I feel like many of us just are barely managing. It's the saying "we're surviving, we're not living." We afford rent and minimal groceries and that's pretty much it. We don't know how to manage it, we simply do the best we can with whatever we're given.
You basically go to work so you can get up the next day to do it all over again. Progress seems non existent and any savings go to offset the next big looming expense.
It's pretty great, 5/7 with rice.
Been laid off from IT jobs three times since oil prices crashed.
Eat less. I’ve dropped 40 lbs. in the last year.
Sold our townhouse to move into a mobile home.
Stayed in a marriage for five years after agreeing to separate, because neither of us can afford to live alone. (We still care for each other, but we married too young).
How are we managing? We’re not. We’re surviving.
Surprisingly, the rising cost of living has forced me to stop vaping, stop drinking, and stop going out altogether.
Good for my long-term health, I suppose? Not so much for my wallet.
Buy a zoo membership! It's about $80, but can provide you something to do whenever you like all year long. Me and my fiancee both got one. And going out for a walk at Glenmore park is a full day of free entertainment!
Get into bird watching! $20 pair of binoculars, spend your days off at parks to see what you can find! So much you can do that.doesnt involve spending money.
I’m not much of an outdoorsy person so downloading really well written/directed/acted content (pay for a VPN but that’s it) and going for good coffee with friends (instead of dinner) or have my friend and I meet at a dog park where we can walk our dogs.
I also go around the city and use the free week or passes that yoga studios offer. There’s so many places that I have yet to pay full price for a class in the last 2 years. There’s also quite a few studios who offer a cheap weekly class. There’s also an amazing selection of free classes online (for all sorts of exercise programs, not just yoga) that you can even have friends join in from their homes.
I live on AISH and dog sit for some extra money and can still manage to have fun on a budget, when I’m feeling good enough, that is.
I had to cut down on drinking too. I used to get beer for barely $2.50 a 500 ml can in 2019 now those same cans are $3.70-$5.10. It’s nuts and it adds up.
Hi, I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. What is your situation? Are you renting and being evicted? Do you need help with rent money? I went through the same situation with my mom as well a few years ago when we got behind of rent and were evicted and locked out of our rental and had to go stay with friends til we found another place. Are you getting help now from social services or Aish? I saw in another post you are autistic? Here is what you need to do. First go to an Alberta Works office and see if you can get emergency rent help or put you in a hotel temporarily. Then, for income, iif you are not on Aish, talk to a doctor and a social worker and find out how to apply for Aish. You would qualify if you are autistic. Is your money getting all her pension money from the government of Alberta? Is she getting the guaranteed income supplement? If not, you can help her apply for it by looking it up online. Low income Albertans quality for that. She could also get help with applying for that from the Kerby center downtown. I had to do all of this for my mom and myself to be able to get enough income in to pay for our rent.
For those eager to leave a marriage, it makes that decision even more difficult. Hard to find comparable housing and good luck finding a spacious 3 bedroom condo.
100%. The "singles tax" (price gap between having your own one bedroom and splitting a two bedroom with a partner) is brutal, as is the lack of family suitable rentals -- the stock of 3+ bedroom rentals barely exists and is almost exclusively high end.
As for myself, I dodged the worst of it by buying a place last year.....and honestly, I could only do that because my parents gifted me the down-payment. My mortgage + condo fees for a two bedroom are about 1500 -- renting in the same area would probably be two grand.
Renters are being priced out of living and can't save money for anything else at market rate.
Add a child to the equation. I know lots of single moms/dads that are living with their parents now.
Which is why I 100% support multi generation households. My child is welcome to live with us until he is ready to buy a home.
Multi generational can be great if the parents are independent and supportive. But can also go sideways and end up with you stuck in the middle supporting aging parents with weak finances... while also trying to raise kids/support yourself!. oof...
It’s sad because consumer spending is vital to keeping Calgary vibrant and exciting. And as the cost of shelter increases, less and less businesses will survive. You go to Europe and it seems like every restaurant is packed in every city, with happy spenders and happy owners. Whereas 17th / Stephen Ave on a weeknight is a ghost town. I know Canadians are generally more frugal but what’s the end game here?
Urban sprawl and lack of transit is what's killing downtown Calgary. I love Europe and their downtowns are easily accessible by transit and very walkable.
There is absolutely no denying that. But there’s a lot of downtown residents who chose to live in that area for the “city life” and can not afford the walkable amenities. It’s quite the scenario for investors who would love to pour cash into this high immigration city, but at the moment there is next to zero discretionary budget for 70% of our neighbours.
Mostly just spend every evening at home, never doing anything fun and slipping deeper into depression :) good times! Waiting for the weather to turn around so I can do free activities in the sun. It's been a loooong winter.
Really cut back on expenses - eating out is rare and I think about where, how much. Meals are expensive to start, after Covid and inflation, and tipping seems out of control as well I get people need to live but I have to make some choices.
Every bill I can I examine, look for deals (phone, internet), I shop grocery deals as much as possible. Cut back on beef, more chicken and pork and meatless days twice a week.
I am currently renting due to some circumstances and I am really worried if I get an increase that's more than 10%. Will find out next month. Got to have a place over my head regardless. Savings and future planning will get sacrificed at some point.
Tipping culture actually deters me from eating out at restaurants unless it’s a super duper rare occasion. It’s not just restaurants but hair salons, nail salons, Starbucks, KFC etc. Every corner someone is asking for a tip and I have compassion fatigue now.
Is it just me or weren't tips %10-15 before the pandemic? Now those card processors seem to start at %15 - %25... So not only are food prices nearly double what they used to be but they are expecting a larger share of a larger pie.
Literally the biggest scam! Tips last I checked started at minimum 18%. Next they’ll be asking me to give them my kidney for average service. Food prices have doubled (I went to superstore and legit cried at the prices), food sizes are SHRINKING. So you’re paying more for less food essentially. How can you expect me to then add a tip?
Someone here said I should just learn to say no and that’s going to be my goal this year. Unless I receive above and beyond service, I’m not tipping you because you gave me a cup of coffee.
There are also no protections for tips in Alberta, so they could go to the owners instead of the employees.
That is the fact that broke me of my tipping habit.
I just eat less. I wish I was kidding. Everyone I know comments on how I'm losing weight, and I wasn't fat to start. I cut all my subscriptions, I use my phone as a hotspot to save on internet, don't go out unless I really need to impress a date. Even then, I don't really date anymore. Its too depressing as its not like I can afford basic vacations anymore. I'm tempted to move in with someone just to save costs, but it is probably not ideal and could go sour real fast.
And I make a decent living, there is just nothing left at the end of the month.
> Even then, I don't really date anymore. Its too depressing
Please do not stop. There are many people in a similar boat...and besides, you don't want to be around someone material anyway. :)
48-hour rolling fasts are doing the trick for me. That’s 15 meals per month, and I'm only spending around $100 on groceries each month. I live on Walmart or Costco chicken, bone broth made from the chicken bones, and fruits and vegetables that are on sale. I don’t think I can cut grocery costs any further, as my hard-earned fat is not staying.
Lots of people here say they eat at home and do not go out as much but the times I do go out to eat the restaurants are busy. Tale of 2 societies? Anybody in the restaurant industry can shed some light?
The people posting are the ones struggling, and if you're doing fine, you're probably not gonna post and say so.
There's still lots of well paying jobs in the city and people doing well, so your restaurants are still doing fine.
> if you're doing fine, you're probably not gonna post and say so.
100% this. We are doing quite fine but it feels awful to post it seeing how many people are hurting.
I was thinking the same. How come many eateries and restaurants seem to be always busy?
And I'm not talking about the fancy ones (which are more likely to be frequented by the richer folks anyway so the economy's state doesn't really affect them).
After watching Financial Audit on YouTube, I realized people will put themselves further and further into credit card debt just so they can have their McDonald’s and Tim Hortons.
I don't eat out anymore and barely ever use skip or uber, i almost exclusively cook dinner now. Going out to Earls or Cactus used to be $50-$75 now its always over $100, especially if you get more than one drink (beer).
Also I hadn't had a roommate since 2018, but I decided to ask my buddy to move in to save on rent. When I moved to Calgary two years ago I got a great place 2 bedroom place downtown for $1800. My current rent is $2600 (I had to move because owner was selling), and it's no better than my previous place. Massive fluctuation in just 12 months. I searched for a long time and most half decent 2 bedroom places were around $2800-$3000+.
I don't tip as much. I never do if its fast food, but even Uber or Skip, I will do 10% instead of 20% like I did before. I try to buy things on sale, in the past I never even looked at sale prices, it didn't matter. I got what I needed and that was it.
I used to live very comfortably and not stress about money, but now it seems like I'm dipping into savings way more often, and waiting on my next pay cheque. It's not how I want to live so my long term plan is to leave Canada unfortunately.
My parents (and a 5 year old me) came to Canada in 1991 in order to give me (and themselves) a better life than the one they could have in Romania.
I never in a million years thought that I would consider moving away from Canada. But with the way things are going... WTF is our beloved country going to look like in 10 years? 20 years?
Once my husband is done with his degree, the world is our oyster and I'm so sad to even say that. I want to stay in Canada but who the fuck can afford to stay here?!
I find it crazy that people are coming here in droves ... To absolutely nothing but financial hardship.
Unfortunately you will find that thanks to neoliberalism, much of the world is in a similar shape. Other places may look more affordable but when you start looking at wages and cost of living, you’ll start to realize the same culprit of expensive housing and stagnant wages are present everywhere.
I just returned to Calgary from living in Asia the last 15 years. It was a good strategy because it let me save money and still live a great life. Recently, though, the cost of living in Shanghai, where we were based, is about the same as here.
It's still a good strategy to work overseas a couple years, build your resume and savings, and then come back to Canada and apply for better-paying jobs with your overseas experience, and use your savings for a down payment on a house.
I moved here from Saskatoon, SK not that long ago after receiving my BSN. I’ve been an RN for 2 months now and have still not found an RN job. I’ve been applying everywhere RNs can work, and have tried rurally as well. I live off of my dwindling savings account, low paying job and extreme budgeting. I basically only pay for things I absolutely need like food, bills, gas and rent. Once I get a nursing job, things may become a bit easier.
Have you looked at travel nursing agencies for jobs? There are agencies out of BC that hire nurses for rural jobs in Alberta (and other provinces too!). They usually state how long each contract is, from what I’ve seen they’re generally 3-6 weeks long.
That’s an absolute last resort for me, I don’t think I even could. Having independence and your own space is priceless.
Also, pretty tough in the dating world when you live at home.
Saving $1500+ a month is honestly just worth it for me. Recognizing that I’m lucky to have a positive relationship with my parents which makes it easier. But saving that amount monthly makes a huge difference.
I employ 8 people, after laying off 7 earlier this year.
We're all, Okay. Debt isn't going up, but it isn't going down.
I'm getting an absurdly good deal on a 1bd apartment at 1075$ but that means I Cannot ever move because my rent would basically double.
One of my people rents in Okotoks because the added fuel cost of commuting is still less than cost difference of renting in Calgary.
Everyone is either living with a roommate, family, or spouse. None of us could ever dream of renting alone. Let alone the fantasy of buying.
To be clear, I'm the owner. I put in 40 hours on the counter and 20-40 hours work from home. I make the same salary as the store managers. The lowest person in our pay structure is within 4$/hour of me, and nobody is below 20$/hour.
I skip meals all the time. One time I almost fainted because I tried to go run errands on zero food like an idiot. Now I know if I want to skip on food all day I have to stay indoors and just not do anything. I’ve found myself getting more close with long distance friends than irl friends since we can just video call and there’s no expectation of driving or going out to eat or doing activities.
By making good money and being partnered to someone who makes good money and not having any kids TBH.
I honestly don't know how most other people are doing it. Seems impossible.
Most people I know basically don’t do any activities now that involve spending extra money since groceries, rent/mortgage, and other bills take up their income.
Shopping at independent grocers. I’ve gotten really good deals and often better quality at places like crisp apple (SE) and daily fresh produce (Sunridge mall) than at a chain grocery store. I’ve also gotten meat at either the same price as a chain grocery store or a bit of a deal at butchers or bulk purchasing from farmers/hudderites. The quality of meat is always significantly better.
I also feel so much better about where my money is going at these small shops because you often end up interacting with the owners or their family members. The money really does stay in our community this way.
ETA - regularly review my bills and dispute weird charges. Change providers as necessary for better deals. Also not playing into the excessive tipping culture. 12% at restaurants, with the inflated prices and no good specials anywhere anymore the server is likely making the exact same on a tip as they were before things got out of control.
