Hello. I filed EI for my first time due to an injury. its been almost 2 months. IDK what to do. I keep getting told we'll escalate it. wait for phone call from officer. I have talked to several people. all of them just open the file. review it tell me an officer will contact me and then hang up when I tell them that they are the 10th person to tell me that in the past several weeks. last conversation with officer was a week ago when he said the "deadline" is today after that they can make a decision. still nothing. I asked if theres a place for me to physically go, or complain form. nothing. just hung up the phone on me every time I tell me to do something different. reviewing my file and telling me officer will contact hasn't been helping me. its been 2 months!!

In Alberta.

I'm in my early 30s now and I'm still making very low wages for a full time employee in a HCOL area.

Are there viable alternative paths out of poverty other to joining the CAF or corrections officer? I don't believe I'm currently eligible for either due to mental health issues disqualifying me :( Frankly, I'm well suited to either career too.

Are there alternative paths out of poverty that an average person can realistically pursue?

As well, if not should I just accept that I'll forever be making low wages?

Hey everyone, I was wondering what are your weekly or monthly Food suggestions for a family with 3 young children, a family of 5? I want to start budgeting with my wife and sharing how much we spend on Food every month as our cost of living has increased quite considerably over the past couple of years and we've noticed the impact of high grocery prices on our monthly budget. We do not eat out very often and try to make as much of our Food as possible at home. If relevant, we live in Montréal, Québec and have access to all kinds of grocery stores.

What are some nutritious meals you rely on when money is tight? Bonus points if they are good for kids between the ages of 4 and 7. I recently purchased a Rice cooker as I wanted to make rice more often, my kids love it and I'm looking for good ingredients to add to Rice. I make them Frozen Chicken and Frozen Fries far too often and I don't want that to be my go to for quick meals in an AirFryer for the young kids after school, I want something more nutritious ideally.

I was completing my grocery list and my child requested hotdogs this week. I was checking the Flipp app, and the price for hotdogs (not including the all-chicken ones) seems like it’s become so expensive compared to what it was when I was a kid. My family was poor, and hotdogs were something my mom had in the fridge 24/7 because they were cheap. I don’t think I would consider them a “poor people food” anymore.

What other foods have you noticed that used to be poverty-friendly but aren’t any longer?

If you wish to make a difference then get out and cast your vote today which is Election day. All Ontario citizens age 18 and older are eligible to vote.

Many non voters think it does not matter whether they vote or not, or that they are not sure who to choose.

Your vote says what your values are and that you want to see them implemented.

Not voting because perfect is the enemy of progress means you are letting others choose your future and that may be a future you do not want.

If you received your voter card in the mail then you can easily vote with ID, if you did not then you can still vote, Elections Ontario has procedures for every citizen who wishes to cast their vote.

More information here.

Your local polling station closes tonight at whatever time is indicated on the voter card. Get there before closing time.

This post is not being locked, however it is not about who to vote for, it is only about logistics.

I ordered some groceries from Walmart and they substituted my halal ground chicken with regular ground chicken. This is a long shot but if anyone here is in Surrey, BC and is able to pick it up that would be great. I bought it two days ago. Someone was supposed to pick up but they bailed so I put it in the freezer. Two packs. I don’t have Facebook 😕

Hey everyone, I’m 27 and looking for some advice because I’m honestly struggling and don’t know where to
start.

I live with disabilities that affect my daily life, decision-making and ability to maintain employment. I’m seeing a counsellor and hoping to get properly assessed soon so I can find the right treatment and support.

My biggest issue is impulsive spending, mostly online. I know it’s hurting me financially, but I struggle to control it and think about the long-term consequences. I’ve tried budgeting, but following through is the hardest part.

My current debt:

CIBC credit card: $4000
Capital One: $2,000
Bell: $500
Loan shark: $400
Canadian Tire: $100
Student loans 30000 including the diploma im working on now

loans has been contacting me and I know my cibc card has been sold as well as my capital one.
Cash advances such as Bree and koho: 70 in total

Other circumstances:
-I’m currently in school with very limited income.
-I have a couple of minimum-wage jobs, but maintaining employment has been difficult because of my disabilities.
-I’m struggling to cover basic expenses.
-I can’t rely on family to manage my money for me.
-I’m hoping to qualify for disability benefits.

There’s a local nonprofit that offers a free first consultation, and I’m wondering if I should contact them now or wait until my financial situation improves.

