u/Transcendentalists

Hi all, sharing small mistake I made before a family trip, because it caused huge hassle later.

This winter I traveled around Europe with my wife and two kids - Germany, Spain, Italy, etc. Before the trip I asked a friend which eSIM he had used, and he gave me a provider name (RedDogFish)

A few nights before flight when I was half-asleep, juggling hotel bookings, train tickets and kids stuff, I just searched from memory instead of checking his message. I remembered only something like “dog eSIM” and bought from the wrong provider (eSimDog)

That was on me.

The plan looked cheap upfront, but during the trip it wasn’t great for our use. Coverage was patchy in some places and I had trouble with basic stuff like maps, rideshare apps etc.

Later I checked with my friend and realized I bought from a different eSIM company than the one he recommended. Lol.

Main lesson: don’t buy based on half-remembered names, especially when providers have similar sounding names. Check the exact app/site, plan details, supported countries, fair-use limits, network partners, and pricing before paying.

For solo travel this would’ve just been annoying, but with family relying on maps, tickets and check-ins it became way more stressful than it needed to be.

Not trying to promote or bash anyone, just a reminder to double check exact provider names before a trip!

Hi everyone,

My partner and I recently inherited an older semi-detached house in Toronto from their aunt and currently trying to decide how much work we can realistically afford before moving in. House is in a good neighbourhood (Armadale area) and has a lot of potential, but interior is extremely outdated. It looks like most of the finishes, wiring, kitchen, bathroom, and flooring have not been properly updated in decades (house itself was built in like 20s/30s and it seems like there were no renos at all or maybe just something cosmetic.)

Need to understand what realistic budget looks like for a turnkey home renovation in Toronto outskirts project now in the middle of 2026. House is not huge (~1,200 sq.ft.), but we'd like to update most of the main living areas: flooring, kitchen (mainly cabinets), countertops, bathroom fixtures, interior doors, lighting, paint, some electrical work, possibly plumbing if needed. This is our first major renovation so we are finding it very hard to understand how contractors calculate their estimates, but this numbers are impressive. Some people say to think in terms of cost per square foot, while others say the real price depends mostly on kitchens, bathrooms, structural work, plumbing, electrical upgrades etc and not tailored to square footage. Also hear d that professional home renovations in Toronto can cost much more than in any smaller cities because of labour rates & permit requirements.

When asking for estimates, what should we pay attention to? For example, should the quote clearly separate labour, materials, permits, disposal, electrical, plumbing? How detailed should a proper renovation estimate be? We want to avoid choosing cheapest option and then getting hit with expensive change orders later. And also curious would it be smarter to keep kitchen and bathroom layouts the same or buy some materials ourselves?

Any advice from people who have recently completed a Toronto home renovation would be greatly appreciated. We are still researching as want to understand numbers, risks, and smart questions to ask before committing to anything.

Thanks so much, and blessings to everyone!