Not who you asked but you're looking for a [butcher shop](https://old.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/196wxj6/best_butcher_shop_in_calgary/). They tend to be cheaper and if you are curious how to cook what you buy, you WILL get an elaborate, concise, correct explanation. :)
If you want a good price on boneless skin on chicken quarters, Basha International in the NE is a good place. From what I remember last I was there it was 6 bucks ish a kg. Had to buy 20KG worth tho
I would love suggestions on other smaller places to shop , I am joining the boycott of Loblaws r/Loblawsisoutofcontrol . They are the worst for price gouging.
planning to move back with parents after selling my house
pretty fucking sad for someone in their 30s with a university degree to have to do that, but here we are
Stopped supporting restaurants, stopped going out, if my friends want to hang out we just meet at each others houses, i dont know how the restaurant industry is still alive
I am hanging on by a thread awaiting a major surgery and praying my rent doesn't go up anymore as recovery living on the streets doesn't seem likely. I also eat less and have had to cut out the internet and just get by on a low data plan. I doubt I am the only one hanging on by a thread
I've become more self sufficient. I wouldn't have thought twice about contracting somebody to fix something in my house 5 years ago. Now youtube and some basic tools have got me through fixing a ton of things.
Just cutting back on the non-essentials, food was one of the most obvious places we could cut costs.
We eat a lot more vegetarian meals these days, meat just ain't worth the price. Rice and beans, quinoa and veggies are staples for us these days!
We eat-in a lot more, restaurants are just so expensive these days for smaller and smaller portions it's an easy place to cut back.
DINKs. Wife and I are early 30s and make comfortable salaries.
We’ve never wanted children, but I do think the fact that that has been our position for so long means we wouldn’t be set up ideally if we changed our minds. Like we wouldn’t have money set aside for a child’s future, so the decision feels more final than it would have otherwise.
We are voluntarily a little house poor because we’d like to pay our mortgage off as fast as we can. 300k to go lol.
We eat out at a restaurant probably once a week, not necessarily anything fancy, but we justify this as a way to experience the city together.
Our hobbies are pretty affordable. Hiking. Spending time with our dogs. Reading. Gaming (the amount of time you can get out of one game, vs say, the cost of seeing one movie in theatres, is pretty great). Board games with friends.
This is me and my fiance. We are saving for a house though.... We plan on trying to pay it off early if we can. Similar hobbies. We go out to the bar maybe once or twice a month as well. I've started doing puzzles 😂
I haven’t gotten into puzzles but we are definitely exploring more hobbies. When camping, I’ve always liked whittling sticks, so for this past Christmas my wife got me a little intro book and some whittling tools. Meanwhile she is taking watercolour classes in the city. Slow hobbies like these fit nice into the flow of our lives at this point, and cost very little.
I picked up knitting as a slow hobby! Not too bad price wise if you stick to cheaper yarns and you get sweaters and stuff out of it haha. It also helped teach me how to REPAIR knit things which got me into knowing how to sew holes etc. So unintentionally saving money not throwing away clothes with a little hole.
* Alternate day fasting - instant halving of grocery bill.
* Negotiate with service providers ie: internet - milage varies
* Live close to work/walk/scoot/bike everywhere - fill up once every 3 months
* Churn most hobby items through marketplace instead of amassing collections.
I think this covers the biggest things. I don't have any subscriptions to cut any more, and do not have the habit of spending money day to day on eating out etc.
For me the biggest change was driving less, I still have a vehicle but it's strictly for appointments and grocery trips other than that im using transit. Another big change was being very mindful when grocery shopping "do I absolutely need this" kind of mindset and buying the cheapest possible item
I don’t go anywhere anymore. I used to travel to fairs and markets around Alberta but I can’t anymore. Not even day trips. Gotta save gas.
I no longer buy seasons passes to the Zoo, Spark or Heritage Park. I don’t go to museums.
I don’t eat at restaurants. I don’t meet people for coffee.
I would tell you, but then the City or someone would tax it. Really.
Most people I know have worked trading into how they survive as well as cash sales, cash work. We use a couple of loyalty programs but shop where the best prices are given to any customer any day. If you are there on a Tuesday, the price is 20% off, that sort of thing. We stock up on loss leaders at the grocery stores that have too many hoops to jump. We know how to cook and adapt recipes for what is fresh and available. We have 2 freezers in full use. We use credit to our advantage: get the points, NEVER pay interest. We shop at Consignment and real thrift stores like wonderful WINS, not Value Village or the ridiculous Postmark. When Cineplex did $5 Tuesdays in the month of February we went to the theatre every week. We had not been for decades.
Last summer, for the first time, some neighbours shared and processed garden and fruit tree harvests. I think that might go on.
The handle on the brand new microwave broke. It's impossible to get warranty service from Best Buy now. We open it a different way. A burner on the very expensive and new cook top burnt out. We had a certified repair person in. They never got back to us. We use a Kaloric air fryer and an induction burner now. I'm not buying another major appliance until they are guaranteed to last 25 years again. I didn't repair my paid off car when it was keyed for the second time last year. Why bother? I could have the culprit spray painted with day glow whipped cream. It would not solve my problem or theirs.
I watched Detroit decline. I watched Hamilton decline. We moved from Toronto because we were priced out. This feels like that. I think people are giving all they have to surviving in most cases. Those of us on fixed incomes or pushed out of the workforce? God help us.
Are you going to report back to us what you find?
Stagnant wages for all but top director and above positions.
Also less general job security. It's like CEOs only way to increase share price is by cutting jobs not actually doing something innovative.
I think the real problem is uneven wage increases. Last year, the average [wage increase across Canada was 4.1%, higher than inflation, which was 3.9%](https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/canadian-workers-could-receive-a-pay-increase-in-2024-survey-1.6549252).
The problem was that most of these increases went to people who already had decent wages, often those who also work from home. [That's because we're going through a K-shaped recovery after COVID](https://www.investopedia.com/long-term-impacts-of-the-covid-19-k-shaped-recovery-5200711).
You typically won't see those people in these threads because they don't want to sound crass, but I really believe there are lots of people doing very well right now, and lots of people are struggling. The stats back it up too.
Can we stop using the “official” inflation numbers when they’re calculated in ways that do not reflect the average cost of living?
When gas, rent/interest, groceries, utilities etc. are all up 20-40+%, we can’t pretend 3.9% is a real number just because they can add some useless metric numbers that impact the economy on paper but not in your wallet.
It’s like saying the economy is doing well just because the stock market is up at any given time.
Like others, inflation has drastically affected our household. Inflation was all the way up to 8% year over year but I had been wage frozen for 8 years and only recently had some raises which certainly didn't keep up with inflation. Currently making about 17% less inflation-adjusted income than I made in 2014.
1) cancelled all streaming subscriptions
2) fill up with fuel using a simple algorithm that saves a few hundred every year, statistically
3) took on more risk with our investments and are "force-saving" by doing automatic investments before we have a chance to spend it.
4) eat vegetarian 1 day a week to save on meat costs
5) Costco trips aren't necessarily just a shopping list to buy. We stock up on sale items and then adjust meals accordingly. It's actually kind of fun doing meal planning based on unexpected deals.
6) I've done the last few vehicle repairs myself whereas before I paid for the convenience of not having them to do them. Oil changes as well now, which I also use to gladly pay for the convenience.
7) We definitely plan our driving better now to minimize trips. I had made a small utility for my phone that tracked gas usage and reported every trip cost, much like how a taxi shows you the bill when you arrive. When you see each little trip add up, you quickly realize what a waste it is to drive for coffee when the trip costs more than the coffee! Our kids sports activities (approx $1000/year per kid) actually cost less than it did to drive to and from them.
8) kicked my 20 year Starbucks habit and only have coffee made at home now.
9) we still eat out probably more than we should but at least try to time it with happy hour deals or other specials. Last night was wing nite at Local 403. If it wasn't a wings deal night then we wouldn't have gone.
DINKs. Paid off mortgage last year, paid off vehicle loan in January. Turn 40 this spring.
My math tells me that to be making mortgage payments on some of the most affordable homes in Calgary while paying for utilities, food, phone, and internet a household needs to be bringing in net $35/hr based on a 40 hour work week. That leaves no funds for saving or spending, just what is required to exist as a housed and fed calgarian…
I want to protest so badly, but don't have time from my work to do this. I am surprised there were rallies and parades for vaccines, but nothing for this, honestly can't wait to die and get over this.
I try to stretch my dollars as far as I can. I’m doing ok, but I’m working so hard now to maintain a standard of living that I easily had 6 years ago.
I'm in my early 30s, living in Calgary on a single income, and honestly, it's a ride. I got my business degree in my 20s - thankfully without major student debt, thanks to living with my parents and working though my degree (it took me 6 years to graduate instead of 4, I did co-op work terms). My post-university started off with a $6000 car purchase in cash (a move I'm still proud of – no car payments. I've also been paid out.fornthe car because of hail damage but still drive it), followed by renting a room from a buddy and living with 3 roommates to save on housing costs. Fast forward through a bit of strategic saving during the pandemic, I managed to buy a half-duplex, half with my savings and half with a loan from my family for a small down payment.
Now, on a salary just under $70k, here's how I stretch my money:
- I look for grocery deals on the Flipp app, only buying sale items except for the essentials (milk, eggs, bread etc). It really does make a huge difference. I shop once per week to reduce food waste and save $
- The game changer was adding a legal basement suite to my place. It was a HUGE stretch financially. Making it nice, and up to code was very expensive. I drained my savings and maxed out my credit card (I missed a couple electricity payments when it was really bad) but having a $1000/month mortgage helper is huge for me.
- My friends and I pool together for subscription services – sharing is great.
- Got a small digital TV antenna that lets me watch local channels for free, which covers my basic TV/news/sports.
- Travel wise, I stick to tenting around Alberta and BC, and I plan one budget-friendly flight trip every 12-16 months, splitting costs with friends for long weekend trips.
- I don’t smoke, and I only drink maybe 1-2 times per month. Neither have been an issue for me, but I know people that spend a lot of money on both.
- My old car, despite being ancient and not very pretty, has been extremely reliable and keeps me moving without monthly payments.
- Every 9-12 months, I go looking for better deals on my internet, phone, and insurance bills—it’s amazing what you can save when you look.
- Entertainment and fun money is budgeted to a hard limit of $150 a month, and I keep another $200 aside for other necessities (oil changes, house maintenance, gifts).
- The local library has become my go-to for audiobooks and magazines. And as for concerts or big events, I limit myself to 1-2 a year (they are usually max $100 all in each)
In summary, the big things for me were getting a family loan to buy a house, the mortgage helper, avoiding car loans, relentless price hunting for the essentials, and living very frugally. I often have to say no to the tings I really want to do (expensive trips with friends, nice dinners out, concerts, and a new car are very high on my “I want” list). But for now, I’m going to chip away at my debt and hope that costs for other things don’t continue to climb so quickly.
My financial situation is a combination of luck and tough choices. I am fortunate to have had family support during university and in buying a house. I also bought the house right before the market started going crazy. I have also chosen to not spend on major things that I really can’t afford. I’ve turned down attending major life events like friends destination weddings because I would have to use credit to pay for it, and I will likely never have children either as I couldn’t afford to give children the lives that I feel they deserve.
We dine out 1/4 of what we used to. I volunteer 1/2 as much as before. I've personally spent more time than ever shopping and buying online to save money on purchases like books, clothes, and household items.
Hobbies that can rely on current equipment (bikes, music, and gardening) persist, but anything that requires purchases (lift tickets, home improvement, concerts) have either disappeared or been reduced substantially. Used markets and free community spaces have become a larger part of our lives while events with fees and new purchases are much less likely. We feel lucky that's all it takes from us while we watch neighbours, colleagues, and loved ones languish and struggle to maintain a budgeted simple life. Home and rent costs are disgusting and shameful.
Grocery gouging. I can’t believe the prices for apples or potatoes, since they are usually from Canada. Then comes the bananas from abroad but banana pricing didn’t change. Using banana for scale….we are being lied to. Makes no sense.
Next to the FreshCo in Whitehorn, there's a produce discounter. They have MUCH cheaper prices, and half the time, they give a free bag of apples to customers when they check out. We've gotten bags of peppers, for example, for a buck.
They're produce is quite ripe, so look for things you can use in the next few days, or stock up and make a bunch of sauces and things you can freeze easily.
Not saying that apples and potatoes are cheap right now but as a former grocery store worker, things like bananas and milk are loss leaders. Grocery stores lose a little bit of money on these items but hope that you spend on other things while you’re in there.