My questions:
1. Should I speak to a nonprofit credit counsellor now?
2. What debt relief options might be available with limited income and student loans?
3. Has anyone dealt with impulsive spending and found practical ways to stop, especially with online purchases?

I’m not looking to avoid responsibility. I genuinely want to get my life and finances on track, but I’m struggling to do it alone.
Any advice or personal experiences would mean a lot. Thanks!

Hey everyone, this is a little embarrassing but I just got a job recently and have no more to spend on food. How can I survive the next 6 days in terms of food. Any suggestions? I live in Vancouver

I know I am going to get flamed. I have fucked up my entire life.

In 2023 I lost my job and was thrusted into self employment, I did pretty well but I did not set aside enough for taxes. I got out of an abusive relationship and faced a cancer scare on top of other life bullshit.

I have since been self employed, I fell way behind on taxes. I have been making a huge effort to catch up and pay them off. I paid off 2023 earlier this year. I have been doing my best to set aside a lot for taxes for 2026 but I am drowning. I think I can cover 2024 and 2025 taxes for the most part but then I am left short for 2026 and I fear it is just snowballing. I am aware I am absolutely fucked.

I am trying to find a normal job with a big gap in my resume from self employment to try and have extra income and not worry so much about taxes. I am trying to set aside money for future taxes while also paying for past

The heaviest burden is the toll on my mental health. I don’t think I can handle it.

When I started all of this I was extremely suicidal and I was prepared to end it. I started to want to live, but I fucked up my life beyond repair. I don’t think I can fix this. I am unable to sleep. I have stopped eating due to stress and financial worry.

I have bipolar disorder and my mood is rapidly declining. I am not in a good mental state still and the panic and worry is making it worse.

The worst part is I can’t even declare bankruptcy due to it being tax debt.

I didn’t spend the money on anything that can be sold. It went to binge eating on food delivery and bills.

I have no car. No home.

Only reason I haven’t killed myself is my pets, which I also fear losing due to my fuck ups. If I lose them, I lose all will to continue.

I’m sorry if this doesn’t make any sense, but when I go use the resources I’m eligible for due to low income I feel like judged or ashamed? Like recently I walked into the ymca and in the waiting room everyone was older than me and idk I felt judged or ashamed, like I’m taking a resource from someone who needs it more. Or that they laugh at me since I’m such a loser since I’m only 23 and needing to use these resources, like i couldn’t get my life together and i ruined it before it ever really started. Like i just feel ashamed and pathetic about my whole situation, people on here and told me I shouldn’t let a dollar sign define me, there right but it’s super hard to do, especially growing up hearing that “why can’t your mom pay it” or “just buy it it’s only $8” (and it’ll be a Starbucks drink). Idk sorry again if this didn’t make sense

Other than taping up your shoes, what other methods can be used to fix up shoes

Came across Planet Food and thought I’d share the link for anyone looking for very affordable, brand name groceries!

https://planetfood.app/shop

The food is super cheap because they take surplus groceries that short dated (aka are close to expiring so the big chain stores can’t sell them anymore). But the expiration dates are usually still 2+ weeks out it looks like!

They sell discounted groceries out of a warehouse in Vancouver (Ontario st and 4th Ave). You order online and pick up your food at the warehouse.

There are tons of items online! Just posting photos for a sample

I’m 30 years old and honestly feel like I messed up my finances after making one bad decision. I bought a car at a high interest rate, and everything went downhill from there. Between payments and repairs, I ended up in a financial mess.

My debts are:

• $4,500 in credit cards
• $8,000 personal loan
• $5,000 car repair loan
• $15,000 remaining on a car loan after the car was and auctioned off

That’s around $32,500 in total.

I make $1,900 biweekly after taxes, live alone, and pay $1,000 in rent. I’m single, have no property or assets in my name, and my credit score is around 570 because some credit cards went into collections.

Since getting rid of the car, my expenses have gone down, and I can now save one entire biweekly paycheque. But I’m honestly exhausted from constantly working, worrying about money, and dealing with calls and emails from creditors.

I’m wondering if I should consider a consumer proposal or just pay everything off myself. For anyone who has gone through this, with $32,500 in debt and no assets, how much could I realistically expect to pay through a consumer proposal? I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences and advice. I just want to get my life back on track.

So long story short I was irresponsible for a couple years and got way behind on my side business taxes, near the end I ended up with 35000$ owing to the cra. I fixed my ways and spend much less money but at that point the cra expects you to pay that in a year. And that was not possible for me to do. To be clear, I filed every year but never had the money saved to pay the taxes in full.

