1.

Description

I am currently a kindergartner teacher graduated from UBC with a bachelor’s degree in

education. I’m living with a fellow secondary graduate and a drinking buddy, who is a psychologist
graduated with a bachelor of arts in psychology. I’m a teacher at panorama heights elementary school

2. Income

 Annual Income: $40370

 Annual Tax: $7634
 Loan Payment: $
 After Tax Income: $32736

3. Housing

Wishing to live in Coquitlam, the city where both of our workplaces are located, we decided to rent the
following apartment in Downtown Coquitlam (https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/pml/apa/d/downtown-
coquitlam/6608296468.html) at 2915 Glen Drive.

Description of the Apartment:

 880 sq.ft
 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom
 Located in Low Rise strata complex
 Close proximity to Douglas College, Lafarge Lake

Pros:

 Adequate space for two bachelors

 Two separate bedrooms
 Extremely convenient location (close to Skytrain, Malls, Banks)

Cons:

 Rent is higher than in neighboring cities or areas

 Shared bathroom

4. Furnishing & Appliances (taken from various Craigslist listings)

 Living Room
o Couch ($100)
o 42 inch TV ($200)
 Kitchen
o Refrigerator ($170)
o Dinner table ($90 including 4 chairs)
 Bedroom x 2
o Bedframe (49.00)
o Mattress (69.99 + tax)
5. Household Expenses

 Electricity (up to 1350 kWh)

o $60 per month
 Water
o $37.50 per month (average)
 Natural gas
o $65 per month (average)
 Internet (Shaw Internet 75 plan, 2 year contract)
o $40 per month (first 6 months)
o $89 regular rate

6. Food Expense (taken from HMart)

 2.5 kg of Kimchi: $7
 12 stalks of corn: $20
 16 packs of “Zha Wang” Instant Noodles: $20
 10 lbs of Bulgogi: $90
 Box of Zespri Kiwis: $20
 6 packs of “Pulmuone” tofu: $10
 15 lbs of “Sam Su Gab San” rice: $10

7. Transportation Expenses

 1-Zone Monthly Pass: $93

As both of our workplaces are in Coquitlam, it is possible for both of us to commute daily via local
bus routes or walking, making the costs of car maintenance, auto insurance, and a car itself
unnecessary to take on. Furthermore, our apartment is within walking distance of Coquitlam Centre,
Henderson Mall, and Lincoln Station, meaning our shopping and transit needs are also met without
a car. As travel outside of Coquitlam will be rare for both of us, it is only necessary to buy a 1-zone
monthly pass.

8. Household Expenses (all from Walmart.ca)

 Glad Easy-Tie Garbage Bags: $7

 Gain Laundry Detergent: $17
 SpongeTowels Two-ply 6-Pack: $7
 Royale Bathroom Tissue 12-Pack: $7

9. Personal Health/Hygiene

 Health Insurance
o Blue Cross Core Health + Essential Dental Plan: $37
 Hygiene
o Haircuts: $25
o Oral-B 4pack Toothbrushes: $6 (Walmart.ca)
o Old Spice Deodorant - $4 (Walmart.ca)
 o 3-pack Colgate MaxFresh Toothapaste – $7 (Walmart.ca)

10. Personal Items, Entertainment & Recreation

o Dining out allocation: $100
o Movie allocation- $20
o Concerts - $150 every 6 months (one-time cost)
o Gold’s Gym Port Coquitlam Membership: $12 ($6 bi-weekly)

11. Clothing

As the first employee to greet our stressed suburbanite clients with relationship issues, it is
necessary to work in an outfit that is casual and welcoming, yet professional. For this, I compiled the
following Business Casual outfit:

 Uniqlo Light Blue Super Non-Iron Slim-fit Long Sleeve Shirt: $33.50 (Uniqlo.ca)
 The Rail Everett Plain Toe Derby: $152.15 (Nordstrom.ca)
 Uniqlo Men Stretch Wool Slim-Fit Flat-Front Pants: $67.10: (Uniqlo.ca)

Total Outfit Cost (including tax): $252.75

Conclusion/Final Thoughts

Although this was all a hypothetical situation, moving-out was a lot more work and trouble than I
anticipated. There are so many little things and fees you have to keep track of, along with the fact that
you always have to keep on eye on your budget. It was definitely a positive experience, and I believe it
was able to better prepare me for the future. Although, I do believe there are a lot more things to it
than this project. In present time, I predict that it costs around 2000 a month for my parents to support
me.

The hardest part of this project was getting started. There were so many things to research and do, I was
confused where to start. However, after getting started, everything else felt a little easier and more
organised. Working like a partner helped complete this project, but I feel as though that in real life,
there would be a lot more drama when living with a roommate. Luckily, my partner was understanding
and cooperative, so it was overall a good experience.