70 k/a salary: alot of money?

[Hobart]

It all depends on what you do with the money and how you live. If you take advantage of things like RRSPs, TFSAs and maybe buy stocks with dividend tax credits. Sometimes it is how much you do not pay that makes you rich.

 

[erotq]

completely depends on your spending habits and where you live

 

[anonguy]

Dunno last job I was at 80k... and I didn't feel rich If you work all the time you eat out a lot and/or don't have the time to optimize your budget, montreal housing can be very expensive to rent and some of the older places are soooo expensive to heat. I got parking tickets being parked in my own driveway. It's very easy to waste money in this city, not because you are dumb but because it's like... the difference between the same item at supermarket A vs supermarket B can be double. But you only have time to go once every two weeks so if you want that item you are SOL. You don't have time to contest a $200 ticket because that means taking a day off work, even if it's complete nonsense.

But for the last 6 months trying to start my own business, so I've been living off savings. Which means gotta curtail all extra-curriculars. But I have more time during the day to call my cell company if like there's a $10 overcharge or whatever. To actually price check, clip coupons etc.

80k is like... 2 SP/month wealthy. You need your own business to do 2 SP/day wealthy!

 

[oobe]

Funny how this thread too got so many posts about cars... you've got to wonder what guys think about when they're not fucking!

 

[dude79]

During rush hour, the quickest way to get around Montreal is on a bike.

Does that count the time needed to shower at the office? That is if your office has a shower and/or you actually shower.

How about 3 inch of snow? Let alone 6? You still bike?

Are you one of those nut cases that we see in the morning with their 5 years old on their own little bikes during rush hour? Is biking more important than your kids safety?

If you fit any of those marginal scenarios then congrats! You're a bike zealot!

Its funny how bike zealots jump on any opportunity to push their agenda.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

watch out there dude79. rumples may hop on his bicycle at any moment. he will find you and run you over with his bicycle

Nah, the ignorant warrant no reply.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Actually, dude79 made some great points. Do they make studded tires for winter travel for bikes?

With all the potholes on Montreal streets, i would think also that riding at rush hour could be very dangerous as well what with having to stay extra alert in traffic, that watching out for those might not be the first thing on ones mind.

 

[wasisname]

Nah, the ignorant warrant no reply.

People don't need showers biking, esecially in 25 or 30 degree weather?
It doesn't snow in montreal?
Riding a bike in traffic isn't risky?

Hell instead of calling him ignorent why not just call him a fag. You have about as much base in doing that.

Bikes are much like linux. They have their uses but they are serious limitations of both and they have their fan boys who utterly refuse to recognize them. [I am typing this on a linux mint machine, but if someone were to suggest that you can't run Mainstream Cdn Tax software on it, or most games or rip DVDs without a lot of fucking around with an emulator and even then... I wouldn't call them ignorent because it is true.]


That being said there is a dude out of UofO IIRC who does bike though the worst of snow storms. Most people would think he is nuts though.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Actually, dude79 made some great points. Do they make studded tires for winter travel for bikes?

A couple of good points, though the snotty attitude suggested ignoring him. They do make studded snow tires, and I have a set for my hybrid. I'll ride in a couple of inches of snow, never on ice.

With all the potholes on Montreal streets, i would think also that riding at rush hour could be very dangerous as well what with having to stay extra alert in traffic, that watching out for those might not be the first thing on ones mind.

Nobody in his right mind would ride on the major bike paths (deMaisonneuve, de Brebeuf/Boyer/Cristophe-Colomb) during rush hour with a kid and, must confess, I've never seen a little kid during those hours. I'll often avoid them myself. If I'm riding, for example, from the Plateau to Westmount during rush hour, I'd rather ride on Sherbrooke than de Maisonneuve. But I think we're a bit off topic here.

By the way, many offices do have showers for their employees who ride to work. I know, for myself, in the time it takes to ride to NDG vs driving, I'd have time for a shower and a cup of coffee if I rode.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

This is actually a pet peeve of mine. When I drive in rush hour on Sherbrooke going downtown, between the buses and cars and tightness of the street in proximity of parked cars - not to mention there has been construction on Sherbrooke in the Westmount area - it fucking drives me bananas when there are people on bikes driving in the middle of the parked traffic and not even stopping when it is a PEDESTRIAN ONLY walk way.

Actually, Mitsou, there is more than enough room in the parking lane for both parked cars and bikes. Maybe you should reconsider driving downtown during rush hour. There are busses and the Metro which will happily take you there without crowding the city and fouling the air. You want to talk about pet peeves: how about people who drive alone in cars because they're too lazy to walk a few blocks to the metro or bus or ride an environmentally friendly bicycle?

There is a bike path one block south. it's safer and it isn't nearly as dangerous as biking on sherbrooke street during rush hour. When I walk downtown I always walk on De Maisonneuve and there really isn't a lot of volume on the bike path during rush hour between downtown and Westmount.