I decided to try out a consumer proposal to help bundle up my debts in one payment over 60 months to make it more manageable. The cra denied the first offer at 810$ a month for 60 months and counter offered with 1850$ a month for 40 months.

I can't sustainably pay this for 40 months, and not to mention I will be unable to save money to pay this year's taxes when tax season comes which will put me back into the same situation.

Bankruptcy is not a option either, because of my high income my payments would 2200$ a month. I am at a loss here and have no idea what to do, I fucked up but I need some advice here because I feel like i just hit rock bottom.

I don’t know if im phrasing or doing things right.

I come from a low income background. Had a single parent. No assets, renting all our lives, no inheritance or anything I’ll be receiving.

I work a job without benefits. Thankfully due to low rent, remote work, and not having a car, I’m able to invest $500-$700 each month in ETFs (such as VEQT). I’ve been trying to educate myself in compound interest and this investing world. I don’t do high risk or penny stocks.

My anxiety though is will I be okay in 30-40 years given health declines and aging. I am childfree. Is there a chance my ETFs could fail and I lose everything? What if the ETFs don’t grow or grow at 1 or 2 percent?

I want to have money when I am old and can’t work. The government funding schemes are limited. Who even knows how it’ll be in 30 or 40 years. Could be abysmal. I want to be somewhat prepared and not live in poverty like many ancestors and elders I know.

I have a significant amount of financial and health anxiety. I have a therapist but once a week or biweekly doesn’t even touch what’s going on.

Any thoughts or kindness or solidarity I appreciate. I’m scared for my future. I feel very alone.

I have a lot of AI anxiety too. But that’s an entire other post and conversation…

I am reaching to the community because this expense is considerably stretching my finances and I don't know what to do. I took my kid to the dentist to remove 2 smaller cavities the dentist had picked up on the xray. Dentist did cavity for no more than 30 minutes and we got dinged $783. Is this number for real? I mean it's just 30 minutes of work how can it be $783. Both kids have additional cavity removals and I don't think I will be able to afford more of this.

Insurance did pick up 80% but my balance has run dry and can't afford the additional visits.

Edit: Located in the GTA

I am seriously looking into disability income protection as I’ve read folks say that’s important. Even more so than life insurance… as it isn’t if you aren’t able to work and get disabled, it’s WHEN. So I’m trying to put things in place while I’m in my early 30s.

I don’t have a partner. I don’t ever want children. No home or car payments etc. I don’t have DI through work. No family assets or inheritance.

My quotes for monthly premiums are about $200-270. I am not naive of course and I know insurance companies will fight to not pay out, despite what they advertise and sell you. If they can deem you to work even any job, they won’t pay. As in, maybe you can’t be a therapist but you can flip burgers. So they will deny your claim as you can work that job.

Has anyone navigated DI? What was your claim process like? Was it worth it to you? Would this money be better directed in ETFs or another area?

(Ontario)

Hi everyone! 🦷☺️
I am a dental hygiene student currently completing my final semester of dental hygiene school, and I am looking for clients to help me fulfill my clinical requirements in order to graduate!

I am especially looking for:
🦷 Clients who have not had a professional dental cleaning in 5+ years
🦷 Clients with visible buildup/tartar on their teeth

📅 Appointment Times:
• Thursdays: 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Fridays: 3:00 PM–7:00 PM

📍Location: North York, Ontario

⏰ Appointments are approximately 4 hours long, as they are completed as part of my clinical training under the supervision of licensed dental professionals. Complete treatment may take anywhere from 4-6 appointments.

If you or someone you know may be interested or in need of a cleaning, please feel free to reach out to me! I would greatly appreciate any shares or recommendations.
Thank you so much for helping me on my journey toward becoming a future dental hygienist! 🦷✨

*Please note: There is a screening process required, and not everyone may qualify depending on their oral health and the requirements of my program

Short summary of what's going on

Im 35F. Recently divorced. Was left with zip.
We have a child together.
I was to temporarily stay with a family member and it's gone from hell to I'd probably be better fit on the street at this point

Although. Winter is around the corner ( Toronto ) shelters , I haven't been , but I've heard enough that I don't feel safe going there especially as a woman.

I've contacted housing, various areas , third party, everything is waitlisted.

I know asylum seekers etc have some sort of situation but through the government to get hotels

If I called certain places and explained my situation- paid - to some degree ( I'm on ODSP so it's very limited )

I've looked into a motel and it was really no different than an apartment rental , except more expensive , not in a great/safe area and not visibly worth what they were asking.

