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-   -   Price Comparisons??????? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/price-comparisons-365041/)

Posidrive Apr 3rd 2006 4:01 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Stuarty
We are currently in the Edmonton area on a fact find and the facts are that essentials tend to be cheaper but luxuries and white goods tend to be about the same. For example we priced computers and range cookers. The computers appeared cheaper but once you added in a decent warranty, memory and software the difference was no more than 10% if anything at all. An Aga cooker (a very basic one) was $6800 dollars and other less identifiable ones about 20% more than home. Fridges were so much bigger so harder to tell but appeared expensive as did washing machines and tumble driers.

Yep, watch out for appliance prices. We were out selecting appliances for our new build house a couple of weeks ago and were horrified by the prices of these. If you want a front loading washing machine and drier, be prepared for heart failure when you see the prices.

Posidrive Apr 3rd 2006 4:09 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Morwenna
I don't think it's entirely fair to put the whole blame for inflation on British Immigrants!

I heard on the radio this week that the population of Calgary had increased by some 80 thousand in the last year, and I'm sure they said about 80% were moving from other parts of Canada. I can't find anything online just now to back that up, but I think that's what they said.

Yep, don't blame the Calgary increase on the Brits. Calgary is booming at the moment and people are flocking from all over Canada to take advantage of it. The housing market is absolutely ridiculous, with land in such short supply that the wealthy are buying $800k properties and demolishing them straight away just for the land.

dingbat Apr 3rd 2006 4:13 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by hot wasabi peas
:confused: It's funny how people have different perceptions of things. When I first came here and saw all the different washing powders and tablets and gel tablets and fizzy tabs and fizzy gel with double softener tabs and liquids and fabric softeners and ironing sprays and stain removal things etc and etc... I thought 'hmmm... the British public is obsessed with laundry; what is that aboot?' :)
:D

I must be one of the obsessed. I have never, ever got my laundry as clean or as bright white as I did back home. I hate doing laundry here and yes, after ten years, I still iron. I don't iron socks or underwear, but I do iron sheets, T shirts, shirts and some trousers. I love crunchy towels and defy a bylaw to have an outside laundry whirly-gig for the warmer months. I even invested in a top of the range front loader washer/dryer team the minute they (eventually) came out here and while there is a slight improvement, I am limited to two types of HE with nothing between them! :beer: OK the men in white coats are coming.... :scared:

Posidrive Apr 3rd 2006 4:18 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by hot wasabi peas
'British cash input' in BC is a drop in the bucket compared to the oodles of noodles coming from SE Asia.

I don't want to come across as racist which I am not, but how on earth do most of these immigrants form SE Asia qualify. A large number of the points for a skilled worker application come from English/Freanch language ability .....
As an engineering graduate whose mother tongue is English, I only just qualify with 67 points .............

We're feeling grumpy after a trip to the Harry Hayes building in Calgary on Friday to get my wife's SIN card. We were stuck in the queue at the reception for 20 minutes behind a younf professional looking oriental couple who could only just communicate in English. We then had to wait another 30 minutes while they applied for their SIN cards, because of communication problems with the officer. If they had not held us, and everyone else, up we would have been in and out in 5 minutes instead of the best part of an hour we had to spend their.

Fume :mad:

dingbat Apr 3rd 2006 4:18 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by pennyhp
I don't know of any direct price comparison sites but have you seen wwwflyermall.com It has lots of different flyers for supermarkets, canadian tire, factory outlets etc to view on line. I believe it is for Ontario.

Pennyhp


Try:

http://www.superstore.ca/

Cheap and crappy, but for tinned goods and non-perishables, who cares. Meat and produce is utter rubbish, so is most of the generic dairy. Average shop for me is well over $300 a week - usually nearer $400. There are seven of us, including a baby, whose nappies are excluded from that total.

