Meet a Canadian Reader | Ann
Edit: OH MY GOSH you guys. I totally messed up this poor reader's name. For some reason, I typed "Amy" this morning instead of "Ann". Mea culpa, Ann, and everyone else!
Today we're meeting a reader from Vancouver. She shares my family's love for googley eyes, and I think you will love her outdoorsy photos (the snow-shoeing one is my favorite.)
Ann worried that she had sent in too many photos and I was like, "Too many photos?? There is no such thing, thank you very much." 🙂
Here's Ann:
View from the top of Mt. Seymour, one of the local mountains. On a clear day you can see downtown Vancouver.
1. Tell us a little about yourself
Hello! I'm a 20-something living in the Vancouver area (ie. in the suburbs) in British Columbia, Canada. I'm a high school teacher and while I generally love the work, the last few years have been profoundly challenging.
I keep busy with reading (I love my library, and I've found many great books through thrifting!), listening to music, gardening and getting outside for biking and hiking adventures.
I used to read lots on my Kobo while riding the bus...
...but nowadays I read mostly physical books. Either way, googly eyes amuse me greatly. 🙂
2.How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I believe it's been about 10 years!
Like so many others, I came for the frugal tips/DIY project inspiration and stayed for the positivity and good vibes. I appreciate Kristen's honesty and openness and feel like we'd be fast friends.
I spent a few months in the Alps about 10 years ago. I love mountains!
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
My parents were older than most when I was born and had already retired when I was growing up. As such, I was brought up very frugally.
I sometimes resented the fact that we seemed to be the only family that would avoid restaurants or fast food, but now I am grateful for my upbringing. I saw directly how it is possible to live a full, meaningful, and joyful life without spending too much.
Now, it is easy to appreciate the abundance in my life.
Snowshoeing in fresh powder is the absolute best.
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
I identify as an under-buyer, so saving money has never felt like a struggle. Also, my desire to stay in this high COL area gives me a good reason to be intentional about my spending.
Thinking long term, I’d like to achieve financial independence. The main driver for me is that I want to have options - say, for example, choosing to take a year off work to care for someone in need.
Additionally, I have found that many frugal life choices align very well with some of my other values (especially health and environmental impact).
A few examples:
When I lived closer to work, I was able to bike to work. This offers tremendous savings (less gas, reduced wear and tear, sticking with leisure-only insurance), but the other benefits were even more important to me. I found myself with less stress, increased energy and better physical fitness. It also reduced my carbon footprint.
When I choose not to be intentional in my purchases, I save some cash, but I also save myself the hassle of storing or caring for an unnecessary item and avoid increasing demand for a product that probably comes with lots of packaging.
When I choose to cook at home vs. getting take-out, I’m also saving money and reducing my garbage output, plus I am also likely to have a more healthful dinner.
Lake Opinicon, one of Ontario's many lakes
5.What's your best frugal win?
I drive a very non-fancy car (the lack of central lock throws some people off) but she is reliable, extremely fuel-efficient and very roomy!
I was lucky to have been able to continue living at home later than most of my peers. I am immensely grateful for the positive relationship I have with my parents and, as they are getting older, appreciate the time this allows me to spend with them.
The Great Lake Huron, another of Ontario's lakes! This is the beautiful Bruce Peninsula.
Rent is a significant expense around Vancouver, so this could be something like $50 000 over 5 years. However...
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
Since the housing market has gone absolutely bonkers in the last few years, it may have been a huge mistake to stay out of it for as long as I did! I try not to feel too bad about this, since you can never know how things will turn out, but this may end up being a very costly choice.
This is an example of my avoiding a choice because I don't want to make a mistake. Similarly, I let over a year (!) pass between having the means and determination to start investing, and actually going through with it.
It is always tempting to tell myself that I need to do more research to make sure I am making the "best" possible choice, but unfortunately, that often leads to inaction, which is worse than most choices! I try not to think about the wasted potential of sitting on depreciating cash for so long.
