CA Ontario Cost of Living - A reply to Gobbledegook

The following is my reply to Gobbledegook (a Singaporean) about managing finances when newly landed in Canada. Gobbledegook plans to reside in Markham, Ontario. In my usual cheong-hay (long-winded) style, I exceeded the 4,096 characters limit of a blog comment and thus this blog entry.

If any reader has information about life, finding work, etc in Ontario, please drop a comment at Gobbledegook's blog.

Aside: For readers heading to B.C. (British Columbia), please refer to my other blog post "New to BC, Canada" for some useful urls instead.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/01/new-to-bc-canada.html

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Hi gobbledegook,

Firstly, the DECLARATION and DISCLAIMER: The following is my personal opinion. I am not any way qualified to give financial and/or migration advice to anyone, and thus any content from me shall be construed as a sharing of personal opinion, not advice. I do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided by me. Under no circumstances will I or anyone related to this content be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from any reliance on the information or other content posted or linked by me.

> We've decided to settle in Markham

Sorry, I don't know anything about Markham. I have been residing in Metro Vancouver since landing in Canada 4+ years ago.

> should be enough to tide us over for a couple of months in Canada

I don't know exactly how tight your finances are, but I strongly recommend that within the 1st week of your arrival, to visit a Service Canada office -- which you will have to anyway to apply for your Social Insurance Number. Remember to bring your signed COPR along, because it is your only piece of Canadian government-issued identity at that point in time. Ask the officer there about the Canadian Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), and ask if there is anything else that he/she think you should apply for (accept any "free" money you can get -- policies varies from province to province). No worries, as long as you go during the off-peak hours, the officers are very patient and usually have lots of time to kill. :D Note: Peak hours are generally before 9am, lunchtime around 11am-1pm, and near closing time after 3:30pm.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/uccb-puge/pplctn-eng.html
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/cctb/fq_qlfyng-eng.html

Another strongly recommended approach is to visit several immigrant settlement services agency as soon as possible. Compare and contrast their services, and choose the one(s) you feel comfortable getting advice from. They may even be able to direct you to get "free funds" to help get your international (i.e. Singapore) credentials recognized and/or get related/relevant Canadian experience.
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/after/OI_AFTER_MULTI.html
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/geo/index.htm

Here's what I did when I first landed in Canada.
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/10/landed-in-canada.html

> According to Virtual Friend, a family of 3 will require minimally CAD 3500 in Ontario

There are many ways to save money.

E.g. Buying winter/cold-weather clothes at 2nd-hand thrift stores, e.g. Value Village. Note: The kind of winter gear that you need varies from region to region. In Vancouver, winter gear needs to be water resistant/proof because winter here is cold AND WET. But in Ontario, it's probably going to be tens below zero, so the WET part is not so worrisome but you may have to look out for the wind-breaking ability (for WIND-CHILL) of your cold-weather suit.

E.g. Going to groceries stores just before 4pm, where you'll find the daily fresh items due to expire marked down by up to 50%. Also take time to go through the food aisles (especially perishables) to look for mark-downs any time of the day. "No Frills" and "Real Canadian Superstore" under Loblaws are generally cheaper (at least that is true in Metro Vancouver) because of their trade volume. Also look out for coupons (sometimes at stores, sometimes in the free newspapers, sometimes in your letterbox) and Groupons to cut costs.

E.g. Sharing an apartment as you've mentioned in your blog post. If you're lucky, you may even find a kind-hearted landlord willing to lease a single-bedroom in his/her single-family home for CAD500-650/month and allowing you to squeeze-in your family of 3 until cash-flow is more established... that's what my ex-landlord did for selected tenants. Note: Usually you'll need good referrals to get such deals.

E.g. Live near public transit and travel about with it, per your current plan. Consider buying monthly passes (or even better the Ontario's Metropass Discount Plan). When your budget is tight, a penny saved is a penny earned.
https://ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/Prices/index.jsp

E.g. For various household items, first check out the dollar-stores (ask Virtual Friend for the common ones in Ontario) and compare prices. Remember that when supermarket chains have coupons/sales/clearance, they may sometimes be even cheaper than the dollar-stores.

Here are examples of a break-down of my expenses (single person) back in Oct-2010, when I first landed. I suggest adding an estimated 50% for the spouse, add-on child-related costs (remember that you'll be receiving CCTB and UCCB), inflation and adjust for differences between Vancouver and Ontario, you should be able to get your "stingy-family's estimated budget" (which may possibly be below CAD 3500/month).
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/11/1st-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/12/2nd-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/01/3rd-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/02/4th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/03/5th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/04/6th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/05/7th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/06/8th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/07/9th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/08/10th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/09/11th-months-expenses.html
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/10/12th-months-expense.html

FYI, for inflation, if you're mathematically inclined, check out Statistics Canada's excellent list of CPI (Consumer Price Index). The followings lists some tables for Ontario, for 2010 to 2014 data.
Overall CPI:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ09g-eng.htm
Clothing and footwear:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ159g-eng.htm

Food:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ156g-eng.htm
Health and personal care:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ161g-eng.htm
Household operations, furnishings and equipment:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ158g-eng.htm
Recreation, education and reading:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ162g-eng.htm
Shelter:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ157g-eng.htm
Transport:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ160g-eng.htm

In fact, Statistics Canada has various other data tables that you may find of interest, such as the Average Household Food Expenditure (Ontario)*, etc. *Note: Bear in mind that average data can be skewed by extreme tail data-points on either-end, and thus a better measure would be the modal and/or quintiles data.

Bottom line to estimating funds needed: When you land, you may be asked to provide proof of sufficient funds which stands at CAD18,260 for a family of 3 for 12 months currently (year 2015). Of course, you can expect Ontario's cost of living to be higher, but the above amount is all you need to show the immigration officers.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/funds.asp

IMHO, the cheapest way to get this amount of CAD from your SGD, is to change SGD to CAD at the money-changers in Singapore and then travel over (i.e. land in Canada) with the cash. The last I remember, 2nd floor of The Arcade at 11 Collyer Quay (Raffles Place MRT) has many money changers, and thus provide one of the best exchange rates. Years ago, you need to register if you change a sum of SGD5K and above each day (note: money changers do not like to have to do this additional paperwork). To circumvent this, just limit your purchase of CAD to below SGD5K per transaction. (I learned too late from another migrant that...) It is ok to carry above CAD10K in cash when you land, you just need to declare it on the Customs Form.

Ok, that's all I can think of about the financial management aspect of migration for now. Migration is a big step into the unknown. There will be a lot of stuff we won't know until after we land and figure out our way around. Good luck!

Cheers, WD.

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[Addendum on Mar-16, 2015, at 13:50hr]

Ok, if you're not good with numbers, here's a quick estimate of what you'd need for a family of 4 (i.e. 2 adults and 2 children; not 3 -- 2 adults with a child). Based on the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) tables from Statistics Canada, Ontario inflation rate (from 2010 to 2014) and the City of Markham population size of 332,000 people (year 2014).

2010 low income cut-off for family (2 adults, 2 children): $29,510 

2010 Ontario CPI: 116.5

2014 Ontario CPI: 125.9

Estimated 2014 low income cut-off for family (2 adults, 2 children): 

$29,510 * (125.9 / 116.5) = $31,891

[LICO(s) is the Canadian term for "Poverty Line(s)". So, compared with the CIC estimate for a family of 3 (which is usually on the low-side), somewhere between CAD18,260 and CAD31,891 (for a family of 4) would be sufficient funds for a family of 3 to survive 12 months in Markham, Ontario, currently (year 2015).]

