As Canadians, we have a health care system that allows us to get the treatment we need, almost anywhere. However, in some cases our health coverage doesn’t apply across the border.
If you are heading south, whether it’s for the winter in a milder climate, or a quick shopping trip, it’s important to consider travel insurance.
Related: Travel Medical Insurance – Don’t Leave Home Without It
“Travel insurance should be part of your travel plans,” according to Mark Anevich from CAA South Central Ontario. “An unforeseen medical emergency can happen when you least expect it, and existing provincial plans do not necessarily cover all of your expenses.”
Travel Insurance
This is true when traveling to other provinces in Canada, and especially true when you head south of the border to the United States. As you choose travel insurance, here are 5 things to keep in mind:
1. Multi-trip vs. one-time travel insurance: Make sure that your coverage reflects the traveling you will do. If you only go south once a year, for the winter, you can get one-time travel insurance that covers the specific period of your trip.
However, if you make multiple trips, it’s a good idea to get an annual plan. These plans cover all of the trips you make in a 12-month period.
2. Don’t just rely on price to decide: While the cost of your coverage is an important aspect to consider, it isn’t the only thing. What happens if your medical emergencies are only covered up to $25,000 and you end up needing more coverage?
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Really evaluate your needs and then choose the appropriate coverage. You might have to pay a little more, but the peace of mind is often worth it.
3. Pay attention to exclusions: There are a lot of interesting things to do in the United States. However, you need to make sure that you understand what might be excluded from coverage in your policy.
Some “adventure” activities like mountain climbing or whitewater rafting, might not be covered. Know the exclusions before you leave. Also, understand what constitutes a pre-existing condition, since that might not be covered.
4. How are claims paid?: Some travel insurance policies pay the health care service provider directly. Others require you to make all payments up front, and then reimburse you. Find out the policy.
Related: Snowbirds – What You Need To Know Before Heading South
If you are worried about paying out of pocket, consider a policy that pays the health care providers directly. You should also check co-pays and deductibles.
5. Customer service: Find out about the procedures involved when it comes to complaints, and do some research online into consumer reviews. While no insurance company is going to have a perfect record, you can get a pretty good idea of general customer service when you poke around.
Find out if there is a toll-free line you can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the event of an emergency.
Planning a trip can be exciting. However, don’t get so caught up in the fun aspects of trip planning that you neglect the more practical parts. Travel insurance can ensure that you are prepared for almost any situation while you are out of the country.
When we got married several decades ago I received the usual assortment of small appliances as wedding gifts. I remember those Harvest Gold appliances fondly, and they lasted a surprisingly long time. In fact I still own some.
So why is it that the replacements have to be replaced again every couple of years?
Suspiciously, most of these items seemed to last just a hair longer than the manufacturers’ warranty.
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Planned obsolescence
Manufacturers have increasingly adopted a policy of designing products that work more efficiently and have a large range of features, but are short on durability.
We’ve become a throwaway generation because today’s appliances are so much cheaper than they were a few decades ago and consumers have to work fewer hours in order to buy them.
For example, our first VCR cost over $600 and I was earning approximately $7 an hour at the time. Now you can buy a Blu-ray player for under $100 and even the minimum wage is higher than what I was earning.
Average life spans of major appliances
I recently bought a new washer and dryer set. When I pulled out my paperwork I discovered that I had originally purchased the old set in December of 1993, so it’s given me a good run for my money. The washer only needed one small repair in all that time, which my husband was able to fix.
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When our salesman was giving his spiel about the importance of getting an extended warranty, he said that 4 out of 5 machines would need a major repair within 3 years. I don’t know if that’s a true statement, but if it is, why do consumers put up with that?
Most big-ticket appliances should still be counted on to work for a good 10 to 20 years. Here’s a list of average life spans:
- Dishwasher……….13 years
- Clothes washer……14 years
- Clothes dryer………18 years
- Freezer…………….21 years
- Range……………..18 years
- Refrigerator……….17 years
I don’t have a list of small appliance life spans. I always thought that you get what you pay for, and I would pay a little more for something that would have greater use. This is not always the case.
We always bought a cheap Proctor Silex coffee pot that would last for about a year before breaking down. After a few years I got fed up with this and got an expensive (for me) Cuisinart coffee maker with a few extra features.
I don’t know if we’re in some life-denying Bermuda Triangle vortex for coffee makers, but our fancy machine gave up after a little more than two years (yes, it had a 2-year warranty).
So now I’m back to my cheap Proctor Silex pots. When they’re on sale I buy two or three so I always have a replacement in case of a sudden coffee emergency.
EnerGuide ratings and fancy features
People are replacing old energy-guzzling units with more efficient units. Appliance manufacturers have made tremendous improvements to their products to reduce energy usage. This can be a huge cost savings for consumers.
