Recession incoming

[Beefitarian]

I used to agree with Squaretail and wanted everyone to buy Canadian cheese, but I know too many cheap bastards want to save $2 buying imported crap from Walmart.

I'll continue buying Canadian any time I can find and afford that sort of thing but I'm not as excited about it as I used to be.

This country hit an iceberg a while ago,

[corethatthermal]

I used to agree with Squaretail and wanted everyone to buy Canadian cheese, but I know too many cheap bastards want to save $2 buying imported crap from Walmart.

They turn the milk and cheese business into a cartel then you say many Canadians are too cheap to buy the pce increase caused by the Cartel! Many Canadians are living paycheck to paycheck BECAUSE of Government Thievery and lust for power ( Look into the CPP if you need a wake-up call )

[Squaretail]

This country hit an iceberg a while ago,

How so? Is the quality of life that you have decreasing because of some specific government policy or some event that has happened? I hear this sentiment a lot from people I don't think are faring poorly. Frig, my wife says it, and we're not doing poorly.

Many Canadians are living paycheck to paycheck

How many Canadians do you know are living in this state? Are you living in this state? I'm not. I'm also not aquainted with anyone who does, at least not anyone who does who can really blame the government. They're living paycheck to paycheck because they're desperately paying down a mortgage on a house they live in that's too big, and their matching gas guzzling SUVs need payments. I know too many out of work Canadians who turn down work. Most are still spending a lot of money on luxury items. Neighbor complains he doesn't have enough work (he's a plumber) yet still bought a new quad. With work I meet lots of immigrants to this country, and lots of them seem to be doing fine. They come for work and are happy to do it. They wouldn't come if there wasn't work. I find from them one gets a lot of perspective. Talked to a cab driver from Zimbabwe the other day. He was furious about his country. He thought we Canadians were silly to worry about some blackface, and we didn't have a clue what a really bad government was like. He sort of had a point.

[digits_]

This country hit an iceberg a while ago,

How so? Is the quality of life that you have decreasing because of some specific government policy or some event that has happened? I hear this sentiment a lot from people I don't think are faring poorly. Frig, my wife says it, and we're not doing poorly.

Many Canadians are living paycheck to paycheck

How many Canadians do you know are living in this state? Are you living in this state? I'm not. I'm also not aquainted with anyone who does, at least not anyone who does who can really blame the government. They're living paycheck to paycheck because they're desperately paying down a mortgage on a house they live in that's too big, and their matching gas guzzling SUVs need payments. I know too many out of work Canadians who turn down work. Most are still spending a lot of money on luxury items. Neighbor complains he doesn't have enough work (he's a plumber) yet still bought a new quad. With work I meet lots of immigrants to this country, and lots of them seem to be doing fine. They come for work and are happy to do it. They wouldn't come if there wasn't work. I find from them one gets a lot of perspective. Talked to a cab driver from Zimbabwe the other day. He was furious about his country. He thought we Canadians were silly to worry about some blackface, and we didn't have a clue what a really bad government was like. He sort of had a point.

I don't think the country is about or has hit an iceberg, and I am not living paycheque to paycheque, but I do think it is much harder to save your money here in Canada than for example Europe. In Europe, the government taxes the hell out of you on your income tax, but once that happens, as an employee, you are pretty much in the clear. There are no other really major taxes or expenses just to live.

Here in Canada you have significant income taxes, then there are property taxes, property insurance that is much more expensive than overseas and mandatory all risk car insurance that is, again, much more expensive. I like to think I'm pretty good with numbers, yet it took a while to get used to all those things. It is a bit of a treacherous system, you need to proceed with caution. I don't think it is too farfetched that a small change will put a lot of people over the edge financially.

[photofly]

There are no other really major taxes or expenses just to live.

Expenses are just the same as here: car and house insurance, dental treatment, pharmaceuticals, local government taxes on property - no significant difference between the EU and Canada.

[digits_]

There are no other really major taxes or expenses just to live.

Expenses are just the same as here: car and house insurance, dental treatment, pharmaceuticals, local government taxes on property - no significant difference between the EU and Canada.

The difference is that the taxes in Europe and the population density in Europe cause those other expenses to be much lower. So yes, the type of expenses are the same, but the cost is a lot different.

From my experience, assuming a 3000 dollar monthly salary which roughly equals a 3000 eur monthly salary in cost of living comparison:

car insurance for an old beater car. Mandatory all risk in Canada (most provinces) : 1400 CAD/year, europe: 600 eur/year
house insurance: 1200 CAD/year seems to be common, 500 eur/year in Europe for a similar house
Dental treatment: just a cleaning uninsured in Canada runs you around 300 CAD, with benefits at work, between 0 and 80 CAD I guess, europe: uninsured around 55-100 eur, insured: 0 - 20 eur, depending on the country
Pharmaceuticals: not enough experience to make a big comparison
Local government taxes: Canada easily 3000 CAD/year, Europe: in a lot of countries it would be a few hundred euros if that. It is part of the income tax based on your income, not your property

I am aware not every country in Europe is the same, and I love living in Canada, but there are significant differences. Part of it is offset in the tax difference, but not everything.

[rookiepilot]

[
If you want to impress, tell us when, and stand on your forecast.

