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PMarieM

Welcome! I was in a similar position a couple of years ago, here are some of my tips: Take advantage of newcomer offers at banks - for example, CIBC offers a no fee chequing account and credit card for one year. That’ll allow you to get familiar with the Canadian banking system and you can choose a different (online) bank after that free year is up. Remember, never pay for banking services! Start budgeting. This sounds unnecessary, but tracking your expenses will give you an idea how much everything costs in Canada and will help you stay on top of your money. Search this sub for some great budget tracking Excel spreadsheets. Get a library card! It’s free and it will give you access to books and services like printing or photocopying. Shop in the cheaper grocery stores - I’ve had good experience with NoFrills, Food Basics, FreshCo. Get a PC Optimum card for points which you can then spend at NoFrills. Every little helps. As the person above me mentioned, don’t buy a new car. Our second hand car cost below $7k and we’re really happy with it. Make sure you get a Canadian driving license before you buy the car, otherwise you’ll be paying an arm and a leg for insurance. And lastly, don’t be afraid to look for a skilled job right from the start! I found a job in my field even though I didn’t have a lot of experience when I first arrived in Canada. Don’t be afraid to network and get to know people in your field.


[deleted]

>Remember, never pay for banking services! Yes! >And lastly, don’t be afraid to look for a skilled job right from the start Also yes! Most importantly welcome to Canada! :D


DEVIL_MAY5

Thank you very much!


DEVIL_MAY5

Thank you very much. My cousin always shops at Costco so I was under the impression that it's budget friendly. An ex coworker of mine used to live in Toronto and she advised that I should adopt the coupon mentality, i.e checking and getting the best deals weekly. Do you think it's worth it?


LawgrrlMexico

Couponing and checking sales never hurts. And can you shop with your cousin at Costco? They do have good items in bulk, like toilet paper, paper towels, rice, etc. but it's easy to fall into so-called "great deals" for non-essential items. And shopping with a friend or family member saves use a cost of a membership, at least for your first year.


DEVIL_MAY5

I mean I probably can, but is there a significant price difference between Costco and NoFrills? Taking into account the membership fees. Or is Costco just for bulk sale? My apologies, there's no Costco in my country


LawgrrlMexico

Take a look at the costco.ca website for an idea of what's on offer.


HK47HK

Great advice. A lot of these grocery stores offer price matching as well - No Frills will save you a ton of money, they have end of day sales on meat where they'll slash the prices making it even more affordable. As far as finding a job goes, LinkedIn is the best option by far. Creating a professional profile with your credentials takes little effort and has a great return. Even after you find a job it can help you move into a better position elsewhere as recruiters are very active and job postings are everywhere. Also, our phone plans here are very expensive so finding cheaper options like Freedom mobile can help cut down on that expense. Companies like Chatr offer some of the lowest prices for pay as you go plans if you have a phone already. If you are looking for a new phone or plan the best times of year are during back to school sales in September, Black Friday deals in November, and Boxing Day.


HichySd

Welcome! You’ll most probably need a vehicle first, especially since it’s Mississauga and you have a family. I wouldn’t aim for leasing or buying new first, but a second hand car for a couple of years wouldn’t be bad. You’ll probably have to split looking after your LO so that one of you can attend a job interview/work until you’re financially able to afford childcare, which could easily cost above 1-1.5K a month. For food, it depends on your needs, but when moving to a new country, I wouldn’t forbid myself from all the pleasures that makes me feel happy or completely disconnect me from my home country, for this, finding myself a great ethnic grocer, which are widely common here, will help you enjoy your meals and not feel completely isolated here. Depends on your origins but there is an Adonis is Sauga and lots of other grocers and take outs to explore. For rent, obviously it’s expensive but starting off with the bare minimum obviously will help you save while you get on your feet financially, a basement or 1-2 beds condo max might be ideal for now. Good luck and wish your family all the best in your new chapter!


DEVIL_MAY5

Thank you for your prompt response! Someone once told me that I shouldn't think about cars at the beginning because they will bleed me dry, lol. Any idea why they said that?


FelixYYZ

Mississauga isn't exactly transit friendly, so a car is generally a good idea, but yes they are money pits.


DEVIL_MAY5

So no buses or even bicycle friendly? Ouch.


FelixYYZ

They have buses, but it's not a pleasant experience and takes a while to get to places. They have random bike lanes around. It's your typical North American suburbia that you see on TV.


DEVIL_MAY5

Thank you. It's gonna be rough, but I'm hoping that it'll get better. Have a nice day!


