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Canada seems to offer a better life unless you are materialistic and love to own a lot of things, I'd say, in which the US would offer a better life.
That just says it all right there.
Cheap consumerism and the all mighty dollar reigns supreme in America. Anyone in America who has lived their whole lifestyle demanding and expecting the most consumer goods for the least amount of money is probably not going to understand how different it is in Canada and is not going to be happy in Canada.
As long as I can buy cheap food, more expensive stuff doesn't bother me. Actually, the food in Canada on the whole isn't that much pricier than food in the States, aside from alcohol for obvious tax reasons. Especially if you shop at No Frills lol.
Check out condo fees and property taxes in New Jersey. A 200000 dollar house in Niagara Falls ON will have taxes about 2600 per year. Not as cheap as North Carolina or Tennessee but much cheaper than New York NJ or California. And you can find your 75000 dollar condo in Ontario... try the smaller cities. Of course if you want to be in a hot job market like Toronto real estate is much higher. Check out Northern Va. for comparables and a good economy with high employment rates... Fairfax VA makes Mississauga look cheap.
I had a 325,000 1 bedroom condo 7 miles west of NYC in NJ. Property Taxes were 6,500 per year.
Monthly maintennace 350 (building had NO amenities).. Prop taxes in Ontario were lower.
I'm a dual Canadian/ American too & in agreement with your observations.
After I moved here I have gone over my monthly internet usage nearly every month, and ended up paying an extra $12 to $18 on top of the $37 monthly fee. I never ever had a usage limit in the U.S. --- I just can't get used to it. I don't like it.
What I'd really like someone to explain is why Canadian beer is more expensive in Canada than the U.S. And that's before sales tax. I mean, presumably it has to be shipped to the U.S., so why is it double the price here? Is it the government again? And why can't you buy alcohol at the grocery store? (I know, I'm dreaming.)
Also to mail a letter in the U.S. you just leave your out-going mail by your mailbox, door-step or lobby of your condo building. We're spoiled! Here in Canada you have to walk to a mailbox and where I live they keep removing them. What do really old infirm people do? -- they can't mail things? Ordering things on-line, in the U.S. shipping is much cheaper, faster, and often free. Availability is bad in Canada. I'll find something on U.S. Amazon.com and half the time the Canadian Amazon doesn't carry it and if they do it is usually more. Plus, again, where I live they won't leave a parcel at our condo building, so you have to drive to the post office to pick it up, so it makes on-line shopping not nearly as convenient. In the U.S. I bought everything on-line.
Well, In all honesty. The reason why Canada's native products are cheaper in the US is the fair reason that Canadians have been shown to just suck it up and accept the prices.
A fair example would be that Gas is cheaper in Cuba, While Canada has been said to have the largest of Oil reserves that dwarf Saudi Arabia....Yet Canadians still pay more....hmm. Most of the US's oil comes from Canada too. Yet pay less....Yes it's pretty much the taxation and the Government. Exactly what the good ol' Founding Fathers of America fought against.
That's the price You pay for being a loyalist(Look at the Taxation and Laws in the UK...no comment) Pastors being arrested for pointing out their views on Homosexuality in a nice manner yet still being charged for their beliefs. This happened in Alberta, Freedom of speech is not guaranteed in Canada. I don't really agree with Racism or Hate speech. But a Pastor being charged for preaching their Religion in a non harmful matter is defiantly a full rights violation. Just look at how many Bands and Artists get banned from Canada. Eminem(I'm a metal and country person Myself ;p) was banned all because a Woman claimed one of his song promoted violence against women and He was banned for this reason. This is just an example.
Look at Howard Stern.....Canada put him through Hell all because of the French remarks. Even when Sirius Satellite radio went up the Canadian government was in uproar because Howard now didn't need radio stations to come into the country.
I don't want to sound rude to some Canadians on here, But it's true. Now a Handgun ban is now being talked about because of the shooting in Scarborough a few days ago. Canada is going the way of the UK with the Immigration and Rights/Freedoms. And being a Law abiding gun lover Myself, The US is looking better everyday.
Crime is actually far worse in BC/Alberta then in Washington/Montana/Idaho/Oregon for example. This is partially due to Canada's Gun control. Only the Criminals can possess them.
What the US is really bad for is if You have no healthcare coverage. But HMOs have many new restrictions now that Obamacare has passed(It has it's bad parts too I agree). Fining/Taxing people for healthcare because they didn't get it is wrong.
