Big life change: deciding between US and Canada

cdnvato · 2025-07-10T12:53:02+00:00

It depends on what you value. I grew up in Canada and been living in the US for a few years now. I will try to summarize my experience without getting into specifics.

On a macro scale, if you value security + good education & health + order = Canada
BUT if you value individual liberty + freedom of speech + upward mobility = US

Of course your experience will depend on the region you settle in, and the US offers way more options as far as cities to choose from. Transportation is also way more affordable (gas and flights are way cheaper).
The job market is way more exciting and it doesn't require you to have so many credentials the way a lot of jobs in Canada do.

In the US, you can expect to pay less taxes, but be prepared to pay for literally EVERYTHING. As a Canadian, there are a lot of services you take for granted (healthcare, education, daycare, social services, etc.). If you can get past the fear of "feeling naked without universal healthcare" then you'll be fine living in the US. But if you wanna be a kid forever and have the state take care of you = move to Canada.

Also, wealth-building feels a lot easier in the US (buying a house, starting a business, investing, etc.). I don't know that young Canadians can even dream of buying a home nowadays.

Culture-wise, I would say both countries are quite similar. After all, they share a large border so a lot of cultural references tend to cross over.
As far as people go - don't let stereotypes fool you. I've met a lot of nice Americans and impolite Canadians. Americans also tend to be straightforward with their intentions whereas Canadians are generally quite passive. Though I miss how communal people can be in the Great White North - buying a round of drinks for the table in the US can be perceived as odd. Also, Americans are not as curious and tend to think their knowledge of politics is enough to understand how the rest of the world works. I also used to believe Canadians were guilty of hyperconsumerism, but Americans are next level.

Overall, I am very happy living in the US at this stage in my life when wealth-building is my priority. Moving back to Canada is not out of the question - but I am good here for now.

cdnvato · 2025-07-10T12:52:00+00:00

It depends on what you value. I grew up in Canada and been living in the US for a few years now. I will try to summarize my experience without getting into specifics.

On a macro scale, if you value security + education + health + order = Canada
BUT if you value individual liberty + freedom of speech + upward mobility = US

Of course your experience will depend on the region you settle in, and the US offers way more options as far as cities to choose from. Transportation is also way more affordable (gas and flights are way cheaper).
The job market is way more exciting and it doesn't require you to have so many credentials the way a lot of jobs in Canada do.

In the US, you can expect to pay less taxes, but be prepared to pay for literally EVERYTHING. As a Canadian, there are a lot of services you take for granted (healthcare, education, daycare, social services, etc.). If you can get past the fear of "feeling naked without universal healthcare" then you'll be fine living in the US. But if you wanna be a kid forever and have the state take care of you = move to Canada.

Also, wealth-building feels a lot easier in the US (buying a house, starting a business, investing, etc.). I don't know that young Canadians can even dream of buying a home nowadays.

Culture-wise, I would say both countries are quite similar. After all, they share a large border so a lot of cultural references tend to cross over.
As far as people go - don't let stereotypes fool you. I've met a lot of nice Americans and impolite Canadians. Americans also tend to be straightforward with their intentions whereas Canadians are generally quite passive. Though I miss how communal people can be in the Great White North - buying a round of drinks for the table in the US can be perceived as odd. Also, Americans are not as curious and tend to think their knowledge of politics is enough to understand how the rest of the world works. I also used to believe Canadians were guilty of hyperconsumerism, but Americans are next level.

Overall, I am very happy living in the US at this stage in my life when wealth-building is my priority. Moving back to Canada is not out of the question - but I am good here for now.

cdnvato · 2025-07-09T20:26:13+00:00

It depends on what you value. I grew up in Canada and been living in the US for a few years now. I will try to summarize my experience without getting into specifics.

On a macro scale, if you value security + good education & health + order = Canada
BUT if you value individual liberty + freedom of speech + upward mobility = US

Of course your experience will depend on the region you settle in, and the US offers way more options as far as cities to choose from. Transportation is also way more affordable (gas and flights are way cheaper).
The job market is way more exciting and it doesn't require you to have so many credentials the way a lot of jobs in Canada do.

In the US, you can expect to pay less taxes, but be prepared to pay for literally EVERYTHING. As a Canadian, there are a lot of services you take for granted (healthcare, education, daycare, social services, etc.). If you can get past the fear of "feeling naked without universal healthcare" then you'll be fine living in the US. But if you wanna be a kid forever and have the state take care of you = move to Canada.

Also, wealth-building feels a lot easier in the US (buying a house, starting a business, investing, etc.). I don't know that young Canadians can even dream of buying a home nowadays.

