Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Early Retirement Extreme Forums » Lifestyle Questions

1. 

   BPA
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Jun '11
   Posts: 92

   Currently I live in Hamilton, Ontario which I love since it is close enough to Toronto to visit regularly without Toronto's expense. I could sell my current home and use the equity to buy an inexpensive co-op or condo in a decent area of the city. I could ERE here easily.

   I'm torn between the above idea and moving to Prince Edward Island where life is less cosmopolitan, but the cost of living is low and it is so beautiful there. I have a travel trailer there where I spend summers, and love the people. I also love the sense of community there which is not quite evident in Hamilton. Whenever I go there, I have this sense that I was meant to live there.

   Obviously, I'll need to think this through for myself before making a decision.

   I'm just curious to know what other places people think are ERE friendly.

   I could retire now, but am still enjoying my career.

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. 

   chenda
   

   Master
   Joined: Jun '11
   Posts: 371

   I've been looking into very remote areas, the beauty of ERE is that we are location independent and can move to cheap, spacious places which otherwise have few job opportunities.

   It would'nt suit everyone, but I'm sure I'll eventually find a few acres of land and a old stone cottage miles from anywhere...

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. 

   BPA
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Jun '11
   Posts: 92

   That does sound wonderful, Chenda. I'm envisioning northern Ontario.

   My biggest concern with remote areas is health care.

   Hamilton definitely has an advantage over PEI when it comes to health care. Somehow though I think I'd be healthier living in PEI. Air quality is certainly much better there, and all those biking trails are alluring.

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. 

   bigato
   

   Master
   Joined: Mar '11
   Posts: 919

   To me there's no doubt about where your heart is! But maybe there is a cheaper place that is as good as that.

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. 

   BPA
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Jun '11
   Posts: 92

   Thanks, Bigato.

   And PEI would be a better choice from a Peak Oil perspective.

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. 

   justjohn
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Aug '11
   Posts: 40

   hi BPA, could you elaborate on why you think PEI will be better under Peak Oil? thanks

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. 

   jennypenny
   

   Expert
   Joined: Jul '11
   Posts: 1,338

   I'm curious about this also. We are traveling to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in June. (We checked out British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon last June.) We don't want to be landlocked when we retire so PEI intrigues me.

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. 

   BPA
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Jun '11
   Posts: 92

   Justjohn: The number one industry in PEI is agriculture, so assuming I have met my other needs, food shouldn't be too much of a problem since PEI's population is very small (about 140,000). Also, I would live in one of the smaller towns or Summerside, and thus could walk or ride my bike most places. The province also seems to take care of its own residents first.

   There is a lot of agriculture around Hamilton, but the population is 500,000 and Toronto is nearby with a population of about 3 million. I expect it would be much more difficult to live in Hamilton during peak oil.

   If you can think of something I'm missing, I'd love to hear about it.

   Jennypenny: I love the ocean! But one issue with PEI is that a lot of places are too close to sea level for my liking. I think I'd buy property more inland (and maybe still keep my trailer in Cavendish). I love Cavendish beach.

   I would love to travel to Yukon. I don't have a bucket list, but if I did the Yukon would be on it.

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. 

   BPA
   

   Apprentice
   Joined: Jun '11
   Posts: 92

   I should also mention that I've never owned a car and hope to use solar power and wind power for electricity and electricity or wood for heating fuel.

   Wind power seems like a better bet on PEI. Lots more wind than sun.

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. 

    Dther068
    

    Novice
    Joined: Oct '11
    Posts: 3

    Well, I'm hoping for early-ish retirement, not too extreme, and one of the main things I've been thinking about (of course!) is housing. Mobile homes seem like good options for a pretty cheat type of housing (in relative terms) with a decent size. I currently live in Ottawa and when I asked my b-friend his thoughts on the practicality of such housing, his view was to forget it anywhere there is a real winter because they would be expensive to heat. I haven't independently researched this but I suspect he's right. So I'm thinking maybe the milder west coast might be a good bet for a place to settle after retirement. I was looking at places like Kamloops and Kootenay. I've never even visited, so I'm far from committing... But I think climate will be a big consideration for me, including the presence of many hours of sunshine.

    Posted 1 year ago #
11. 

    bigato
    

    Master
    Joined: Mar '11
    Posts: 919

    Maybe a well insulated tiny house would be feasible?

    Posted 1 year ago #
12. 

    BPA
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Jun '11
    Posts: 92

    In another forum, minihomes were recommended as an excellent way to save on heating costs. A well insulated tiny house would work as well.

    I do believe that there are tiny house builders on the west coast.

    Living in a condo in Hamilton would definitely require air conditioning...to keep cool and to avoid breathing the smoggy air. Living in PEI would not require air conditioning, but would be somewhat more expensive to heat.

    Posted 1 year ago #
13. 

    beav80
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Jul '11
    Posts: 61

    Hey BPA, why go so far from home? Prince Edward County is a nice spot instead of Prince Edward Island. I'd nominate Ottawa, where I live, as there are plenty of outdoor/extracurricular opportunities, and the 9-5 mentality here makes being frugal easier. We also live in a co-op here which has been ideal as far as keeping costs down ($300 each). Also, if you need occasional work the government often has contracts that are easy to pin down (outside of the current cuts).