Data sources for the above quick calculation:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/2012002/tbl/tbl04-eng.htm

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ150a-eng.htm

https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/AboutMarkham/FactsStats/

Also for clothes, you can check out the clearance section of budget/mid-range retail shops like Old Navy. Sometimes one can get brand new items at similar prices to thrift shops (like Value Village) simply because the store director wants to clear-off the remaining stock. Depending on each store's management, the clearance items may be place together with the regular-priced items (look-out for different coloured price tags), or in a separate clearance section.

Also check out my other blog post on "Managing Personal Finances". There are some urls listed there that may be of use to you too. E.g. Canada Revenue Agency, and Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/03/managing-personal-finances.html

One more tip: If there are Chinese/Cantonese food-court stalls, you may want to check out if they have the same practice as in Richmond, B.C. 

In the food-court of Yaohan (No 3 Road), Richmond, B.C., there are 2 Chinese/Cantonese economic rice stalls 经济饭 side-by-side. Near the end of the day, from 7pm onwards, there will be a massive sale of their economic rice 经济饭 dishes, and the servers will pile huge servings into the 打包 take-away boxes (they call it "TO GO" here in B.C.) -- the sooner the servers empty out the food trays, the earlier they can knock-off work. So for the price of a slightly discounted meal, I get enough to feed myself 2.5 to 3 meals in a box. :)

4 years in Canada

When I read Singaporean Missy Jo's (The Slim Rolly Polly Wannabe) blog post about her doubts on ever settling-in after almost 5 months in Perth, it reminds me of the doubts I used to have after about 6 months in Canada. Back then, my "Migration & settling-in: A progress review" had more "did not meet target/expectations" (X) than "met target/expectations" (V). I guess the doubts/ups-and-downs is a challenge that many new immigrants go through.

I have been in Canada for just over 4 years now. Below is a progress review of my "settling down" process -- and thankfully a happier report, it seems.

V Local friends: As mentioned back in my April-2011 blog entry, I have been blessed and continue to be blessed in this regard. I am very grateful for that.

V Love life: DD has been a wonderfully supportive husband. We have gone through ups-and-downs together, and our relationship has grown stronger with time. Of course, we both have individual quirks that each has to put up with from the other. After all, marriage takes effort. Overall, we share similar values for the important matters, and have shown adaptability and willingness to communicate+accept differences on other matters.

V Family: Through marriage to DD, I have gained a Canadian family with members spread mainly over 3 Canadian provinces. I have since met most members on the maternal side of DD's extended family and some members on the paternal side too.

V Career: I have been working as a registered nurse in Metro Vancouver for 1+ year now. I am quite happy with my current main job and 1 unionized casual job, both private-sector employers. There have been ups-and-downs in my main job (click here for example), but all in I am happy where I currently am. On most days, I look forward to heading to work as I found my work meaningful and rewarding (not just financially).

V Canadian income: My income goes up and down depending on the number of hours I have been assigned on my main job each month. When there is a lull in my main job, I look towards accepting on-call shifts at my casual job, which helps to stabilize to my income. It also helps that a RN's pay here really reflects the professional nature of the job. Friends and (my in-law) family suggested that I look towards working with a health authority instead for more stable income and better benefits. My reply was, (as mentioned above) I am happy where I currently am, and have actually quit from a casual job with a health authority earlier this year.

V Living accommodations: As Mr S from Neurotic Ramblings puts it, "having your own place to call home" is one of the factors that Singaporeans and/or ethnic-Chinese often count towards the concept of "settling down". DD and I have recently moved into our "new home" -- an old condominium unit which is technically-speaking owned by the bank (thanks to the mortgage we took). We are still in the process of unpacking and settling-in, but it certainly feels good to have "our own place to call home".

V Getting around: I am still relying on Metro Vancouver's good public transport infrastructure to get around most of the time. Sometimes, DD would chauffeur me around. I am so comfortable with the current arrangements that I kept delaying on my plans to get a B.C. driving licence. Unlike in Singapore where people generally expect things to tick like clock-work, people here seem to be more tolerant of sudden changes in plans due to un-forseen circumstances (e.g. breakdowns in public transport).

V Community/volunteer participation: After a few rounds of ad-hoc and mid-term community/volunteer roles, I have settled nicely into a new long-term community/volunteer role earlier this year that is likely to last for a few years.

? Credit rating: When DD and I applied for a home mortgage in B.C., I found to my surprise that my Credit Rating is "UNKNOWN" despite having used my credit-cards regularly and paying my dues fully on schedule. I guess I should have heeded the advice from my lecturer at the "Financial Literacy Program for new migrants" to check with one of the 2 major Canadian Credit-Reporting Agencies at least once-yearly on my credit rating (i.e. either Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada). [Aside: Thankfully, DD has excellent credit rating and our mortgage application went through smoothly.] I guess getting my credit rating set-up is one item on my To-Do-List. That said, there is no urgency as my main bank (i.e. financial services provider) seems view me as an excellent credit risk, and it keeps offering to increase my credit limit and/or promoting lines-of-credit to me.

Ok, that's my status summary for now. Someone once told me that it takes 5 years to settle into a new country. I now truly appreciate the wisdom of her advice as my "settling-down in Canada" is still a work-in-progress.

Labour Day weekend trip

I am so looking forward to my long Labour Day weekend trip with DD's family. I need a good break. I realize that I am not thinking clearly about finances and career -- 2 very important areas in which I have had to work hard for all my life, and for which I have had recurrent lapses. 

I hope this trip can clear my thoughts and bring inspiration, like last year's Labour Day weekend trip (with a group of awesome friends). 

Countdown -- 3 days to take-off! I really need a good break.

Happy Canada Day, 3x!

Happy Canada Day!

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Click here for a video from Citizenship and Immigration Canada on "A free Canadian".

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This is my 3rd Canada Day (or around 2 years 9 months since landing). I have been quite busy for the past 2 months, and today is a break for me to rest and relax. And also a time/chance for another "migration & settling-in" progress review (compared to my previous blog on it 6 months after landing).

V Local friends: I had been blessed for the friends I've made since arrival. Some of whom I can count on in an emergency. Admittedly, I've placed bad bets on a few persons who entered (and thankfully have since left) my life. Overall, I enjoy my interactions with people whom I've met in Canada.

V Canadian income: I have just started working last month (June-2013), albeit not full-time. That is, I am taking some shifts here-and-there, as I was juggling between job interviews, nursing trainings, and personal life. Still my first month's income was enough to cover my usual basic expenses.

V Career: Grabbed the 1st RN nursing job offer and started working. I'm happy to say that it turns out to be a good match (at least from the 1st month of work). I will write more on my career thoughts when I have time in future.

V Living accommodations: I used to think that I would like to rent a studio with my own kitchen and toilet. And preferably a studio near my workplace. As it turns out, I have gotten used to living with my landlord and landlady. Even though I had an opportunity to rent my own basement apartment at a really reasonable price recently, I decided not to.

V Getting around: I am still relying on the good public transport infrastructure to get around. My plan is to get a Canadian driving licence by the end of this year to improve my job opportunity.

V Credit rating: In progress.

V Love life: Going great, surprisingly. I met a really nice fella, DD. DD joked that he cannot propose yet because we have yet to have our first "couple's quarrel". I asked him, "What if we don't ever quarrel?" [After all, both of us have been rather reasonable for any issues/disagreements so far.] He said, "Then we'll have to manufacture one." Since we had been talking casually about buying a place, I joked, "I know, let's go apartment hunting. It's a good way to get couples quarrelling." As usual, he agreed and joked, "I'll schedule it in my calendar: Start a couple's quarrel over apartment hunting."

Given the above (and considering what's happening in Singapore, click here and here), while I am currently still a Singapore citizen, I will weigh my citizenship options when the time comes.