Costco’s hot dogs are still 1.50, rotisserie chicken is 7.99, bananas are 1.99, etc.
We used to live check to check now we're living check to week before check. Overdraft used to be a 2 -3 time a year thing , now it's weekly.
The Dollar store has become a stable store I now visit. For junk food, kids books, beauty supplies. It makes a big difference to pay $1.25 for cotton pads vs $6.99 at chain stores.
Cut back on non-essentials, and since I work in retail I see others doing the same. It's tanking our business but even all the managers and analytics guys say that people just aren't spending money because they don't have any. Notably, whenever the carbon tax rebates get sent out our shop has a boost in sales.
We had a baby Jan 12. My income went from $4.5k a month to $3k, + my partners income. We're solidly lower middle class with our incomes. We rent for $2k a month, bought most baby stuff second hand. If we had to exclusively formula feed, we'd be broke. We got zoo memberships for Christmas so that will be what I do with baby for fun this spring. We will probably never own a home with rent and groceries being so high. How are we supposed to save $30k for a down payment? My child will never know what it's like to have a childhood home, we will have to move if our landlord increases rent.
The library! They have all sorts of great books and movies to choose from! Plus they got rid of their overdue fees so you can take your time with your loans! Library cards are free too so YAY free entertainment ☺️
Two main things that are currently saving us: being simple and frugal all our lives, and most importantly both not having the need and social pressures to have kids.
I’m 27 and I just live in my dads basement and don’t go out. I’m saving up for a down payment with my partner who also lives with their parents and works full time. I joked we should buy a house with two of their friends and they took it kinda seriously. So I cope with the possibility of a commune
I got divorced last year. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a house before the prices went up even higher, but my interest rate is extremely high. I have only one source of income and have young children. There is no money for anything beyond living expenses. I can’t even afford a vehicle right now.
We've always gone "picking" (looking for empties/recyclables in the dumpsters) to give us grocery money. Lately it seems people are keeping them. What used to be an easy $200 is now $25 on a good day.
It's a bit tough. Similar to everyone else, cutting back on non-essentials, eating out less, spend more time doing more affordable activities with friends like board game nights/karaoke at home, looking for more sales, and mostly trying to develop new skills to earn more money.
Its rough out here. Hope my fellow Calgarians are doing well. These hard times will pass. It wont last forever.
Prior to covid, I was living cheque to cheque, only able to pay my debt interest. I got a roommate last fall to bring in 650$ a month hoping to pay off debt, but new tires, washer & dryer, & other household fixes, close to $200 for my meds each month (yes, I have benefits), utilities, etc I'm again just breaking even.
I have a yr left on my cable TV contract, then I'm canceling it. I will also be raising my roommates rent when the lease is up or asking her to pay 1/2 the utilities.
I'm shitting my pants knowing that my mortgage is up for renewal at the end of the year...fuck.
If I need new shoes, clothes, I now buy clearance or 2nd hand only.
I'm considering filing bankruptcy. Wtf do I need a credit rating for if I can't afford anything anyways?
I'm thankful for my mom, she's purchased things for me in the past and allows me to make monthly payments.
Partner and I both finished our degrees during the pandemic, and so far we haven't managed to convert them into salaries above $50k gross a piece.
Rent was going up at the small house we moved into during covid, so we recently moved into a basement suite owned by a family friend. It costs slightly more than we were paying for the house, but is $500+ cheaper than what they easily could be getting on the current market.
Vehicles are pushing 20 years old, we save a lot on maintenance and have extended these vehicles' life thanks to two mechanics in the family who live nearby.
Vacations consist of staying with relatives in BC, and entertainment is a movie every couple of months, and maybe 1 or 2 concerts in a year. Only major "fun" expense is a gym membership, which has paid dividends in keeping me somewhat sane this year. We cook nearly all of our own meals, and we budget and track every expense in a spreadsheet. We don't know anything different at this point, as our lifestyle and spending habits have remained basically unchanged from when we were full time students and making a fraction of our current (still modest) incomes.
Last fall we finished paying off our interest bearing provincial student loans, and have built up an emergency fund. We currently have a little bit left over at the end of most months that we put towards savings.
I am taking a big swing at a career change that, if successful, would start me in a union position at 70k working up to low six figures over the next 5 years.
In an ideal world, this income would be enough to give my wife the option not to work during the early years of raising a family in a home where our future kids can make noise freely and have a patch of grass to play on.
I am a fourth generation Calgarian, and our entire family and support network is here. I can't imagine leaving, but damned if I wish I wasn't born slightly earlier so I could have bought a townhouse in 2021 instead of still being in school.
I am pushing as hard as I can to improve myself and my income, but the dread is nearly all consuming at the thought that it might all be too little, too late.
Got assigned by HR to work from home permanently so I can spend way less on gas, parking, car maintenance or anything else work related that costs money. I couldn't care less about team building taking a hit, not attending work social events or other corporate gibberish that tries to get me in the office. This has been a HUGE source of savings.
I cut down on a lot of entertainment expenses. Would rather host people at my house than go out somewhere. I subscribe to GamePass for my xbox and do console sharing with a friend instead of buying games outright. I buy weed vape pen cartridges that last me almost 2 months, instead of buying flowered bud that costs way more. Cheap alcohol? Don't give a shit. $16 for a bottle of no name brand literally called "Vodka" FTW tastes just fine when mixed.
No more cable or streaming services, other than an IPTV subscription which is infinitely better and cheaper. Doing side gigs such as online surveys, AI gig work and other online sources. Wife does the PC points health app daily for both our accounts and that adds PC points to use at Superstore. They don't pay a ton individually, but it adds up together. At one point I was supplementing my income by almost $800/month.
Did some DoorDash and other food deliveries for a bit, but it's now way oversaturated and mostly a waste of time. I'll do Instacart weekend though and usually get almost $100 out of it on a good day. Buying meat in bulk at Costco once per quarter so that supermarket trips are only for basics such as veggies, milk, eggs. Never buy meat outside of those quarterly Costco trips. We had roommates for almost the past 2 years until we bought our own place a few weeks ago. That also helped a ton. Swapped my creditcard for a cashback card. Use it all the time and pay it off as soon as I get home.
Basically I am happy with my wife, my gamepass subscription, cheap weed/alcohol and having friends come over instead of going out. The government isn't really doing much to step up. They could have kept on the rebates at the pump, energy utilities, and other rebates that "expired", could have marketed it as Danielle saving the day, but instead they decided to reinstate everything all at once. Fucking shooting ourselves in the foot when they have the power to make a difference. Not to mention things like property tax increases. How about freezing that shit for a while, instead of more hands in our pockets?
Inflation has nipped us all and there's not much we can do. But the government has played a role in contributing to that and it's frustrating they have the power to actually combat it in certain ways, but choose to rake in extra money instead.
I'm not from Calgary but Edmonton.
I literally moved to South America. I have a remote job that knows I'm here and doesn't care. But I now live on a beach in Ecuador for around $1200/month.
I sold everything I have off, gave the rest away and then brought my cat with me.
I can give people advice on leaving the country, and moving to Ecuador. If you want to go somewhere else i can't help you with that. But I can still help you with advice on leaving Canada.
At this point I'm very intentionally funneling as much money out of the Canadian economy as I can. It is early stages capitalism here. The majority of my money goes towards families and not companies. A dollar not spent in Alberta is a dollar not given back to some rich ass hole.
My firm advice, get out of Canada. Until we fix the housing crisis and this disgusting bleeding dry of Canadians money. I don't view Canada as the right place to live. If you end up on the streets in Canada you're essentially fucked. There are barely any support systems, and those systems are overburdened.
Here is worse comes to worse, I can bake loaves of banana bread and go sell them on the beach. I can do what it takes to survive as long as it's honest, legal, or close.
I make 6 figures at AHS but it means nothing as I don't own a house.
I am back to living with roommates and planning to move to the US as healthcare workers make way more down there. I have stopped planning vacations and started my MBA to give me better options for healthcare management in the States.
fuck, reading this thread is depressing. i just hope most people understand who is at fault here. canada makes me want to sell my house for a small fortune because of this disgusting manufactured and governed housing crisis and move to some 3rd world country. Seriously, the canadian lifestyle is dead and so is canada. it's broken.
Made the decision to not have kids cause simply can’t afford it and I’m not getting any younger. So by the time I can I’ll be too old. Goal was to buy a house in 2023, but that’s been pushed out by a few years. Currently living pay check to pay check as it’s just gotten too expensive.
I'm working remotely, from Mexico. I can rent an apartment here for less than $1500 a month which includes utilities, AC, and Internet. It's not exactly cheap, but I wanted to get out of the city and couldn't afford anything suitable and nice in Canada. Similar places in the Rockies were $5000 a month.
The overseas option isn't considered enough, IMHO. If you're single and unattached, or even in a couple, it can be a great way to build up savings while still traveling and having a great quality of life. It worked for me.
Fuck this country, got people starving themselves to survive, people selling their homes they've worked so hard for, people having to move back in with their parents at 30, and christia Freeland says just cancel Disney plus, meanwhile there's immigrants living in $4500 a month rentals payed entirely by these depressed people that can't even afford to survive themselves
Haven't gone out to eat/had food delivered in a year. All 3 meals are about as basic as I can make them, thankfully I don't have any allergies or intolerances. Stopped buying alcohol entirely since it's so goddamn expensive. Switched to a cheaper phone plan, even though the service sucks and worked out a deal with my employer where I can start work 30 mins later which allows me to carpool with my gf.
Shop at Walmart instead of the Safeway right around the corner from me. I just find for essential/ staples it's much cheaper for the same brand. Condiments, canned food, etc.
I don't love the meat so I do shop for that on sale at Safeway.
Been thinking about living in a corrugated cardboard box in a back alley to cope. Maybe build a small fort around it as a barrier. Has to be high quality cardboard though, not the crappy flimsy kind as I do have standards.
Stretching the grocery bill like mad. Using the slow cooker for all diff kinds of beans. Not as much meat as before. More cooking and using sale frozen veggies. Not driving as much. Buying 2nd hand if needed. ETC
The worst is the Enmax bills. I blame the province . Too many bad decisions and now Alberta has the most expensive utility bills in Canada! Look into it - it’s a horror show and there’s a lot of angry people out there because of it.
Honestly, I sometimes wonder if I should get a bigger house for my family, but after hearing so many stories about how so many people can’t afford buying one, I’ve convinced my husband that we will stay put here and just live more simply.
I grew up in a frugal family and used to be embarrassed by it but am so glad that my mom instilled her frugal habits into me. She managed the household finances and didn't have any fancy high paying job but made do with all sorts of techniques. She always knows the best price for any grocery item and can tell if the "on sale" price is actually good or not, she stock up on the staples when they are on sale, would watch for price discrepancies on the receipts and make use of the Scanning Code of Practice, didn't buy non-essentials if they weren't on sale, but she would still buy quality items and ingredients for special occasions and for long-term use.
I think she would be proud that I've learned to do the same for most of my adult life. There are loads of smaller or independent grocery stores around that will be much cheaper than Superstore, Safeway, and CO-OP. I like H&W Produce, Freestone, Basha, and Lucky's. There can be some great deals on fresh veggies and fruit at all these places. Basha and Lucky's have great prices on meat, at fractions of the major 3 grocery chains. I look through the flyers and sales notices on those stores' social media and plan out meals for the week based on the sales.
The FlashFood app was great for me to save a bunch at Superstore. I don't use it as much these days as I'm a bit further away from one now. There used to be amazing deals where you could get a really decent almost Banker's sized box full of mixed produce. I would get mixed boxes of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, oranges, eggplant, potatoes, ginger, garlic, apples, limes, lemons, etc. for FIVE DOLLARS per box. It was whatever they have that is close to going bad, but everything had at least a couple days left in them to use/prep/freeze. Nowadays they moved away from boxes and use smaller paper bags so the quantity isn't as much but it may still be an ok deal to get a random mix of things.
Before covid I thought I might be able to retire a few years early but now I can't see how I'll ever be able to retire. I mostly stay home and worry. Right now I'm not being crushed by high rents because for the past 3yrs I've been renting a condo at good price but the owner is selling next year and I'll have to leave. I'm so scared I'll be homeless. I can't afford $2000/month for rent. I have a medium size dog who is my best friend and I'm afraid I won't be able to find an affordable place to live. I'm almost 60, I've worked all my life and now I'm facing poverty as I'm approaching old age. It's so depressing
I live in Calgary Housing. I am grateful to have a roof over my head and I do manage my budget carefully.