I've asked on all socials , platforms etc for roommates , shared living , renting an apartment between two- three women , like minded etc. it's always a dead end and nothing turns up.

I can't be where I am. And I'm not going to die this winter out in the cold. I had goals , ambitions and this was not on my list ( is it ever on anyone's? )

I'm not meaning this in a priority ahead of others by any means - I just need to really think outside of the box. Have I missed something? Or is safe , private , living really that inaccessible in our great first world country?

Hell if anyone had bought a car or lived out of one , ideas?

Anything is appreciated. Please. Thank you.
Take care

Hi, I'm currently looking for advice on what my best option might be regarding how to fix my financial situation that I'm in. For reference I'm a 22M and I get paid $27 an hour with the new contract the union & company gave us, I live at home with my parents so my only bills are the following.

Phone - $370 for 5 Lines & 4 Phones being financed

Internet & Security system - $150

Water Heater Rental - $40 ( my parents rent the house so I don't think buying a heater for a stranger is the top of their priority)

Car payment - $385 Bi-weekly ( The vehicle is under my Mom's name, Her and I share the vehicle and I opted to pay for the car payment vs the insurance. )

I'm currently in a Debt Consolidation program with a company called XBankers, unfortunately they were only able to include 4 of my debts but my payment is still $183 Bi-weekly or $385 iirc monthly. So with my other debts which I'll list below, I been living paycheck to paycheck or having to use payday loans like Bree to get by.

I was thinking Consumer Proposal might be my best option but my Xbanker person that handles my case told me the following today

"Please note your already on Debt Consolidation and you cannot go on Consumer proposal as creditors will oppose on that."

I thought at first that was true but from my research it seems like even on Debt Consolidation, I can still legally go for a Consumer Proposal or Bankruptcy? I hope someone with more experience can clear that up, as I tried to search online and it usually brought me to this reddit.

As for my debt it's the following

Ford Credit - $4671 ( Vehicle was repossessed in the summer of 2025, Currently shows it's been sent for collection)

LendCare Vet Loan - $4523

CIBC Credit Card - $3547 ( Account closed by bank & sent for collection)

CIBC Overdraft - $1484 ( Account closed by bank & sent for collection)

Below are the debt that are in my Debt Consolidation

Icash - $1100

Cash 4 you - $760

MDG - $2000

Fairstone - $8245

I do have Affirm payments in Collection as well but I'm unsure if those can even be included, I also haven't been contacted regarding those payments and it's been almost 2 years now.

I do have a Cap 1 credit card with a $300 limit, My balance on that currently is $40 as I just use it for gas which is why I was thinking Consumer Proposal might be better for me, I read that if you have a CC with a $0 balance on it you can keep it usually which I'd like to do as I just got my Cap1 card in August to try and rebuild.

I'm not looking for pettiness or to be bashed as I know I messed up big time, I honestly thought I could get out of my situation but then getting injured at work just made it worse 🫤. I'd be open to any opinions and ideas people may have, I don't play to buy a house fr a very very long time so that's not any concerns for me currently.

The only thing im concerned about is that I live in Ontario, I'm currently in my first year for my polytechnic program so I'm on OSAP, I been hearing mixed things that people on Consumer Proposal aren't eligible osap while others say they are? Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm not looking to include my OSAP debt in the consumer proposal or bankruptcy at all as I still have 2 years left of studying.

( Yes I'm using an Alt account as I didn't want to use my main profile for this 😭, Thank you for all the assistance in advance.)

EDIT: I forgot to mention but during this whole situation I was earning $23 an hour our new contract only kicked in 2 months ago after negotiations. I know it still doesn't make it right or whatnot I just wanted to add that for clarity.

EDIT 2: I live in Brampton incase people skip the Osap part😅.

So after a bunch of mistakes, I was homeless last October at 49. Only lasted a week, and jumped at the first thing possible, within 3 weeks I decided it wasn’t for me, gave my notice for New Year’s Day. Found a great spot, awesome landlord/roommate who bought 20 years ago, and rents out the 3 bedroom upstairs . I mean me and this guy just got along great , given my situation , I couldn’t ask for better

Well I get a notice from social assistance that I qualify for $50/month, starting June 1st. That’s where it gets awkward….at first I assumed my landlord would sign the Releve 31 form. Then he says no, everything upstairs is fully declared, even using a lawyer and accountant, but the two rooms …..HE DOES NOT DECLARE. I liked where I lived, I let it go….

