Re: How much do you spend?
 

Rent 850
Car ins 117 ICBC
Car payment 325
Gas avg 35 every 10-11 days
Cell 35 (went to just 1 phone)
BC Hydro avg 40/month in summer.
Internet 60 (dumped cable tv)
Dog food 30 per month
Tenant insurance 35 per month
Medical costs Misc 340

Total 1,937 ( if I didn't error in math, gas average is 35 3 times per month.)

Income total is 2000 roughly per month , food cost varies depending what we have left after the above is paid.

Cell is going once contract is up early next year.







At the current prices you need quite the income to buy in these parts. 500,000 for a basic older home.

Re: How much do you spend?
 

JS, that is so tight:eek:

Any chance the following can get under control sooner or later to get you above water?

Car payment (when will it be gone?)

Rent (can this get any lower?)

Pet expenses (is this absolutely necessary?)

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Car has a couple years, 2 and some change left. I would rather not have a car but it's a necessary evil due to lack of transit and having to drive all over the place for doctor appointments. Most are not local and no transit linking the region together.

Rent not really as we are already in a reduced rent unit, we have a near 0% vacancy rate for rentals and avg 1 bedroom is 1100-1300 per month. If something becomes available cheaper in the small window we can move without breaking a lease we will take it. There is just so little available since we'll town is growing and nobody is building condos or apartments so the market is tight.

The developers are all building town homes and single family homes which does help the rental shortage much as most are owner occupied.

The pet exspense is dog food. She has to eat and having a dog has done great benefit for both of us. Having this dog has been a very good thing for us. Hard to explain how much a dog can help with depression.

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Does Colchar know? :lol:


Ah...I see you added more comment over there. :thumbup:

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Lol.

We even have coverage to boot but not all medications are covered.

I have one as does my wife that is not covered with no cheaper alternative .

We also have some misc supplies to buy which are not covered.

Not sure how he gets away with never paying medical costs...lol

Re: How much do you spend?
 

I'll put this in here not2old regarding moving to the US from the other post.

California is cheaper for health insurance at our current income level, here is an example of 2 plans and what is covered etc.

Silver Plan:

Total Premiums:

$603 per month for 2 adults

- $523 premium assistance

Total premium per month $80

Coverage for the above plan:

No Deductibles/No co pay or preventive care.

Primary care: $3

Generic Medication $ 3

Lab $5

ER visit $25

High cost and infrequent services (surgery, hospital stay type) 10% of the total cost.

Maximum out of pocket $4,500

(I have no idea how good this plan is in use, but that is the run down of what is covered and the costs. This plan would be doable.)

A gold plan is $204 per month out of pocket for monthly premiums after state premium assistance.

Coverage is:

ndividual Deductibleno deductible
Family Deductibleno deductible
Preventative Care Copay1no cost
Primary Care Visit Copay$30
Specialty Care Visit Copay$50
Urgent Care Visit Copay$60
Generic Medication Copay$15
Lab Testing Copay$30
X-Ray Copay$50
Emergency Room Copay$250
High cost and infrequent services (e.g. Hospital Stay)HMO
Outpatient Surgery - $600
Hospital - $600/day up to 5 days
PPO - 20%
Preferred brand copay after Drug Deductible (if any)$50
Maximum Out-of-Pocket For One$6,250
Maximum Out-of-Pocket For Family$12,500


For Washington state.

Silver Plan- $144 per month out of pocket for premiums per month

Coverage:

300 deductible individual/600 deductible for family
Max out of pocket 2,250/4,500

First 3 visits $10 co-pay then full cost until deductible then $10 per visit after deductible is met for primary care.

Specialist $30 for first 3 visits then $30 after deductible is met.

$200 co-pay & 10% after deductible.

Outpatient lab/x-ray/surgery 10% after deductible.

Hospitalization 10% after deductible.

Not Eligible for Health Savings Account.

Emergency out of country care.

Outpatient mental health $10 co-pay after deductible.

Generic prescriptions $10
Name brand 30% after deductible.

Specialty prescription drugs 30%

Labor and Delivery 10% after deductible.

Bariatric surgery, cosmetic surgery, dental care, infertility treatment, non-emergency care outside the US, and Private nursing not included/covered.


The California health plan looks doable, but the WA state plan not sure would be doable.

I doubt AZ and NV would have better options, probably hard to beat California.....


There are way more costs associated with moving that are not doable at this time, but healthcare in California seems doable, but it's also an expensive state with not many affordable area's which makes it a hard place to live.

So many variables in healthcare there, really hard to estimate costs associated with it, and every state is different.


*Above quotes are based on zip codes for Chula Vista, CA and Bellingham, WA for 2 adults age 35/36.*

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Mortgage is about $1,000 a month. Bills, food, gas, etc are about $1,000. Insurance (house and two cars), property tax, etc, about $600. Girlfriend's cell is $8 a month, mine is free.

So, at current exchange rates, two of us live here for about the same as I used to spend just for myself in the UK. And our kitchen is larger than the place I used to rent there.

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Interesting.
A snapshot in my first few years here had me spending as much for a family of four as I had 'solo' back in the UK.

Re: How much do you spend?
 

To be honest, a family of four probably wouldn't cost much more than the two of us. It's not like they'd add much to the heating or electricity bill, or need cars of their own for quite a few years.

And the hamster isn't cheap. We had to drive to Regina to get him.

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Our rent is not much cheaper then your mortgage.

Now if a bank would give us a mortgage for a condo at that payment, would be nicer then renting.

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Well of course at the current exchange rate it looks good/cheaper here but it's all relative to how much you get paid here isn't it?

Re: How much do you spend?
 

You might see a difference if two are teenagers with voracious appetites. :lol:

:) Those 'Riverbank' cruises can cost a fortune.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...AL._SX522_.jpg

Re: How much do you spend?
 

I'm on $2:£1, with the job perks being about the same and money does seem to go quite a bit further here than it did back home.

Also working a 40 hour week compared to the 50 I was doing in the UK (unpaid standard overtime).

Re: How much do you spend?
 

Tah daah! I present to you my shopping receipt. Enjoy

Re: How much do you spend?
 

We did a grocery/general household shop today, everything was a flyer item.

Banana's 0.920kg @ 1.72/kg = 1.58
Baby Carrots 3.49
Krema Yogurt 5.99
Liberte Yogurt 4.99
Multigrain bread 1.99
Skim Milk 4L jug 4.69
Baby corn 1.99
Cheddar Cheese 900g block 12.99
Fiber powder 10.99
2 bags frozen fruit 5.99 x 2
30 eggs 6.55
Flour Tortilla's 4.99
Cucumber 1.29
2 cans tuna 2.29
2 bottles cranberry juice 4.49 for both
2 packages bathroom tissue 8.49 for both
2 tubs margarine 6.99 for both

Savings $32.76

Total Paid $95.77 before taxes/recycling fees which were 3 something.

Store: Save On Foods. 308 points earned + 1,100 bonus points.