Actually that's not true. Because there are so many people who choose a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around town, the few bikepaths we have are over-crowded during rush hour. It actually makes quite a bit of sense for more skilled riders like myself to use other routes.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Furthermore, I don't own a bus pass.

I'll be happy to tell you where you can get one. Much cheaper than driving.

It's faster than taking the bus or metro...

Well, it might be faster than the bus because of all the cars clogging the streets, but it's certainly not faster than the Metro.

Hell, even St Catherine is a better option than Sherbrooke.

Actually, St. Catherine is the one street I won't ride on for more than a block (long enough to get off of it.) While the parking lane on Sherbrooke has plenty of room for a bike as well, the one on St. Catherine does not.

 

[b_cup_lover]

Well I'm with Mitsou on that one.

The city of Montreal spent millions and removed one car lane to build a bike path on de Maisonneuve street and what do I see when I drive on de Maisonneuve?
Almost no bikers, no instead they're all on Sherbrooke St. which, as far as I'm concerned, has not the space for bikes.

And all you bikers out there by the way, would you mind;
1- Make you stops
2- Keep you right or lane for that matter ( do we fucking drive our vehicles on the sdiewalk ? no then please respect us too )
3- Look around you when biking

I've never seen a city with so less discipline and judgment from pedestrians and bikers than Montreal. Try that in Toronto!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Bike where you want but I would use caution on Sherbrooke and wear your helmet.

Actually, I never ride without one.

Please excuse my snotty tone with you. Listening to people who don't ride pontificating about cyclists really gets my dander up. Yes, there are assholes on bikes, but as you should know as a pedestrian, they are outnumbered by about 10 to 1 by dangerous assholes in cars. In face, I've never seen a city where drivers are as rude toward pedestrians as they are here. I've even, when driving, had a pedestrian point to my license plate acknowledging that he knew it wasn't a Quebec plate because I let him cross in front of me.

what do I see when I drive on de Maisonneuve?
Almost no bikers, no instead they're all on Sherbrooke St.

I suggest you get your eyes examined. I actually use the de Maissoneuve bikepath all the time. It's crowded all the time. It's too crowded during rush hour so I seek alternate routes.

 

[malboro_man]

Anyways. OP can do whatever he wants.

A better way to help him is if he tells us what kind of work hes doing and years of experience.

We could pool our knowledge and let him know if that 70k is ball park fair.

Thanks to everyone for their comments.....my field does not pay well relative to experience
and education. I can say that it's an entry level government position. I have friends who
went through the same education with similar level of experience, they get only 10k more than
me at the same organization.

It seems like 70k (that's gross) is not a lot but could be enough to live by if one scraps here
and there.

The other way is to switch profession (get diploma; education)....how much does software engineer
get paid anyways? I have a bit of computer experience (but it's all self taught) and not necessarily
applicable to industry. However, if I can spend a year or two training what's needed in industry, that might be a game changer.

 

[PSEfreak]

It seems like 70k (that's gross) is not a lot but could be enough to live by if one scraps here
and there.

I know a family of 4 that gets by with that, a single person can live comfortably, your not scraping by.

 

[wasisname]

Furthermore, I don't own a bus pass. I actually WALK with my sweet legs from Decarie and Sherbrooke TO downtown on a regular basis even in -30C snowstorms. It's faster than taking the bus or metro and I hate crowds anyway. I have walked an hour and a half to and from plateau, old port and namur metro with ease. I am enviro friendly for you info and not lazy to walk.

.

Not far off from my experiences when I was car free in Hamilton. On weekends even with a pass I'd often walk to Mac than take the bus. You never know if the bus will be on time and it will show up on your schedual not yours. When you consider the time waiting for the bus and the speed of the bus as it makes fequent stops I'd often just say fuck it and walk. Often I'd see the buss pass me but usually I'd be in westdale by then. I'd rather walk it than wait for the bus even if it would save me the walk and perhaps 10 minutes. This for a 5km trip.

When I ditched the pass after Mac the numbers veered off even more to walking to the point where I got the plantar facaitis. Waiting for the bus both ways and the fare both ways I'd walk, or not bother going. Unless it was somewhere on the mountain, I have my limits.

In the small berg I live in its worse. 5 minute walk to the bus stop, 30 minute service means waiting for the bus, plus you want to get their 10 minutes early because again you never know if they might be early. I can often get to the library 4 km away in about the same time frame as taking the bus.

As for needing a transfer, no nay never.

That being said if I am going to downtown Montreal I'll take the metro in. I'll usually drive up to Laval to do it because I figure parking is easier and I have other reasons to do it. That is more of a parking issue. Ditto for Toronto, I think I'd rather just take the GO train from Oshawa or some other place west than try to find a parking spot.


