u/Marshal_Muskrat

Good day,

About two years ago, my girlfriend had a serious e-scooter accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. She spent nearly 11 months in hospital before returning home and is now on long-term disability.

She has made significant progress. She attends support groups, receives therapy, and does occupational therapy. She is largely independent at home and can cook, clean, and manage daily tasks. However, even a short work shift would currently be too demanding. Her disability coverage is expected to continue until age 65, and she receives about $1,800 per month after deductions.

I have worked for the same company for 16 years and am now in management, earning roughly $110,000 annually. My role requires me to be on-site, but it is stable and not physically demanding. I also have a defined-benefit pension and substantial institutional knowledge at a mission-critical site, so I feel relatively secure in my employment.

We recently bought a detached home in Edmonton for $472,000. The recent assessment was $486,000. We chose to buy because it offered more comfort and stability than renting while allowing us to build equity. The inspection identified a few deficiencies, which we have already addressed. The house also has a 12.5 kW solar array that offsets most of our electricity costs.

Previously, we paid about $2,200 per month to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Our mortgage and utilities are currently about $2,500 per month, although we are still learning the full year-round cost of ownership. We contribute a percentage of our take-home pay to a joint account, from which all household expenses are paid.

We have no debt other than the mortgage. My girlfriend has approximately $80,000 in accessible savings, and we are working on an investment plan for it. She also contributes to her employer’s stock-matching program and pension through payroll deductions.

I contribute to my employer’s stock-matching program as well. After our regular expenses, savings contributions, and deductions, I personally have about $1,000 per month available to put toward additional savings, investing, or other financial goals.

My financial history is less straightforward. I accumulated significant debt in my twenties and thirties and entered Alberta’s Orderly Payment of Debts program in 2021. I lived on a strict budget, eliminated my credit cards, and eventually paid off the remaining balance using equity from the sale of my condo.

I later financed a vehicle mainly to rebuild my credit before applying for a mortgage. I sold that vehicle on May 22. We now have one paid-off vehicle, no consumer debt, a mortgage, and room to rebuild savings and grow my TFSA.

What would be the best financial plan for us going forward?

I also want to add in the event of her losing that income I can carry the household by myself indefinitely.

EDIT:

I want to clarify, her $80,000 in savings is money she saved, and received in inheritance. She was the executor of an estate and was dealing with all this before the accident happened. And then it did and between me, her lawyer, her mother and my gf we finally got it all put to bed and resolved about a week ago. So during that time the only money we were touching was what was coming in, Now we will be making a plan to move funds, and start dedicated investment accounts.

So the other day I was forced to download and install this app, so I could pay for parking at Rice Howard Way.

This morning I was just walking by the parkade in particular and it auto charged my credit card. Thank god I have notifications from wealthsimple that go to my phone.

Here is the kicker.

I didn't have the app installed on my phone. I also did not drive there. So when I got to my office I had to download the app, go into my active sessions. cancel the session. I checked and had autostop disabled on my vehicles. I then went and deleted my payment card.

How did the app auto charge me when it wasn't installed on my phone, I didn't drive there and all I did was walk past the parkade!?!?

I was tempted to cancel my order... but I have been waiting... and looking at all other cars...

I have no idea what is with Alberta insurance rates they are so awful.

So a few weeks ago I got a quote for insurance for $530 a month... and a few users here said
"Who buys a car without getting insurance quotes." And to which I said I did. I had been roughly quotes 280-300.

When I gave them the VIN number I was on hold for 40 minutes while they tried to quote it. Finally I got $530 as my monthly quote.

Now fast forward I take Delivery in 4 days on Friday.

I loaded the TD app to get another quote... as I swore up and down that they had quoted the wrong car and that they were out to lunch because the Model Y AWD Premium was significantly cheaper (Still expensive at 390 a month but not 530.)

And now that the Model 3 is properly in their system. I am now quoted at $276 a month.

$276 a month or a difference of $254 dollars.

I contacted TD a month ago. got quoted approx 280-300 dollars a month but they had no Model 3 in their system.

So I called today. gave them my vin going on an hour still on the phone with them.

