I Was Comparing Prices Between U.s. and Canada ...

[sailortena]

for some items, and I gotta say .. WOW

Some of the price differences are average because of the currency conversion. But I was looking at things for some cookware:

Griddle: U.S.: $95, Canada: 170$
Small saute pan: U.S.: $20.50, Canada: 36$

Some things I noticed are much more than a currency convesion. Here's my question for you Canadian consultants: do you find it hard sometimes to sell the higher-priced items, even with your provincial taxes? That just seems like it would cost a lot to me.

Or maybe Canadians are jused to paying more for stuff?

 

[jenniferlynne]

I've always wondered that myself, but at the same time wish we did things over here like they do there. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to pay for health insurance? And maternity leave is a year, paid over there!!! We get a lousy 12 weeks and it's not all paid (depending where you work).

 

[cla519]

I'm from Winnipeg Manitoba and we are know as whole sale city. If you can start a business here you can make it anywhere. It is very confusing to why certain item seem to be so much higher. Our dollar is pretty good right now and non of the prices are going down only up. Maybe we are paying a duty on it and they have to raise the price of the items because of that. So it can be hard if customers see that the US prices are that much cheeper when browsing the internet that why we have to pay so much more here in Canada.

 

[cla519]

I've always wondered that myself, but at the same time wish we did things over here like they do there. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to pay for health insurance? And maternity leave is a year, paid over there!!! We get a lousy 12 weeks and it's not all paid (depending where you work).

We pay alot more taxes here and our health care sucks. I would rather keep our tax money and be able to use that money to get insurance and get the health care when it's needed not whenever they can get around to us. A few provinces have made it so that we can pay for certain things like MRI's so that we can start the treatment we need sooner than to have to wait months and in that time could be life of death. That's why our polticians go to the US when they need a procedure done. And we only get maternity leave if you work for a company but not if you are self employed. I was back to work 3 weeks later, I own my own cleaning business as well as PC. But yes it sure is nice to get that year, with only half the pay, if you can get it.

 

[Happy Mom]

Cheryl,

Do you have any idea what private insurance costs? I do not work, and my dh works for a small company with no benefits. Our premiums are almost $19,000 per year for a family of three. No, I did not add an extra zero!
It kills our monthly budget. Last year our premium increased by $2800, and it goes up 15-20% every year

If you do not have health concerns, you can buy catastrophic insurance which means you have a large deductible and a cap on your spending.
I'd take a national health plan any day. It has to be better than the usury in the states. Why are U.S. health cost so high? Coporate Greed!

 

[jenniferlynne]

We pay alot more taxes here and our health care sucks. I would rather keep our tax money and be able to use that money to get insurance and get the health care when it's needed not whenever they can get around to us. A few provinces have made it so that we can pay for certain things like MRI's so that we can start the treatment we need sooner than to have to wait months and in that time could be life of death. That's why our polticians go to the US when they need a procedure done. And we only get maternity leave if you work for a company but not if you are self employed. I was back to work 3 weeks later, I own my own cleaning business as well as PC. But yes it sure is nice to get that year, with only half the pay, if you can get it.

I had no idea health care was bad over there! That is horrible that you have to wait so long to have certain proceedures done. I had never heard that before. I also didn't know that your maternity leave was only half pay. I didn't know anything about it at all until a Canadian called in on Live with Regis and Kelly to play the travel trivia game. She said she was in her 5th month of maternity leave and Regis made the comment about maternity leave being a year paid in Canada. So I guess if your family can't get by on half your income you still have to go back to work. Can you only go back part time and still get the half pay on top of that? I know that doesn't apply to you since you have your own business, but would it for someone that worked for a large company maybe?

 

[cla519]

I suppose there is faults in both countries heath care. Sure wish that there could be some kind of happy medium to both. Not too sure about the going back to work part time, know you are allowed a small amount of income before they start deducting your maturity benifits. So probably very part time.

 

[medhatterchef]

I can't believe you can get the gridle for $95 US! That's what I'm aiming to get with pan-o-rama points...it's weird why only a couple things are marked up so much. I might be a little jaded, cuz I'm from Alberta (you know, the province that just gave everybody $400 cuz we have so much extra) and I haven't had any problems with our health care and get most of my taxes back -especially since I started with PC, cuz I can claim quite a bit of expenses!
-h