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Vancouver Off-Topic / Current EventsThe off-topic forum for Vancouver, funnies, non-auto centered discussions, WORK SAFE. While the rules are more relaxed here, there are still rules. Please refer to sticky thread in this forum.
I had considered moving there because of a girl I met. I thank my lucky stars it never worked out and I didn't give up on everything I have here in Canada. That whole shit show of a situation I went through was a blessing in disguise.
I don't know if you've been interpreting what they've been saying incorrectly or if it's just bad info. Everything I learned about HK work culture has been pretty awful in comparison to what we do here on a normal basis.
OT is expected and also unpaid. Your reward is that you don't get fired and replaced by the "100s of people waiting for your job". People are stuck at work so long that they go out at night until 3-4am and back to work the next morning just so they can blow off some steam and feel like they have a life. This is your standard HK life. Once you've aged out of this lifestyle, you're not necessarily better off for it unless you're important enough at work to start calling the shots.
Relatives are in middle management and seem to be ok. Or maybe they're coping bc of the years of unpaid OT finally paid off HAHA. Anyway, I wouldn't move for a "normal" job to be a "regular office worker", so the downsides of the regular working force wouldn't apply to me either way.
Also my last boss sounds like a regular HK boss then LOL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spoon.ek9
9-9-6 is an absurd expectation of the work force and it's been driving the gen z insane in HK/China. They've turned to "quiet quitting" where they won't leave the job but will slack as much as humanly possible because they don't care. There's no time to have a life and there's not enough money to get ahead so they feel like they're stuck in limbo and this is the only way to give management the middle finger.
This is pretty much Gen Z across the globe
Quote:
Originally Posted by spoon.ek9
Anyone who moves here from HK/China almost immediately feels like it's way easier of a life. Whether that's highschool students or working force adults, they see our lives here as easy street in comparison.
Yeah that's their initial impression. I hang out with a lot of HK immigrants via Stream B. Then they start complaining about how expensive it is here and how hard it is to make money (or keep money). Most of them end up moving back unless they moved for political reasons lol.
I'm sure we all know people with their wives/kids here, either currently or when you grew up here, with the father working in Asia. Wife doesn't have to work cause the money in Asia is so good lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spoon.ek9
Oh, and don't forget how cunty and blunt Chinese people are towards each other in general. It's only worse when it comes to a workplace. My friend is the son of a company owner and his coworkers are still rude af towards him.
As they should be hahaha. But yeah this point about cunty Chinese people is so real. My uncle is a real cunt lmao. It started off so good to see him after so long (said all the relatives) and then everyone remembered why he's banished
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Gen Z in Canada don't work anything near 9-9-6. Most of them work 40 hours or less per week and still bitch and moan while ordering Skip the Dishes and taking Uber to work. I actually know of one person earning $20/hr and justifies taking Uber to work. Insane.
Cost of living in HK isn't any better than here. Shoebox apartments there are smaller and usually more expensive than what you can find locally. Eating out is probably the last thing that's still affordable but my friends in HK tell it's getting more expensive too.
Gen Z in Canada don't work anything near 9-9-6. Most of them work 40 hours or less per week and still bitch and moan while ordering Skip the Dishes and taking Uber to work. I actually know of one person earning $20/hr and justifies taking Uber to work. Insane.
Cost of living in HK isn't any better than here. Shoebox apartments there are smaller and usually more expensive than what you can find locally. Eating out is probably the last thing that's still affordable but my friends in HK tell it's getting more expensive too.
Anna Sharratt
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published October 6, 2025
Updated October 7, 2025
Gen Z has the highest usage rates for apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash, according to data from Deliverect.
DENIS BALIBOUSE/Reuters
Spoiler!
The first signs of trouble were Kanchi Uttamchandani’s steep credit card bills.
It started during the pandemic when Ms. Uttamchandani, like many Canadians, was attempting to console herself. “It was a very depressing time,” she says. “I turned to food and it became a source of comfort,” recalls the 28-year-old manager of a Toronto-based woman’s non-profit.
Holed up at home and working remotely, she began ordering food through Uber Eats, justifying it to herself by reasoning that she was supporting local businesses. “It’s almost like a gamified app, like window-shopping in my area,” she says.
Ms. Uttamchandani says “sneaky” promotions and notifications popped up regularly and things spiralled. She began ordering via Uber Eats almost every day. “It was brunch, pizza, pasta,” she says. “Before long you’re racking up huge credit-card statements.”
She estimates she spent $10,000 on food delivery that year.
Gen Z has the highest usage rates for third-party delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash, with nearly 65 per cent using them regularly, according to 2024 data from Deliverect, a global food services platform.
The trend has been in the works for years. The global consultancy UNiDAYS conducted a study of more than 1,800 Gen Z students in England, the U.S. and Australia in 2017, and found 78 per cent spent most of their disposable income on restaurant deliveries.
