Like I said last year, each year, the cost of living increases and it is getting harder to live in the City.
Major increases will be affecting me this year:
1. My local monthly public transit system has not finalized their 2015 budget proposal. They are thinking of another $0.10 increase and a $7.25 increase for my Metropasses per month. A huge jump from $5 from last year. The plus side is that kids under 12 will ride for free. It would somewhat benefit me in a small way but I don't travel on the TTC with my kids often enough to make it worth it. They say it is to improve the service but I think it is more likely to pay for their yearly salary increase. To start their hourly rate is $24.06/hr then it increases after 12 months probation to $26.53 then $31.40 after 24 months. 7 hrs x 5 days per week x $24.06 = $43,789, clearly I am working in the wrong career. All I need to get is a bus licence and drive a bus/subway all day.
2. My home insurance went up $12/mo. Which is still high since I am paying over $160 a month. Last year increase was $50.
3. A price increase for Canada Post, effective January 12, 2015, stamps for letter mail will cost $0.77 for mailing in Canada and $1.18 for mailing in U.S. These changes are for postage meters and in a way it is a good thing since I see less junk mail but it is terrible for small businesses.
4. They also said my Property Taxes will increase this year by 2.75% where people with houses valued at $525,000 will pay an average of $83 additional per year. They also said that the solid waste management will also increase by 2.25%
5. My hot water tank (Direct Energy) rental has increased by another $0.50. When I first moved into my house over 8 years ago, it was around $10 now it is close to $16.
6. Back in December it was discussed that Ontario Hydro bills could go up 42% within 5 years. So if you were paying $125 it could go upwards to $178 a month plus HST, this is going to hurt alot of people.
Typical Family’s Monthly Hydro Bill 2013 - $125 2014 - $137 2015 - $145 2016 - $167 2017 - $170 2018 - $178 2019 - $177 2020 - $181 2025 - $194 2030 - $205 (Source: Ontario Long-Term Energy Plan. 2013)
7. Enbridge rates are going up and it has already taken effective beginning of the year. The increase will be approximately $63 annually.
Other increases will be either affecting me or others.
Rent - maximum of 1.6% increase is allowable in Ontario in 2015 - see guideline here
Condo Fees
Car Insurance
Increase in EI & CPP premiums - less take home pay
Camps, after school programs, Day Cares
Food - the usual fruit, meat, and eggs
And the list could go on and on.
I also have to look into summer camps for my daughter. Both of the summer camps I take my daughter to increased their fees and one was more than the other. This summer the kids has one more extra week of summer vacation so more expenses for me this summer.
Expenses has been increasing but my salary has been the same for the past 5 years. *Sigh*
Which increases will affect you the most?
Anything I have mentioned above is through research via online newspapers. Please do your own research to get accruate numbers.
I was happy to see the price of gas and oil go down. This is a HUGE savings for our family. We usually spend close to $1500 a mth on this in the winter mths so now that is cut down to aprox. $900!!! But yes you are true everything else is going up!! :(
ReplyDeleteCost of living keeps increasing, and my wages certainly don't... I find it harder and harder to get ahead all the time!
ReplyDeleteI can help with one! Direct Energy is actually unnecessarily. We got rid of ours. Nothing changed but our hydro bill. It went wayyyy down. We were told by a social worker.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and I have been saying this for years now. Cost of living always increases consistently, however, nobody gets pay raises unless they are CEO's, etc. We really do need a governmental body in place that would monitor the cost of inflation and tell any and all businesses that they must increase all salaries to meet the cost of living/inflation. Just my 2 cents. What drives me nuts too is that across the country we have seen a massive dip in the cost of gas which is nice at the pumps, however, none of the big businesses or airlines have done away with gas surcharges - this should be another thing that is monitored. They make money even though it costs them far less for fuel. Argh!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Tania, that fuel surcharges must be done away with now that fuel has dropped so significantly. That just isn't right, is there no monitoring of these things? The surcharges can't be justified any longer.
ReplyDeleteI'm on a fixed income, so it's difficult to make ends meet when there is a rise in the cost of living every year, thankfully the lower cost of fuel does help this year. I'm definitely worse off than 5 yrs ago as of course most other people are too.
I think it's important to do our research and to know what options are out there. It's easy to be complacent and just stick with the providers that we've been with, but unfortunately we don't get rewarded for loyalty.
ReplyDeleteI live in a rural town so kids walk to school or ride bikes when its nice out (I only shop about once a month in the winter months for groceries but gas has gone down so thats nice)
ReplyDeleteour home insurance only went up because we had a break in , in the garage, and filed a claim ...otherwise its been the exact same price in the 13 yrs we've lived here (SGI)
I can't remember the last time I used a stamp (I prefer to pay bills online right away and walk over to the town office to pay the water bill via debit)
Property taxes will always go up as long as your town gets bigger (the more services the more you pay. My mother lives in a town of 30 people and her taxes have gone down as they have no services)
I own my own gas hot water heater and replaced it about 5 yrs ago but would love a $10 bill for gas LOL (our house is also gas heated)
now that the kids have moved out, I have a whole lot of money ... its very weird trying to figure out how to buy less food (I have a seriously hard time eating a whole bag of apples before they go bad)
All my bills are way too high! I try to make smart decisions and cutbacks, but it never seems like enough.
ReplyDeleteIt gets tougher and tougher to make ends meet. I do everything in my power to only make ends meet.
ReplyDelete(Debbie W)
Up up and away go the prices. Things go up, few go down and pay stays the same. I hear you.
ReplyDeleteI am facing similar increases to my expenses and really feel for you.
ReplyDeleteWe would actually move out of Victoria if we didn't have grandchildren here. Its so bloody expensive to live here.
ReplyDeleteYes, expenses just keep increasing. We've been cutting back on and changing some of our services to help keep costs down.
ReplyDeleteYes, everything just seems to get more and more expensive. There is a small reprieve at the moment in the price of gas though.
ReplyDeleteOur finances are stretched to the max. Not only have living expenses increased, but it was necessary for me to move into an Assisted Living facility late last year.
ReplyDeleteI feel like people can always save more money if they just live within their means.
ReplyDeleteWe're seniors living on a fixed income, so the increase in prices for groceries, rent, hydro, gas, cable, internet, etc, are all affecting us hard.
ReplyDeleteThe prices of food are outrageous ! How can a family even afford to live these days.
ReplyDelete