Yearly personal financial review

Just updated and reviewed my finances today. I think it is useful to do a yearly personal financial review. 

1. Review the expenses for the year to see if one's spending habits need any adjustment.
2. Review the income/investment for the year to look for opportunities that may have been missed, and/or cut or minimize losses/leaks.
3. Update one's personal net worth to determine if one is on-track for retirement planning or needs to buck up otherwise.
4. Plan for the major "to-do's" and their likely financial impact for the year ahead.

Several friends, who are/were professional personal financial advisors and/or insurance agents, ever mentioned to me that my habit of keeping track of my finances and reading about managing one's money is not common. This is reinforced upon me again this year as when my GNIE classmates occasionally brought up the issue of managing their personal finances. In fact, one of my Korean GNIE classmate SS felt that I "think like a man" given my interest in managing personal finances and investments.

I don't really have an explanation for my "uncommon" habit.

• Maybe because I grew up poor (working-class family), and growing up poor meant that some life experiences that were unpleasant have a higher tendency to happen (click here and here for examples). [E.g. Read this write-up by Sharon Claire. I too experienced similar stuff growing up, although I fought back at times and it did not lead me to become anorexic.]
• Or perhaps, my early exposure to money and understanding how it is necessary for providing the essentials in life (from my parents incessant quarrels over money while I was growing up) made me very resolute about making enough.
• Or perhaps, I wanted so much to be independent, since way back when I was only just a child.
• Or perhaps, I just enjoy mathematics and the satisfaction of knowing where I stand financially.

Anyway, I am very happy to get it done. Knowing where I stand financially gives me confidence to look forward to various changes/plans in 2013!

Ups and Downs

In our final GNIE semester, we covered mental health. I want to share this excellent BBC documentary that explores the bipolar disorder.

Stephen Fry - The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive - Part 1

Stephen Fry - The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive - Part 2

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Early last month (November), after one of our team meetings, AP, PY and I were gossiping idly as usual. We had just covered our mental health topic at school recently. PY, who had several years of mental health nursing experience, started to "diagnose" some of the people we know mutually. She was spot-on, both AP and I agreed with her.

Somewhere along the way, I mentioned that I may have some symptoms of bipolar. PY went, "You? Bipolar? Impossible!"

I countered, "Why not? I know I had been depressed before*, although never clinically diagnosed -- simply because I wasn't even sound enough to go see the doctor. I don't get manic episodes, but I suspect that I may have hypomania sometimes." [*Note: Albeit the depressive episode was almost 15 years ago, and I have never hit that rock bottom since.]

PY went, "No, not possible. X is bipolar but not you. You're doing so well at school."

AP disagreed with her. AP had spent more time than PY with both X and me. 

IMHO, thanks to my intellect, I am able to harness the optimism and increased energy (symptoms of hypomania), while ring-fencing its undesirable effects. 

It helps that I am financially disciplined. Even when I splurge, I keep myself within my "splurge allowance". I guess it helps that I am excellent with numbers and I track my daily expenses with a spreadsheet. E.g. Unlike X who whips out his credit card and go on a shopping spree (whether at the malls or online) when mania strikes, I shop at places that would not bring me to financial ruin, limit myself to quantities that I can physically carry on public transport, and keep within my "splurge allowance". E.g. AP occasionally goes supermarket groceries shopping with me. Once she told me to "put back" items that I didn't need immediately, although I could well afford those additional items. E.g. Every now and then I would buy too much food and other items, and only give them away. [That said, I am happy to give the stuff away, especially to the food bank, charities and/or my refugee friends.] E.g. Whenever I feel the "shop-till-I-drop" mood, I would try to keep myself busy at home. If that fails, I avoid shopping at the malls and head towards places like Value Village (a thrift store), Dollarama (a penny store) and The Real Canadian Superstore (a mid-range supermarket). After all, at the thrift stores, one can still experience the highs of finding a good bargain (i.e. enjoy "retail therapy") without going into the red. Plus, it takes a lot more time to sort through the "second life" items to find a good buy at the thrift stores, and thus limiting the quantity of purchase. [That said, I ever found some good quality finds at thrift stores like Value Village. E.g. I have a grey cashmere turtleneck that both JX and EM touched admiringly, asking me where I bought it. They were surprised when I told them, with EM remarking that she must make a trip to Value Village someday.]  

I think that it also helps that I was trained in acting. Thus, even when I feel blue, I am able to do the minimal socializing necessary to function and to meet my roles and responsibilities. After all, "all the world's a stage". Of course, I would prefer to withdraw to my comfy room/bed and/or to the library. Why spread one's misery when the world already has enough problems? Indeed, sometimes I prevent myself from sharing my misery even when asked, because I know from life experience that my blues will and do turnaround.

IMHO, it also helps that unlike PY, when it comes to sexual needs, I find Doing-It-Yourself as good as intercourse. Frankly, I do enjoy my solitude, thus dating is not high on my priority list. In short, the risks associated with hypersexuality (in many people with hypomania) is not an issue for me.

In fact, the last time a couple of mood swings happened was in November. I stopped blogging for a couple of weeks -- the brain kept hurtling on, while the body became slow/impasse (because the body felt that the brain may change its mind again soon enough). Interestingly though, since I paid more attention to my moods, I even felt a "click-click" in my brain once while standing along a supermarket aisle -- one moment feeling an urge to buy all the available options of take-away containers, and the next moment (after the "click-click") rationalizing that I had more than enough to meet my current needs. I had another of those "click-click" moments again in late-November.

PY was still unconvinced of my self-diagnosis. She then suggested that I could consult a family doctor (GP) to ask for an assessment and, if needed, a psychiatric referral/treatment and social support while I am still considered "low-income". I replied, as PY knows, that since psychiatric drugs are only symptomatic treatment and tend to have a lot of undesirable side effects, I would prefer not to seek intervention, especially since I am (seen to be) functional. [Note: Psychiatric diagnosis is often an art rather than a science. "To a degree that interferes with the functions of ordinary life" often becomes a defining line upon which the decision to treat is based.]

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An interesting article from Yahoo!, "Does childhood stress stay with you for your whole life?"

Canadian experience and qualifications

I met a fellow immigrant, let's call her JL, over brunch with a social group yesterday.

JL migrated from France about 2 years ago. She has worked as a Technical Marketing Manager in Metro Vancouver but has lost her job recently due to company restructuring. JL has several degrees (including an MBA) from European universities and lots of transferable skills. She has worked for MNCs and when she was based in Europe, she used to travel frequently to Asia for work. She speaks 3 languages fluently* (English, French and German).

*Note: By "fluently", I mean at almost native-speaker standard. I am not using the "discounted expectations" that Vancouverites often have when they complement foreigners (especially visible minority) as "fluent English speakers". This is the thing that PRCs in Metro Vancouver often do not understand. They are told by the ever-so-polite Canadians that their English is "good/excellent", even when they cannot understand the Canadian accent spoken at normal pace and vice versa (i.e. the Canadians have a tough time with the PRCs' Chinese/Mandarin-accented English). Thus, PRC immigrants have a tendency to complain of racism when they do not get a job, instead of recognizing a deficiency in their English language ability (especially spoken English). From my observation, the same is true of some Filipino immigrants who take pride in their "excellent" (but in reality, heavily Filipino-accented) English.

