own experiences and opions but the concencis of the Canadians and Brits sitting round the table here twelve in total is that pei is bleak in winter and expensive in summer.when the tourists leave and the snow starts the place closes. I went last October and whilst it was nice a lot of the attarctions were either closed or closing a lot of the shops outside charlottes town were closed. I guess the op will have to visit in summer and winter to decide for themselves.

A lot of the attractions were closed?

If you are living there, and working, I would have thought that spending your time at attractions would be way down your list :rofl:

I live rural, but PEI takes rural to a whole new level. I am there often, in all seasons and dread every trip. It offers nothing to me that NS does not offer. The $42 it costs to get off the Island is a bite in the arse, but well worth it to get home!
As with most things, you'd have to see it to believe it, so don't take my word or anyone else's!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winston Green (Post 8463460)

The "tourist" shops outside Charlottetown are closed from mid-September until June but I somehow managed to survive without my Anne of Green Gables fix over the winter

We moved here in May and gave ourselves a year before buying a place to ensure that the winters weren't too much for us. Granted it has been by all accounts a mild winter but at no point in time was it "bleak".

We had a 4month long winter (1st snowfall was early Dec) when there was always snow on the ground but usually accompanied by sun in the sky - Our 1st winter on PEI was a lot more bearable than the dreary wet winters we usually suffered in Scotland.

Cost of living (outwith cost of housing) is probably on par with what we experienced elsewhere in Canada but as Rach_woz suggested there are a lot of ways where the cost of living is reduced by being part of the community.