How My Immigrant Parents Kept Me Busy on a Budget
Written by Zehra Abbas

Monday, May 14th, 2018

As is the common story of many immigrant families, my parents experienced a downturn in their financial prosperity when we immigrated to Canada from Pakistan.

I was 6 years old and used to staying busy with extracurriculars in the evenings and weekends back home. Summer meant vacations abroad and visiting relatives in other cities. This was simply not the case when we moved to Canada. We had no relatives here, and after-school classes or summer camp programs became unaffordable. Family summer vacations were no longer as easy or lengthy with my father's new work schedule.

I was perfectly content watching cartoons and family sitcoms after school and on weekends, but my parents wanted my education to continue outside school hours. This was as accurate then as it is now: Keeping kids engaged and entertained away from screens can get costly. Expenses associated with museums, amusement parks, festivals, special events, sports leagues, activities, camps or classes can quickly add up and are just not feasible for many families.

But I never noticed the financial strain we were under because my parents always kept me active.

Innovative Ways to Stay Busy

When my parents couldn't afford to send me to camp or after-school programs, they came up with innovative ways to exercise my mind and occupy my time productively, formulating the better part of my childhood.

  • We'd play soccer in the park nearby and turn the scores into a fun math game. Each time we scored, the points were raised to a higher value and I would add up the numbers excitedly
  • My father started a driving game that involved creating words based on characters on license plates. I still find myself doing this at stop lights
  • We'd go for walks and learn about wildlife or pack a picnic and enjoy it at a park

My Favourite Memories

My mother and I did arts and crafts together, and it always resulted in bright and creative school projects that stood out in class and got me excellent grades. My grade 2 teacher even admitted to my mom that she saw her creative influence in my work. Still to this day, I seek my mother's help when doing DIY projects around my home.

Public transit trips to Toronto libraries with mom are also some of my favourite memories. She took me to see all of Toronto's oldest libraries and I remember fondly how exciting it was to enter each library and walk through it, admiring the wood bookshelves, finding the kids section and immersing myself in the pages of so many wonderful books I thought were there just for me.

My elementary school teachers told my parents I was an advanced reader. I was perplexed at their amazement, because reading was always something I enjoyed and did for fun.

I Never Realized the Financial Hardships

My parents filled my time with such fantastic activities, I didn't even realize the financial restraint they practiced until I was much older. Forever grateful for their sacrifices, love and commitment to their children, I only hope I can be a parent of such substance someday.

 

Share now

Interested in growing your savings with Tangerine?

Saving, tracking your spending and staying on top of your finances can all be a breeze.

Related posts

How to Save Money Each Month: 19 Tips for Saving in 2022
How to Save Money Each Month: 19 Tips for Saving in 2022
August 24th, 2022 | Kelley Keehn
The ABCs of Personal Finance
The ABCs of Personal Finance
July 7th, 2022 | Nick Patch
A Beginner’s Guide to GICs
A Beginner’s Guide to GICs
June 28th, 2022 | Bolatito Laniyan
Legal Stuff
This article or video (the “Content”), as applicable, is provided by independent third parties that are not affiliated with Tangerine Bank or any of its affiliates. Tangerine Bank and its affiliates neither endorse or approve nor are liable for any third party Content, or investment or financial loss arising from any use of such Content.
The Content is provided for general information and educational purposes only, is not intended to be relied upon as, or provide, personal financial, tax or investment advice and does not take into account the specific objectives, personal, financial, legal or tax situation, or particular circumstances and needs of any specific person. No information contained in the Content constitutes, or should be construed as, a recommendation, offer or solicitation by Tangerine to buy, hold or sell any security, financial product or instrument discussed therein or to follow any particular investment or financial strategy. In making your financial and investment decisions, you will consult with and rely upon your own advisors and will seek your own professional advice regarding the appropriateness of implementing strategies before taking action. Any information, data, opinions, views, advice, recommendations or other content provided by any third party are solely those of such third party and not of Tangerine Bank or its affiliates, and Tangerine Bank and its affiliates accept no liability in respect thereof and do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of any information in the third party Content. Any information contained in the Content, including information related to interest rates, market conditions, tax rules, and other investment factors, is subject to change without notice, and neither Tangerine Bank nor its affiliates are responsible for updating this information.
Tangerine Investment Funds are managed by Tangerine Investment Management Inc. and are only available by opening an Investment Fund Account with Tangerine Investment Funds Limited. These firms are wholly owned subsidiaries of Tangerine Bank. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.