In a typical Gen Z household, that adds up to $210 a month on food delivery – a sizeable sum for a generation starting out and struggling to save amid high housing costs, a weak labour market and an uncertain economy.
Ms. Uttamchandani finally broke her Uber Eats addiction when she developed an interest in cooking and began experimenting with different techniques at home. While she still orders the odd meal via the app, “cooking became my new hobby,” she says.
“It took me a year to fully understand the weight of my choices and turn things around,” says Ms. Uttamchandani.
“If you a rein in ordering out, you can definitely see savings.”
The impact of social media is evident among Gen Zs. Seventy-seven per cent of them say they have purchased food just because they saw it on social media, according to 2024 data from Datassential, a food and beverage intelligence platform.
“Gen Zs are trying to build their credit and deal with debt and then still have a life that is comparable to their peers,” says Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy, the chief executive officer of Money Mentors, a non-profit credit counselling and debt consolidation firm, in Calgary. “If everyone is putting out a certain image of their life on social media, then you’ve got to keep up and it’s really tough.”
Ingrid Kucera, a Toronto-based financial advisor with Assante Wealth Management, loves food and uses food delivery apps once a week.
“It’s so easy to tap on your phone instead of going to the grocery store and planning your meals,” she says.
Each meal sets her back between $30 to $50 – and if you multiply that by several times a week, it adds up quickly. She says spending $10,000 a year on food delivery isn’t uncommon among her Gen Z friends.
How to get ‘lifestyle creep’ back under control
Ms. Kucera, 25, sees the same patterns in her Gen Z clients. She believes the spending is much like the lipstick effect – where people splurge on affordable luxuries during challenging economic periods.
“With the younger generation, saving for retirement, owning a home – it feels out of reach. Ordering that food is their luxury.”
Aseel Elbaba is a Toronto-based financial therapist and the founder and CEO of Holistic Optimal Wealth. She says the convenience of ordering in meals has become a coping mechanism.
“It’s becoming a leading value system for society that is dealing with high stress from uncertainty in the economy, politics – everything that’s happening around us.”
She says the pain-free payments used by apps such as Uber Eats create a disconnect between customers and their spending. Plus, she says, the instant gratification of using apps provides pleasure. “People get trapped in this cycle of dopamine.”
While the odd Uber Eats order is fine, if it becomes a constant pattern that prevents a person from saving then it becomes harmful to their finances, says Ms. Kucera. She tells her clients to save 20 per cent of their income – ideally as soon as they get paid – and use what’s left to spend on what they see fit, including food.
Another tactic is to use gift cards for food delivery – and when they run out, forgo ordering. “With a credit card, you basically have no limit,” she says.
For those saving for a down payment, different spending decisions are essential, says Ms. Yanchuk Oleksy.
Here I was back in my 20s, working two jobs trying to save money, picking out edible fruits and veggies from the free pile at work so I can save on my grocery bill.
I did everything I could to save money in my 20's. Rarely ate out, didn't take any international vacations for 7 years. Always looked for good deals on everything, always looked for used car parts, computer parts etc.
Just got back a week ago and haven't noticed any locals or 2 set pricing yet.
Based on my menu photos, the price increased from 2021 to 2025 by over 40-50%. Japan isn't cheap anymore, minus skiing + golfing. Our accommodation in Hokkaido earlier this year, jam packed house was close to $150-300/pp a night. Meals are always $20+. Combini runs are $5-8 for not much food and is pretty mid. Donqui is overpriced.
$20 a meal is a lot, even with current prices.
I'm feeding my family for less than $30 per meal here at restaurants. Hotel pricing is expensive, but not really all that bad compared to hotel pricing anywhere in North America these days that's not a hostel.
Kyoto being overrun by tourists is kind of gross, ngl. It was quite unpleasant, but fortunately, we only took a day trip and spent a couple of nights in Hiroshima and largely avoided North American tourists. Yes, I realize the irony in being a tourist while complaining about overtourism, but my wife and I try our best to blend in.
And evofire is right - a few phrases in Japanese go a long way. Lots of Europeans and Latinos here who can't even offer a greeting in Japanese is pretty disrespectful, IMHO.
Skip the Dishes is the worst thing since the Bubonic Plague
Tbh it's pretty bad on the restaurants too. No traffic/brand exposure if a restaurant isn't on an app, but each app takes roughly 30-40% in fees (advertising, promos, etc included).
