# would around £5 or £6k be enough?



## aufait888 (Apr 25, 2011)

continuing on from my earlier post about flying back to BC again and try to make a go of living there again, im not loaded unfortunately but have around £5k saved up.

im thinking of using that to live and survive on in BC while i search for a job.
i'll probably be staying somewhere around the mount pleasant area or failing that, new westminster, where i gather rents are around $800 or so per mth for a 1 bedroom flat.

i'll be using public transport mainly so wont need a car initially, so what do you guys already living in BC reckon pls? would it be enough to live on for around 6 mths?


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## Oggy (Jan 25, 2009)

I live in BC, however, not in the Lower Mainland area of the province that you've mentioned. I personally wouldn't think that 5 thousand £ would last you 6 months there. Keep your fingers crossed that the currency exchange gets better ... current rates are the lowest I've seen between the Canadian $ and British Pound Sterling.


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## GM-Mike (Sep 30, 2011)

That's about $1600/month to cover you for 6 months (if you have 6,000 GBP).

You MAY be able to work with that if you are really really tight with your budget. Find somewhere to live for $500-$600/month - might be as a room mate or a basement apartment. I know a couple years ago it was hard to find a place to live in Vancouver, and there's an application process (not first-come-first-serve) at most places. But that'll give you about $1000/month for necessities. Live on cheap foods for $5/day and that should give you enough money left over for transit, clothing, misc expenses, and hopefully have something left over to carry you through months where you might need some extra money.

I don't know the job market in Vancouver right now - but I know in Toronto it's relatively easy to pick up a part time job (usually a crappy job) that'll boost your income a bit while you find a real job. Either as a Bike Messenger, or delivery driver, night shift warehouse worker, etc.

If you're willing to sacrifice quality of life, and work hard at finding a job, you might be able to make it work.


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## aufait888 (Apr 25, 2011)

great info, mike!

but, man...i cant stand the cold in ontario!
thats why im heading west this time!! i know the job market is very good in TTO even now, but my heart is set on BC im afraid.

ok, worse comes to worse, i'll ahve no choice but to move again to ON, but my skills are 99% transferable, so i should be able to get a clerical/admin job pretty soon, im sure of it!


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## GM-Mike (Sep 30, 2011)

My wife spent more time in BC than I did, and told me that you should be able to find a basement apt for around $400/month if you're willing to share with a room mate.

6 months should be plenty long enough to find an Admin job out there if you're willing to go to Burnaby or Richmond. You should be able to find something in downtown too if you are willing to be selective enough in the job hunt.

BC is gorgeous - I lived in Vancouver for a year when I first moved to Canada, and we miss it greatly! But it is more expensive, the pay is about 30% less than Toronto, and if you have pets (we have dogs) then you're SOL trying to rent ANYTHING. My wife's family is in Toronto, so we moved here and are loving it too! But we are excited to take vacations in Vancouver 

As an aside - I don't know what your Toronto experiences have been - but we have personally found that living right in the heart of Downtown makes the winters a lot more tolerable too. The city is always a few degrees warmer than the suburbs, the roads are always kept clear, and the buildings cut a lot of the weather. My in-laws in Pickering will have piles of snow in their driveway and we won't even realize it snowed enough for it to stick. So if you are forced to move here, my biggest suggestion is move to the most Downtown part of Downtown Toronto.

Good luck!


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## aufait888 (Apr 25, 2011)

GM-Mike said:


> My wife spent more time in BC than I did, and told me that you should be able to find a basement apt for around $400/month if you're willing to share with a room mate.
> 
> 6 months should be plenty long enough to find an Admin job out there if you're willing to go to Burnaby or Richmond. You should be able to find something in downtown too if you are willing to be selective enough in the job hunt.
> 
> ...


hey, mike! thanks for such a fast response!
yes, i agree with you totally.....truth be told, ive always been a sea and mountainman inside, and BC just has lots of both...so im sold!

im taking on everything youre saying...obviously youve lived there...i havent.. so naturally you must know more than me.
yes, i have heard its more expensive in BC, but then again, i found lots of people living there, who can hardly speak any english, and theyre living quite well! so i thought, hey, im a qualified gent...i should be ok with a decent job there!

far as ON is concerned, we were in mississauga first then, burlington...very cold in winter, deadly cold winds blowing through all the time, piles of snow 3, 4ft high...you shovel it up...next 10 mins, its there again...damn!!

again, i agree 100% with your info about TTO...ive been there as well, and yes, the buildings do cut a lot of the cold out, snow is cleared up all the time, and best of all, you can walk to the shops...no need for a car, unless youre buying half the shop!

i really loved TTO, and if worse comes to worse, yes, i'll move back to ON, and settle in TTO.
whats more, it looks more like London, Uk as well.....the shops being close by etc!

jobwise in BC...yes, working in vancouver seems great. aside of qualifying as an electronics engineer, ive also worked in community/social housing, nutritionist and recently, financial advisor...altho the recession destroyed that!!

so yes, BC here i come...!
have a great weekend, mike!


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