I don't work for free dude. Not here to impress you.

[altiplano]

I always laugh when people tell me Europe is so expensive... check out renting a Villa in Tuscany or South of France vs. a week in a cottage in Muskoka... or a week skiing in Austria vs. a week at Whistler or Banff...

Groceries are cheaper in much/most of Europe - and higher quality.
Beer & wine is less.
Eating out is less.
Free childcare.
Free university.
Better transit infrastructure in cities.
Telecom is less.
Rental cars are cheap.
Flights are cheap.
Great markets.

It's not a utopia of course, but we in Canada could strive to reach for some of the successes they have achieved.

[CpnCrunch]

The difference is that the taxes in Europe and the population density in Europe cause those other expenses to be much lower. So yes, the type of expenses are the same, but the cost is a lot different.

From my experience, assuming a 3000 dollar monthly salary which roughly equals a 3000 eur monthly salary in cost of living comparison:

car insurance for an old beater car. Mandatory all risk in Canada (most provinces) : 1400 CAD/year, europe: 600 eur/year
house insurance: 1200 CAD/year seems to be common, 500 eur/year in Europe for a similar house
Dental treatment: just a cleaning uninsured in Canada runs you around 300 CAD, with benefits at work, between 0 and 80 CAD I guess, europe: uninsured around 55-100 eur, insured: 0 - 20 eur, depending on the country
Pharmaceuticals: not enough experience to make a big comparison
Local government taxes: Canada easily 3000 CAD/year, Europe: in a lot of countries it would be a few hundred euros if that. It is part of the income tax based on your income, not your property

I am aware not every country in Europe is the same, and I love living in Canada, but there are significant differences. Part of it is offset in the tax difference, but not everything.

I think it depends on what province you're in, and how hard you look for cheaper alternatives.

I pay $990 for house insurance, but someone down the street from us in a house worth half as much as us was paying $1200 until he realised he was being ripped off.
Mandatory insurance here in BC is about $800/yr for me with a 6-year old small car. I saved about $500 on my optional insurance by switching to a different company.
"Property tax" is a lot more expensive in the UK...about twice what you would pay in BC from what I can tell:

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/council-tax/ ... -and-bands

Then there's VAT: 20% in UK and France, 19% in Germany, 23% in Ireland.

[C.W.E.]

How many of you here have actually lived in a country outside of Canada?

[SkySailor]

How many of you here have actually lived in a country outside of Canada?

LMAO. Take it easy on 'em, .. You don't actually wanna end all the BS on this thread, do ya??

Hey Rookiepilot, seeing as nothin' is free, I got 5 cents for your valued insight on why the economic sky is gonna fall. Somehow I suspect I'm getting robbed.

['97 Tercel]

It's easy to say a recession is coming because there's always gonna be one eventually.

It's a very safe though unimpressive prediction

[C.W.E.]

LMAO. Take it easy on 'em, .. You don't actually wanna end all the BS on this thread, do ya??

True, I often forget that there a lot of people on here that are new to life in general.

[CpnCrunch]

How many of you here have actually lived in a country outside of Canada?

I have, and so have photofly and digits. Don't know about anyone else.

[photofly]

The one thing that's way way way more expensive in Canada is cheese. Crazy.

[Babar350]

I always laugh when people tell me Europe is so expensive... check out renting a Villa in Tuscany or South of France vs. a week in a cottage in Muskoka... or a week skiing in Austria vs. a week at Whistler or Banff...

Groceries are cheaper in much/most of Europe - and higher quality.
Beer & wine is less.
Eating out is less.
Free childcare.
Free university.
Better transit infrastructure in cities.
Telecom is less.
Rental cars are cheap.
Flights are cheap.
Great markets.

It's not a utopia of course, but we in Canada could strive to reach for some of the successes they have achieved.

True and collective insurance is cheaper and better in Europe...

[digits_]

The one thing that's way way way more expensive in Canada is cheese. Crazy.

And most of it is sold in cubes wrapped in plastic. It hurt my eyes and my heart.

[Babar350]

The one thing that's way way way more expensive in Canada is cheese. Crazy.

And most of it is sold in cubes wrapped in plastic. It hurt my eyes and my heart.

[Zaibatsu]

The real question to ask is why these people who think it’s so much better everywhere else live in Canada? Why do people who have lived in other better nations choose to live here? Why are there so many European immigrants in Canada who left Europe and have absolutely no desire to go back?

[rxl]

I always laugh when people tell me Europe is so expensive... check out renting a Villa in Tuscany or South of France vs. a week in a cottage in Muskoka... or a week skiing in Austria vs. a week at Whistler or Banff...

Groceries are cheaper in much/most of Europe - and higher quality.
Beer & wine is less.
Eating out is less.
Free childcare.
Free university.
Better transit infrastructure in cities.
Telecom is less.
Rental cars are cheap.
Flights are cheap.
Great markets.

It's not a utopia of course, but we in Canada could strive to reach for some of the successes they have achieved.

Ah yes ... those necessities of life ... Tuscan villas, un appartement au Côte d'Azur, quaint cottages in Minett, a week in Kitzbuhel or Whistler. Life is so tough!