Did you recoup the cost of setting up in Canada?

kraggy

Hi folks,

This question is more geared towards people in non-skilled jobs. I'm wondering, did you make up the money that you brought to Canada to pay for rent and living costs etc while looking for work in your first few weeks?

I have a 1 year visa but I've heard of a very high cost of living in Canada so I'd be anxious that I'd spend a large chunk of my savings in getting set up.

Did you manage to recoup the initial costs? Have you saved at all?

I'm thinking about either Vancouver or Banff. I'd be happy with either if it meant I got a job quickly.

Any info would be great.

Thanks.

seb65

I've heard Irish people say it's hard to save money just because there's so much to do and see. If you go to Vancouver the cost of living will one of the highest in the country.

If you want to go just to make money and aren't fussy about where you live, you should go to the oil towns of Alberta, maybe Manitoba, or parts of Northern Canada.

xxbrady

I went with bf in 2009. Took 2 thou dollars with us each. four in toatal. found this was barely enuf. both got jobs on week 4. Got a apartment in 4th week. have to pay first nd last months rent upfront. we went to toronto. u going on ur own?

bstar

We're in Edmonton and we save every month, we've been able to travel and see places all over Alberta, BC, and Saskatchewan.

I remember we met an Irish girl in Vancouver and she was just shocked we had the money to travel on our wages, she said she was just making enough to pay her rent and live, that she wanted to leave Van but couldn't even save enough money to get to somewhere else. She was working as a server.

If you want to save I wouldn't head to Van its well known for the high cost of living.

Danteryu

I came to Canada in June 2010 with about about €6000, and within 6 months it was all gone (took about 6 months to find a job, by the time I got the job I had none left). This included all the initial stuff I had to buy. You don't realise how fast your money can go until you get here!

2 years and 5 months later, I have about $2000 savings in the bank. Could be worse.

This $2000 of savings is taking into account spending on some luxuries in 2012 like weekend trips, new TV, etc.

kraggy

Hey Brady, if I do actually go, I'd be going on my own.

I'd love to go to Vancouver but from wha't I've heard, a lot of people had to leave due to not being able to find work. I'd love somewhere like Banff but not sure what the work situation is there.

Not sure I'd like Calgary. From what I've heard it's very spread out and you need a car ideally, but having said that, it's near to nature which I'd love.

Any other suggestions on where to go?

So the overall consensus is that nobody seems to save a whole lot no matter where they go but those who live in the less popular areas will find work quicker and save enough for a bit of sightseeing around Canada?

Thanks for your input guys.

retalivity

stay in seoul!

Sledgejammer

If your intention is to save and you're at all smart with your money you'll absolutely be able to save money. Alot of people struggle but they do so because they just want to have a cracking year or two and spend all their money on drinking a few times a week, living in the best areas for craic etc. That's fine if that's what they want to do, but if you want to save you'll be able to and that's from someone living in Toronto which would have a higher cost of living than pretty much anywhere bar Vancouver.

Just be smart about it, don't spend more than a week in a hostel so come over in the last week of a month and spend that time putting in serious shift looking at the best places to rent and checking out as many spots as possible. Alot of folks come over and spend a month in a hostel getting hammered and are stuck heading to restaurants for every meal, which is good craic, but a massive money drain.

Then spend your time looking for jobs. It's tough but there's a tonne of jobs to apply for in Toronto anyway, a competitive market but one that has openings, when we came over we were applying to four or five places a day, 95%+ you'll hear nothing from, but you'll find somewhere eventually and it's a numbers game basically. If you're conservative with your money until you get accommodation and a job sorted you'll be in a far better position. Once you're working how much you save is upto you, ofc it's possible, if your intention is to put money away you'll do it. Avoid renting in the expensive areas and you'll easily be able to make comfortably more in a month than you spend if you're working full time. Rent is expensive (Again speaking only for Toronto) but you don't have to live in the expensive areas, there are cheaper alternatives and once you're linked by public transport you're grand, if you find a cheap place in Toronto on the subway line you're sorted and you'll never be out of touch from anywhere, I'm not sure how that relates to other cities though.

I'd say I've recouped most of my money from moving over in April and now I'm completely settled, and that's despite making no attempt to save money or be even slightly conservative whatsoever and while going out every week etc, if I was specifically trying to save I'd be well in the green by now. It really depends on how you go about it, most people who struggle to save are probably not really coming with the goal of saving in mind.

bstar

kraggy wrote: »

Not sure I'd like Calgary. From what I've heard it's very spread out and you need a car ideally, but having said that, it's near to nature which I'd love.

Any other suggestions on where to go?

So the overall consensus is that nobody seems to save a whole lot no matter where they go but those who live in the less popular areas will find work quicker and save enough for a bit of sightseeing around Canada?

Thanks for your input guys.

We're saving towards a house deposit, and we're managing that with me even being on maternity leave so you can save alot if you want.

We're in Edmonton and you can totally get around without a car, we only bought one recently and have been here 2 and a half years. Its a 3 hour drive to Jasper or Banff and it has smaller provincial parks like Elk Island closer to it. Also has a few small ski hills in the city for the weekends you can't get out to the Rockies. And there are buses and shuttles to the mountains aswell.