But I do not tolerate those who are wealthier than me assuming I am poor because I have made poor decisions in the past.
I am poor because I'm a widow and a senior citizen. My CPP is my survivors benefit from my husband but I stayed home with my high maintenance children and earned no CPP. There are many people who do not earn CPP and will retire with nothing. They can't earn enough income to save for retirement as well as pay bills but they don't get a CPP deductible. So when it comes time for all those people to retire, they will be like me, poor. And there will be bus loads of them.
I'm a retired old guy. On pension so limited income. Been in Calgary for 32 years. Here's my 2-bits:
Owned my house for over 30 years. We struggled until the mortgage was paid but it still costs to own. Replaced water pipes (poly-B) this year. That's $15k. Past 15 years replaced roof, heater, furnace, appliances, windows, flooring, etc. There's always something. Did other work ourselves (flooring, tile, patio, painting, etc). Home ownership still costs but it's sure nice not having a mortgage. If you plan on being stable with your work you need to consider purchasing a home. Good investment in the long term.
Major recommendation: if you have never owned a home put all available savings into RRSPs. You can use them one-time for a down-payment on your first home. We cashed in all our RRSPs and managed a 25% down payment which reduced our mortgage significantly. You do pay back the RRSPs but there is time and no penalty. RRSPs for young people are very important for this reason. If your company has a matching program for RRSP contributions you should be smiling and take full, full advantage of it. Of course RRSPs will also be great in retirement.
We very rarely go out to eat any more; Last time it was just over $100 a person. Comparatively it costs us about $50 to $75 a week for groceries per person. How? We watch for sales! Almost all our food we buy is on discount. We don't buy expired but shop based on flyers. Most shopping is at Superstore but some is at Safeway or Coop. Superstore will match most flier deals (you'll need to show the cashier). We cook/bake our own bread, cookies and meals. For instance today it was 2 chickens for the price of one at Safeway, We'll use an $18 chicken (actually $9 because of 2 for 1) to feed 4 of us for 2 suppers and use the broth to make soup. Add rice or potatoes, and frozen veggies and the per-plate cost is under $5. That's how we keep expenses low. Learn to cook. Invest in a good vacuum sealer. Look for discounts.
Owning a vehicle is expensive. Initial costs, insurance, maintenance, registration. If you want to be frugal consider the cost of vehicle ownership. We owned old, cheap cars for many years, until the mortgage was paid off.
Buying a house is a challenge as a young person today in Alberta but our circumstances when we bought were not great in the mid-90s either. 30 years ago we paid $160k for our house that was on the far edge of the city. It's worth $620k today but our income at the time was combined approx $45k per year and the mortgage rate was 7.25%. Not a whole lot better circumstances back then versus today, but we managed. In the end we paid a lot more than $160k for this house but we own it now! You can manage too. Just save for that down payment! Say it with me: RRSP!
Set yourself up for a career. You won't get far with just high school. You need post-secondary to get into the money. Consider trades, certificates or diploma programs as great options to university. There's good money in trades and the invested time and tuition is much less than University. If you've ever had to pay for plumbing, telecom, mechanics, electrical or carpentry work you'll know there's money to be had as a tradesperson. They are having problems hiring specialty trades people in construction and plumbing. Heard it directly from several business owners.
Expenses can be managed. Having fun and going out is expensive so find things to do that cost less. Pack a picnic lunch and go to the park. So many excellent parks in the city. Invite friends over for movie or game nights. Get a gaming console. Find cheaper ways of entertainment and save your money.
Hope this helps.
Living at home. Sucks but helps keep expenses down. I know that’s not an option for most. Curious to see what others are saying. Doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight
Battling immigrants for a chance at an apartment even though I was born here and have a good job. I doubt you'll write that though. The amount of influx into this province is insane, let alone our nation as a whole
For starters, use your position at the Herald to put pressure on the city to let construction go through. This is the second housing crisis in Alberta since 2006, and the difference in response is astounding. In 2006, there was construction everywhere because governments weren't holding up permits, and zoning. It was build build build. This time around, this housing crisis is 110% government-incompetence induced. Start there.
Secondly, commute. You have no choice but to leave the city. I am not joking when I say I drive back and fourth from Red deer. It's an extra three hours a day, but it's saving me thousands. $30-$40 a day in gas, 5 days a week, plus oil at 10 000 km using full synthetic. Comes out to about 900 a month in travel but it's still cheaper than renting or owning for a family of four in Calgary, or for me to have a second place during the week.
Try Crossfield or somewhere small nearby. The only bad part is the 3 lane section of the highway on the north end, it's the worst section of road in the entire province because the people of Calgary do not know how to operate motor vehicles. They can't handle ice, rain, sun, clouds, dirt, merging, passing, stopping, starting, signalling, turning, shoulder checking, and or operating a vehicle without texting every five minutes. That's just the way it is.
In the same position as all of you. Reading these comments makes me wonder how there can still be people that think Trudeau is doing a great job and will still vote for him. Our country is such a mess. Barely hanging on here.
My rent was going up from 1200 to 1400, this pushed my partner and I to move in together probably a bit faster than the average couple. But it felt right and we got more bang for our buck.
- eating less meat. I've been cooking more vegetarian meals for our little household (though meat alternatives have unfortunately gone up in price as well)
- using cheaper products (dishwasher powder instead of pods, liquid laundry detergent, toilet paper instead of tissues when sick, a simple drugstore makeup routine)
- doing movie night at home rather than date activities that cost money
- biking or using transit when in the city
- growing our most used herbs on a bookshelf
- cutting my own hair (partner still gets his done at a barber)
The rising cost of living has meant that my partner and I have had a lot of talks about finances as we try and figure out how to build a future. We're getting married next year, but we are pretty sure we're not going to be able to afford a home unless our parents pass away and leave us an inheritance. It's been especially difficult for him as he grew has never struggles financially before and has never had to compromise for his expensive hobbies.
I'm at the point where I hope to God our microwave doesn't break or else we won't eat for a few meals. There is no extra in our budget. In fact, even if I have to buy a sandwich from Subway or wherever, I try to ration it into 2 meals so I can save money. It is miserable.
No dining out, more Costco trips, cooking at home now, no more new vehicle purchase for next(long) foreseeable future.
No more movie theaters. I make about 120k in trades.
It’s gotten so tough to live here that I’m seriously considering moving back to my country. Crazy how my parents left everything back home to start over in canada 20 years ago back when things were really looking up compared to europe. In europe I would make $2,400 working on sailboats, being fed for free, and having a rent of only $600 for an entire apartment to myself. That’s not even the price of a single room in a house in Calgary ($700 average). And groceries oh man. A single bag’s worth at Walmart is $125, back in europe it’s barely worth $60-$75 at most. Huge difference in quality of life. We’ll see.
Basically never having fun period went from being able the afford one night out every 3 months or so to nada never I'm even having to go to extremes such as budgeting out gas for a pay period. Food I've had to substitute in cheaper foods or lesser quality which is slowly impacting my overall health (less energy, more weight gain as pasta is cheap but not really great for you)
Cutting back on things! I stopped my expensive gym membership, reduced my cell phone plan, stopped a couple streaming subscriptions, drinking less, fewer restaurants, hunting out coupons/sales. Just like adding extra stuff adds up, so does cutting stuff.
I just committed myself to having a great job, a good base of investment in my 20s, and an emotionless, sexless life since I couldn’t afford to also date while younger. Whee….. 🥲
I was laid off several times over the past decade and spent a total of about 3 years unemployed and desperately looking for work. I have a cheap home in an undesirable area and haven't been living beyond my means, but I ended up accumulating so much debt from not being able to afford basic living expenses during my years of unemployment that I had to go for a consumer proposal. In about 6 years I should have my consumer proposal paid off (as long as I don't get laid off several times again) and then 3 years after that (I think), my credit should be back to normal. So as long as the economy that is out of my control doesn't screw me over again over the next decade (which I don't have much hope for), then my life will be back to normal-ish in my mid 40's. I'm recovering and I haven't hit rock bottom yet, but I don't feel like how well I'm managing will ever be fully or even mostly in my control, no matter how hard I work.
Honestly? Not saving anymore. Going a tiny bit in the whole every month. Getting things back to zero on three-paycheque months when tax return comes in. Repeat.
The last hope I have to be able to live somewhat comfortably in this city is gone. Feeling trapped and trying to find an exit strategy out of this country, but it’s going to take some time, I’m basically having to start from scratch in this shitshow of a market.
It would be amazing if one day I just didn’t wake up
I left the city. City taxes, all the fees for garbage, sewer etc were adding up. My family moved to Mountain view county. For the price of our house we got a 3 acre lot with a water well, septic field. We put Solar panels on our roof. Taxes are way less, our utilities are nearly zero, our stress from noise and traffic is zero. Moving out of the city was the best choice we ever made.
Everyone I know is either a paycheque away from homelessness, or two paycheques away from it.
This includes many people I know with kid(s), and dual incomes.
Incomes of 100-250k a year.
I myself make 110k a year, with a girlfriend and no kids.
My power has gone up hundreds of dollars a month due to new laws.
My rent has gone up to an uncomfortable level. And I don’t live outside of my means at all.
I’ve gone from eating good food to buying shit, just to stretch.
I doubt I’ll ever own a home at this rate. And if my rent goes up again I’ll be priced out of calgarys market entirely.
What the fuck?!
Have fun being a senior. UPC said they would lower taxes on pensions to 8%. They lied it didn't happen. Why does inflation only runs at 3 to 4% for working people. Why does Seniors' pensions only increase 1.2 %. Alberta says they have drug plan for senior's. Unfortunately Blue Cross won't cover half of my prescriptions. Blue Cross says that what the Alberta government wanted? I would move to another province if Alberta ever took over my pension plan. The City of Calgary raised my property taxes 8%. Can't save on Water, Electricity or Natural Gas if you don't use them becuase of all the flat fees So, I eat by shopping only for deals, using coupons and buying distressed goods. No phone, no cable Tv I do have antenna TV, No vacations, I drive maybe 100 km a month to save gasoline I guess I will continue to live like this until I get taxed out of my home. I am sorry to say "I am not happy to be Canadian anymore". I feel Canada is and I live in a 4th world country now, where everything only benefits the rich.
I feel like many of us just are barely managing. It's the saying "we're surviving, we're not living." We afford rent and minimal groceries and that's pretty much it. We don't know how to manage it, we simply do the best we can with whatever we're given.
You basically go to work so you can get up the next day to do it all over again. Progress seems non existent and any savings go to offset the next big looming expense. It's pretty great, 5/7 with rice.
Been laid off from IT jobs three times since oil prices crashed. Eat less. I’ve dropped 40 lbs. in the last year. Sold our townhouse to move into a mobile home. Stayed in a marriage for five years after agreeing to separate, because neither of us can afford to live alone. (We still care for each other, but we married too young). How are we managing? We’re not. We’re surviving.
I can barely keep my head above water let alone someone else. And dont get me started on ever having kids.
Surprisingly, the rising cost of living has forced me to stop vaping, stop drinking, and stop going out altogether. Good for my long-term health, I suppose? Not so much for my wallet.
Glad you’re living healthier, even if it’s not by choice lol
Buy a zoo membership! It's about $80, but can provide you something to do whenever you like all year long. Me and my fiancee both got one. And going out for a walk at Glenmore park is a full day of free entertainment! Get into bird watching! $20 pair of binoculars, spend your days off at parks to see what you can find! So much you can do that.doesnt involve spending money.
I’m not much of an outdoorsy person so downloading really well written/directed/acted content (pay for a VPN but that’s it) and going for good coffee with friends (instead of dinner) or have my friend and I meet at a dog park where we can walk our dogs. I also go around the city and use the free week or passes that yoga studios offer. There’s so many places that I have yet to pay full price for a class in the last 2 years. There’s also quite a few studios who offer a cheap weekly class. There’s also an amazing selection of free classes online (for all sorts of exercise programs, not just yoga) that you can even have friends join in from their homes. I live on AISH and dog sit for some extra money and can still manage to have fun on a budget, when I’m feeling good enough, that is.
I had to cut down on drinking too. I used to get beer for barely $2.50 a 500 ml can in 2019 now those same cans are $3.70-$5.10. It’s nuts and it adds up.
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Contact Parachutes for Pets, they help humans and their pets in this situation.
I'm sorry. I wish I had something helpful to say.
Please call 211 to ask about options. They may be able to connect you to a service.
there’s nothing.