Looking forward, I remind myself that done is better than perfect, and that I can always readjust in the future.
Needle Peak – one of my absolute favourite hikes!
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
Since the pandemic, this is a rare occurrence, but whenever I go out to eat or do activities with friends, it feels like a luxurious splurge! I don’t order more than 1 dish and stick to drinking water but having this time to connect with people I care about is very important to me.
(We do lots of potlucks and dinners in, too!)
I also splurged on an Asus laptop a few years ago. Since I use it every day, often for many hours, having one that works well makes a big difference for me. I hope to keep it for many more years.
Sechelt, on the well-named Sunshine Coast, BC
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
I'm not tempted to have the best-ever product or to replace still-functional items, so I avoid frequent upgrades (see my wholly unimpressive car/ phone/clothes/etc).
Convenience products or take-out food don't appeal much to me, and I spend almost nothing on beauty products/handbags.
Moose spotted in Jasper National Park, Alberta. (No, we don’t see these every day in Canada😉)
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I'd split it, 90/10, between my house down payment and giving back to an organization like Partners in Health or another nonprofit that has been shown to be effective.
I am absolutely in love with the west coast. This is somewhere in northern California.
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
Here are two ideas to try; one concrete, one abstract: They are not revolutionary, but they have helped me!
1. Track your spending.
Yes, it can be a bit of a pain or time-consuming to start, but I am convinced that everyone has something to learn from this exercise, especially if you keep it up for a year (or more!). Mint is very popular and requires very little effort once it has been set up, but I like using a Google sheet for increased flexibility. I started 4 years ago (thinking I’d try it for a year) and haven’t stopped.
Instead, I added income and net worth tracking, too. There are plenty of templates available with a quick search online. I recommend starting with something simple.
2. Question your assumptions.
So often, there are overlooked alternatives that could be just as good (or sometimes better!) than the default. Could you enjoy a vacation centered around a road-trip, or a camping trip, or an Airbnb? What about an Airbnb with a shared kitchen?
I've traveled in unconventional ways for months at a time, including vandwelling and onebagging (backpacking with a carry-on size backpack)
A snapshot of the super-simple DIY van a friend and I shared for 10 weeks as we visited the US.
11. Is there anything unique about frugal living in your area?
Vancouver is one of the most expensive places to live in Canada, so it can be challenging to manage living expenses, even with a good income.
Finding creative solutions to housing, such as communal living, can help!
A few more photos to finish up:
A friendly dragonfly!
Eastern Canada (this is Quebec) has amazing autumn colours (and great maple syrup)!
I believe this is a painted turtle!
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Ann, thank you! I loved to get a peek into your life with all of these photos, and I also am so touched by your reasons for continuing to read my blog after all these years.
A question from me: did you get to ski in the alps?
Welcome, Amy!
Your photos are lovely, thank you for including them. I agree with you on tracking your spending. The first time I sat down and realized just how much I was spending on some things was a real shock.
I'd like to hear more about a 10-week trip in a van!
@JD, thank you! I traveled with a friend from university down the west coast to San Diego. It was not glamorous, but we visited so many beautiful places and the freedom that comes with that kind of travel is unparalleled, I think! I'd definitely like to do something like that again in the future.
Lovely to have a peek into your life, Amy! I've been to Vancouver and Victoria a number of times and it's a beautiful area.
Hi Amy - Thanks for sharing @ your life - your beautiful pictures make up for the gray weather by me right now! I'm totally with you on the old car setup - we drive ours till they're gone, and so we end up doing things like being the only boxy-looking car in a parking lot full of sleek designs (or a few years back when I drove home a friend's child and he kept looking around saying "Wait - where's the movie?" and I had to stop myself from saying "Oh, I could put a cassette in if you want," hee hee).