My payment is less than this. at $494 with 3k down.

My insurance, again clean record no tickets. = $530 in Edmonton Alberta.

Someone in Edmonton is going to be getting a Model 3 quickly if I can't get this under $300.

EDIT: They have wrongly classified my car as a Model 3 Premium AWD and won't rectify it. I am now waiting to speak to a manager. The "Underwriters" Won't change the rating on the car so now its forever labeled as a far more expensive car than it is.

To give you an Idea I gave them a vin for a new Model Y Premium AWD and it was 390 a month for that.

I am a car guy.

I do not mean that in the casual “I like cars” way. I mean I have owned, driven, broken, fixed, modified, and obsessed over cars and trucks for most of my life. I have had the privilege of driving some absolutely ridiculous vehicles, both factory-built and modified. I have owned a 6.0 Powerstroke that launched hard enough in 4x4 to give my best friend whiplash. I have owned not one, but two Coyote Mustangs: a 2012 GT and a 2014 GT. I have driven a low-11-second common-rail Cummins. I have driven a GT350 harder than I probably should have. I have driven 4-speeds, 5-speeds, 6-speeds, NV4500 trucks, AWD DSMs, modified diesels, Mustangs, turbo cars, and plenty of other things in between.

So when I tell other car guys that I am genuinely looking forward to owning a Tesla Model 3, I usually get the same reaction.

That look.

The “ew, really?” look.

And the comment that almost always follows is some version of the same question:

“How can you drive a car with no soul?”

I understand where that comes from. When car people talk about soul, they usually mean a very specific kind of experience. They imagine a quiet mountain road, an engine pulling toward redline, a turbo spooling, a clutch pedal under their foot, a manual shifter in their hand, and the feeling that the machine underneath them is alive. They think of exhaust note, vibration, mechanical feedback, and the satisfaction of being connected to the car.

Maybe soul is staying up late in the garage after installing an intake and downpipe on a WRX, then finally feeling the tune come together. Maybe it is bolting a JLT intake onto a Coyote Mustang and sending logs for an SCT tune, waiting to see what the car picks up. Maybe it is a diesel truck launching hard at the drag strip, or an old turbo car coming alive once it finally gets into boost.

I love all of that. I always have.

But there is another side of car culture that does not get romanticized nearly as much.

Living with it.

It is easy to talk about the perfect road, the perfect pull, the perfect launch, or the perfect night in the garage. It is less fun to talk about driving that same modified car in rush hour traffic with an aftermarket clutch. Every commute becomes leg day. It is less fun to sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic in a modified turbo car, watching the intercooler heat-soak, the intake air temperatures climb, and the car slowly feel worse and worse. It is less fun to live with catless pipes when your neighbors hate you, your clothes smell like exhaust, and every cold start makes you feel like the local asshole.

The same thing applies to the whole “pay to play” mentality. Car guys say it all the time, but most people do not talk honestly about what it means day to day. Running E85 is cool until it is cold outside, the car starts like crap, fuel availability becomes something you have to think about, and oil changes become more frequent. Coilovers, poly mounts, stiff bushings, aggressive wheel setups, and adjustable everything are great on the right road, but they can be miserable on broken daily roads. A setup that feels amazing when you are in the mood can feel like punishment when you are tired, cold, late, or just trying to get groceries.

Then there is the attention.

Daily-driving a loud Mustang is fun, but it comes with a certain kind of baggage. Cops notice you. People at red lights notice you. Some guy in a WRX, BRZ, 86, or brodozer always wants to race. You end up part of that ecosystem whether you feel like participating or not. The car becomes a magnet for attention, and not always the kind you want.

None of this means those cars are bad. They are not. Many of them are incredible. A good manual car on the right road is still one of the best driving experiences there is. A V8 at full song still does something to your brain that an electric motor never will. A turbo car coming into boost still has a kind of drama that instant torque cannot fully replace.

But fun to drive and good to live with are not always the same thing.

That is where the Model 3 starts to make sense to me.