Over lunch, JL shared her frustration over the lack of progress in her job search. She has not had any success in finding an equivalent position as her previous job. Despite having many "informational interviews" with potential recruiters and having worked for a firm in Metro Vancouver, she is still advised (by the recruiters and others in-touch with the Canadian job-market) of the need for her to gain more "Canadian experience" and "Canadian qualifications". As JL puts it, when she looked at the course content of the short courses that some advised her to take, she felt that she knew enough and had enough related work experience to be the instructor at those courses. So JL felt that she was up against a wall -- one that prized Canadian experience and qualifications, and did not value the non-Canadian equivalent.

IMHO, PRCs who complain about racism in their Canadian job search should talk to people like JL. JL is a French/German Caucasian -- as "white" as they come. Yet she faces the same issues in her job search as the PRC immigrants. However, from my observations, many (although not all) PRC immigrants tend to cluster amongst their own kind and reinforce each other's perceived experience of "anti-Chinese" racism. Some of them even tried to convince me of this "anti-Chinese" racism, but I usually don't pay heed to their ill-informed conclusions. Note: JL is not the only Caucasian whom I've met who faced such job search issues.

I shared with JL that her experience was not unique. I offered to link her up with some friends (and I did), but frankly I don't know how much luck JL would have with her job search, ceteris paribus (i.e. keeping everything else the same). The norm here is indeed "the Canadian way, or the highway".

My point here is that "Skilled Worker" immigrants to Canada should be aware of this Canadian norm. Of course, not everyone would face such problems -- some lucky folks did land on professional jobs equivalent to their previous professions quite quickly. However, I have heard/met enough immigrants who aren't so lucky to know that it is something that a potential immigrant should consider in his/her S.W.O.T. analysis before coming to Canada.

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If you should find yourself in JL's position -- being an immigrant in Metro Vancouver, Canada, or having lost a job due to no fault of your own -- here are some links that might be of use to you.

Employment Insurance

If you lost your job due to company restructuring or other valid reasons, you're probably eligible to claim EI benefits. It is important to apply ASAP (as soon as possible), and not wait until you need the money. I have a friend who had some difficulty with the paperwork because she had delayed her application for EI benefits. Fortunately, she settled it and received her EI benefits in the end. The Canadian Bar Association (B.C.) website gives a good overview with links to Services Canada for the actual details.

http://www.cba.org/bc/public_media/employment/282.aspx

Skills Connect

The federal government funds this program to provide career counselling and some funds to new immigrants to obtain Canadian jobs equivalent to their previous profession. There are various groups that handle this. I applied through MOSAIC at Grant Street (along Commercial Drive), Vancouver. My case is now closed since I have spent the entire budget on nursing related courses. The amount is not much ($1,500 or $2,300 depending on one's previous industry), but some "free money" is still good. In addition, one can get one's English assessed for free through them, so that one can have a Canadian paper showing one's fluency in Canadian English. Note: Those born-and-educated in Singapore are viewed as fluent in English and therefore not required to undergo the Canadian English assessment.

http://www.skillsconnect.ca/

Foreign Credential Recognition Loan

The S.U.C.C.E.S.S. B.C. Richmond office runs this project, which is funded by the government (I am not sure if it is funded at the federal or provincial level). The idea is to provide financial support to Internationally Trained Professionals as they go about getting employment in their field in Canada. One can obtain a low-interest rate loan ranging from $500 to $15,000 for training, exams, qualification accreditation/assessments, joining professional associations, books or study materials, and living allowance. Note: IMHO, applicants should exercise financial self-discipline with the loan granted. I am aware of someone who utilized the loan granted to him for unrelated purposes and then finding himself back in a "financially broke" situation.

http://www.successbc.ca/eng/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,1222/

BCIT International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)
Quote from their website: "ICES evaluates formal for-credit educational programs of study for people who have studied in other provinces or countries and determines comparable levels in British Columbian and Canadian terms. The results of an ICES assessment are provided in evaluation reports that are objective, consistent, and reliable."
Note: Fees are applicable for the above service. The fee charged depends on the evaluation needed to be done.
http://www.bcit.ca/ices/

[Addendum on 27-Jul-2012: A friend mentioned this program to me.]
YWCA Metro Vancouver Mentorship Program for Women
You do not have to be a Christian to join the program. In fact, both the YMCA and YWCA in Metro Vancouver are social organizations, not religious ones. Quote from the YWCA website: "This free mentoring program for women in Vancouver connects professional female mentors with unemployed women aged 19 and over who are entering or re-entering professional or skilled careers. Mentees come from a variety of backgrounds. They are women who are starting their careers, returning to the workforce or newly entering the Canadian job market."
http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Connect_to_Success_Mentorship_Program/343

GNIE: Pre-course expenses

There are pre-requisites to fulfil before admission into the GNIE course. Meeting these pre-requisites would add up to one's expenses, so here is how I met the pre-requisites.

1. $250 Commitment fee, non-refundable. The credit from this fee will be debited against your 1st semester's fee, so it isn't money going to waste. The commitment fee can be paid via cash, bank debit, or credit card. I used my credit card for payment since I can gain reward points on my credit card.


2. CPR - Level C certificate valid throughout the duration of the GNIE program. There are many different providers of CPR training in B.C. I suggest taking the CPR HCP (for Health Care Provider) from the St John's Ambulance. The reason being that it has the longest validity, 3 years. It costed $168 when I attended the training in June 2011. I signed up for the training online and paid via credit card.


3. A Criminal Records Check (CRC), including Vulnerable Persons Check from the Canadian authorities. That is, a Criminal Records Review issued by the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. This was easily done -- I printed the online form, filled-in the template form, submitted the form and paid $20 (using my credit card) at Kwantlen's Admissions counter.


4. For students with Canadian Permanent Residency, a Criminal Records Check (CRC), including Vulnerable Persons Check from the applicant's home country. I enclosed a copy of my Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC) from the Singapore Police Force that I submitted to the Canadian High Commission for my PR application back in 2009. In addition, I signed a CRC Student Declaration Form and provided evidence that I could not obtain a more recent CRC from the Singapore Police Force. Fortunately, the school accepted my Student Declaration and my 2009 CNCC.


5. Immunizations consistent with the requirements of clinical agencies, and a Canadian TB skin test or Chest X-ray dated within 2 years of registering for the GNIE program. Immunizations required: Diptheria/Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chicken Pox, Influenza (seasonal), Influenza (H1N1), Hepatitis Serology, Hepatitis B Vaccine. 

------------------------------

The immunization requirement was the most difficult for me because I do not have any record of immunizations done as a child. According to the Singapore health authority I contacted, immunization records of children born before 1974 were destroyed. The Singapore doctor-in-charge kindly went through past public health policies and gave a list of immunizations that I was likely to have received.

I tried to make an appointment with a B.C. public health nurse, but the process was long and cumbersome, and thus unable to meet the GNIE registration deadline. Therefore, I went to a walk-in clinic since I do not have a Canadian family doctor. The nice doctor checked through the Immunization Form and explained that if I did my immunization to meet school pre-requisites, I would have to pay for each immunization given, which could cost hundreds. He then reviewed my medical history and explained to me that he could justify for my immunization to be covered under the BC Care Plan. [Thank goodness for the nice doctor!]

Since I have had chicken pox in my late teens, I didn't need the Chicken Pox immunization. Although I've had my H1N1 Influenza immunization done while working in a Singapore hospital in 2009, the hospital did not give me a record of the immunization done, so I needed to re-do it again. The doctor combined the injections into 3 -- 1st for Diphtheria/Tetanus and Polio (DPT), 2nd for Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), 3rd for both seasonal and H1N1 Influenza.