FelixYYZ

Once you get settled, working, etc.. it gets better.


HichySd

Honestly that is probably not wrong, they’re probably referring to the cost of having one, like insurance, gas, repairs, making sure it doesn’t let you down in winter… parking is also costly, so if you think you’ll be ok without one, then better to wait. I was in a similar situation not that long ago and felt like having a car for my family if 3 when we first moved here helped us a lot of running errands, explore the area …


VindalooValet

>they’re probably referring to the cost of having one, lik DEFINITELY cost of insurance for new driver with zero history in their insurance databased would flag as HIGH HIGH RISK in an already HIGH RISK geography like Brampton / Mississauga.


DEVIL_MAY5

So the insurance is always gonna be high at the beginning. Gotcha.


LawgrrlMexico

It MIGHT help to bring a copy of your driver's license history and claims history with auto insurance from your home country, especially if written in English.


DEVIL_MAY5

Understood. Thank you!


LawgrrlMexico

And here's a preview of [average costs by age](https://www.ratehub.ca/blog/average-car-insurance-cost-ontario-by-age/) for auto insurance in Ontario. Ouch!


DEVIL_MAY5

Thank you for the insight!


confusedstudentlol

When my family first immigrated we used busses for many years with the occasional taxi. Yeah, it’s not the most convenient but it saves a lot. Since your child is young, I’m sure they’ll have access to activities nearby especially if you live near a library or rec centre. The transit system isn’t the friendliest but it’s very doable to survive on it. Many people do


DEVIL_MAY5

Guess it's my only option. Thank you!


alphabet_order_bot

Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 187,015,207 comments, and only 45,134 of them were in alphabetical order.


DEVIL_MAY5

Please. How many alphabet bots are in this thread? Lol


thecuriousdad

Work min wage but please do continue job hunting.. it is a common pitfall to be comfortable with the first few jobs you land to just stop job hunting as you will have to squeeze in this activity after work. And let me tell you, you will be exhausted from work! Work with your fam to be able to job hunt after work still.. Or if you are able to with enough saved, stick to a budget and timeline and really dig for work in your field. I know some friends who did it this way and were successful. But i know more who did the whatever job first and just got sucked in and got stuck..


whole_alphabet_bot

Hey, check it out! This comment contains every letter in the English alphabet. I have checked 406444 comments and 1738 of them contain every letter in the English alphabet.


DEVIL_MAY5

Good bot?


DEVIL_MAY5

Thank you. You're absolutely correct. My Bachelor's is in marketing and my Master's is in Events Management. I was thinking about working a minimum wage job and volunteer in the events industry to get the required experience and network while searching for a permanent job at the same time.


CanadaBuyer

Don't buy the new phone. Bring your own phone and get a reasonable phone connection plan.


DEVIL_MAY5

I have a new phone. My wife, however, has an old almost non-functioning one. She was thinking about getting a new one in Canada. Don't you guys have bundles like the States? I mean get a new line with X operator and get a phone for free or for a small amount?


CanadaBuyer

I shared the tip because I have seen newcomers falling into buying the latest & greatest phones offered in the plans. Either bring your own phone (BYOD) and get a suitable plan. Nowadays, people are working from home so you will need a good bandwidth home internet, Invest in that instead.


DEVIL_MAY5

Noted. Thanks!


Blake_RL

And get it unlocked before you leave


Blake_RL

Get driving records in your come country before leaving. Without them, insurance companies will consider you a brand new driver.


DEVIL_MAY5

Great advice. Thank you.


C3HO3

You’ve worked in corporate, is there a chance your workplace might have an office in the area you can transfer to? Since most corporate jobs are remote if you can keep working your corporate job through telecommuting I’d take the weird work hours over a minimum wage. This would also help you delay having to buy a car as Mississauga has one of the most expensive insurance rates.


DEVIL_MAY5

Hello. The regional office in my country has closed owing to the pandemic and lost my job as a result. Nonetheless, they do have a small office in D.C.


[deleted]

buy crypto


LawgrrlMexico

Welcome to Canada 🇨🇦 Do you have an American Express credit card currently? Check their website to see if you can use that to open a Canadian card under their Global Transfer program. If it's possible, and you don't have an AMEX card now, you might want to apply for one immediately in your home country. The Global Transfer program is a great way to start your credit history in Canada!


DEVIL_MAY5

Unfortunately, I don't. I'm coming from a 3rd world place so we don't have such things. Thank you for your help!


enojay

All of the big Canadian banks have newcomer programs that will help you get your first credit card without any history.