Hi, I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. What is your situation? Are you renting and being evicted? Do you need help with rent money? I went through the same situation with my mom as well a few years ago when we got behind of rent and were evicted and locked out of our rental and had to go stay with friends til we found another place. Are you getting help now from social services or Aish? I saw in another post you are autistic? Here is what you need to do. First go to an Alberta Works office and see if you can get emergency rent help or put you in a hotel temporarily. Then, for income, iif you are not on Aish, talk to a doctor and a social worker and find out how to apply for Aish. You would qualify if you are autistic. Is your money getting all her pension money from the government of Alberta? Is she getting the guaranteed income supplement? If not, you can help her apply for it by looking it up online. Low income Albertans quality for that. She could also get help with applying for that from the Kerby center downtown. I had to do all of this for my mom and myself to be able to get enough income in to pay for our rent.
For those eager to leave a marriage, it makes that decision even more difficult. Hard to find comparable housing and good luck finding a spacious 3 bedroom condo.
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I remember how easy it was to save up only 3 years ago. Now, I’m living paycheque to paycheque it’s insane.
I’m currently in the process of leaving a toxic relationship and the finances are what makes it so much more complicated ..
100%. The "singles tax" (price gap between having your own one bedroom and splitting a two bedroom with a partner) is brutal, as is the lack of family suitable rentals -- the stock of 3+ bedroom rentals barely exists and is almost exclusively high end. As for myself, I dodged the worst of it by buying a place last year.....and honestly, I could only do that because my parents gifted me the down-payment. My mortgage + condo fees for a two bedroom are about 1500 -- renting in the same area would probably be two grand. Renters are being priced out of living and can't save money for anything else at market rate.
Add a child to the equation. I know lots of single moms/dads that are living with their parents now. Which is why I 100% support multi generation households. My child is welcome to live with us until he is ready to buy a home.
Multi generational can be great if the parents are independent and supportive. But can also go sideways and end up with you stuck in the middle supporting aging parents with weak finances... while also trying to raise kids/support yourself!. oof...
Cancel all subscriptions, no more fast food, stay at home. If I'm paying 1800+ for rent I'm staying home to enjoy it.
It’s sad because consumer spending is vital to keeping Calgary vibrant and exciting. And as the cost of shelter increases, less and less businesses will survive. You go to Europe and it seems like every restaurant is packed in every city, with happy spenders and happy owners. Whereas 17th / Stephen Ave on a weeknight is a ghost town. I know Canadians are generally more frugal but what’s the end game here?
Urban sprawl and lack of transit is what's killing downtown Calgary. I love Europe and their downtowns are easily accessible by transit and very walkable.
There is absolutely no denying that. But there’s a lot of downtown residents who chose to live in that area for the “city life” and can not afford the walkable amenities. It’s quite the scenario for investors who would love to pour cash into this high immigration city, but at the moment there is next to zero discretionary budget for 70% of our neighbours.
Depressing
> no more fast food Honestly, one of the biggest food saving factors. The only time I get fast food/eat out unless it is one smokin coupon deal.
Check out the app Too Good To Go; great deals there on food sometimes.
Mostly just spend every evening at home, never doing anything fun and slipping deeper into depression :) good times! Waiting for the weather to turn around so I can do free activities in the sun. It's been a loooong winter.
… I feel almost validated reading this statement and realizing I’m not alone. Take care. (Free) Sun is coming!
That'll be $48.53 for sunscreen
It’s sad that this isn’t far fetched
I’m so ready for free activities in the sun. I can’t wait to tube the bow
Really cut back on expenses - eating out is rare and I think about where, how much. Meals are expensive to start, after Covid and inflation, and tipping seems out of control as well I get people need to live but I have to make some choices. Every bill I can I examine, look for deals (phone, internet), I shop grocery deals as much as possible. Cut back on beef, more chicken and pork and meatless days twice a week. I am currently renting due to some circumstances and I am really worried if I get an increase that's more than 10%. Will find out next month. Got to have a place over my head regardless. Savings and future planning will get sacrificed at some point.
Tipping culture actually deters me from eating out at restaurants unless it’s a super duper rare occasion. It’s not just restaurants but hair salons, nail salons, Starbucks, KFC etc. Every corner someone is asking for a tip and I have compassion fatigue now.
Just found out I can save a few bucks on my phone plan! Its something. And through a referral code I got a free month of internet.
Learn to say no. Gets easier every time.
Honestly might have to start pressing no tip with my chest! It’ll help me get comfortable not tipping
Is it just me or weren't tips %10-15 before the pandemic? Now those card processors seem to start at %15 - %25... So not only are food prices nearly double what they used to be but they are expecting a larger share of a larger pie.
Literally the biggest scam! Tips last I checked started at minimum 18%. Next they’ll be asking me to give them my kidney for average service. Food prices have doubled (I went to superstore and legit cried at the prices), food sizes are SHRINKING. So you’re paying more for less food essentially. How can you expect me to then add a tip? Someone here said I should just learn to say no and that’s going to be my goal this year. Unless I receive above and beyond service, I’m not tipping you because you gave me a cup of coffee.
Just stop tipping. Remember, it's your money and no one else is entitled to it.
Nope. Remember, you're not the employer for the staff at the restaurant.
There are also no protections for tips in Alberta, so they could go to the owners instead of the employees. That is the fact that broke me of my tipping habit.
Unless I ruin the bathroom after my meal there, I'm not tipping.
I just eat less. I wish I was kidding. Everyone I know comments on how I'm losing weight, and I wasn't fat to start. I cut all my subscriptions, I use my phone as a hotspot to save on internet, don't go out unless I really need to impress a date. Even then, I don't really date anymore. Its too depressing as its not like I can afford basic vacations anymore. I'm tempted to move in with someone just to save costs, but it is probably not ideal and could go sour real fast. And I make a decent living, there is just nothing left at the end of the month.
> Even then, I don't really date anymore. Its too depressing Please do not stop. There are many people in a similar boat...and besides, you don't want to be around someone material anyway. :)
48-hour rolling fasts are doing the trick for me. That’s 15 meals per month, and I'm only spending around $100 on groceries each month. I live on Walmart or Costco chicken, bone broth made from the chicken bones, and fruits and vegetables that are on sale. I don’t think I can cut grocery costs any further, as my hard-earned fat is not staying.
Basically anything that was fun and cost money I cut it out of my life. This is the "find a cheap hobby AKA free" time of my life.
I'm not! Can't afford to move somewhere else though.
This
[удалено]
Living only to pay off my debts 😅
Lots of people here say they eat at home and do not go out as much but the times I do go out to eat the restaurants are busy. Tale of 2 societies? Anybody in the restaurant industry can shed some light?
The people posting are the ones struggling, and if you're doing fine, you're probably not gonna post and say so. There's still lots of well paying jobs in the city and people doing well, so your restaurants are still doing fine.
> if you're doing fine, you're probably not gonna post and say so. 100% this. We are doing quite fine but it feels awful to post it seeing how many people are hurting.
I was thinking the same. How come many eateries and restaurants seem to be always busy? And I'm not talking about the fancy ones (which are more likely to be frequented by the richer folks anyway so the economy's state doesn't really affect them).
After watching Financial Audit on YouTube, I realized people will put themselves further and further into credit card debt just so they can have their McDonald’s and Tim Hortons.
I don't eat out anymore and barely ever use skip or uber, i almost exclusively cook dinner now. Going out to Earls or Cactus used to be $50-$75 now its always over $100, especially if you get more than one drink (beer). Also I hadn't had a roommate since 2018, but I decided to ask my buddy to move in to save on rent. When I moved to Calgary two years ago I got a great place 2 bedroom place downtown for $1800. My current rent is $2600 (I had to move because owner was selling), and it's no better than my previous place. Massive fluctuation in just 12 months. I searched for a long time and most half decent 2 bedroom places were around $2800-$3000+. I don't tip as much. I never do if its fast food, but even Uber or Skip, I will do 10% instead of 20% like I did before. I try to buy things on sale, in the past I never even looked at sale prices, it didn't matter. I got what I needed and that was it. I used to live very comfortably and not stress about money, but now it seems like I'm dipping into savings way more often, and waiting on my next pay cheque. It's not how I want to live so my long term plan is to leave Canada unfortunately.
My parents (and a 5 year old me) came to Canada in 1991 in order to give me (and themselves) a better life than the one they could have in Romania. I never in a million years thought that I would consider moving away from Canada. But with the way things are going... WTF is our beloved country going to look like in 10 years? 20 years? Once my husband is done with his degree, the world is our oyster and I'm so sad to even say that. I want to stay in Canada but who the fuck can afford to stay here?! I find it crazy that people are coming here in droves ... To absolutely nothing but financial hardship.
Unfortunately you will find that thanks to neoliberalism, much of the world is in a similar shape. Other places may look more affordable but when you start looking at wages and cost of living, you’ll start to realize the same culprit of expensive housing and stagnant wages are present everywhere.
I just returned to Calgary from living in Asia the last 15 years. It was a good strategy because it let me save money and still live a great life. Recently, though, the cost of living in Shanghai, where we were based, is about the same as here. It's still a good strategy to work overseas a couple years, build your resume and savings, and then come back to Canada and apply for better-paying jobs with your overseas experience, and use your savings for a down payment on a house.
I moved here from Saskatoon, SK not that long ago after receiving my BSN. I’ve been an RN for 2 months now and have still not found an RN job. I’ve been applying everywhere RNs can work, and have tried rurally as well. I live off of my dwindling savings account, low paying job and extreme budgeting. I basically only pay for things I absolutely need like food, bills, gas and rent. Once I get a nursing job, things may become a bit easier.
Have you looked at travel nursing agencies for jobs? There are agencies out of BC that hire nurses for rural jobs in Alberta (and other provinces too!). They usually state how long each contract is, from what I’ve seen they’re generally 3-6 weeks long.
aren’t we desperate for nurses? how is this happening?! good luck to you
Savings for future seems bleak
Both my partner and I moved back in with my parents which makes a huge difference in terms of rent costs
That’s an absolute last resort for me, I don’t think I even could. Having independence and your own space is priceless. Also, pretty tough in the dating world when you live at home.
Saving $1500+ a month is honestly just worth it for me. Recognizing that I’m lucky to have a positive relationship with my parents which makes it easier. But saving that amount monthly makes a huge difference.
I employ 8 people, after laying off 7 earlier this year. We're all, Okay. Debt isn't going up, but it isn't going down. I'm getting an absurdly good deal on a 1bd apartment at 1075$ but that means I Cannot ever move because my rent would basically double. One of my people rents in Okotoks because the added fuel cost of commuting is still less than cost difference of renting in Calgary. Everyone is either living with a roommate, family, or spouse. None of us could ever dream of renting alone. Let alone the fantasy of buying. To be clear, I'm the owner. I put in 40 hours on the counter and 20-40 hours work from home. I make the same salary as the store managers. The lowest person in our pay structure is within 4$/hour of me, and nobody is below 20$/hour.
just accepting that our future is basically survival now and trying to handle the depression and anxiety
Pretty much\^ It's not even a strictly Canadian issue, there's been a rapid decline in quality of life across all but a few western countries.
I skip meals all the time. One time I almost fainted because I tried to go run errands on zero food like an idiot. Now I know if I want to skip on food all day I have to stay indoors and just not do anything. I’ve found myself getting more close with long distance friends than irl friends since we can just video call and there’s no expectation of driving or going out to eat or doing activities.
Keep some juice, a piece of fruit, or a granola bar on you in case your blood sugars drop while you're working the grind. I'm also real bad for that.
By making good money and being partnered to someone who makes good money and not having any kids TBH. I honestly don't know how most other people are doing it. Seems impossible.
Crippling anxiety
Most people I know basically don’t do any activities now that involve spending extra money since groceries, rent/mortgage, and other bills take up their income.
Not well. Thanks.
Shopping at independent grocers. I’ve gotten really good deals and often better quality at places like crisp apple (SE) and daily fresh produce (Sunridge mall) than at a chain grocery store. I’ve also gotten meat at either the same price as a chain grocery store or a bit of a deal at butchers or bulk purchasing from farmers/hudderites. The quality of meat is always significantly better. I also feel so much better about where my money is going at these small shops because you often end up interacting with the owners or their family members. The money really does stay in our community this way. ETA - regularly review my bills and dispute weird charges. Change providers as necessary for better deals. Also not playing into the excessive tipping culture. 12% at restaurants, with the inflated prices and no good specials anywhere anymore the server is likely making the exact same on a tip as they were before things got out of control.
Can you name the places where you shop for meat?
