Akeye | Immigrant Mum of 4 in Calgary

Money advice I’d give you in your first year in Canada with kids, if I wasn’t afraid of hurting your feelings. 👇🏾

We came to Canada with savings and what we thought was a solid plan. But nobody told me how quickly those savings could disappear. And this is coming from a chartered accountant household, Yes my husband is also a chartered accountant🙂!

1. Know exactly how many months your money will last. Add up your essential monthly expenses and divide your available savings by that amount. Don’t just assume you have enough because your account balance looks healthy.

2. You may have arrived as a professional, but be prepared to take lower-paying jobs while you find your feet. Don’t build an imaginary budget around a job you don’t have yet. Your bills won’t wait for your dream job.

3. The expenses come in waves. For us, it started with winter clothes for the whole family, then everything started piling up especially when you are converting your local currency to CAD. Plan for the next wave before it arrives.

4. Practise delayed gratification. You might have had a beautiful home and everything you needed back home, but you don’t have to recreate that lifestyle immediately. Your emergency fund is not your furnishing budget.

5. Find your community and don’t be too proud to ask for help. Learn about the support and benefits available to your family. That, and God’s grace, carried us through some difficult seasons.

6. Your income strategy matters just as much as your savings. Sometimes the solution isn’t cutting another expense but finding ways to increase your earning potential. A temporary career detour isn’t failure.

7. If your savings run out, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed your children. 🧡 You can plan carefully and still have life throw you a curveball. Give yourself grace, but keep making a plan to get back on your feet.

Would I still make the move? Absolutely! But I’d plan differently and leave more room for the unexpected.

What’s one money lesson starting over taught you?

Save this or send it to a mum who’s just landed. 🧡

#FamilyFinances #MoneyManagement #WorkingMoms #StartingOver #LifeInCanada