I have a record of the Hepatitis B vaccinations done in 1997, and thus the doctor wrote an order to send me for Hepatitis Serology tests at a separate medical lab. As for the TB screening, the nice doctor explained that since I've had BCG immunization done as a child/teen, the Mantoux Skin Test is likely to return a false positive. Thus he wrote out an order to send me for a Chest X-Ray to be done at a separate radiology clinic instead of the 2-step Mantoux-then-CXR process. Similar to the immunizations, the Hepatitis-Serology and CXR could have cost $90/each if they were done for schooling pre-requisites. As it turned out, the staff at both the radiology clinic and the blood test laboratory did not ask me any question regarding the indications (need) for the tests.

A week later, I had a follow-up review and the doctor completed my Immunization Form for the GNIE course. The doctor charged me $30 for the consultation. I paid it happily (via credit card) since he had helped me met the immunization requirements with minimal expenses.

GNIE Expenses

I noticed that my top 3 posts are all related to nursing in Canada, i.e. CRNBC IEN SEC and Canadian nursing board posts.

I guess there may be some amongst my readers who are heading for the GNIE program at Kwantlen. If so, here's a heads-up on expected GNIE study-related expenses. All data extracted from the Kwantlen Polytechnic website, up-to-date as of 20-Apr-2012.
https://bweb.kwantlen.ca/pls/prodss/bwyfaapx.p_select_year

Firstly, an overview of the costs for the entire GNIE program. Total of $7,922.46.
[Note: This is not the costs for my cohort but that for the Fall-2011 cohort. I stumbled upon it accidentally and the system did not allow me to chose my cohort.]

Semester 1 cost breakdown is as follow.
Note: "Tuition" expenses are compulsory. "Books" and "Other Expenses" are discretionary. Don't forget to add-on the cost of uniforms which is around $20-$40 + HST per set.

Semester 2 cost breakdown is as follow.

Semester 3 cost breakdown is as follow.

Note: In addition to the above costs, there are some costs related to applying for the GNIE program. I will touch on that in another post in future [click here]. Managing finances to support one's study is a major source of stress for many of my classmates. This is especially true for those who failed to obtain a student loan successfully or the loan quantum is not enough to maintain their current living expenses.

Kwantlen has many awards and bursaries, but the main application deadline is 9th-March, which is already over for 2012. Thus, it is a good idea to plan ahead for the financial aspects of the GNIE program if one is pursuing this option.

Just for your interest, the cost for a 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Kwantlen is $29,379.35.

12th month's expense

My total expense for the 12th month (1st to 30th September) is around CAD1,171, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

* 150 : Write-off rental deposit for a room in Surrey

Yearly expenses

* NIL

Monthly expenses

* 500 : Room rental
*  40 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 102 : Food/groceries¹
*   35 : Clothings
*   84 : Household Items (including toiletries)²
*   30 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant
*   18 : Meals/Drinks
*    8 : Personal Grooming & Make-up
*    9 : Stationery/Postage
*   24 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)

Note 1: The amount spent on food/groceries is less than usual because I eat more from my huge stockpile of food bought during the previous months of promotions.

Note 2: Bought some under-bed storage to pack my documents and photo albums.

Much ado about nothing

Over the last week, I spent much time scouring the online rental ads to find a place near the nursing school as previously planned. After shifting through various phone and email responses from potential landlords/landladies, I finally had my 1st on-site visit today. From the visit, I am reminded of how out of the way Surrey is and how vexing (knowing me) it may be to rely on the Surrey public transport to get around.

After work today, I checked to find alternative routes to go to school from my current address. One promising alternative route takes around 1 hour, inclusive of wait time. Then I sat down to crunch the critical financial numbers -- my expected cash-flow status from now until end of 2012, assuming that I remain in my current address. It turns out that if things go as per current situation, I would have just enough cash-flow to cover the 1 year full-time studies. Thus I don't really have to worry whether the B.C. government or my bank would approve a loan or line-of-credit.

Note: A line of credit usually has a lower interest rate and better payment terms than a loan, thus it should be prioritized above a loan, unless it is a low-interest government loan with better terms. Here are the links to getting a Student Line of Credit from
CIBC,
RBC,
TD Canada and
Vancity. The Vancity link includes additional information about getting educational funding.

Of course, I would still go ahead to apply for funding, in case of unforeseen circumstances.

The other point that kicked me into reconsidering my basic assumption about having to move near the nursing school came ironically from the person who would otherwise become my future housemate. As he drove me to the bus exchange with his landlord in the backseat, he discussed my transport options with me. Then he strongly suggested that I get a car. I told him honestly that I am afraid of driving despite having a valid driving license from my country of origin. He then cited the need to travel around for work as a nurse at various hospital locations and repeated his suggestion. I thought about the nursing course's clinical attachment requirement. Student nurses may be deployed to various locations regardless of their residential address. Thanks to my current residential address' proximity to the public rail, the major hospitals in Metro Vancouver are relatively more accessible from here than a similarly affordable rental location in Surrey. Plus, the public transport pass for travel in All-Zones costs only CAD 30 per month for a full-time student. In addition, I don't think I would want to constantly worry about the cost of gasoline while living on a student budget.

Of course, the crucial underlying factor to my reluctance to move is really my caring and easy-going landlord, my landlord's family and my other long-term rental housemates who are generally nice, including Mr Small Potato. I have to admit, I put down CAD 150 deposit on impulse to quickly get a rental location settled this morning. Thus, it seems like that would be money down the drain.

------------------------------

[Addendum on 26-Sep-2011]

I met with my banker this morning. She explained to me that the Student Line of Credit is usually only offered to students of highly paid professional jobs such as lawyers, doctors, and dentists. Instead we strategized a way to get me a Personal Line of Credit.

Here are the links to Personal Line of Credit from
CIBC,
RBC,
TD Canada and
Vancity.

That's just what I needed. That's why I stick to this banker even though this bank's fees are not as competitive as the other major banks -- she provides good service.

------------------------------

[Addendum on 09-Oct-2011]

A Canadian friend of mine asked me why I did not return to Surrey to ask the potential landlord for my deposit back. The B.C. tenancy laws are such that it is illegal for a landlord to demand for a deposit and not refund it (with interest) at the end of tenancy if there was no damage to the property. A few reasons combined.

1. In my rush to get to work after viewing the property, I forgot to ask for a receipt of the deposit placed. Thus, it was a cash transaction for which there was no record. Besides myself, the only witnesses are the potential landlord, landlady and housemate. I had expected to return to sign a rental contract another day. [This is not one of my finer moments of financial prudence.]
2. Throughout the early morning viewing, my elderly potential landlord kept on repeating how they (the elderly couple) don't need the money, their adult offspring is a professional who has recently bought her own million dollar home, how rich and successful their relatives are, blah, blah, blah. Yet, they were not keen to "complete" the transaction until I gave them the deposit. [Compare that to my current landlord who had said before tenanting to me, "No need deposit (in advance). No need to sign contract (in advance). You just come, I will have the room ready for you." and he did just that.] I am a firm believer of "action speaks louder than words" -- i.e. despite their proclamations otherwise, that elderly couple wanted the money. My potential housemate even woke up his family that was visiting and staying at the to-be-shared apartment, just so that I could view the room.
3. I am a petite East Asian female. The place I viewed was in a quiet, somewhat out-of-the-way location in Surrey. [That said, much of Surrey is rather out-of-the-way.] From the few houses that I mistakenly rang the doorbell, in search of the right address, it seems that the small cluster of houses that formed the neighbourhood was dominated by South Asians. The elderly couple did not offer to refund my deposit when I informed them that I would not proceed with the rental. I am aware that despite what the B.C. law says, some still live by the Asian tenancy norms that the deposit is forfeited when cancelling a reservation. Call it racism or cultural awareness, my gut sense is that if I return to demand my deposit back, chances are a disagreement would arise; and a lone, petite lady is unlikely to win her case in a neighbourhood of people known stereotyped to stand by their own ethnic group and cultural norms over the law. Why court trouble when one can avoid it?
4. Lastly, will I starve because of the $150 loss? Nope. For sure, I may have to cut back on some optional items, but life goes on.