I also appreciate what you said about not wanting to make the "wrong" choice - it's easy for me to get caught up in research loops, or just not really think about bigger topics like investing choices until I "have time," and of course I just need to make the time.
With that in mind, thanks for jogging my thoughts to my investing topic this month - making my Roth contribution earlier this year - so I can go take care of it right now! (Thanks also to someone, I think Battra92, who mentions making Roth contributions early - you guys are helping me develop better habits : )
@Suz, Oh, there is plenty of gray here these days, too!
It's nice to hear I'm not the only one putting off those hard/important decisions!
Hello, Amy! Vancouver is such a beautiful city. I understand why you want to stay there even with the HCOL.
I have always found that tracking expenses and net worth to be motivational as well as provide insight into my spending behavior. It is good that you mention this. On occasion, I’m shock by what I spend. For example, in December, I could not believe how much I spent on Christmas food. I’m being very careful now and trying to get this line item in my budget back under control.
Wishing you peace and good health.
@Bee, Thank you! You are so right that it is easy to underestimate what we are spending! Christmas food sounds like a lovely thing to indulge in a little, but only if we can keep spending in line with our values.
Peace and health to you, too!
I am 53, happily married for more than half of that and am so happy to see young people making thoughtful and long term financial decisions. Dh and I didn't that, for whatever reason and we're facing hard choices now. Our kids have learned from experience, thank goodness.
One of my favorite "travel" blogs is a Canadian couple my age who retired from regular jobs and bought an RV and lived between Canada and Mexico. They bought a small RV van and are now traveling through Europe. Their monthly expenses are less than half of our and they see the most beautiful, off the beaten path places. Seeing the van you stayed in reminded me of that and it's something you can do for years to come.
@Jennifer, what is the blog called?
@Jennifer, I’d like to know the name of the blog too!
@Jennifer, Thank you for the kind words. That sounds like a great blog and you are right that expenses can be so low when you are on the road, especially if you aren't eating out every day. It is certainly not for everyone (and, I'd wager, far less glamorous than many people assume or would like to make it seem), but it can provide an exceptional degree of freedom.
Thanks for sharing, Amy! Even though I'm just a couple of hours from Canada, I think I've only been there once. You're pictures are so beautiful!!
@Ruth T, thank you! I hope you'll have a chance to visit in the near future. Of course, there are so many equally beautiful places in the USA, too!
Great photos! I second your tip about tracking your spending. I am overly obsessive about this, but I cannot tell you how it impacted our spending when we realized how much money we were letting slip through our fingers on junk (and junk food!).
@Lindsey, Oh, you are so right! I think I might tend towards the obsessive sometimes, too, but it is such a powerful strategy! I think everyone can benefit from trying it, at least for a little while.
Thank you for sharing, Amy! While we live in Ontario, our son attends UBC so I always love seeing photos of Van. He too loves how plentiful and varied outdoor activities are on the West Coast. I appreciate hearing about your frugal perspective at your young age - what a gift to yourself 🙂
@Shelagh, oh, I am glad he likes it here! It is definitely a great place to be if you like spending time outside. I actually went to university in Ontario (in Waterloo and Carleton) and loved visiting Algonquin Park!
So nice to hear from someone from BC! I live in northern BC; I live in the mountains, too. Sometimes, we see moose in town, even in our neighbourhood, but not everyday. Sightings are more common this time of year.
I went to university in Vancouver, more than a few decades ago. I love visiting Vancouver! A great city!
@Colleen, it must be so beautiful where you are! I imagine it must be quite snowy this time of year, too! Hope you have an opportunity to visit Vancouver in the near future 🙂
Another wonderful "interview" from a delightful reader. It was fun to read about your life and adventures: thank you for sharing.
I suspect you are wonderful teacher and your students are lucky to have you.
I think most people in their twenties are figuring things out. Don't beat yourself up about your timing. You'll' get there.