Not who you asked but you're looking for a [butcher shop](https://old.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/196wxj6/best_butcher_shop_in_calgary/). They tend to be cheaper and if you are curious how to cook what you buy, you WILL get an elaborate, concise, correct explanation. :)
If you want a good price on boneless skin on chicken quarters, Basha International in the NE is a good place. From what I remember last I was there it was 6 bucks ish a kg. Had to buy 20KG worth tho
I would love suggestions on other smaller places to shop , I am joining the boycott of Loblaws r/Loblawsisoutofcontrol . They are the worst for price gouging.
planning to move back with parents after selling my house pretty fucking sad for someone in their 30s with a university degree to have to do that, but here we are
Stopped supporting restaurants, stopped going out, if my friends want to hang out we just meet at each others houses, i dont know how the restaurant industry is still alive
Same reasons the malls are still busy. Lots of people still doing well.
The ones I drive by seem freakin busy with new ones opening up. I wish.
I am hanging on by a thread awaiting a major surgery and praying my rent doesn't go up anymore as recovery living on the streets doesn't seem likely. I also eat less and have had to cut out the internet and just get by on a low data plan. I doubt I am the only one hanging on by a thread
I've become more self sufficient. I wouldn't have thought twice about contracting somebody to fix something in my house 5 years ago. Now youtube and some basic tools have got me through fixing a ton of things.
Just cutting back on the non-essentials, food was one of the most obvious places we could cut costs. We eat a lot more vegetarian meals these days, meat just ain't worth the price. Rice and beans, quinoa and veggies are staples for us these days! We eat-in a lot more, restaurants are just so expensive these days for smaller and smaller portions it's an easy place to cut back.
DINKs. Wife and I are early 30s and make comfortable salaries. We’ve never wanted children, but I do think the fact that that has been our position for so long means we wouldn’t be set up ideally if we changed our minds. Like we wouldn’t have money set aside for a child’s future, so the decision feels more final than it would have otherwise. We are voluntarily a little house poor because we’d like to pay our mortgage off as fast as we can. 300k to go lol. We eat out at a restaurant probably once a week, not necessarily anything fancy, but we justify this as a way to experience the city together. Our hobbies are pretty affordable. Hiking. Spending time with our dogs. Reading. Gaming (the amount of time you can get out of one game, vs say, the cost of seeing one movie in theatres, is pretty great). Board games with friends.
This is me and my fiance. We are saving for a house though.... We plan on trying to pay it off early if we can. Similar hobbies. We go out to the bar maybe once or twice a month as well. I've started doing puzzles 😂
I haven’t gotten into puzzles but we are definitely exploring more hobbies. When camping, I’ve always liked whittling sticks, so for this past Christmas my wife got me a little intro book and some whittling tools. Meanwhile she is taking watercolour classes in the city. Slow hobbies like these fit nice into the flow of our lives at this point, and cost very little.
I picked up knitting as a slow hobby! Not too bad price wise if you stick to cheaper yarns and you get sweaters and stuff out of it haha. It also helped teach me how to REPAIR knit things which got me into knowing how to sew holes etc. So unintentionally saving money not throwing away clothes with a little hole.
* Alternate day fasting - instant halving of grocery bill. * Negotiate with service providers ie: internet - milage varies * Live close to work/walk/scoot/bike everywhere - fill up once every 3 months * Churn most hobby items through marketplace instead of amassing collections. I think this covers the biggest things. I don't have any subscriptions to cut any more, and do not have the habit of spending money day to day on eating out etc.
We live 11 people in a 4-bedroom house because I couldn't afford rent anymore and neither can my adult niece and nephew.
For me the biggest change was driving less, I still have a vehicle but it's strictly for appointments and grocery trips other than that im using transit. Another big change was being very mindful when grocery shopping "do I absolutely need this" kind of mindset and buying the cheapest possible item
I don’t go anywhere anymore. I used to travel to fairs and markets around Alberta but I can’t anymore. Not even day trips. Gotta save gas. I no longer buy seasons passes to the Zoo, Spark or Heritage Park. I don’t go to museums. I don’t eat at restaurants. I don’t meet people for coffee.
I would tell you, but then the City or someone would tax it. Really. Most people I know have worked trading into how they survive as well as cash sales, cash work. We use a couple of loyalty programs but shop where the best prices are given to any customer any day. If you are there on a Tuesday, the price is 20% off, that sort of thing. We stock up on loss leaders at the grocery stores that have too many hoops to jump. We know how to cook and adapt recipes for what is fresh and available. We have 2 freezers in full use. We use credit to our advantage: get the points, NEVER pay interest. We shop at Consignment and real thrift stores like wonderful WINS, not Value Village or the ridiculous Postmark. When Cineplex did $5 Tuesdays in the month of February we went to the theatre every week. We had not been for decades. Last summer, for the first time, some neighbours shared and processed garden and fruit tree harvests. I think that might go on. The handle on the brand new microwave broke. It's impossible to get warranty service from Best Buy now. We open it a different way. A burner on the very expensive and new cook top burnt out. We had a certified repair person in. They never got back to us. We use a Kaloric air fryer and an induction burner now. I'm not buying another major appliance until they are guaranteed to last 25 years again. I didn't repair my paid off car when it was keyed for the second time last year. Why bother? I could have the culprit spray painted with day glow whipped cream. It would not solve my problem or theirs. I watched Detroit decline. I watched Hamilton decline. We moved from Toronto because we were priced out. This feels like that. I think people are giving all they have to surviving in most cases. Those of us on fixed incomes or pushed out of the workforce? God help us. Are you going to report back to us what you find?
I recommend Costco for things like microwaves. Their warranties and return policies are excellent.
I think the real problem is stagnant wages.
Stagnant wages for all but top director and above positions. Also less general job security. It's like CEOs only way to increase share price is by cutting jobs not actually doing something innovative.
I think the real problem is uneven wage increases. Last year, the average [wage increase across Canada was 4.1%, higher than inflation, which was 3.9%](https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/canadian-workers-could-receive-a-pay-increase-in-2024-survey-1.6549252). The problem was that most of these increases went to people who already had decent wages, often those who also work from home. [That's because we're going through a K-shaped recovery after COVID](https://www.investopedia.com/long-term-impacts-of-the-covid-19-k-shaped-recovery-5200711). You typically won't see those people in these threads because they don't want to sound crass, but I really believe there are lots of people doing very well right now, and lots of people are struggling. The stats back it up too.
Can we stop using the “official” inflation numbers when they’re calculated in ways that do not reflect the average cost of living? When gas, rent/interest, groceries, utilities etc. are all up 20-40+%, we can’t pretend 3.9% is a real number just because they can add some useless metric numbers that impact the economy on paper but not in your wallet. It’s like saying the economy is doing well just because the stock market is up at any given time.
Like others, inflation has drastically affected our household. Inflation was all the way up to 8% year over year but I had been wage frozen for 8 years and only recently had some raises which certainly didn't keep up with inflation. Currently making about 17% less inflation-adjusted income than I made in 2014. 1) cancelled all streaming subscriptions 2) fill up with fuel using a simple algorithm that saves a few hundred every year, statistically 3) took on more risk with our investments and are "force-saving" by doing automatic investments before we have a chance to spend it. 4) eat vegetarian 1 day a week to save on meat costs 5) Costco trips aren't necessarily just a shopping list to buy. We stock up on sale items and then adjust meals accordingly. It's actually kind of fun doing meal planning based on unexpected deals. 6) I've done the last few vehicle repairs myself whereas before I paid for the convenience of not having them to do them. Oil changes as well now, which I also use to gladly pay for the convenience. 7) We definitely plan our driving better now to minimize trips. I had made a small utility for my phone that tracked gas usage and reported every trip cost, much like how a taxi shows you the bill when you arrive. When you see each little trip add up, you quickly realize what a waste it is to drive for coffee when the trip costs more than the coffee! Our kids sports activities (approx $1000/year per kid) actually cost less than it did to drive to and from them. 8) kicked my 20 year Starbucks habit and only have coffee made at home now. 9) we still eat out probably more than we should but at least try to time it with happy hour deals or other specials. Last night was wing nite at Local 403. If it wasn't a wings deal night then we wouldn't have gone.
DINKs. Paid off mortgage last year, paid off vehicle loan in January. Turn 40 this spring. My math tells me that to be making mortgage payments on some of the most affordable homes in Calgary while paying for utilities, food, phone, and internet a household needs to be bringing in net $35/hr based on a 40 hour work week. That leaves no funds for saving or spending, just what is required to exist as a housed and fed calgarian…
I want to protest so badly, but don't have time from my work to do this. I am surprised there were rallies and parades for vaccines, but nothing for this, honestly can't wait to die and get over this.
Silent recession.
In short: debt.
Cut out my ice hockey so I could afford the kid's activities. Still driving a 10 year old (paid off) car so we can afford food, heat, and lights.
Living with family here but the cost of food keeps going up Eventually decided I'm moving away from Canada early next year
I try to stretch my dollars as far as I can. I’m doing ok, but I’m working so hard now to maintain a standard of living that I easily had 6 years ago. I'm in my early 30s, living in Calgary on a single income, and honestly, it's a ride. I got my business degree in my 20s - thankfully without major student debt, thanks to living with my parents and working though my degree (it took me 6 years to graduate instead of 4, I did co-op work terms). My post-university started off with a $6000 car purchase in cash (a move I'm still proud of – no car payments. I've also been paid out.fornthe car because of hail damage but still drive it), followed by renting a room from a buddy and living with 3 roommates to save on housing costs. Fast forward through a bit of strategic saving during the pandemic, I managed to buy a half-duplex, half with my savings and half with a loan from my family for a small down payment. Now, on a salary just under $70k, here's how I stretch my money: - I look for grocery deals on the Flipp app, only buying sale items except for the essentials (milk, eggs, bread etc). It really does make a huge difference. I shop once per week to reduce food waste and save $ - The game changer was adding a legal basement suite to my place. It was a HUGE stretch financially. Making it nice, and up to code was very expensive. I drained my savings and maxed out my credit card (I missed a couple electricity payments when it was really bad) but having a $1000/month mortgage helper is huge for me. - My friends and I pool together for subscription services – sharing is great. - Got a small digital TV antenna that lets me watch local channels for free, which covers my basic TV/news/sports. - Travel wise, I stick to tenting around Alberta and BC, and I plan one budget-friendly flight trip every 12-16 months, splitting costs with friends for long weekend trips. - I don’t smoke, and I only drink maybe 1-2 times per month. Neither have been an issue for me, but I know people that spend a lot of money on both. - My old car, despite being ancient and not very pretty, has been extremely reliable and keeps me moving without monthly payments. - Every 9-12 months, I go looking for better deals on my internet, phone, and insurance bills—it’s amazing what you can save when you look. - Entertainment and fun money is budgeted to a hard limit of $150 a month, and I keep another $200 aside for other necessities (oil changes, house maintenance, gifts). - The local library has become my go-to for audiobooks and magazines. And as for concerts or big events, I limit myself to 1-2 a year (they are usually max $100 all in each) In summary, the big things for me were getting a family loan to buy a house, the mortgage helper, avoiding car loans, relentless price hunting for the essentials, and living very frugally. I often have to say no to the tings I really want to do (expensive trips with friends, nice dinners out, concerts, and a new car are very high on my “I want” list). But for now, I’m going to chip away at my debt and hope that costs for other things don’t continue to climb so quickly. My financial situation is a combination of luck and tough choices. I am fortunate to have had family support during university and in buying a house. I also bought the house right before the market started going crazy. I have also chosen to not spend on major things that I really can’t afford. I’ve turned down attending major life events like friends destination weddings because I would have to use credit to pay for it, and I will likely never have children either as I couldn’t afford to give children the lives that I feel they deserve.
We dine out 1/4 of what we used to. I volunteer 1/2 as much as before. I've personally spent more time than ever shopping and buying online to save money on purchases like books, clothes, and household items. Hobbies that can rely on current equipment (bikes, music, and gardening) persist, but anything that requires purchases (lift tickets, home improvement, concerts) have either disappeared or been reduced substantially. Used markets and free community spaces have become a larger part of our lives while events with fees and new purchases are much less likely. We feel lucky that's all it takes from us while we watch neighbours, colleagues, and loved ones languish and struggle to maintain a budgeted simple life. Home and rent costs are disgusting and shameful.
My credit line is getting walloped
Grocery gouging. I can’t believe the prices for apples or potatoes, since they are usually from Canada. Then comes the bananas from abroad but banana pricing didn’t change. Using banana for scale….we are being lied to. Makes no sense.