11th month's expenses

My total expense for the 11th month (1st to 31th August) is around CAD2,138, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

*      67 : Portable hard-disk¹
* 1,062 : Laptop with 2 year warranty, MS-Office, printer²

Yearly expenses

* NIL

Monthly expenses

* 500 : Room rental
*  40 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 171 : Food/groceries³
*    5 : Clothings
*  39 : Household Items (including toiletries)⁴
*  22 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant
*  26 : Meals/Drinks
* NIL : Personal Grooming & Make-up
*    6 : Stationery/Postage
*  29 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)

Note 1: I have been taking so many photos of my life in Canada that my 6 years old laptop ran down to only 10GB of hard-disk space left. I decided to buy a portable hard-disk for data storage instead.

Note 2: As mentioned above, my current laptop is 6 years old. It cannot function properly for some websites, nor open some new MS-Office documents -- those with .docx extension. For simple needs, I would have continued with my current laptop. However, I wanted to sign-up for a Canadian online trading account and the versions of web-browsers supported cannot run on my current laptop. In addition, I will be starting school soon and I know from previous communications that the school administration uses .docx documents. I decided to buy a new laptop and scanner/printer with my friend's help to get a good deal from the "Back To School" promotions. [Addendum on 09-Oct-2011: In case readers wonder why my new laptop is so expensive, it is because it is an Apple, just like my old laptop.]

Note 3: The amount spent on food/groceries is less than usual because I eat more from my huge stockpile of food bought during the previous months of promotions.

Note 4: I bought some storage items to help re-organize my room.

10th month's expenses

My total expense for the 10th month (1st to 31th July) is around CAD1,824, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

*  40 : Nursing re-entry course application fee²
*  28 : Human torso kit³
* 168 : First Aid and CPR training & certification²
*  65 : Food safety training & certification²
*  10 : Emergency Response Bag supplies

Yearly expenses

* 238 : 180 pairs of daily disposable contact lens (for 1/2yr)¹

Monthly expenses

* 500 : Room rental
*  40 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard for next month⁴
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 229 : Food/groceries⁵
*    7 : Clothings
*  65 : Household Items (including toiletries)⁶
*  77 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant⁷
*  19 : Meals/Drinks
* NIL : Personal Grooming & Make-up
*    1 : Stationery/Postage
*  56 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)⁸

Note 1: There is a $20 (almost 10%) increase in cost compared to the last purchase of the same item in February-2011. That illustrates why it is important in retirement planning to create source of passive income that will be inflation-hedged.

Note 2: I will get partial refund for these under the Skills Connect program.

Note 3: I bought this to help in my future learning as I am a Visual-Kinestatic person when it comes to learning.

Note 4: In the same way that Medical Services Plan is pre-paid (i.e. pay in July for August's coverage), I decided to buy my Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard using credit card in advance. This allows me to gather credit card reward points for this significant monthly expense.

Note 5: I stocked up on some long shelf-life food supplies as they were on promotion. I reckoned that jacked up my Groceries expenses by about $30.

Note 6: My universal travel adapter plug broke, so I had to buy a replacement for $22.39. I finally bought a plastic laundry basket that was on sale for $11.19. I had been using several large reusable bags previously. In addition, I stocked up on sanitary napkins and tampons as they were on sale, roughly 3+ months supply.

Note 7: The bulk of this cost is from a colleague's farewell dinner. I decided to give myself a treat and spent $30.82. In addition, I watched 3 movies (including the 3-D Harry Potter finale) and 2 other restaurant dinners.

Note 8: Majority spent on lottery and and scratch-n-win cards. However, this item also includes 2 farewell cards for departing colleagues, several small change donations, a Christmas gift bought in advance because it was on sale ($5 after a $10 gift card was used), and the MoneySense "Guide to Retiring Wealthy" magazine (the actual cost is $11.15 but it cost me less after using my credit card reward points). I felt that the MoneySense "Guide to Retiring Wealthy" magazine is totally worth it because it gave me a sense of where I stand if I decide to retire in Canada -- which is a decent middle-class lifestyle if my plans work out.

9th month's expenses

My total expense for the 9th month (1st to 30th June) is around CAD1,251, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

* 46 : Gifts for family¹
*  9 : Digital camera²
* 26 : 8GB SDHC card for digital camera

Yearly expenses

* 15 : Canadian bank's fee for deposit of Teletex funds
* 60 : Mensa Canada annual membership fee³

Monthly expenses

* 500 : Room rental
*  40 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 206 : Food/groceries
* NIL : Clothings
*  52 : Household Items (including toiletries)
*  10 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant
*  19 : Meals/Drinks
*  43 : Personal Grooming & Make-up
* NIL : Stationery/Postage
*  54 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)⁴

Note 1: A friend from Singapore visited. He offered to help me bring gifts back to my family on his return flight. Thus, I bought some fresh ginseng for my family. At CAD50.68/kg, and packed in 180g-220g packets, fresh ginseng seems reasonably priced here.

Note 2: This digital camera was marked down for clearance sale at my workplace. Previously, I had a CAD20 gift card (from my workplace) for my excellent customer service during a "Mystery Shopper" survey. Add to the CAD20 gift card, I also have staff discount, and thus the incredibly low camera price.

Note 3: As I am a member of Mensa Singapore, my Mensa Canada application was considered a membership "transfer". Thus I did not have to pay the new member fee, just the annual fee.

Note 4: I bought more lottery and scratch-n-win cards this month since it is my "lucky month". I also bought a MoneySense magazine for CAD6+, a gift for my house-mate daughter's birthday for CAD11+, and a farewell card for another colleague for CAD3+.

Marriage vs Common-Law

3 thoughts after reading the following article.

1. I would chose marriage rather than common-law to avoid all that legal and financial issues.
2. In the same vein, I would support marriage for LGBTs (or "queers" -- the more encompassing term used in Canada).
3. It is important to have a will that is properly written up and preferably done by a lawyer to ensure that it will be recognized legally. It is also important that the existence of the will is made known to its designated executor and/or publicly, e.g. on a wills database. I had all that done before flying out of Singapore. Although I am not wealthy (i.e. no where near a millionaire), it gives me the peace of mind that my next-of-kins will inherit my assets as per my wishes. In addition, intestate succession usually takes longer to process than succession based on a will.

------------------------------

From Golden Girl Finance - Jul 4, 2011
http://www.goldengirlfinance.ca/articles/the-hornets-nest-of-common-law-a-cautionary-tale

The Hornet’s Nest of common law: a cautionary tale
Lessons from Eva Gabrielsson – the woman behind the late great author Stieg Larsson

When author Stieg Larsson died in 2004, he was not a well-known writer apart from journalistic circles in his home country of Sweden. The author’s blockbuster books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest only became international bestsellers a few years after his death at the age of 50. But it is the story of his life with Eva Gabrielsson that has all the drama and intrigue of one of his books.
Thirty-two years, unofficially

Stieg met Eva when he was 18, and the pair were soulmates for 32 years. They lived together in Stockholm where they shared ownership of an apartment. They both worked as writers and Stieg composed his novels on evenings and weekends. Much of Stieg’s day work was highly political and investigative, therefore the couple sought to keep their identities concealed and did not marry so as to avoid any official registration with the state. The couple had no children.

