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Local wages and the cost of living


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#21 G-Man

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Posted 09 January 2009 - 10:19 AM

For 1050 you can have a 2 bd on your street.

http://brownbrosrent...dings.html?id=5

For 995 you can have a 2bd in James Bay

http://brownbrosrent...ings.html?id=59

You can live in Fernwood (walking distance to downtown) for 870 for a 2bd

http://brownbrosrent...gs.html?id=1239

On top of that you could find large basement suites for under 950.

#22 weirdie

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Posted 09 January 2009 - 10:36 AM

You can live in Fernwood (walking distance to downtown) for 870 for a 2bd

http://brownbrosrent...gs.html?id=1239


That would take me 45 minutes to walk to work in the morning. But I guess anywhere is considered walking distance if you have enough time :)

#23 Caramia

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Posted 09 January 2009 - 11:08 AM

Heritage Realty Properties runs buildings on Johnson Street, most are one bedroom but the two bedrooms are about $950. Of course then you have to live downtown. But for some people that's a bonus.
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#24 yodsaker

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Posted 09 January 2009 - 10:34 PM

Housing costs have far outstripped anything else over the past 40 years or so.
My father bought and paid for the family home on a blue-collar wage and without my mother going out to work. Impossible today.
As a uni student I rented a bsmt room for $17/week and lived ok (rent, food, dope) by driving a taxi 2 days a week.
Anyone making $10-$12/hour ($$350-450/week net) has to pay 2 weeks wages for anywhere even half-decent to live.
That's pretty nasty.
How the hell can anyone save enough to buy?

#25 G-Man

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 11:05 AM

^ That is just not true. Where is it written that you should be able to afford to buy a house in your 20's?

Rents have only risen moderately in the last few years and while i acknowledge homes cost more you should not be able to buy while still in uni imo. Renting is fine.

Most low income earners still are making 10 bucks an hour and if not than they could be.

#26 aastra

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 02:17 PM

Spring Road is five blocks from Blanshard Street.

#27 sebberry

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 05:22 PM

I feel very fortunate to have had my condo paid for in my late teens. (The circumstances were very unfortunate but that's for another website...)

As a computer tech working in a small retail sales/service store, paying the strata fees and the interest on my line of credit still standing from a failed business venture makes things pretty tight. The only way for me to break even is to rent my second bedroom out.

I don't live a lavish lifestyle, I don't spend money on partying on the weekends downtown and I don't spend any money on travel and I still struggle to save anything at the end of each month.

I negotiated a higher wage with my boss for taking on some responsibilities additional to my main job as a repair tech, but most repair techs in small retail stores earn around $12 an hour. For their skills and experience, this is, IMO a pathetic wage and not something you can live on while supporting a family. Trouble is, there aren't too many people with enough years experience who are of the age that such a wage is reasonable.

I know several middle-aged computer techs who work in retail sales/repair and none of them own their own home. For people who are fairly skilled this is quite sad. Employees on computing service teams at universities and colleges earn double that and are frequently burdened with less work and fewer demands from clients (I know this first hand). Even with $150,000 of equity in my condo, I cannot qualify for a mortage for a small-ish house.

#28 concorde

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 07:52 PM

Computer techs make only $12/hr??? wow. That seems fair, pay $12/hr and charge him out at $75/hr. I pay my entry level labourers $14/hr to start.

I would start doing repairs from your home on weekends and evenings to make some extra money.

#29 G-Man

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Posted 10 January 2009 - 09:17 PM

Waiters make way more than 12 an hr perhaps it is time for a career change.

#30 spanky123

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Posted 11 January 2009 - 02:20 PM

Computer techs make only $12/hr??? wow. That seems fair, pay $12/hr and charge him out at $75/hr. I pay my entry level labourers $14/hr to start.

I would start doing repairs from your home on weekends and evenings to make some extra money.


Problem is that there is no real "certification" or apprentice program for computer techs so they are really a dime a dozen. Throw in a lack of social skills and you arrive at $12 an hour!

