Methodology
Situation
The mother’s gross annual work income is determined on the basis of the minimum hourly wage of $14.25, at the rate of 20 hours per week, for 52 weeks. His annual disposable income is determined using the Ministry of Finance’s disposable income calculator. It takes into account the credits, allowances and benefits available for the year 2022, as well as charges and taxes, depending on the family situation in which the mother finds herself. Le Devoir was also equipped by the Chair in Taxation and Public Finance (CFFP).
Where live ?
Rent: Le Devoir compiled 46,939 apartment rental ads published on the Kijiji website from April 1 to June 1, 2022. Only rental ads that fall into the “long term” category and whose price is between $300 and $4,000 $ have been used. Duplicates and ads with the word “roommate” were removed, for a total of approximately 30,000 ads analyzed.
In the case of the single mother, Le Devoir considered the prices of a four-and-a-half-room apartment for the three cities offered:
– The average rent of $1425 in Montreal is based on 5917 Kijiji listings.
– The average rent of $859 in Saguenay is based on 56 Kijiji listings.
– The average rent of $1025 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts is based on 6 Kijiji listings.
A precarious single-parent family tends to move more often than wealthier families, notes Minh Nguyen, researcher at the Institute for Socioeconomic Research and Information (IRIS). It therefore suffers more from current prices. Since the single mother in the simulation is in the process of moving, Le Devoir relied on current prices.
Home Insurance: cost determined from a basic package offered by Beneva.
Electricity cost calculated from an estimate of electricity costs by Hydro-Quebec for 4 and a half in different neighborhoods of Montreal.
Internet and cellular: costs determined from basic packages, with a minimum of options.
Other expenses
Care expenses: costs determined from the cost calculator for a childcare space in 2022, for a subsidized childcare space. The mother’s family situation and her gross work income are taken into consideration. On-call days are estimated at 180 per year.
Hygiene and personal care, home (furnishings, products and equipment) and clothing: Costs estimated from data from two studies:
– The detailed components of a viable income for a single-parent family with a child in CPE are taken from the IRIS report “Livable income 2022 in times of multiple crises”.
– “Average household expenditure in current dollars, by expenditure item, single-parent families” from the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
These data were then evaluated downwards, to take into account the precarious situation of the single mother. For hygiene and personal care, an online shopping simulation was also carried out to ensure that the cost for these expenses matches reality.
How to move?
Public transportation in Montreal: STM fare for a monthly pass for mothers (new pricing in effect since July 1, 2022).
Car: the mother’s car is a 2016 Hyundai Accent. The associated expenses are determined by CAA’s Automobile Cost Calculator. It takes into account fuel consumption, maintenance costs, depreciation, insurance, driver’s license and registration.
To determine the price of gasoline according to the region, Le Devoir used another tool from CAA Quebec, consulted on June 29, 2022.
The mileage varies from one region to another: it is estimated at 5,000 km/year for Montreal, 10,000 km/year for Saguenay and 15,000 km/year for Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts.
In Saguenay, public transit was not an option. For a single-parent household with a dependent child in CPE, IRIS considers that the parent must use a car to pick up their child and arrive home at a time that allows them to prepare food and put the child to bed at an hour that corresponds to his sleep needs.
What to eat ?
Basket 1: everything to be healthy
The cost of the first basket is determined from the cost of the nutritious food basket developed by the Montreal Diet Dispensary. This is a basket of foods recommended to meet the nutritional needs of any individual or family at low cost, based on gender and age group. This is a minimum cost to ensure adequate and balanced nutrition.
To the monthly food cost for a 29-year-old woman and a 3-year-old child, Le Devoir added a 5% “varia”, which includes, for example, spices, salt, coffee, condiments, etc. Since the latest data available is from May 2021, Le Devoir has also taken into account the effect of inflation, adding 7.7% (consumer price index as of May 2022) to the total cost.
The examples of foods available in the basket were chosen through an online grocery simulation and thanks to the expertise of the Montreal Diet Dispensary.
Basket 2: everything to be healthy and for pleasure
The second basket is also a nutritious basket, but it includes some more expensive foods, for the pleasure of the mother and her child. The examples of foods available in the basket were chosen through an online grocery simulation and thanks to the expertise of the Montreal Diet Dispensary.
Thanks
Luc Godbout and Suzie St-Cerny, from the Chair in Taxation and Public Finance
Credits
Texts by Ève Ménard. Art direction by Cédric Gagnon. Development by Baptiste Pauletto. Photography by Valérian Mazataud and Nathalia Rosa.
July 20, 2022
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