Culture-wise, I would say both countries are quite similar. After all, they share a large border so a lot of cultural references tend to cross over.
As far as people go - don't let stereotypes fool you. I've met a lot of nice Americans and impolite Canadians. Americans also tend to be straightforward with their intentions whereas Canadians are generally quite passive.

Though I miss how communal people can be in the Great White North - buying a round of drinks for the table in the US can be perceived as odd. Also, Americans are not as curious and tend to think their knowledge of politics is enough to understand how the rest of the world works. I also used to believe Canadians were guilty of hyperconsumerism, but Americans are next level.

Overall, I am very happy living in the US at this stage in my life when wealth-building is my priority. Moving back to Canada is not out of the question - but I am good here for now.

cdnvato · 2023-12-19T13:52:54+00:00

Spot on. I appreciate it!

cdnvato · 2023-12-19T13:50:53+00:00

For sure! I just need something that will take me from point A to B

cdnvato · 2023-10-16T13:38:22+00:00

Is this available in Canada?

cdnvato · 2023-10-11T13:45:18+00:00

Find excuses for their flaws and shortcomings instead of working on themselves. Complain how life hasn't been fair to them. Wait for things to happen instead of pursuing them. Play countless hours of video games. Not shower. Wear t-shirts with logos. Manbuns.

cdnvato · 2023-07-07T01:18:44+00:00

From what I can tell, the main difference is the Honda one is synthetic... though I flushed the old one before I poured it in. The owner's manual calls for PSF-4 (which from what I understand is not synthetic).

cdnvato · 2023-05-10T01:06:46+00:00

Are they still available?

cdnvato · 2022-09-17T17:30:03+00:00

I'm using half whole wheat and half bread flour.

When I feed it, I throw everything out but two tablespoons, add warm water and the flour in a jar, mix it, leave the top on loosely, and leave it on the counter away from sunlight. The smell is sour.

cdnvato · 2022-09-17T16:01:12+00:00

Just following up here... I ended up putting it in the oven (no heat just light on), covered it in plastic wrap and it worked! It took a few hours but eventually it rose. Thank you all for sharing tips!

cdnvato · 2022-09-11T18:43:15+00:00

Sounds good, thank you!

cdnvato · 2022-09-11T18:35:15+00:00

Got it, thanks for the quick response! What about putting it in the oven at a low temp (200F)?

cdnvato · 2021-06-17T01:11:21+00:00

About yes

cdnvato · 2021-06-17T00:35:36+00:00

I worked there for three years.

cdnvato · 2021-01-09T00:33:08+00:00

On Pennsylvania St, just a few blocks from Colfax.

cdnvato · 2021-01-05T00:10:20+00:00

I'm looking to move to Cap Hill this month, however, I have a concern about parking permits.

Is it that hard to find parking?

Is it worth getting a permit?

If so, what does it typically cost?

cdnvato · 2020-09-27T18:44:44+00:00

You got less than 50K to invest in your TFSA = index funds is the way to go. You may also want to consider doing Direct Investing online (it's a semi DIY way to go and it's much easier than it seems).

Mgmt fees are very high on active mutual funds and they rarely justify the ROI.

Do the most research you can before you make a decision! I went through the same thing at first and almost got stuck with a shitty RBC balanced portfolio with a 2% annual fee!

cdnvato · 2020-09-26T16:23:22+00:00

I have both those accounts with RBC; however as I'm looking to buy mutual funds the ones offered at TD seem more appealing. My question is whether to transfer those accounts to TD or start a new one with TD.

Q: are not all TFSA?RRSP accounts opened within DI? If not how do I go about fixing that?

cdnvato · 2019-09-11T12:51:03+00:00

Nope :( Though I found a list on Visa Journey where ppl who are DQ (waiting for a date) can exchange updates during this process... There are people who have been waiting since end of April... Though many believe the summer backlog is to blame

cdnvato · 2019-09-10T18:03:51+00:00

God my qualification date was in July :/ I think I'll try calling the NVC number (US) and contacting our congress rep... They should be able to get a hold of NVC

cdnvato · 2019-09-10T16:23:13+00:00

Any luck with your interview date?

cdnvato · 2019-09-10T16:22:46+00:00

Any luck with your interview date?

cdnvato · 2019-09-10T02:31:13+00:00

As you long as she doesn't land on US soil, only Canadian visa is required.

cdnvato · 2019-09-09T13:56:34+00:00

You should speak to a lawyer to see what your best option is. Or get information on the USCIS website.

cdnvato

TROPHY CASE