A Canadian Immigrant's Story

Category: Finances

Mercy's Story 0

Business / Finances / Immigrant Stories

Mercy’s Story (and 10 Business and Financial Tips for Canadians)

Moving to a new country at 19 years of age is a formidable feat in itself. But that is only the start of Mercy’s inspiring immigration story. Mercy came to Canada from the Philippines with bright hopes of creating a rosy future. However, life sent her on a tortuous path toward her dream life. A month after landing in Canada, she found out that she was pregnant. As a pregnant teenager who was new to the country, she badly needed support. Unfortunately, she barely got any because her relationship with her baby’s father ended shortly after they learned about the...

Negotiate Bills in Canada to Divert Cash to Meaningful Spending 0

Finances

Negotiate Bills to Slash Your Spending

Have you tried to negotiate bills for lower payments in Canada? If you haven’t, read this post and find out how you can save on your cable, internet, and phone payments. The current economic situation is forcing us to find ways to save. Fortunately, there may be one more way to slash your spending without sacrificing your lifestyle – negotiating cable, internet, and phone bills to reduce payment. This way, you can divert your money for more meaningful spending. Here’s my story. Two years ago, I switched my cable, internet, and home phone to a different provider. They offered a...

Managing a Business 0

Finances / Immigrant Stories

Nida’s Story: Starting a Restaurant Business in Canada

“Starting a restaurant business in Canada is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It requires an entrepreneurial mind, hard work, sacrifice, and patience.,” says Fresh Cravings restaurant co-owner Nida. Today, we will learn about Nida’s Canadian immigrant story and how she surpassed the challenges of setting up a restaurant. Life Before Immigration to Canada Nida hailed from a town in the northern Philippines where her father ran a family shoe business. This business gave her the skills, knowledge, and experiences that she needed later in life. At a tender age, Nida and her siblings were exposed to meeting people from different...

Successful Salary Negotiations Can Influence Your Lifestyle and Quality of Life 2

Career / Finances

Salary Negotiation Challenges and Strategies for Immigrants

Salary negotiation is easy, said no one.  It is even more challenging for immigrants who are struggling to adjust to their new environment, prove their worth, and gain back their confidence.  But through research, strategies, and preparation, you can successfully negotiate your salary. In this post, I will talk about 3 things: The reasons why it is more difficult for immigrants to enter salary negotiations, General salary negotiation tips, and What I did to successfully negotiate a salary increase. Note: This post focuses on negotiations for salary increases but can be used for initial salary negotiations as well. Reason Why...

Condos Overlooking Beautiful False Creek 0

Daily Life / Finances

Should You Buy a House or a Car First? Make the Right Choice.

Should you buy a house or a car first?  There is no perfect answer to this question.  Rather, there is a choice that best serves a buyer’s need and preference. In this post, I will share the factors that I considered in my decision to buy a house versus a car first.  Note that I will loosely refer to obtaining a car as a purchase whether it is a lease or a sale. Of course, if I had unlimited resources, I would have purchased a house and a car at the same time.  Unfortunately, like most regular folks, I could...

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Daily Life / Finances / Uncategorized

Scams and Frauds in Canada and How to Avoid These

Scams and frauds happen everywhere, even in Canada.  Unfortunately, many of them prey on immigrants. This is because immigrants are less aware of how things work in their new home.  Also, they may feel more pressure to comply in fear that their actions might jeopardize their status in Canada. Immigrants come to Canada with hopes of creating a better life.  It is very heartbreaking to hear stories of shattered dreams due to scams and frauds. In this post, I will share: 10 common scams and frauds with links to reputable sources my personal experiences tips on how to avoid being...

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Daily Life / Finances

Setting Up Finances in Canada in 5 Easy Steps

Setting up finances in Canada is essential to starting a good life. Here are 5 easy steps to get started. 1. Get SIN Most immigrant’s to-do list starts with applying for a Social Insurance Number (SIN). I was no different. I applied for mine in-person at a Service Canada Centre on the first working hour after I landed in Canada.  What is a SIN? The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a unique 9-digit number issued to a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or a temporary resident.  The first digit of the SIN has a meaning.  Numbers 1 to 7 indicate...