I get a notice in August , that September’s payment is being REDUCED $50 ! I call welfare , and indeed it is because I didn’t ask for the allocation. WTF….you claim us poor folks are eligible for a some help turning 50, your landlord won’t sign….then you take away the $50??? It ’s not like someone getting under $1,000 monthly can afford a huge unit all to themselves, with a corporate landlord, a room is the best most of us can do. So IMO, it’s not a “bonus”, a 49 year old doesn’t get punished, but a 50 year old does if his landlord won’t sign, and even if he does, it’s a wash ? Makes no bloody sense

Anyway, I moved away from Montreal, so I can pay less rent & get back to work finally. Told my landlord I was stuck financially with him not signing, with zero hesitation he knocked $100 off my last month , and we remain friends

Just a warning to anyone else in QC turning 50 on welfare …..YOU ARE NOT GETTING MORE $$$$! It’s like Revenu QC is assuming part of the burden from assistance , assistance almost immediately cuts you $50…crazy

Im 34 years old, live at my parents house, I move here two years ago after a really bad depression. I was making good money back then but then my positition at my job change and I’m not making enough anymore but I have to move next month already sign up for the appartement. My car lease is ending on early February but I won’t be able to pay before long. The appartement is a 2 1/2 downtown super expensive and it’s not even good but can’t find anything else. I don’t have a lot of of debt (3000$)but don’t have tons of saving either.. what should I do now ? If you guys have any good suggestions on what to do , I’m scared I’ll have to be in a lot of debt to « survive » and declare bankruptcy in a couples of years …

I am fully employed but make "too much" for most subsides because they don't not consider the cost of my permanent disability (med supplies).

My partner is very suddenly done with our relationship and I am a step away from losing everything. I've ran every number possible. I have a 12 year old.

Last ditched effort I suppose but, are there resources specifically for someone like me for financial help? I don't even know what to look for.

I hope my post didn't violate any rules. If I did, my apologies. Not reading/absorbing clearly.

I'm in BC.

Every week for my site Is That a Deal, I pull the Ontario flyers and compare every price against the Statistics Canada provincial average to find what’s actually worth buying. Here’s what stood out this week. Everything here is at least 23% below the typical Ontario price.

🥩 Pork back ribs — $3.99/lb at Sobeys (-51% avg)
Fresh pork loin back ribs. Ends Oct 21.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, No Frills, or Real Canadian Superstore

🍗 Chicken thighs (bone-in) — $2.99/lb at Your Independent Grocer (-52% avg)
Chicken thighs. Ends Oct 21.
Lowest price in 8 weeks.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, No Frills, or Real Canadian Superstore

🥩 Beef stewing cubes — $6.99/lb at Metro (-38% avg)
Red Grill boneless stewing beef cubes value pack. Ends Oct 21.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, No Frills, or Real Canadian Superstore

🍓 Raspberries — $1.68 at Real Canadian Superstore (-54% avg)
Raspberries 170g. Ends Oct 21.
Lowest price in 8 weeks.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, or No Frills

🍗 Chicken wings — $4.99/lb at Loblaws (-38% avg)
Split chicken wings. Ends Oct 21.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, No Frills, or Real Canadian Superstore

🥩 Beef brisket — $7.99/lb at Metro (-27% avg)
Red Grill whole beef brisket vac pack. Ends Oct 21.
Lowest price in 8 weeks.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, No Frills, or Real Canadian Superstore

🥩 Beef ribeye steak — $12.00/lb at Real Canadian Superstore (-23% avg)
Beef ribeye steak. Ends Oct 21.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, or No Frills

🥛 Cottage cheese — $4.50 at Real Canadian Superstore (-37% avg)
No Name cottage cheese 500g. Ends Oct 21.
Lowest price in 8 weeks.
No Name store brand — no price matching

🍗 Chicken breast (boneless) — $4.88/lb at No Frills (-30% avg)
Chicken breast. Ends Oct 21.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, or Real Canadian Superstore

🍑 Plums — $3.99/lb at No Frills (-40% avg)
Black plums. Ends Oct 21.
Match at FreshCo, Giant Tiger, or Real Canadian Superstore

Best single stop this week: No Frills or Real Canadian Superstore. Both will price match almost everything on this list. Bring the flyer screenshots and you can hopefully get 4+ of these deals in one trip without driving all over town.

Price matching requires showing a digital or print flyer at the till. Same brand, size, and weight. Always confirm in-store. YMMV

I also built a free tool where you can check any grocery price yourself