And about the mail thing I agree, Even when traveling the US is much easier because of the Interstate. Canada has no Interstate and it's much harder to travel cross country. Hell every time family plans a vacation if it be in Canada You gotta go into the United States and use it's roads....Well, Google and My Car's GPS always recommends that ;p
Last edited by Heinrich7; 07-18-2012 at 09:36 PM..
As long as I can buy cheap food, more expensive stuff doesn't bother me. Actually, the food in Canada on the whole isn't that much pricier than food in the States, aside from alcohol for obvious tax reasons. Especially if you shop at No Frills lol.
If you are in the GTA, I found grocery shopping at Asian grocery stores for veggies, etc. a great value.. so I'd do Loblaws for some things as well as an Asian market that seemed to be everywhere in North York, Scaryborough and Markham
As long as I can buy cheap food, more expensive stuff doesn't bother me. Actually, the food in Canada on the whole isn't that much pricier than food in the States, aside from alcohol for obvious tax reasons. Especially if you shop at No Frills lol.
I disagree. Vegetarian food is more expensive -- like veggie burgers. Milk, eggs, cheese, orange juice, cream, candy are more expensive. Frozen and take-out pizza is a lot more expensive. McDonalds is more expensive.
Cosmetics, shampoos, nail polish, ibuprofen etc. are often more than double what you would pay in the U.S.
Vitamins and supplements cost more in Canada -- often more than twice as much as in the U.S.
MAC makeup, which started out in Canada, costs a lot more in Canada.
As I already said somewhere on these forums I was looking at shower gel and cream that would cost $28 and $30 at Shoppers Drug Mart. Ordering them from Great Britain would cost about half that, plus $6.26 for shipping. Shopper's Drug Mart is getting them wholesale, they are not paying $6.26 for every two items, but a lot less, so why are they charging so much? For one facial cleanser I saw, Shoppers Drug Mart was charging 4 times as much as you would pay in the U.S. It makes no sense.
Well, In all honesty. The reason why Canada's native products are cheaper in the US is the fair reason that Canadians have been shown to just suck it up and accept the prices.
A fair example would be that Gas is cheaper in Cuba, While Canada has been said to have the largest of Oil reserves that dwarf Saudi Arabia....Yet Canadians still pay more....hmm. Most of the US's oil comes from Canada too. Yet pay less....Yes it's pretty much the taxation and the Government. Exactly what the good ol' Founding Fathers of America fought against.
That's the price You pay for being a loyalist(Look at the Taxation and Laws in the UK...no comment) Pastors being arrested for pointing out their views on Homosexuality in a nice manner yet still being charged for their beliefs. This happened in Alberta, Freedom of speech is not guaranteed in Canada. I don't really agree with Racism or Hate speech. But a Pastor being charged for preaching their Religion in a non harmful matter is defiantly a full rights violation. Just look at how many Bands and Artists get banned from Canada. Eminem(I'm a metal and country person Myself ;p) was banned all because a Woman claimed one of his song promoted violence against women and He was banned for this reason. This is just an example.
Look at Howard Stern.....Canada put him through Hell all because of the French remarks. Even when Sirius Satellite radio went up the Canadian government was in uproar because Howard now didn't need radio stations to come into the country.
I don't want to sound rude to some Canadians on here, But it's true. Now a Handgun ban is now being talked about because of the shooting in Scarborough a few days ago. Canada is going the way of the UK with the Immigration and Rights/Freedoms. (Are you saying people can hide behind religion as an excuse to spread hate crime and discriminate against minorities? Civil rights trump religion any day of the week and that's how it should be. Your country is going in this direction as well, Canada is just a few decades ahead). And being a Law abiding gun lover Myself, The US is looking better everyday. (unless your hunting, guns have no use in any society. The gun obsessed US culture is the primary reason why the crime rates in the US are so astronomically high. For instance, Chicago has the same population as Toronto. Total murders in Chicago so far this year= 350. Total so far in Toronto= 34. Enough said).
Crime is actually far worse in BC/Alberta then in Washington/Montana/Idaho/Oregon for example. This is partially due to Canada's Gun control. Only the Criminals can possess them. (Actually crime rates in Canada are below 99% of US cities. That's a fact. Homicide rates are among the lowest in the western world in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, etc. Our "gun control" is not causing a crime problem. That's the most ignorant comment I've read in a while).