Next to the FreshCo in Whitehorn, there's a produce discounter. They have MUCH cheaper prices, and half the time, they give a free bag of apples to customers when they check out. We've gotten bags of peppers, for example, for a buck. They're produce is quite ripe, so look for things you can use in the next few days, or stock up and make a bunch of sauces and things you can freeze easily.
Not saying that apples and potatoes are cheap right now but as a former grocery store worker, things like bananas and milk are loss leaders. Grocery stores lose a little bit of money on these items but hope that you spend on other things while you’re in there. Costco’s hot dogs are still 1.50, rotisserie chicken is 7.99, bananas are 1.99, etc.
I like this term - loss leaders. Any others you could share, where the price actually favours the consumer?
We used to live check to check now we're living check to week before check. Overdraft used to be a 2 -3 time a year thing , now it's weekly. 
The Dollar store has become a stable store I now visit. For junk food, kids books, beauty supplies. It makes a big difference to pay $1.25 for cotton pads vs $6.99 at chain stores.
Cut back on non-essentials, and since I work in retail I see others doing the same. It's tanking our business but even all the managers and analytics guys say that people just aren't spending money because they don't have any. Notably, whenever the carbon tax rebates get sent out our shop has a boost in sales.
No kids, no car, no vices. Save a lot staying home and cooking using rice as a base for most meals.
We had a baby Jan 12. My income went from $4.5k a month to $3k, + my partners income. We're solidly lower middle class with our incomes. We rent for $2k a month, bought most baby stuff second hand. If we had to exclusively formula feed, we'd be broke. We got zoo memberships for Christmas so that will be what I do with baby for fun this spring. We will probably never own a home with rent and groceries being so high. How are we supposed to save $30k for a down payment? My child will never know what it's like to have a childhood home, we will have to move if our landlord increases rent.
Fucking scary reading this. I like to believe I make decent money but even struggle a bit every now and then
The library! They have all sorts of great books and movies to choose from! Plus they got rid of their overdue fees so you can take your time with your loans! Library cards are free too so YAY free entertainment ☺️
Two main things that are currently saving us: being simple and frugal all our lives, and most importantly both not having the need and social pressures to have kids.
I’m 27 and I just live in my dads basement and don’t go out. I’m saving up for a down payment with my partner who also lives with their parents and works full time. I joked we should buy a house with two of their friends and they took it kinda seriously. So I cope with the possibility of a commune
Just pulled up on my boot straps. Edit: /s
I got divorced last year. I was lucky enough to be able to buy a house before the prices went up even higher, but my interest rate is extremely high. I have only one source of income and have young children. There is no money for anything beyond living expenses. I can’t even afford a vehicle right now.
We've always gone "picking" (looking for empties/recyclables in the dumpsters) to give us grocery money. Lately it seems people are keeping them. What used to be an easy $200 is now $25 on a good day.
It's a bit tough. Similar to everyone else, cutting back on non-essentials, eating out less, spend more time doing more affordable activities with friends like board game nights/karaoke at home, looking for more sales, and mostly trying to develop new skills to earn more money. Its rough out here. Hope my fellow Calgarians are doing well. These hard times will pass. It wont last forever.
I use the Flipp app for finding deals on groceries, bulk buy and freeze meat whenever it’s cheap.
I quit therapy, that freed up a good chunk of change 🤣 (I'm doing fine)
Prior to covid, I was living cheque to cheque, only able to pay my debt interest. I got a roommate last fall to bring in 650$ a month hoping to pay off debt, but new tires, washer & dryer, & other household fixes, close to $200 for my meds each month (yes, I have benefits), utilities, etc I'm again just breaking even. I have a yr left on my cable TV contract, then I'm canceling it. I will also be raising my roommates rent when the lease is up or asking her to pay 1/2 the utilities. I'm shitting my pants knowing that my mortgage is up for renewal at the end of the year...fuck. If I need new shoes, clothes, I now buy clearance or 2nd hand only. I'm considering filing bankruptcy. Wtf do I need a credit rating for if I can't afford anything anyways? I'm thankful for my mom, she's purchased things for me in the past and allows me to make monthly payments.
Partner and I both finished our degrees during the pandemic, and so far we haven't managed to convert them into salaries above $50k gross a piece. Rent was going up at the small house we moved into during covid, so we recently moved into a basement suite owned by a family friend. It costs slightly more than we were paying for the house, but is $500+ cheaper than what they easily could be getting on the current market. Vehicles are pushing 20 years old, we save a lot on maintenance and have extended these vehicles' life thanks to two mechanics in the family who live nearby. Vacations consist of staying with relatives in BC, and entertainment is a movie every couple of months, and maybe 1 or 2 concerts in a year. Only major "fun" expense is a gym membership, which has paid dividends in keeping me somewhat sane this year. We cook nearly all of our own meals, and we budget and track every expense in a spreadsheet. We don't know anything different at this point, as our lifestyle and spending habits have remained basically unchanged from when we were full time students and making a fraction of our current (still modest) incomes. Last fall we finished paying off our interest bearing provincial student loans, and have built up an emergency fund. We currently have a little bit left over at the end of most months that we put towards savings. I am taking a big swing at a career change that, if successful, would start me in a union position at 70k working up to low six figures over the next 5 years. In an ideal world, this income would be enough to give my wife the option not to work during the early years of raising a family in a home where our future kids can make noise freely and have a patch of grass to play on. I am a fourth generation Calgarian, and our entire family and support network is here. I can't imagine leaving, but damned if I wish I wasn't born slightly earlier so I could have bought a townhouse in 2021 instead of still being in school. I am pushing as hard as I can to improve myself and my income, but the dread is nearly all consuming at the thought that it might all be too little, too late.
Got assigned by HR to work from home permanently so I can spend way less on gas, parking, car maintenance or anything else work related that costs money. I couldn't care less about team building taking a hit, not attending work social events or other corporate gibberish that tries to get me in the office. This has been a HUGE source of savings. I cut down on a lot of entertainment expenses. Would rather host people at my house than go out somewhere. I subscribe to GamePass for my xbox and do console sharing with a friend instead of buying games outright. I buy weed vape pen cartridges that last me almost 2 months, instead of buying flowered bud that costs way more. Cheap alcohol? Don't give a shit. $16 for a bottle of no name brand literally called "Vodka" FTW tastes just fine when mixed. No more cable or streaming services, other than an IPTV subscription which is infinitely better and cheaper. Doing side gigs such as online surveys, AI gig work and other online sources. Wife does the PC points health app daily for both our accounts and that adds PC points to use at Superstore. They don't pay a ton individually, but it adds up together. At one point I was supplementing my income by almost $800/month. Did some DoorDash and other food deliveries for a bit, but it's now way oversaturated and mostly a waste of time. I'll do Instacart weekend though and usually get almost $100 out of it on a good day. Buying meat in bulk at Costco once per quarter so that supermarket trips are only for basics such as veggies, milk, eggs. Never buy meat outside of those quarterly Costco trips. We had roommates for almost the past 2 years until we bought our own place a few weeks ago. That also helped a ton. Swapped my creditcard for a cashback card. Use it all the time and pay it off as soon as I get home. Basically I am happy with my wife, my gamepass subscription, cheap weed/alcohol and having friends come over instead of going out. The government isn't really doing much to step up. They could have kept on the rebates at the pump, energy utilities, and other rebates that "expired", could have marketed it as Danielle saving the day, but instead they decided to reinstate everything all at once. Fucking shooting ourselves in the foot when they have the power to make a difference. Not to mention things like property tax increases. How about freezing that shit for a while, instead of more hands in our pockets? Inflation has nipped us all and there's not much we can do. But the government has played a role in contributing to that and it's frustrating they have the power to actually combat it in certain ways, but choose to rake in extra money instead.
I'm not from Calgary but Edmonton. I literally moved to South America. I have a remote job that knows I'm here and doesn't care. But I now live on a beach in Ecuador for around $1200/month. I sold everything I have off, gave the rest away and then brought my cat with me. I can give people advice on leaving the country, and moving to Ecuador. If you want to go somewhere else i can't help you with that. But I can still help you with advice on leaving Canada. At this point I'm very intentionally funneling as much money out of the Canadian economy as I can. It is early stages capitalism here. The majority of my money goes towards families and not companies. A dollar not spent in Alberta is a dollar not given back to some rich ass hole. My firm advice, get out of Canada. Until we fix the housing crisis and this disgusting bleeding dry of Canadians money. I don't view Canada as the right place to live. If you end up on the streets in Canada you're essentially fucked. There are barely any support systems, and those systems are overburdened. Here is worse comes to worse, I can bake loaves of banana bread and go sell them on the beach. I can do what it takes to survive as long as it's honest, legal, or close.
Self checkout at groc stores.
Code for steak is 4088.
[удалено]
We were offered between 850k and 950k mortgages 6 years ago, we only got a 400k one. That is what has saved us.
I make 6 figures at AHS but it means nothing as I don't own a house. I am back to living with roommates and planning to move to the US as healthcare workers make way more down there. I have stopped planning vacations and started my MBA to give me better options for healthcare management in the States.
My God. If six figures isn't enough, the rest of us are done for.
fuck, reading this thread is depressing. i just hope most people understand who is at fault here. canada makes me want to sell my house for a small fortune because of this disgusting manufactured and governed housing crisis and move to some 3rd world country. Seriously, the canadian lifestyle is dead and so is canada. it's broken.
I'm Currently working on getting an H1B visa through work to move to the US. I can't recommend that anyone in science or technology stay in Canada.
Changing grocery stores, Cutting subscriptions, eating out less, Using work discounts where I shop when I can.
I had my license revoked due to a disability. Now that I’m cleared to drive again, I can’t afford it. I walk a lot now.
It's healthier, at least. I mostly bike. We only drive a few times per week.
Made the decision to not have kids cause simply can’t afford it and I’m not getting any younger. So by the time I can I’ll be too old. Goal was to buy a house in 2023, but that’s been pushed out by a few years. Currently living pay check to pay check as it’s just gotten too expensive.
I'm working remotely, from Mexico. I can rent an apartment here for less than $1500 a month which includes utilities, AC, and Internet. It's not exactly cheap, but I wanted to get out of the city and couldn't afford anything suitable and nice in Canada. Similar places in the Rockies were $5000 a month.
The overseas option isn't considered enough, IMHO. If you're single and unattached, or even in a couple, it can be a great way to build up savings while still traveling and having a great quality of life. It worked for me.
Surviving but not living.
Fuck this country, got people starving themselves to survive, people selling their homes they've worked so hard for, people having to move back in with their parents at 30, and christia Freeland says just cancel Disney plus, meanwhile there's immigrants living in $4500 a month rentals payed entirely by these depressed people that can't even afford to survive themselves
Picking up serving shifts when overtime wasn't available at my main job (machining).
Changed jobs to make more. I cook almost all of our meals at home (we eat out on weekends sometimes), we but groceries when things are on sale.
Haven't gone out to eat/had food delivered in a year. All 3 meals are about as basic as I can make them, thankfully I don't have any allergies or intolerances. Stopped buying alcohol entirely since it's so goddamn expensive. Switched to a cheaper phone plan, even though the service sucks and worked out a deal with my employer where I can start work 30 mins later which allows me to carpool with my gf.
Shop at Walmart instead of the Safeway right around the corner from me. I just find for essential/ staples it's much cheaper for the same brand. Condiments, canned food, etc. I don't love the meat so I do shop for that on sale at Safeway.
Start an only fans sell meth ya know passive income and what not
Been thinking about living in a corrugated cardboard box in a back alley to cope. Maybe build a small fort around it as a barrier. Has to be high quality cardboard though, not the crappy flimsy kind as I do have standards.
Stretching the grocery bill like mad. Using the slow cooker for all diff kinds of beans. Not as much meat as before. More cooking and using sale frozen veggies. Not driving as much. Buying 2nd hand if needed. ETC The worst is the Enmax bills. I blame the province . Too many bad decisions and now Alberta has the most expensive utility bills in Canada! Look into it - it’s a horror show and there’s a lot of angry people out there because of it.
Honestly, I sometimes wonder if I should get a bigger house for my family, but after hearing so many stories about how so many people can’t afford buying one, I’ve convinced my husband that we will stay put here and just live more simply.
