Families Cost Cutting Measures > Ottawa

• Family of four: parents ages 38 and 35, children ages 12 and 10
• Live in a single-family detached home (suburban Ottawa, ~1,800 sq ft)
• Natural gas heating, standard insulation, some upgrades but not Net Zero
• Two earners, upper middle income (~$150,000 household income)
• Mostly home cooking, meat once per day, kids take lunch to school
• Vehicles: 2023 hybrid sedan, driven 15,000 km/year
• Commute: one parent uses OC Transpo bus/LRT, the other drives hybrid sedan

ChatGPT+ (AI) Estimate of Annual Expenditures (baseline)

• Food: $15,000
• Home Energy: $10,000 (natural gas + electricity + water heating)
• Transportation: $10,000 (fuel, insurance, maintenance, OC Transpo passes)
• Total (core categories): $35,000

• Retired couple, ages 71 and 69
• Downsized to a condo apartment (~900 sq ft), efficient heat pump system
• Fixed income (~$70,000 from pensions and RRSP withdrawals)
• Drive a 2016 compact car, ~6,000 km/year
• Cook at home, eat less meat, shop at local grocery co-op

ChatGPT+ (AI) Estimate of Annual Expenditures (baseline)

• Food: $9,000
• Home Energy: $3,500 (efficient building, shared heating costs)
• Transportation: $3,000 (gas, insurance, maintenance)
• Total: $15,500

• Parent (age 42) with two children (ages 14 and 9)
• Apartment rental, 3-bedroom unit, ~1,100 sq ft, electric baseboard heat
• Works part-time in retail, lower-middle income (~$55,000 household)
• No car: relies on OC Transpo and occasional rideshare
• Food: cook at home often, some fast food on busy days

ChatGPT+ (AI) Estimate of Annual Expenditures (baseline)

• Food: $12,000
• Home Energy: $4,500 (electric heat is expensive in winter)
• Transportation: $4,000 (bus passes, rideshare, some taxis)
• Total: $20,500