And before you guys whine about my % being off for each app and its fees, pull the UberEats, Fantuan, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes, Too Good To Go expense reports and get back to me. Have fun, there's a lot of reports per app. The money they say they take is not all they're taking lol
__________________
|| 18 FK8 | R-18692 | Rallye Red | 6 MT ||
|| SOLD 97 E36 M3 Sedan | Arctic Silver | 5MT ||
|| RIP 02 E46 330ci | Schwartz Black II | 5MT | M-Tech II | Black Cube | Shadowline | Stoff Laser/Anthrazit ||
|| RIP 02 E46 M3 | Carbon Black | 6MT ||
Gen Z in Canada don't work anything near 9-9-6. Most of them work 40 hours or less per week and still bitch and moan while ordering Skip the Dishes and taking Uber to work. I actually know of one person earning $20/hr and justifies taking Uber to work. Insane.
Cost of living in HK isn't any better than here. Shoebox apartments there are smaller and usually more expensive than what you can find locally. Eating out is probably the last thing that's still affordable but my friends in HK tell it's getting more expensive too.
We did do the math. For someone to take uber to work is still cheaper for insurance + parking.
I had to uber a box from Markham to Mississauga once. $50 dollars one way. Assuming 30% in fees. It took 90 mins. Dude probably lost money.
Yeah but are you earning $20/hr? lol. I'm talking about people on limited income spending frivolously on things like this for the sake of convenience and "it saves me time" bullshit. To be fair, some people simply have less financial responsibilities so they just keep tapping zero on their bank accounts without any worries. Most of us don't have that luxury and even if we did, we'd still be smart enough to take advantage of the situation and save up even more money than we already do.
If I were living at home rent free right now with my income I'd be laughing my way towards a SFH.
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Yeah because you’re 40 with an education, work experience and a job a 20 year old can’t get lol. Take away anyone’s mortgage payments and give them the job of an educated 40 year old and it gets pretty easy
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98 technoviolet M3/2/5
Quote:
Originally Posted by boostfever
Westopher is correct.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fsy82
seems like you got a dick up your ass well..get that checked
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkwax
Well.. I’d hate to be the first to say it, but Westopher is correct.
Actually, as a technician, I could have started this job around 18-19 had I taken the program immediately out of highschool. I ended up doing it at age 24. Moved out at 20, had barely any money to my name. Almost zero financial support from 20-40. I saved for years, rented a cheap apartment for years, didn't go anywhere for years just to be able to get into my first place at 35. Technically, I'm well behind people who are my age but I simply didn't have the advantages others did. But in the end, it's made me who I am and I'm proud I got this far on my own.
you know it's fucked when young adults are ordering ubereats from tim ho's while at work, even though it's on the same fucking block. but i'm sure they all have their excuses
Some kid in my old team asked for a raise. He's doing well for the type of work he's doing, experience, and work/life balance in comparison to the industry and a US-based equivalent role in a tech hub. At the end of year performance review, he asked me to bump his salary to $150K because "it wasn't in line with the industry and it's hard to save." Then he tells me he's going to Paris next month and waiting for his Audi SQ5 to be delivered. I was like wut?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 68style
AIYA! Kids!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikemhg
All I can hear is "Diu le lo mo" in my head.
Last edited by bcrdukes; 10-10-2025 at 10:29 AM.
Reason: Typo
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lol fucking boomerscene.net in top form. See a few stupid Gen Z ordering Uber Eats “that’s why they can’t afford a home! I could do it why can’t they?”
It’s like avo toast all over again.
Let’s say retard in article bought food and made it at home instead of uber, but ate at least relatively well. They’d save what, 5k? Only need to keep that up for 25 years and there’s that 1 bedroom condo down payment.
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98 technoviolet M3/2/5
Quote:
Originally Posted by boostfever
Westopher is correct.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fsy82
seems like you got a dick up your ass well..get that checked
Quote:
Originally Posted by punkwax
Well.. I’d hate to be the first to say it, but Westopher is correct.
i hear you but having healthy spending habits is definitely going to make a difference in whether or not you can afford that 1br apartment. guys who spend 5k on ubereats also might have an $800 car payment, etc..
In 10 years (15 years if you count age 20-35) I saved $80K for my downpayment. That's on top of all the spending I did on my cars. I still had money in the bank to live a normal life. Also, this was before covid so I wasn't yet working insane OT hours to pad my stats. In fact, I hardly worked any OT at all because I didn't think it was worth my time or the extra taxes.
Yes, it is difficult these days but it isn't completely impossible. My point is that there are sacrifices that need to be made in order to reach your goal of home ownership. Constantly wasting money on food apps, leasing/financing an expensive car so you can show off in front of your friends, travelling internationally on the reg rather than saving, piling up credit card debt to keep up an IG worthy lifestyle, and choosing to live in an expensive area because you want to "live my life NOW not later" are all things that are holding them back.
There's mainly two choices here:
1. Work a normal amount of hours and save where you can
2. Work more than normal to get ahead
If you choose to do neither one, I really can't see how you can blame anyone but yourself. Kudos to anyone doing both.
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