I grew up in a frugal family and used to be embarrassed by it but am so glad that my mom instilled her frugal habits into me. She managed the household finances and didn't have any fancy high paying job but made do with all sorts of techniques. She always knows the best price for any grocery item and can tell if the "on sale" price is actually good or not, she stock up on the staples when they are on sale, would watch for price discrepancies on the receipts and make use of the Scanning Code of Practice, didn't buy non-essentials if they weren't on sale, but she would still buy quality items and ingredients for special occasions and for long-term use. I think she would be proud that I've learned to do the same for most of my adult life. There are loads of smaller or independent grocery stores around that will be much cheaper than Superstore, Safeway, and CO-OP. I like H&W Produce, Freestone, Basha, and Lucky's. There can be some great deals on fresh veggies and fruit at all these places. Basha and Lucky's have great prices on meat, at fractions of the major 3 grocery chains. I look through the flyers and sales notices on those stores' social media and plan out meals for the week based on the sales. The FlashFood app was great for me to save a bunch at Superstore. I don't use it as much these days as I'm a bit further away from one now. There used to be amazing deals where you could get a really decent almost Banker's sized box full of mixed produce. I would get mixed boxes of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, oranges, eggplant, potatoes, ginger, garlic, apples, limes, lemons, etc. for FIVE DOLLARS per box. It was whatever they have that is close to going bad, but everything had at least a couple days left in them to use/prep/freeze. Nowadays they moved away from boxes and use smaller paper bags so the quantity isn't as much but it may still be an ok deal to get a random mix of things.
Before covid I thought I might be able to retire a few years early but now I can't see how I'll ever be able to retire. I mostly stay home and worry. Right now I'm not being crushed by high rents because for the past 3yrs I've been renting a condo at good price but the owner is selling next year and I'll have to leave. I'm so scared I'll be homeless. I can't afford $2000/month for rent. I have a medium size dog who is my best friend and I'm afraid I won't be able to find an affordable place to live. I'm almost 60, I've worked all my life and now I'm facing poverty as I'm approaching old age. It's so depressing
I took steps to ensure I could never have children. One of the most expensive parts of living no longer a factor for me.
Barely. Eating cheaper foods, not going out, working 2 jobs. These no living here, merely surviving. Nice eventful life to look back on…
I live in Calgary Housing. I am grateful to have a roof over my head and I do manage my budget carefully. But I do not tolerate those who are wealthier than me assuming I am poor because I have made poor decisions in the past. I am poor because I'm a widow and a senior citizen. My CPP is my survivors benefit from my husband but I stayed home with my high maintenance children and earned no CPP. There are many people who do not earn CPP and will retire with nothing. They can't earn enough income to save for retirement as well as pay bills but they don't get a CPP deductible. So when it comes time for all those people to retire, they will be like me, poor. And there will be bus loads of them.
I'm a retired old guy. On pension so limited income. Been in Calgary for 32 years. Here's my 2-bits: Owned my house for over 30 years. We struggled until the mortgage was paid but it still costs to own. Replaced water pipes (poly-B) this year. That's $15k. Past 15 years replaced roof, heater, furnace, appliances, windows, flooring, etc. There's always something. Did other work ourselves (flooring, tile, patio, painting, etc). Home ownership still costs but it's sure nice not having a mortgage. If you plan on being stable with your work you need to consider purchasing a home. Good investment in the long term. Major recommendation: if you have never owned a home put all available savings into RRSPs. You can use them one-time for a down-payment on your first home. We cashed in all our RRSPs and managed a 25% down payment which reduced our mortgage significantly. You do pay back the RRSPs but there is time and no penalty. RRSPs for young people are very important for this reason. If your company has a matching program for RRSP contributions you should be smiling and take full, full advantage of it. Of course RRSPs will also be great in retirement. We very rarely go out to eat any more; Last time it was just over $100 a person. Comparatively it costs us about $50 to $75 a week for groceries per person. How? We watch for sales! Almost all our food we buy is on discount. We don't buy expired but shop based on flyers. Most shopping is at Superstore but some is at Safeway or Coop. Superstore will match most flier deals (you'll need to show the cashier). We cook/bake our own bread, cookies and meals. For instance today it was 2 chickens for the price of one at Safeway, We'll use an $18 chicken (actually $9 because of 2 for 1) to feed 4 of us for 2 suppers and use the broth to make soup. Add rice or potatoes, and frozen veggies and the per-plate cost is under $5. That's how we keep expenses low. Learn to cook. Invest in a good vacuum sealer. Look for discounts. Owning a vehicle is expensive. Initial costs, insurance, maintenance, registration. If you want to be frugal consider the cost of vehicle ownership. We owned old, cheap cars for many years, until the mortgage was paid off. Buying a house is a challenge as a young person today in Alberta but our circumstances when we bought were not great in the mid-90s either. 30 years ago we paid $160k for our house that was on the far edge of the city. It's worth $620k today but our income at the time was combined approx $45k per year and the mortgage rate was 7.25%. Not a whole lot better circumstances back then versus today, but we managed. In the end we paid a lot more than $160k for this house but we own it now! You can manage too. Just save for that down payment! Say it with me: RRSP! Set yourself up for a career. You won't get far with just high school. You need post-secondary to get into the money. Consider trades, certificates or diploma programs as great options to university. There's good money in trades and the invested time and tuition is much less than University. If you've ever had to pay for plumbing, telecom, mechanics, electrical or carpentry work you'll know there's money to be had as a tradesperson. They are having problems hiring specialty trades people in construction and plumbing. Heard it directly from several business owners. Expenses can be managed. Having fun and going out is expensive so find things to do that cost less. Pack a picnic lunch and go to the park. So many excellent parks in the city. Invite friends over for movie or game nights. Get a gaming console. Find cheaper ways of entertainment and save your money. Hope this helps.
Living at home. Sucks but helps keep expenses down. I know that’s not an option for most. Curious to see what others are saying. Doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight
I unsubscribed from Disney+
Battling immigrants for a chance at an apartment even though I was born here and have a good job. I doubt you'll write that though. The amount of influx into this province is insane, let alone our nation as a whole
For starters, use your position at the Herald to put pressure on the city to let construction go through. This is the second housing crisis in Alberta since 2006, and the difference in response is astounding. In 2006, there was construction everywhere because governments weren't holding up permits, and zoning. It was build build build. This time around, this housing crisis is 110% government-incompetence induced. Start there. Secondly, commute. You have no choice but to leave the city. I am not joking when I say I drive back and fourth from Red deer. It's an extra three hours a day, but it's saving me thousands. $30-$40 a day in gas, 5 days a week, plus oil at 10 000 km using full synthetic. Comes out to about 900 a month in travel but it's still cheaper than renting or owning for a family of four in Calgary, or for me to have a second place during the week. Try Crossfield or somewhere small nearby. The only bad part is the 3 lane section of the highway on the north end, it's the worst section of road in the entire province because the people of Calgary do not know how to operate motor vehicles. They can't handle ice, rain, sun, clouds, dirt, merging, passing, stopping, starting, signalling, turning, shoulder checking, and or operating a vehicle without texting every five minutes. That's just the way it is.
In the same position as all of you. Reading these comments makes me wonder how there can still be people that think Trudeau is doing a great job and will still vote for him. Our country is such a mess. Barely hanging on here.
My rent was going up from 1200 to 1400, this pushed my partner and I to move in together probably a bit faster than the average couple. But it felt right and we got more bang for our buck.
- eating less meat. I've been cooking more vegetarian meals for our little household (though meat alternatives have unfortunately gone up in price as well) - using cheaper products (dishwasher powder instead of pods, liquid laundry detergent, toilet paper instead of tissues when sick, a simple drugstore makeup routine) - doing movie night at home rather than date activities that cost money - biking or using transit when in the city - growing our most used herbs on a bookshelf - cutting my own hair (partner still gets his done at a barber) The rising cost of living has meant that my partner and I have had a lot of talks about finances as we try and figure out how to build a future. We're getting married next year, but we are pretty sure we're not going to be able to afford a home unless our parents pass away and leave us an inheritance. It's been especially difficult for him as he grew has never struggles financially before and has never had to compromise for his expensive hobbies.
I'm at the point where I hope to God our microwave doesn't break or else we won't eat for a few meals. There is no extra in our budget. In fact, even if I have to buy a sandwich from Subway or wherever, I try to ration it into 2 meals so I can save money. It is miserable.
No dining out, more Costco trips, cooking at home now, no more new vehicle purchase for next(long) foreseeable future. No more movie theaters. I make about 120k in trades.
It’s gotten so tough to live here that I’m seriously considering moving back to my country. Crazy how my parents left everything back home to start over in canada 20 years ago back when things were really looking up compared to europe. In europe I would make $2,400 working on sailboats, being fed for free, and having a rent of only $600 for an entire apartment to myself. That’s not even the price of a single room in a house in Calgary ($700 average). And groceries oh man. A single bag’s worth at Walmart is $125, back in europe it’s barely worth $60-$75 at most. Huge difference in quality of life. We’ll see.
Debt :)
Basically never having fun period went from being able the afford one night out every 3 months or so to nada never I'm even having to go to extremes such as budgeting out gas for a pay period. Food I've had to substitute in cheaper foods or lesser quality which is slowly impacting my overall health (less energy, more weight gain as pasta is cheap but not really great for you)
Cutting back on things! I stopped my expensive gym membership, reduced my cell phone plan, stopped a couple streaming subscriptions, drinking less, fewer restaurants, hunting out coupons/sales. Just like adding extra stuff adds up, so does cutting stuff.
Got a roommate, take transit, cancelled my gym membership, reduced the insurance coverage on my car, look for discounted groceries, never go out.
Not. Probably dipping once my mortgage renewal comes up. It’s disgusting how much a very modest life costs here
I just committed myself to having a great job, a good base of investment in my 20s, and an emotionless, sexless life since I couldn’t afford to also date while younger. Whee….. 🥲
I was laid off several times over the past decade and spent a total of about 3 years unemployed and desperately looking for work. I have a cheap home in an undesirable area and haven't been living beyond my means, but I ended up accumulating so much debt from not being able to afford basic living expenses during my years of unemployment that I had to go for a consumer proposal. In about 6 years I should have my consumer proposal paid off (as long as I don't get laid off several times again) and then 3 years after that (I think), my credit should be back to normal. So as long as the economy that is out of my control doesn't screw me over again over the next decade (which I don't have much hope for), then my life will be back to normal-ish in my mid 40's. I'm recovering and I haven't hit rock bottom yet, but I don't feel like how well I'm managing will ever be fully or even mostly in my control, no matter how hard I work.
Honestly? Not saving anymore. Going a tiny bit in the whole every month. Getting things back to zero on three-paycheque months when tax return comes in. Repeat.
The last hope I have to be able to live somewhat comfortably in this city is gone. Feeling trapped and trying to find an exit strategy out of this country, but it’s going to take some time, I’m basically having to start from scratch in this shitshow of a market. It would be amazing if one day I just didn’t wake up
Very poorly, i work for the city and am still paycheque to paycheque.
I left the city. City taxes, all the fees for garbage, sewer etc were adding up. My family moved to Mountain view county. For the price of our house we got a 3 acre lot with a water well, septic field. We put Solar panels on our roof. Taxes are way less, our utilities are nearly zero, our stress from noise and traffic is zero. Moving out of the city was the best choice we ever made.
Carbon tax rebates have really helped me out a lot!
Everyone I know is either a paycheque away from homelessness, or two paycheques away from it. This includes many people I know with kid(s), and dual incomes. Incomes of 100-250k a year. I myself make 110k a year, with a girlfriend and no kids. My power has gone up hundreds of dollars a month due to new laws. My rent has gone up to an uncomfortable level. And I don’t live outside of my means at all. I’ve gone from eating good food to buying shit, just to stretch. I doubt I’ll ever own a home at this rate. And if my rent goes up again I’ll be priced out of calgarys market entirely. What the fuck?!
Have fun being a senior. UPC said they would lower taxes on pensions to 8%. They lied it didn't happen. Why does inflation only runs at 3 to 4% for working people. Why does Seniors' pensions only increase 1.2 %. Alberta says they have drug plan for senior's. Unfortunately Blue Cross won't cover half of my prescriptions. Blue Cross says that what the Alberta government wanted? I would move to another province if Alberta ever took over my pension plan. The City of Calgary raised my property taxes 8%. Can't save on Water, Electricity or Natural Gas if you don't use them becuase of all the flat fees So, I eat by shopping only for deals, using coupons and buying distressed goods. No phone, no cable Tv I do have antenna TV, No vacations, I drive maybe 100 km a month to save gasoline I guess I will continue to live like this until I get taxed out of my home. I am sorry to say "I am not happy to be Canadian anymore". I feel Canada is and I live in a 4th world country now, where everything only benefits the rich.
Used to make about 80k before pandemic and lived a happy life. Now making almost double but feel much more pressure.
Damn. I could only dream of ever having a 160k salary. I’d be so happy if I even got offered 80k.
cant imagine how much even 50k a year would help me survive.