Calgarians swap sad stories on affordability struggles

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Affordability is an issue across Canada, whether it’s inflation, rising rent, or extortionate grocery prices. Unfortunately, Calgarians know the struggle all too well.

A new thread ranting about Calgary’s current financial state has blown up on Reddit, with hundreds of people flocking to the comments to share their experiences and dismay with the city’s affordability.

One user perfectly summed up the issue.

“Never made so much money in my life, never felt so broke in my life at the same time,” they wrote.

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Across the thread, themes of income and housing were among the top issues Calgarians are facing.

People noted that salaries seem to be lower and that promotions only end up hurting their wallets more when higher tax brackets kick in.

“Has anyone else noticed that salaries in Calgary seem to be lower these days? A job that normally might pay $100k is now offering $80k,” one person commented.

“I definitely noticed this with my company. Postings used to be for much more money, now they’re paying people less for the same work,” another user agreed.

Others chimed in to share how they’ve had to turn down job promotions to keep up with Calgary’s cost of living.

“My husband just turned down a promotion because he would have moved to salary and an automatic $20k pay cut,” one user shared.

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In addition to income struggles, many commented about the cost of housing and rising rent.

“When we first moved back to Alberta, we looked at buying because living in BC was insane. But within two months, everything started to creep up. Houses that were $348,000 a year prior are now $550,000 without any improvements,” a user shared. “It’s depressing to bust your ass paying off debts, working extra hours to save some sort of money for a down payment only to be pushed out of the market again.”

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Other users joined in to share how rent prices are driving them to adjust their lifestyle, with one user sharing that rent is 65% of their fixed costs.

“I have downgraded my lifestyle significantly. Dining out is absolutely a no. A $2 coffee [is] absolutely a no. When meat runs out, I eat egg sandwiches and beans until the next pay,” they wrote.

“It’s survival at this rate,” they continued.

Do you feel the financial struggles in Calgary? Let us know in the comments below.

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