I Did Everything Right — and Still Went Broke in Canada

I did everything I was told to do — worked hard, ran a business, stayed responsible — and I still went broke in Canada.

I’m a 45-year-old Gen X single mom. I was raised by a single mother on assistance, and I spent my entire adult life trying to make sure I never ended up there again. I worked 60-hour weeks. I followed the rules. I did what we were promised would work.

It didn’t.

So my daughter and I left.

First, I moved to China. Later, we tried “coming home” to Canada. That lasted 2 years before reality hit again. Eventually, we made the decision to leave a second time — this time to Albania.

This video isn’t about chasing a dream or pretending another country is perfect. It’s about something deeper: realizing that the math no longer works, and that entire generations are being priced out of stability.

Today, my daughter earns €4/hour here. In Canada, she earned $18/hour — and yet her life is more affordable, calmer, and more livable now.
This isn’t about low wages being “good.” It’s about what cost of living actually does to your life.

The math that broke us:

🇨🇦 Canada
• $1,500 rent
• $500 groceries
• survival mode

🇦🇱 Albania
• €450 rent
• €150 groceries
• breathing room

If you’re Gen X and feel like you did everything right but still can’t get ahead…
If you’re a millennial who can’t afford to launch…
You’re not failing. The system changed.

This is our story — not to convince you to move, but to show what becomes possible when you stop accepting a life that’s slowly crushing you.

🕒 TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – I’m Not Brave — I Was Broke
0:49 – The Gen X Promise That Failed
2:30 – Almost Homeless in 2016
4:44 – The Mistake of “Coming Home” to Canada
6:08 – How I Found Albania
7:24 – $1,500 Rent vs €450 Rent
8:35 – Why $125 in Groceries Didn’t Work
10:11 – The Hardest Part: Leaving Pets & a Life Behind
11:38 – Why “Bad” Is More Dangerous Than “Terrible”
13:19 – €4/Hour vs $18/Hour (Why Less Can Be More)
14:46 – Why I Stayed After Learning the Truth

🎥 Watch Next

📍 Why Americans Leave Albania (The Truth About Living Abroad)
👉    • Why Americans Leave Albania — The Truth Ab...  

📍 Albania: Myth vs Reality
👉    • Why Albania? Myth vs Reality for Expats  

💡 Moving abroad resources & connections, Guides, discounts, and tools I wish I had before moving:
👉   / canucksabroad216  

For anyone feeling trapped: this isn’t about running away.
It’s about refusing to accept a system where doing everything right still leaves you broke.

👇 Comment below — what’s the one thing keeping you stuck right now?

🔎 Hashtags

#leavingcanada #genx #costofliving #movingabroad #expatlife #albania #singlemom #millennials