Nung una kaming nag-migrate sa Canada, one of our biggest challenges was navigating the dizzying amount of choices. We had to ask ourselves, mabuti ba ‘to para sa pamilya namin? Is this the best use of our resources? And ultimately, is this helping us build a better life here?
Before arriving, our first task was to find a place to live.
Naghanap kami sa iba’t ibang communities and weighed the pros and cons. Our home needed to be within walking distance sa school at malapit din sa transit for easy access to work. Mabuti din na marami sa mga communities na tiningnan namin had access to banks, hospitals and stores. Syempre, we needed to keep an eye on our budget and although malapit ang downtown sa trabaho namin, hindi naman namin ma-afford. So, we looked outside the city kung saan mas maraming choices at mas affordable ang rent.
Syempre bilang immigrant, naghanap din kami ng comfort food. Alam namin na magiging homesick kami, so we wanted to enjoy that familiar taste ng pagkaing sariling atin. While we had grocery stores readily available, matagal bago namin nahanap yung mga specialty supermarkets that carried the flavors of home. Mas matagal pa bago namin natuklasan yung mga hole-in-the-wall restaurants that served dishes that immediately filled us with childhood memories. But once we did, we found a diverse culture here with more than enough choices.
Another thing we needed to do was to stay connected. This meant finding the right mobile service provider na babagay sa pamilya namin while staying on a tight monthly budget. Na-discover namin na ang dami-dami palang pagpipilian na telecom dito sa Canada. In fact, having so many choices actually made it easier to find the services na bagay sa aming needs.
Finding the right fit didn’t take long.
Ang laki ng savings ko when I created my own plan and chose only the services I needed with Public Mobile without needing a contract. But the best part was, dahil ginamit ko yung sarili kong phone, mas nakapag-save pa ako sa plan. Gusto naman ng misis ko ng bagong phone kaya sa Koodo siya pumunta. Sobrang ok yung face-to-face interaction at customer service nila. ‘Di lang yon, she also uses her device to keep in touch with friends and family back home via social media so we love that the shock free data helped us manage our monthly bill. Plus, having both Public Mobile and Koodo work on Canada’s largest network really sealed the deal.
If you identify your needs and stick to your budget, navigating a sea of choices out there will not only be easier for you but better for your family as you build a new life together in Canada.