As for taking the bus or the metro when you own a car, forget about it. Unless there are parking issues, once you are paying for the insurance and the rusting it is much cheaper and easier to just take the car.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I just think it is dangerous for bikes to be riding on Sherbrooke especially further ouest after decarie - it is very tight for 2 cars that way and too many buses.

Sherbrooke west of Decarie doesn't really have two driving lanes. The left lane is fine. The right lane, if there's a car parked, really doesn't even have room for a car.

Once you get west of Decarie, the de Maisonneuve bike path, other than the potholes, is fine as far a traffic is concerned. The only time I ride on Sherbrooke is during rush hour and only between downtown and Westmount Park.

As for taking the bus or the metro when you own a car, forget about it. Unless there are parking issues, once you are paying for the insurance and the rusting it is much cheaper and easier to just take the car.

Quite true, unless, you're planning to park the car and get out of it. Then again, if you're not planning to park the car and get out of it, why are you using it?

A Metro pass costs $2.40. Parking, if you can find a spot, costs $3.00 per hour in downtown. Then you pay for gas. Please explain how it's cheaper to drive?

You can go 45km an hour going down that hill.

A little dramatic, aren't we. You know those little handley things, just under your handle bars? If you pull on them, they'll stop you.

(I'm not sure my own helmet would offer much protection).

Well, maybe not, but you're awfully cute in it.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Sidney's comment reminded me that the former CFO of Amazon was just killed in a bicycling accident in which she was hauling ass down a hill, probably in excess of 45 km per hour (although that is not how speed is measured in California), and a car suddenly turned in front of her. Article here:

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Former-Amazon-CFO-killed-while-riding-bicycle-4828488.php

There are a lot of young and reckless drivers on the road, and if they fuck up in your bicycle's path, it is going to get very, very ugly. I, unfortunately, get to see the photos of the carnage after these debacles. I have been involved in many death cases, though I have seen more with motorcycles than bicycles, simply because of the speed factor. But if you are speeding down a mountain on a bike and count on a car not turning in front of you, just hope that the dice roll comes up in your favor.

 

[wasisname]

Quote Originally Posted by wasisname View Post
As for taking the bus or the metro when you own a car, forget about it. Unless there are parking issues, once you are paying for the insurance and the rusting it is much cheaper and easier to just take the car.

Quite true, unless, you're planning to park the car and get out of it. Then again, if you're not planning to park the car and get out of it, why are you using it?

A Metro pass costs $2.40. Parking, if you can find a spot, costs $3.00 per hour in downtown. Then you pay for gas. Please explain how it's cheaper to drive?

Don't read very well do you.

Not only that but in the exact same post I said when going into downtown Mtl or Toronto I TAKE THE METRO or the GO TRAIN.
Also a pass is only good for one way. You need two of them.

Cheaper to drive. However it is hard to find a spot and I am not the best parker thus my preference for taking the tansit in those situations.

However I almost never pay for parking. Go to the local library after 6, perhaps a buck of gas and a buck for wear and tear or IIRC 3.50 or 4 bucks for 2 passes? Granted if I were to stay for hours during the day it isn't wise but I can wait for nights and weekends when its free or plonk in a quarter or 2 if I am just going to drop something off. Its a no brainer when you count the time factor.
Sure I paid 3 bucks 2 weekends ago in Hamilton but after a 5 hours drive I really didn't feel like driving around looking for a free spot in a city I have never lived with in a car in and wait for and take the bus for what must be close to 5 bucks. I'd spend more in the passes and more in gas.
Ditto when I go to the library at Carelton U every month or so, 3 bucks for parking, worth it. Although I could park in front of my Bro's place and walk down but a 20 minute walk back with 10 heavy library books, screw that I'll pay the 3 bucks.

However when it comes to downtown Toronto I'd rather pay 20 bucks for a round trip on the train from say Oshawa or Hamilton than drive the 150 km round trip, plus the aggro of finding a spot and the 6 bucks for parking plus the gas.
Ditto for when I went to a Garfunkel and Oates concert in downtown Montreal a few weeks back. Drive into Laval where I grew up, parked on the last station of the Orange line and took the metro in. Better than the stress of finding a spot. In these cases it is roughly equal. Just a matter of convinence.

So yeah as I said before once you are paying for insurance and rust, it is cheaper to drive UNLESS THERE ARE PARKING ISSUES. Like for example if impossible to find like many downtowns or campus areas or is it is brutal expensive. Otherwise and for me at least it is always an otherwise, cheaper to take the car and drive.

 

[wasisname]

EB: I'm not saying I do that. I brake before every street when I go down Rachel. Which is why I don't bother with Rachel.

If you are going down on Rachel, shouldn't you be parked. Going down on anyone isn't safe in a moving vehicle. I am all for the kink, but safe and sane.