@K D, Thank you for the kind words! It is always nice to have a bit of perspective 🙂
Hi, Ann. I think you're doing absolutely great frugal things for a person in your age bracket, and keep up the good work. I wish I'd been doing as well when I was 20-something.
And your googly-eyed version of Ben Franklin is sending my devious mind places it shouldn't go, re: what I know of BF's proclivities. As my darling mother used to say, "Get your mind out of the gutter and come on down in the sewer with me!"
@A. Marie, Thank you for the kind words! Oh my word, I am not sure I know precisely what you mean about BF but.. now I'm not sure I'll be able to look at that picture the same way again!
Vancouver looks like a fun place to live!
I agree about tracking. It keeps me honest about what I'm spending. My parents started tracking every penny they spent when they got married (lean times for them) in a ledger they had. When they filled that one up they used another, and 25 years later they decided they had done that long enough.
@Kaitlin, Oh wow, 25 years....! That is admirable dedication! I think that is also a fantastic endorsement of the strategy. Do your parents have any other strategies you picked up from them?
Ann, thanks for sharing! I need to ask, is the Alps picture the Dents du Midi taken from Villars in Switzerland? I live in the neighbouring valley and that view seems VERY familiar 😉
Regarding investing in a house, it's not always the good choice, see Purple's blog, she was able to retire early at 30, which she attributes amongst others at not having spent money buying a house. You do you! And the best time to start investing was yesterday, second best is today 🙂
@Claire, Wow, well done! It is the Dents du Midi, but from the other side - I was staying in Leysin. You live in such a beautiful area! Vancouver is beautiful, too, but those mountains were really something else. I hope to visit in the future (for the amazing food, too)!
Thank you for the encouragement and wise words! 🙂
Lol. The term "under-buyer" sounds so much better than plain old "nonconsumer"!
@Allison, Hah, I never thought of it that way but you are right! I learned this term listening to Gretchen Rubin's podcast, Happier. 🙂 Does the term apply to you, too?
Hi Ann!
I live quite close to you, in Victoria. I hear you on the COL problem! I had to sell the home I shared with my parents in 2013 after they died and the majority of the proceeds went into their estate to be split several ways. Due to the way housing has shot up I’ve never been able to buy again, and have spent - I just added it up - over $147 000 in rent. And we just had to move again and the new place is even more expensive. It feels impossible to invest in one’s own life when paying in full for someone else’s mortgage!
I enjoyed your photos and frugal story. Thanks for sharing!
@Jem, Hello! Oh, I am sorry to hear that... it really is so tough! Wishing you all good things for the future!
Hi, I live in Vancouver too and I f I'm not mistaken Vancouver is the 2nd most expensive places to live in, in the World. BUT one of the top 10 prettiest city as well. (I'm very proud of our city so I wish Ann would have included more pictures of the local places and sights. ) Having said that I believe you could live frugally anywhere.
@Edit Jeremias, Wow, I hadn't heard that stat, but I could see it, especially if you adjust for median income.
You are right that it's so beautiful here - unfortunately I haven't been a good "tourist" in my own home, so I didn't have much to share apart from the local mountains! Apologies for the omission! Perhaps we'll see some of your photos in a future post? 🙂
Waving hello to Ann from up in Northern BC. I lived in Richmond (suburb of Vancouver) for 7 years. The scenery in the "lower mainland" is truly beautiful.
@KarenBC, Hello! I'd be curious to hear how you like life in Northern BC compared to Richmond? I imagine it is quite different but have only visited briefly!
Hi Ann! It's so nice to "meet" you and read about your interesting life and perspectives. You are a very wise young woman. And your values and tips are spot-on. I love all of the gratitude you express for your parents; I imagine they feel the same way about you!
@MB in MN, Hello and thank you for the kind words! I try to make sure I express my appreciation to the people around me and unfortunately it can be easy to overlook those closest to us!
Thanks for sharing, Ann! BC is so beautiful! Your photos make me want to go back sooner than later!