    Outside of that, the north shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, Cultus Lake and Christina Lake in B.C., as well as Nelson, B.C., and Wakefield nearby in Quebec would be my top picks. These are places I've been to so I can't say anything about the other nice places around.

    Posted 1 year ago #
14. 

    BPA
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Jun '11
    Posts: 92

    Prince Edward County is beautiful. I love Ottawa too, Beav. Interesting about the contract work opportunities. My French needs work for sure though.

    I'm thinking of staying where I am (retired or not) until my kids finish high school in five years, so keep bringing the ideas.

    I think the cost of living is lower in the maritimes...especially in small communities, but I'm keeping an open mind. Thanks for the suggestions.

    Posted 1 year ago #
15. 

    Koogie
    

    Novice
    Joined: Oct '10
    Posts: 29

    Why go so far from Hamilton ? We live in Mississauga and I've been eyeing places down along Lake Erie and by Windsor (also Ottawa Valley but damn the winters are harsh).

    Houses and even more so rentals are cheap as chips down around Port Stanley/Simcoe, etc.. Plus, Windsor and its environs are a good choice (on near/water, close to the US)

    Posted 1 year ago #
16. 

    sky
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Jan '11
    Posts: 196

    Sell the shack in Vancouver and live large in Windsor.

    Posted 1 year ago #
17. 

    Skinnyneo
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Oct '11
    Posts: 33

    I've thought about moving to Canada when the time is right. Is Vancouver an ERE friendly area?

    Posted 1 year ago #
18. 

    Lilac
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Oct '11
    Posts: 147

    Real estate in Vancouver proper is ridiculous. I would say it is pretty ERE friendly in other regards as I think it houses Canada's largest granola-crunching hippy population. ;) It's a very eco-minded part of Canada.

    In my opinion, Vancouver has the nicest weather in the whole country. You could also check out Vancouver Island too.

    Posted 1 year ago #
19. 

    BPA
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Jun '11
    Posts: 92

    @Koogie: I don't much like southern Ontario summers and I love the ocean. Where I live now, the bacteria is too nasty in Lake Ontario much of the time to swim there, and I fear it would be similar in Lake Erie. Also, Summerside and Charlottetown are walking/cycling friendly.

    But I will check out some of the places you mention as far as real estate goes. Always good to get new ideas.

    I had been thinking of a cheaper condo near Wasaga Beach/Blue Mountain/Collingwood.

    Posted 1 year ago #
20. 

    chilly
    

    Journeyman
    Joined: Dec '10
    Posts: 275

    I liked Nova Scotia... even coastal New Brunswick. They both seemed very cheap and like nice places to live casual life - especially if you have a penchant for being near the water and are not rich. They are pretty rural though except for a few cities.

    Posted 1 year ago #
21. 

    SkaraBrae
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Mar '11
    Posts: 30

    I find it intriguing that Vancouver and Vancouver Island are being mentioned as all the rest of Canada hears about BC is "it's sooooo expensive".

    The Maritimes can be nice for retired life, although speaking personally I do not care for the way their politics are done, their (low, from my perspective) level of health care, the high taxation levels, or the disturbingly common defeatist attitude many residents seem to have.

    That said, the scenery and weather can't be beat; there is always some gorgeous scenic park within 15 minutes' drive, and if you like the ocean, you're set! Free fun abounds when tourist season ends and all the attractions are ridiculously cheap, or even free. -15 C is considered really cold out here. (I come from the Prairies so I get a good laugh every "winter" about this.)

    If you are in good health, have a good community/network, and don't have to worry about commuting into town very frequently, you could easily have a wonderful retirement out here. It certainly seems to be working well for my father-in-law, who, even in poor health, has added at least 10 years and a lot of joy to his life by leaving the city and going rural.

    Posted 1 year ago #
22. 

    BPA
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Jun '11
    Posts: 92

    Skarabrae: Thanks for your input. I have my qualms about health care compared to the rest of the country. Seems like many potentially life threatening issues end up in Halifax. The taxation part is something I'd mostly avoid while there because I'd be living at or under the Basic Personal Amount and wouldn't be using too many taxable products or services.

    The people I know aren't defeatist, but some reading on PEI specific message boards sure does seem so.

    I'm glad that your father-in-law has had a really good experience.

    Posted 1 year ago #
23. 

    SkaraBrae
    

    Apprentice
    Joined: Mar '11
    Posts: 30

    Hey BPA. :)

    Once ERE, the taxes out here don't matter so much. However, if you're working towards ERE, especially in a traditional J-O-B, it's not so great. Unemployment is high, labour laws heavily favour employers, and wages in general are deflated (with no corresponding decrease in the cost of living). That being said, I do see a lot of entrepreneurs and small businesses out here, and if you had a location-independent microbusiness it could work very nicely.

    The scenery and weather truly are gorgeous. They make much ado of the hurricane season but we haven't even lost power once during one, let alone flooded or seen any real damage. There's still a reflexive overhyping of them due to Juan, I think.

    Probably my favourite time of the year right now is the twice yearly trip out to NB to visit my father-in-law. He and his wife sold their house out West just as a big housing boom hit their area, then turned around and bought a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. They love living in a small, tight-knit community and being so self-sufficient and off-grid. It is very relaxing to go out there and just chill for a few days. You don't even get cell phone service -- it's blissful!

    Posted 1 year ago #

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