After Stieg suffered a heart attack and died, Eva dug through closets and old boxes of letters and documents. It was here that she found a will that Stieg had written in 1977, in an envelope marked, “To be opened only after my death.” Unfortunately, the will was never witnessed and was therefore invalid. The disbursement of Stieg’s estate was thus determined by Swedish law, which does not recognize common-law unions. Stieg’s belongings (a half-share with Eva on the apartment and other possessions) were granted to Stieg’s father and brother.

Eva was shattered, understandably, at the loss of her best friend and partner. She was also fraught with anxiety at her financial situation, since she claimed her in-laws were not communicative with her and now owned half of her home.

Posthumously famous

This family’s story became very public, however, when Stieg’s publisher released the first of his ‘Millennium’ trilogy of books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2005. The book was an instant international hit and suddenly, serious money flowed into Stieg’s estate. The next two books in the trilogy were published and by 2008, Stieg had become the world’s second bestselling author. Swedish filmmakers bought the film rights and Hollywood followed. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, starring Daniel Craig, will be released later this year (the Swedish version was released in 2009).
The plot thickens

If the game of Clue were redesigned today, surely one of the weapons would be a laptop. Reportedly, Stieg’s trilogy of crime thriller novels was no trilogy; it was a quartet. A nearly completed fourth novel is said to reside on Stieg’s laptop, which he shared with Eva. Stieg’s family has offered Eva $2.6 million for the laptop, but she refused.

According to Eva, her primary interest is to be able to protect and control Stieg’s literary legacy, of which she was so much a part of in helping him create. She is unhappy with the way her former in-laws are allowing creative liberties to be taken with Stieg’s work.

Unless she is granted full rights to control how Stieg’s works are published, managed and sold, there is no deal and she will not allow the fourth book to be published.
Lessons for common-law couples

It doesn’t take a super sleuth like Lisbeth Salander to see that there are many lessons that common-law couples can learn from Stieg and Eva’s story.

Problem: Stieg and Eva never married. Under Swedish inheritance law, without a will in place, Eva was entitled to nothing.

Lessons:

* In Canada, common-law relationships are generally protected, with varying laws according to the province in which you live. Check the laws governing common-law relationships and inheritance rights in your province.
* Make sure your jurisdiction recognizes your common-law status. This means that you need to file taxes together as a common-law couple, ensure your drivers’ licenses, health cards and other government documentation have you both listed at the same primary home address. If the government has no official record of you living together, it could be difficult to claim common-law status after the fact.

Problem: Stieg wrote a will, but it was never witnessed and was therefore invalid. Larsson was declared ‘intestate’ meaning that the courts decided how his estate would be divided according to Sweden’s laws.

Lessons:

* Create wills and have them signed, dated and witnessed. Better yet, have them notarized by a lawyer or a notary public.
* File your wills where both you and your partner know you can find them.

Problem: There was no life insurance to give Eva a cushion and pay for Stieg’s funeral costs. Stieg’s half of the home he shared with Eva was inherited by Stieg’s father and brother.

Lessons:

* When you own assets or have investments together, you must have a proper will in place to manage the succession of those assets.
* Establish a life insurance policy sufficient to cover your debts as well as funeral costs so as not to burden your loved ones with personal financial pressure.
* Name your partner as the beneficiary on life insurance policies and investment plans such as RRSPs.

Problem: Eva helped Stieg with his fiction for more than 30 years and was intimately connected to his writing interests. Now his father and brother with whom Eva claims he had a distant relationship are controlling the rights to his work.

Lessons:

* Set up a corporation or a trust to hold certain property or intellectual rights.
* The succession plan for shareholder rights of a corporation or beneficiaries of a trust will exist outside of your own personal estate plan.

What Eva wants us to know

Eva has written her own book, which has just been published, about her life with Stieg and the saga that followed. While some might say she is capitalizing from the media attention of Stieg’s death, selling her own book is clearly a way for Eva to generate her own income, rather than taking the millions offered by Stieg’s family.

Regardless of how this story ends (or whether it ever does), there are some good, hard lessons for those couples who choose not to marry. You must be extra diligent in making sure your paperwork is in order, otherwise you truly are playing with fire.

8th month's expenses

My total expense for the 8th month (1st to 31th May) is around CAD1,245, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

 *  3 : Emergency Response Bag contents (additional items)
 *228 : Write-off bad-debt loan¹

Yearly expenses

* NIL

Monthly expenses

* 500 : May room rental
*  39 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 224 : Food/groceries²
* NIL : Clothings
*   5 : Household Items (including toiletries)
*  43 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant
*  16 : Meals/Drinks
* NIL : Personal Grooming & Make-up
*   2 : Stationery/Postage
*  14 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)

Note 1:

An ex-housemate who originated from China called me up on 2nd-May asking to borrow money. His story was his girlfriend locked him out of their apartment, without any chance for him to take anything with him. Thus, he rented a car from a taxi company to drive around looking for her. As he racked up over $200 in petrol costs, the taxi company confiscated his mobile and demanded $200 in exchange. He had nothing else on him, beside a few coins for public phone calls and my name-card that, coincidentally, I gave him the day before.

I declined lending him any money initially. However, he said that I could follow him to the taxi company to verify his story and promised to return me the money that same evening when his tax refund cheque cleared. Thus, I went with him to the well-known taxi company's HQ, paid $200 on his behalf to retrieve his phone. [I had a deja-vu at the taxi company's HQ.] As I was in a rush to get to work, we took a taxi ride to the HQ and back to near my home, which cost $28. He suggested to add the taxi fare to his loan.

I told him to return me the money the next morning as I was working that evening. However, instead of calling me to arrange for repayment, he called to borrow more money several times. Each time with more stories/excuses. E.g. He needed some money for his new rental deposit, he is awaiting for his mother in Beijing to transfer money to his Canadian account, etc. Each time, I firmly declined. My suspicions were raised. Finally, he requested for another loan, offering to repay with 50% to 100% interest within a week, and that he would sign an I.O.U. for it. I told him calmly and firmly that it was a matter of principle, not whether I can or cannot lend him the money. However, I was angry inside -- he was setting me up! Loansharking is illegal! [In addition, it is against my principles.]

After 3 extensions to his deadline for repayment passed, I messaged him on the 21st May that since he has not kept his promise, I would do whatever needed to retrieve my money back, including reporting him as a con-man to the police. I told my landlord about the loan. My landlord told me that I should not have lent money to someone that I did not know well. [He is right, I am too trusting.] My landlord also told me that this ex-tenant is a good-for-nothing who idles around and was often late in his rental payments.

Guess, I will take it as 破財消災 ["losing some money to overcome misfortune/bad-luck"].

Note 2: There was lots of groceries sales and deals in May. Thus, I spent more to stock-up on microwavable meals, instant noodles, breakfast cereals, etc.

7th month's expenses

My total expense for the 7th month (1st to 30th April) is around CAD1,158, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

 * 50 : Hometown Heros Charity Draw
 *  1 : Emergency Response Bag contents (additional items)

Yearly expenses

* NIL

Monthly expenses

* 500 : April room rental
*  41 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 179 : Food/groceries
*  37 : Clothings
*  32 : Household Items (including toiletries)
*  73 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant¹
*  31 : Meals/Drinks
*  15 : Personal Grooming & Make-up
* NIL : Stationery/Postage
*  28 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)²

Note 1: This includes a book "Money Sense Guide To Buying and Selling Your Home" at $11.15 (inclusive of tax) and a women's monthly magazine at $5.59 (inclusive of tax).

Note 2: I bought another 3 farewell cards as several more colleagues left, including one from my department. Someone mentioned that 16 colleagues have left since the new store manager took over about 2 months ago. I feel sad to see colleagues leaving, many of whom were nice to work with. On the bright side, I have been assigned more work hours in recent weeks, given the smaller staff strength.