Biiiiink Apr 3rd 2006 4:22 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 
There are lots of immigrants who don't have to pass an English/French test, refugees, family class...etc. Good luck to them. We've got such a head start with our mother tongue, and you're complaining about being held up a little?! :p




Originally Posted by Posidrive
I don't want to come across as racist which I am not, but how on earth do most of these immigrants form SE Asia qualify. A large number of the points for a skilled worker application come from English/Freanch language ability .....
As an engineering graduate whose mother tongue is English, I only just qualify with 67 points .............

We're feeling grumpy after a trip to the Harry Hayes building in Calgary on Friday to get my wife's SIN card. We were stuck in the queue at the reception for 20 minutes behind a younf professional looking oriental couple who could only just communicate in English. We then had to wait another 30 minutes while they applied for their SIN cards, because of communication problems with the officer. If they had not held us, and everyone else, up we would have been in and out in 5 minutes instead of the best part of an hour we had to spend their.

Fume :mad:


pennyhp Apr 3rd 2006 4:23 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Posidrive
Yep, watch out for appliance prices. We were out selecting appliances for our new build house a couple of weeks ago and were horrified by the prices of these. If you want a front loading washing machine and drier, be prepared for heart failure when you see the prices.


And of course if you want a double oven - and I do - you can be lookng at nearly double the price than for the single oven modles.

I do find the cooker thing quite annoying and wish I could take my english one. I know they are bigger but they are so basic unless as I said you want to spend a fortune.

Pennyhp

Souvenir Apr 3rd 2006 4:27 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Posidrive
we had to spend their.

there

MikeUK Apr 3rd 2006 4:30 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Posidrive
I don't want to come across as racist which I am not, but how on earth do most of these immigrants form SE Asia qualify. A large number of the points for a skilled worker application come from English/Freanch language ability .....
As an engineering graduate whose mother tongue is English, I only just qualify with 67 points .............

Family Class

here in Bramladesh we have family class 'east Asians' whose last job was on a basic farmstead and only speak their 'local dialect' so it not unusual to see groups on the construction sites with translator/foreman and workmanship that still belongs on a third world farm!!!

Posidrive Apr 3rd 2006 4:33 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by pennyhp
And of course if you want a double oven - and I do - you can be lookng at nearly double the price than for the single oven modles.

We were not helped by the fact that we wanted nice shiney built in stainless steel appliances. We did managed to get a double Fridgidair oven for the same price as most singles. At the recommended appliance shop, it was not part of the primary display, but "around the corner". The sales person grudgingly admitted that with since my wife is not heavily into baking cakes there would no point at all in buying one of the more expensive ($1500+ more) models.

Posidrive Apr 3rd 2006 4:35 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Souvenir
there

It is a well known fact that my spelling is the worst on this forum. :)

Souvenir Apr 3rd 2006 4:40 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Posidrive
It is a well known fact that my spelling is the worst on this forum. :)

That's probably where you dropped the points on your application.

dingbat Apr 3rd 2006 4:44 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 
You know the ads at the bottom of the threads...they pick up keywords and link to advertisers...bear with me...am I the only (evidently) sad git who noticed Smeg Kitchen Appliances? Am I the only person left in the universe who still giggles at that word? :o

Posidrive Apr 3rd 2006 4:50 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by dingbat
You know the ads at the bottom of the threads...they pick up keywords and link to advertisers...bear with me...am I the only (evidently) sad git who noticed Smeg Kitchen Appliances? Am I the only person left in the universe who still giggles at that word? :o

Nope.

It's only because they are so expensive, and therefore only bought by the sophicated and rich who are above such giggling, that they manage to do any business at all in the english speaking world.

hot wasabi peas Apr 3rd 2006 4:55 am

Re: Price Comparisons???????
 

Originally Posted by Posidrive
I don't want to come across as racist which I am not, but how on earth do most of these immigrants form SE Asia qualify. A large number of the points for a skilled worker application come from English/Freanch language ability .....
As an engineering graduate whose mother tongue is English, I only just qualify with 67 points .............

A lot of SE Asian immigrants speak perfectly good English, are increadily wealthy and/or are incredibly well educated. It's as simple as that.


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