@Beth B., thank you! I hope you will have a chance to visit again in the near future!
Thanks for sharing. Very interesting post. You are so wise for being so young. I am an older parent. I hope my kids appreciate being raised by an older parent as much as you do. Once in a store someone asked my son "is this your grandma?" I was mortified and couldn't answer. But he replied loud and proud: "No she's my MOM." I was so happy
after that. Fabulous pictures. I went to summer camp in Pickering, Ontario and a dance weekend in Montreal. I love Canada.
@Anita Isaac, Thank you for the kind words! I am sure your kids do, and will continue to appreciate you more and more! My parents had similar comments, too... I imagine that the stranger making that comment must have been even more mortified! You sound like a wonderful mom!
Nice to meet you Ann. I hope to do a van trip one day. It will be a low cost frugal build!
@Stephanie, nice to meet you, too! Oh, absolutely! I think van life can be overly glamorized, but it truly is an incredible way to travel! I have never experienced so much freedom, with the ability to go anywhere and stop just about whenever we might like.
Our build was quick, low-cost and very simple (no running water/onboard bathroom), which wasn't as convenient as other builds, but it got us on the road in a matter of months and for not too much more than the cost of the van itself. Wishing you many adventures!
Hi Ann! Good to hear from another snowshoe enthusiast. I live in Michigan and going to Canada (pre-covid ... ) is something I used to do frequently. The Bruce peninsula is gorgeous and I enjoyed your picture of it. Thanks for sharing!
@Kris, thank you! I think snowshoeing is so underrated as a winter sport! Not quite as thrilling as skiing or snowboarding, to be sure, but *almost* as fun, much less dangerous, and so much simpler in terms of gear! Fingers crossed that we'll be able to return resume cross-border trips in the not-too-distant future!
Dear Ann,
So cool to read about your life! I visited BC + Jasper & Banff this fall and was amazed by the beauty of the landscapes! I would have loved seeing a moose but didn't get the chance. I was, however, quite stressed about seeing bears, and fortunately only saw a family (mama & cubs) from the safety of a bridge. I wonder if that's a concern you have or not when you hike? I was prepared/equipped but still not at peace at all on the trails.
I spent 4 days in Vancouver - I wanted to get an idea of the place and see if I would like to move there for a few years - and absolutely loved the vibe, especially Stanley Park, cycling everywhere (it's much flatter than Paris!), the coast... but the COL seemed quite daunting so if I do move to Canada I might go to the east instead.
Which part of the Alps did you visit?
200% agree the California coast is awesome, in a jaw-dropping way. I remember being awestruck at every turn - and I mean every turn! - while driving from SF to LA.
I really like the way you think and approach life & frugality, it seems very wholesome and in line with your values and beliefs.
Thank you for sharing a part of your life!
The googly eyes made me chuckle, so thanks for that as well!
@F from Paris, hello and thank you! Great question about the bears - I never hike alone and mostly along well-traveled trails, so it's not something I worry about. I have seen black bears on/near the trail, but not too close. Grizzly territory is definitely another question, but I see it as a calculated risk - and much less dangerous than driving to/from work every day!
Oh yes, Stanley Park is gorgeous! I didn't know Paris was hilly, but from what I've heard cycling/taking the metro must be the best way to get around! If you do end up moving to Canada, I think you will find beauty wherever you go - BC is just especially dramatic in its landscapes. 🙂
The photo is from Leysin (near Aigle/Montreux in Switzerland), overlooking les Dents du Midi. I want to go back!
Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to comment!
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ann. I think you and I could be fast friends too.
@Linda, aw thank you, that is so sweet! The FG community is so kind and welcoming!
Thank you to everyone for the kind and thoughtful comments!
Kristen, to answer your question I was lucky enough to work at a boarding school, and every week the entire school (students and staff) would take Tuesday and Thursday afternoons off and head to the local ski hill! It was absolutely phenomenal!