6th month's expenses

My total expense for the 6th month (1st to 31th March) is around CAD1,247, broken down as follow.

Amount (CAD) : Category

Once-off expenses

* 104 : Emergency Response Bag contents¹

Yearly expenses

* NIL

Monthly expenses

* 500 : March room rental
*  39 : Mobile phone bill
*  61 : Medical Services Plan
* 110 : Transport - Monthly 2-Zone Farecard
* NIL : Transport - Others
* 155 : Food/groceries
* NIL : Clothings
*  31 : Household Items (including toiletries)
*  87 : Recreation/Entertainment/Restaurant²
*  17 : Meals/Drinks
* NIL : Personal Grooming & Make-up
*  16 : Stationery/Postage³
*  36 : Others (Lottery, Souvenirs, etc)⁴

I tried to rein-in my expenses this month, given that I have yet to achieve a balanced Canadian cash flow. However, I still bust my budget on some expenses.

Note 1: In preparation for a potential volunteer assignment, I purchased items for an "Emergency Response Bag". These purchases were not in my original budget. In addition, I am still short of a few more requisite items, which may add another CAD 50 to my future expenses.

Note 2: I am happy to be selected for a community theatre project. Each community participant (like myself) would receive CAD 1,000 in total honorarium over the duration of the project. My sub-group of 3 held our first 4 meetings over restaurant meals. As a result, my Entertainment expense has busted its budget. Fortunately, going forward all 3 of us has agreed to cut down on such expenses by meeting over tea/coffee instead.

Note 3: Tax returns for 2010 are due by 30-April 2011. Luckily for me, a friend who is a community tax filing volunteer did my taxes for free. [Addendum 10-Apr-2011: The B.C. tax forms contains policy/terms that I am not familiar with as I am new to B.C. Thus, to me, it seems much more complicated than the Singapore tax forms.] For an immigrant filing Canadian federal taxes for the first time, only paper filing is accepted. Thus, I sent mine using the Canadian Post registered mail service, at CAD 10.

Note 4: Within 3 weeks of the arrival of the new store director manager at my workplace, there was a spike in the staff turnover (i.e. resignations and/or transfers to other outlets). Based on one colleague's count, I reckoned that the spike represents around 10-15% of the store's staff. Informal gossips cited dislike of the new store director manager or his policies, visa expiry and personal plans as reasons for the departures. Although it was not my duty, I felt compelled to buy farewell cards for those whose departures I learned of before they were gone. I just felt that it was only decent that every staff should leave with something to remember the good times we have had -- no matter that it is just a simple card with parting words from fellow colleagues.

Managing personal finances

DECLARATION AND DISCLAIMER: The following are my personal opinion. I am not a financial analyst or in any way qualified to give financial advice and thus any content from me shall be construed as a sharing of personal opinion, not financial advice. I do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided by me. Under no circumstances will I or anyone related to this content be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from any reliance on the information or other content posted or linked by me.

Recently, a friend who originated from China asked me how to learn about investment and personal financial management. Just 2 days ago, I chat with my landlady, who also originated from China, and she asked the same question.

This entry has 2 main sections delimited by long dash-lines. Feel free to skip the stuff that doesn't interest you.
(A) My financial training journey
(B) Online resources

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(A) MY FINANCIAL TRAINING JOURNEY

I didn't think much about my early days of learning about financial management until at a discussion at the [free Canadian federal-sponsored] Financial Literacy Program for new migrants. The lecturer asked, "When was the first time you were taught about money?" As it turns out, I had an early exposure to money. I was collecting small payments, returning the change, and counting the daily revenue at my grandfather's shop even as a kindergarten kid.

In my teens and tweens, I eagerly read articles on personal financial management and stock market analysis. It is understandable, given that my parents often quarreled over money.

[Aside: I had thought then that if the money problems get fixed, the other problems will fall into place too. What I did not understand back then, though, was that the money quarrels were just a proxy to bigger problems in their marriage. But that's another story.]

As luck would have it, my previous career landed me into projects which taught me about diverse aspects of the financial market. My first job after graduation was with a company that sells financial news. My first project was to automate the faxing of Bunker reports to clients (i.e. a commodity trading information system) -- my preceptor gave me my first lessons on commodity trading. Thereafter, I handled projects on stock information systems -- colleagues taught me about the stock market. At a subsequent job, I was supporting forex traders -- and thus I learn about forex trading (i.e. currency trading), settlements and risk management. At another job, I created an information system for private bankers -- and my clients taught me about private banking, stock/equity and related derivatives, bonds/fixed-income trading, and portfolio management. At yet another job, I handled credit rating and other derivative information systems -- and ... (you get the drift). I am incredibly lucky to get a free education on financial markets along with my previous career.

Other teachers include my insurance agents -- about insurance rules-of-thumb -- and my lawyer and IRAS [Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore] -- about wills and Singapore estate duty. In the early-2000's, I attended a seminar from the Stock Exchange of Singapore about analyzing and investing in stocks and its derivatives. It was a rewarding experience, in more ways than one. Once again, I am incredibly lucky to meet people willing to share their expertise.

Nowadays, there are lots of online resources on investing and personal financial management. IMHO, one can get a solid education online with some effort.

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(B) ONLINE RESOURCES

Here are some of the online resources that I currently refer to. In addition I also read some blogs (e.g. Lucky Singaporean) that comment on such matters.

Category I - Canada specific resources

Canada Revenue Agency - Information about government taxes and financial related policies affecting individuals in Canada.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/menu-eng.html

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada - Information on managing personal finances in Canada. Tools and advice to guide you from choosing bank accounts, mortgages to analyzing one's budget.
http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/default.asp

Category II - Financial terminology and learning about investing

Berkshire Hathaway - Glimpse into the mind of one of the world's best investor - Warren Buffet
http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/letters.html

Canadian Couch Potato - The Canadian lazy investors' guide
http://canadiancouchpotato.com/2010/03/29/bonds-v-bond-funds/

Canadian Money Forum - Read about how other Canadians manage their finances
http://www.canadianmoneyforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

Investopia - Very good dictionary for financial terminology with links to related terms.
http://www.investopedia.com/dictionary/

Money Sense (from Canadian Business) - General investment advice
http://www.moneysense.ca/2010/10/21/six-strategies-to-build-your-wealth/

Money Ville (from Canadian thestar.com) - Another general investment website newly launched in 2010
http://www.moneyville.ca/investing

RedFlagDeals.com Personal Finance - Read about how other North Americans manages their finances
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/personal-finance-f41/

Wall Street Journal Online - Personal finance articles
[Added on 4th March 2011 at 05:15am Singapore time. Sorry, missed out this earlier.]
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/news-personal-investing-finance.html

Category III - Learning about the market trends

[Addendum: 27-March-2011. How could I have missed out The Economist!?!]
The Economist - Covers "world news, politics, economics, business & finance"
http://www.economist.com/

Questrade - Market data from the online trading platform
http://www.questrade.com/learn/market_data.aspx

Reuters - Business and Financial News
http://www.reuters.com/finance/markets

The New York Times Business Day - Read about business trends worldwide from New York's perspective
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/business/index.html

XE.com - Currency exchange
http://www.xe.com/

Yahoo Finance - Catch the financial trends in North America
http://finance.yahoo.com/marketupdate?u

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Although I read the above online resources every now-and-then, I am inclined to agree with the following Chinese proverb when it comes to factors affecting personal wealth.
一命，二運，三風水，四齊德，五讀書
First fate, second luck, third Feng Shui (i.e. harmony with environment), fourth doing good deeds, fifth studies (or hard-work)