Vancouver BC: the best city in the Western Hemisphere.

Just like in 2008, Vancouver proves the be the best city in the Western Hemisphere, as confirmed by recent Mercer's study of quality of living in various cities.

Every year the analysis aims to help multinational companies and governments placing their employees on various international assignments by evaluating 215 cities worldwide.The 215 cities are compared to the base city - New York with the index score 100 in 37 various criteria such as social and political indicators, standard of transportation or security.

Vienna scored as the best city of 2009 with 108.6 points, leaving the former no. 1 Curych behind with 108 points.Only three non-European cities squeezed within the top ten: Vancouver (4th), Auckland (4th as well) and Sydney (10th).As New York occupies 49th place, 47 cities managed to score anywhere between 100 and 108.6 points.Even though Baghdad scored by 0.9 point more than last year, it still finished at the bottom of the list. The difference between Baghdad and the second worst Bangui is 15 outstanding points.

Canadian cities preoccupied the Americas tables: already mentioned Vancouver (4th), Toronto (15th), Ottawa (16th), Montreal (22th) and Calgary (26th) were followed by the US cities Honolulu (29th), San Francisco (30th), Boston (35th), Portland (42nd), Washington DC and Chicago (both 44th).

Of course I have always believed that Vancouver is on of the nicest cities on Earth.Ending within the top 5 best cities in the world only confirms what I already thought.Should you consider moving to this wonderful city, this guide for buying real estate in Vancouver may help you a lot

10 easy tips that keeps your wallet full

Vancouver is not an inexpensive city. Αs we in Vancouver BC real estate care about your financial safety, we have prepared this article!

Has the hard times finally caught up with you?
Do you spend more than you would like?
Put your worries aside: without handy list of 10 common dollar-gluttons, you too can stop overspending on every day expenses.


1) Grocery shopping

Hunger is the best chef and also the worst shopper, therefore eat first before you go shopping for food. Comparing prices per ounce or pint will save you a bundle. You might notice that you always find the most expensive stock right in front of your eyes, while the cheaper alternative (private label or store brands) would be located right at the bottom of the shelf.
If you can tell the difference between a $9 bottle of wine and a $30 bottle of wine blindfolded, buy the more expensive one. If you can't, stick to the $9 one.
On the other hand, don't buy something only because it is cheap: stick to your shipping list!


2) Bottled water

Did you get used to drinking bottled water over the years?Filtering your tap water works just as well. It's always better not to create unnecessary waste, even if it can be recycled - no bottles are better than recycled bottles.


3) Coffee

Can't live without caffeine? Most people can't.But is your stop at that coffee shop really necessary? Making a cup of coffee is not all that difficult. Try it!


4) Snacks

Snacks are important for those long periods between main meals.
Fruits and vegetables works just as well as any chocolate bar, only it is healthier and much cheaper alternative. Getting slimmer is just another side effect.


5) Movies & Cable

You can pay anything between $20 and $30 for 2 cinema tickets these days. For a fraction of that cost ($9 per month for unlimited view) you can watch movies on Netflix.
But how many channels do you pay for? Hundreds? Does anyone watch them? If you have the option, pick only those channels you have use for. No need to pay for what you or your family don't enjoy.


6) Music

Do you still buy new CD releases? Why don't you get your favourite tunes at Amazon or iTunes, where you pay per song, so that you can download only those you really like for under $1 per song.


7) Phone

While some people may be able to live without a cell phone quite happily, most of us can't either for personal or professional reasons. But having a cell phone doesn't have to be a burden. Compare the billing options or switch to pay as you go, if that would make you call less often.


8) Smoking

Smoking has been out of fashion for a long time, but if you still find it difficult to quit, rolling tobacco might be your option. You might need a few days before you master rolling your cigarette, but the saving effect (as much as 50% in many countries) will be astonishing. Learning rolling cigarette properly might take you around a week of practise, but the reward is awesome. You will be able to save as much as 50% of what you are paying now!


9) Petrol

Of course driving less would be the the ultimate money-saver, but that is not always possible. Except for the occasional repairs, petrol is the one thing that raises the cost of car usage. Decreasing it by checking the prices of petrol online in your area is hustle free trick that could save you fortune over the years.


10) Credit cards

You probably heard that one already many times, but if you if you keep using your credit card for every day shopping and in the end find yourself unable to repay it on time, no money-saving tips will ever help you. Old habits die hard, but getting rid of the habit of using your credit card instead of cash is very important if you want to decrease your spendings. Nobody enjoys paying the interests or possible late charges, so why not pay by cash!

(picture: money by jenn_jenn)