What the US is really bad for is if You have no healthcare coverage. But HMOs have many new restrictions now that Obamacare has passed(It has it's bad parts too I agree). Fining/Taxing people for healthcare because they didn't get it is wrong.
And about the mail thing I agree, Even when traveling the US is much easier because of the Interstate. Canada has no Interstate and it's much harder to travel cross country. Hell every time family plans a vacation if it be in Canada You gotta go into the United States and use it's roads....Well, Google and My Car's GPS always recommends that ;p
Just to echo what others have said, you really need to shop around here if you want to save. I buy household goods and some food products at LW (Liquidation World) and Giant Tiger, and the Asian supermarkets like Oceans are a great value for groceries. It's a pain going from place to place but if you have a vehicle it shouldn't be a problem.
Well, In all honesty. The reason why Canada's native products are cheaper in the US is the fair reason that Canadians have been shown to just suck it up and accept the prices.
A fair example would be that Gas is cheaper in Cuba, While Canada has been said to have the largest of Oil reserves that dwarf Saudi Arabia....Yet Canadians still pay more....hmm. Most of the US's oil comes from Canada too. Yet pay less....Yes it's pretty much the taxation and the Government. Exactly what the good ol' Founding Fathers of America fought against.
A couple of points: First, Saudi has more recoverable oil than Canada...by about 50%. Its production is several times higher than Canada's as well....and it is much less expensive to produce.
You are right that Canadians pay a higher gasoline tax. Americans pay significant tax on their gasoline as well, though less than Canada and Europe. Canada has higher taxes than the USA, but it generally has more comprehensive social programs and our infrastructure (roads/bridges etc....you know, the stuff gas tax goes towards) is much more expensive on a per capita basis as we are a large country with a low population base. It is much easier for 350 million americans to pay for roads accross the USA than it is for 35 million Canadians to pay for roads accross Canada.
I don't know what the founding fathers have to do with anything. They certainly weren't against taxes. Our government has the consent of the people to levy taxes.
That's the price You pay for being a loyalist(Look at the Taxation and Laws in the UK...no comment) Pastors being arrested for pointing out their views on Homosexuality in a nice manner yet still being charged for their beliefs. This happened in Alberta, Freedom of speech is not guaranteed in Canada. I don't really agree with Racism or Hate speech. But a Pastor being charged for preaching their Religion in a non harmful matter is defiantly a full rights violation. Just look at how many Bands and Artists get banned from Canada. Eminem(I'm a metal and country person Myself ;p) was banned all because a Woman claimed one of his song promoted violence against women and He was banned for this reason. This is just an example.
Loyalists? What century are you from? Canada has loyalist origins, but it was never the whole country (the French likely had different views), and it has little to do with today's society.
The Alberta Pastor was fined by the Alberta Human Rights Commision for his letter to the Red Deer advocate. This ruling was overturned by the real court. A pretty low point for freedom of speech, but we are moving in the right direction. The US also has censors and people can face fines for publishing obscene materials.
In case anybody is wondering, here is the letter: Stephen Boissoin Eminem is not banned and never was banned in Canada. There was a bit of controversy about a Toronto show because of that complaint, but the show went on as planned.
He also played recently...Montreal's Osheaga Festival last year.
Look at Howard Stern.....Canada put him through Hell all because of the French remarks. Even when Sirius Satellite radio went up the Canadian government was in uproar because Howard now didn't need radio stations to come into the country.
The FCC has also put Howard Stern "through hell " with millions of dollars in fines. The US also alows for imprisonment for profanity on the radio.
I don't want to sound rude to some Canadians on here, But it's true. Now a Handgun ban is now being talked about because of the shooting in Scarborough a few days ago. Canada is going the way of the UK with the Immigration and Rights/Freedoms. And being a Law abiding gun lover Myself, The US is looking better everyday.
Crime is actually far worse in BC/Alberta then in Washington/Montana/Idaho/Oregon for example. This is partially due to Canada's Gun control. Only the Criminals can possess them.
Intersting. Western Canada (and the North) are Canada's most violent regions. But lets look at the stats. The average homicide per 100,000 people:
I don't see much of a difference here. Both places are pretty darn safe. Sure there are other crimes than homicide, but homicide is a great barometer because: a) it is always reported, and b) it is reported the same way
Gun ownership hasn't prevented violent crime in America's less safe locations.
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And that's before sales tax. I mean, presumably it has to be shipped to the U.S., so why is it double the price here? Is it the government again? And why can't you buy alcohol at the grocery store? (I know, I'm dreaming.)
