My Lifestyle Choices

Your remaining budget: $
Your expenses total: $

What lifestyle do you see in your future?


Are your lifestyle choices realistic? Can you afford the choices you want to make? Take the Lifestyle Reality Check to find out.

Step 1

Choose an occupation by making a choice from the drop-down list. The list shows the typical take-home pay (that is, after deductions from your paycheque) for various occupations in .

Occupation Name           Average monthly take-home pay (after payroll deductions)


Don’t see the occupation you want? Enter the monthly take-home pay you think you’ll get.
 $

Step 2


Choose where you plan to live.
 
 

Step 3


Check the expenses you’ll have from the list below. You’ll see typical expenses for a young person in the area you chose.

Housing Transportation
$ $
$ $
$ $
Food Utilities
$ $
$ $
$
Telephone Computer
$ $
$ $
$ $
$
Clothing Health care
$ $
$ $
Personal Entertainment
$ $
$ $
$ $
$ $
$ $
$ $
$ $
Insurance Recreation
$ $
$ $
$
Other Education (tuition, fees, books, etc./ 12 mos.)
$ $
$ $
$ $
$
$ Enter any missing expenses here:
$ $
$ $
$ $
$
$
$
Total Expenses: $

Step 4

Your chosen occupation:
Your monthly take-home pay:    $
Total monthly expenses:           $

Monthly difference:                $

Note: If the difference is positive, you can add it to your monthly savings. If it's negative, you can't support your lifestyle with this career.

Remember: You may not get full-time work right away, especially if you are pursuing your education. If you are paying for a family, your expenses will be much higher.

*  Source: Service Canada 2006 (adjusted by FCAC for estimated wage increases and deductions)
** Doesn't include tips
Income is reduced by as much as 40% to allow for income tax and related deductions.
Assumes full-time employment. Part-time employment would have a lower average monthly salary.

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