For example, refrigerators and freezers manufactured today are at least 50% more energy-efficient than those built in 1982. Front loading washers are making a comeback in North America and although they can be more expensive than top-loading machines, they also use about 40% less water.
By choosing an appliance with a low EnerGuide number, you’ll save money (especially if electricity rates rise over the years).
Preserving the environment, however, will only occur if we’re not tossing out our appliances every couple of years.
Another major reason for replacing appliances, even if they still work, is the number of impressive features they now have. The technology is amazing – different coldness temperatures in fridges, double ovens and dishwashers, dryers that steam freshen your clothes.
Related: Shopping – Too Many Choices!
A problem for some people is paying excessively for fancy features because they sound good, and then using only one or two. There’s nothing wrong with upgrading, but don’t over buy.
Final Thoughts
Apparently, back in the day, we liked to buy a new car every couple of years but we expected our appliances to last forever. Those heavy old workhorses were certainly more reliable and long lasting but they basically had only one function.
Today’s appliances have many more amazing features, and they look good too.
Too bad they don’t last as long.
I like to have the best of both worlds. What about you?
Whether we leave our job for more money, new opportunities, or to achieve better work-life balance, a career change can have a drastic effect on our lives.
I thought I’d spend my entire career in the hospitality industry, but after series of events I ended up on a completely different path. Here’s why I made a career change and how it improved my life:
Background: My first career
When I was 19, I started working at a hotel part-time as a bellman. I was literally at the bottom of the totem pole, carrying bags and running errands for hotel guests.
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There’s a lot of turnover in the hospitality industry, so just by sticking around for two or three years I worked my way up to a supervisor role at the front desk.
After a brief stint in food & beverage as the assistant manager in the dining room, I moved in to the sales & catering office as the sales manager. Two years later, at 25, I became the director of sales & marketing.
I was the youngest sales director in the company, which had nearly 40 hotels across the country. That’s when I started to treat this as a viable career and began mapping out my options:
- Stay at this hotel and work my way up to general manager;
- Stay with the company, but move and take on a sales role at a bigger hotel or in a regional capacity;
- Move to another hotel company in a bigger city, maybe even internationally.
My wife and I had serious discussions about moving away from Lethbridge. In the meantime, I took on a project from our national sales office that had me travelling to hotels across the country and training new sales directors.
I was asked to apply for a vacant sales director job at one of our biggest hotels in Edmonton – which I turned down. A few months later, I applied for a regional director of sales role based in Edmonton – and didn’t get the job.
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It was clear that if I wanted to stay in sales, I needed to get more experience in a bigger hotel, which meant we would have to move.
As this was going on, our general manager left the hotel and I was appointed the interim manager while we searched for a replacement.
This was 2009; the economy was in the tank, our hotel was in dire need of renovations, and to top it off there was a SARS outbreak.
It was tough, but I enjoyed the experience so much that I threw my name in the hat for potential manager candidates. After three months as acting general manager – in addition to my sales director role – the company finally decided to hire another candidate who had decades more experience than I did.
I was crushed. Not only did I get passed over for the general manager job, I’d have to return to my director of sales role without any clue where to go from here.
Career Change
Things were changing on the home front as well. We just had our first child, and decided my wife would stay home full time to look after her.
Money was going to be tight. The company froze wages, and the chance of hitting our bonus was bleak. I was putting in long hours, 50-60 per week, and still travelled whenever I was needed.
I hated being away from home and knew I needed to make a career change.
At a lunch meeting with one of our top clients, the local University, I learned they were restructuring and looking for a new business development manager.
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The job paid more money for working fewer hours, plus offered better benefits and more vacation days. Did I mention there’s a defined benefit pension and guaranteed annual wage increases?
It didn’t take much prodding; I applied the next day. A few months later, I left my 10 year career in hospitality behind to start a new adventure.
How my life changed for the better
The salary increase at my new job was enough to give us some breathing room. Fewer hours on the job also meant spending more time at home with my family.
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With a bit of spare time freed up, I started this blog with my mom. I also landed a job writing twice a week for Moneyville. Between advertising revenue and freelance writing, I’m now earning enough to replace my wife’s income.
We’ve used the extra income to accelerate our financial goals. We built a new house last year and we’re on target to pay off our mortgage in less than 15 years. We’re maxing out our tax-free savings account and contributing to my RRSP, along with our kids’ RESP account.
My career change couldn’t have come at a better time, as the hospitality industry continues to struggle. Although it’s not easy to change jobs in a recession, sometimes you need to recognize when there’s an opportunity to improve your situation.
I feel fortunate to say I’m better off now than I was three or four years ago because I changed careers.
Have you made a career change in the last few years?