#31 LJ

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Posted 11 January 2009 - 08:58 PM

Well among all you computer savvy people, can you tell me how to fix my laptop keyboard. All of a sudden it started typing the alternate characters rather than what it should be typing. Heres what happens when I type Vibrant Victoria Discussion Forum using my laptop keyboard --- V5brant V5ct6r5a D4sc4ss56n F6r40.

Any thoughts?
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#32 http

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Posted 11 January 2009 - 11:50 PM

You've managed to find the `number pad` function keys (popular among accountants and data entry clerks)

7 8 9
1 2 3

u i o
4 5 6

j k l
7 8 9

m
0

The last time I ran across it, it was turned on and off with FunctionModKey-F5, the time before that, it was FunctionModKey-F2 - laptop manufacturers don't have a standard for it. Few manufacturers mark the key combo, either, outside of the manual.


Well among all you computer savvy people, can you tell me how to fix my laptop keyboard. All of a sudden it started typing the alternate characters rather than what it should be typing. Heres what happens when I type Vibrant Victoria Discussion Forum using my laptop keyboard --- V5brant V5ct6r5a D4sc4ss56n F6r40.

Any thoughts?


"Who are those slashdot people? They swept over like Mongol-Tartars." - F. E. Vladimirovna

#33 LJ

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Posted 12 January 2009 - 09:47 PM

Hey thanks for that.

It actually turned out to be the function key and the delete button but I finally got it.
Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#34 http

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 05:58 PM

You're welcome. It's what I do.
But that's just a daft combination. what brand and model, LJ?

Hey thanks for that.

It actually turned out to be the function key and the delete button but I finally got it.


"Who are those slashdot people? They swept over like Mongol-Tartars." - F. E. Vladimirovna

#35 vandervalk

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 08:43 PM

I had a problem similar to that. I'm using an HP laptop and I was hitting CTRL + SHIFT at the same time and it would put the keyboard into the French characters. It took me forever to find out how to get it back to normal. So now I use the " 'merican" keyboard.
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#36 LJ

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Posted 13 January 2009 - 09:37 PM

It is a Lenova, I am not sure of the model, it says 3000 c100 above the keyboard.

Now, what do you know about Outlook Express?

I am away from home for awhile and using my laptop and I opened a new e-mail account with a new ISP. The mail works fine once I got it set up but it won't let me open links that are in the body of the e-mail. If it is an attachment - no problem, but when it is a link in the e-mail itself nothing happens. I went through all the options in the menu that I could find and nothing obvious jumped out at me.

Any thoughts on this?

Just put it on my tab.
Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#37 http

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Posted 14 January 2009 - 01:36 AM

This happens often enough that Microsoft includes it in their top ten.

http://www.microsoft...s/oetopten.mspx and see item #5.

If you use Firefox, Safari, Mozilla, or Opera as your main browser, you may have to re-install same. Unless mandated by an employer's IT department, I recommend using ANYTHING other than Internet Explorer as your default browser.


It is a Lenova, I am not sure of the model, it says 3000 c100 above the keyboard.

Now, what do you know about Outlook Express?

I am away from home for awhile and using my laptop and I opened a new e-mail account with a new ISP. The mail works fine once I got it set up but it won't let me open links that are in the body of the e-mail. If it is an attachment - no problem, but when it is a link in the e-mail itself nothing happens. I went through all the options in the menu that I could find and nothing obvious jumped out at me.

Any thoughts on this?

Just put it on my tab.


"Who are those slashdot people? They swept over like Mongol-Tartars." - F. E. Vladimirovna

#38 LJ

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Posted 15 January 2009 - 09:13 PM

Once again you came through for me, all working fine now. I bookmarked the web site cause I will probably need it again!!

Thanks
Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#39 Holden West

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Posted 15 January 2009 - 09:34 PM

What the code to correct whatever I`ve done to screw up the quote mark keys and question markÉ

Can we spin this discussion off into a tech issues threadÉ
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#40 yodsaker

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Posted 15 January 2009 - 09:59 PM

I thought this thread was about local wages and cost of living.

You're not quite at the end of this discussion topic!

Use the page links at the lower-left to go to the next page to read additional posts.
 



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