I ordered a Model 3 RWD in Canada. After years of loud, fast, modified, attention-grabbing vehicles, I am more excited for it than I expected to be. Not because I think it replaces a manual sports car. It does not. Not because I think it has the same character as a Coyote Mustang screaming toward redline. It does not. Not because I think silence and software are the same thing as gears, exhaust, and mechanical feedback.

They are not.

I am excited because it solves a completely different problem: daily life.

Imagine a normal winter workday. It is -15°C. The roads are plowed. The sky is clear. I have to drive 300 km for work. I open the Tesla app, send the destination to the car, and start preconditioning while I get ready. By the time I walk into the garage, the cabin is warm, the windows are clear, and the car is ready to go.

No key. No fob. No cold start. No scraping. No waiting.

I get in, the seat and mirrors adjust to my profile, and I leave. The car is quiet, smooth, and instantly responsive. There is no clutch to manage, no exhaust drone, no fuel stop, and no wondering if some modified part is going to pick that exact day to become a problem. It is just easy.

If I need to charge, the car routes me there. I plug in, go inside, grab a drink, use the bathroom, answer a few messages, and by the time I am done, I have enough range to keep moving. I am not standing outside in the cold holding a gas pump. I am not choosing between regular and premium. I am not smelling like fuel. I am not checking the oil. I am not listening for some new noise and wondering how expensive it is going to be.

And after a long workday, when I am tired and just want to get home, that matters.

A lot.

When I was younger, I barely drove. Maybe 5,000 km a year. I took transit because parking was expensive and life was different. Back then, a compromised fun car made more sense. If I only drove once in a while, I wanted the drive to feel special.

Now I am getting closer to 40, and I drive a lot. Around 2,000 km a month minimum. At that point, priorities change. You notice the time you lose sitting in traffic. You notice the money going into fuel. You notice the oil changes, the maintenance, the cold starts, the stiff ride, the bad roads, the noise, the fatigue, and all the little compromises that come with driving something “fun” every single day.

That is why I think the “soulless” argument misses the point.

No, a Model 3 does not have the soul of a Coyote Mustang at 7,000 rpm. It does not have the soul of a turbo car coming alive on boost. It does not have the soul of banging gears in an old diesel truck at the drag strip. It does not give you the same kind of mechanical theatre that traditional performance cars do.

But it does have something.

It has the soul of a car designed to make your actual life easier.

It is quiet. It is quick. It is efficient. It preconditions itself. It plans around charging. It reduces fatigue. It makes long drives feel smaller. It takes a lot of the annoying parts of daily driving and removes them.

That may not be the kind of soul car guys usually get emotional about. It is not loud. It is not dramatic. It does not smell like fuel or shake the garage on cold start. It does not need you to suffer for the experience.

But after years of loud exhausts, stiff suspension, constant maintenance, fuel stops, police attention, cold starts, and “pay to play” reliability, I think I am ready for that kind of soul.

I will always love modified cars. I will always love manuals, boost, V8s, diesels, drag racing, and wrenching. That part of me is not going away.

But for the life I actually live now, I do not need every drive to be an event. I do not need my daily driver to demand something from me every time I use it.

I want my daily driver to make my life easier.

And honestly, I do not know many cars that do that better than a Model 3.

Took a 2026 Model 3 RWD for a test drive in Edmonton. Impressions from a longtime gearhead.

First off, I don't know what it is, but the cabin feels massive. Legitimately roomy for a sedan. Here are my impressions:

1) Ride quality. Firm but cushy. I'm buying this car to be a cruiser, its job is to eat miles. I drive 2,000+ km a month and I'm currently burning $350+/month in gas in the family SUV. Between home solar and free Level 2 charging at work, my fueling cost on this thing drops to nearly zero. Factor in the reduced maintenance and the financial case writes itself.

2) Noise. Interior is well insulated, and the demo unit had no rattles or oddities. Didn't go hunting for panel gaps since it was just a test car.

3) Seating position. You sit low, like you're on the road. I find cars that do this more relaxing somehow. I've enjoyed sitting up high in SUVs, but being able to stretch out is nice, and there's tons of legroom (I'm 5'11", so not too tall).

4) Fit and comfort. I'm a bigger guy, and the shoulder room beats its competitors. Easy entry is a sleeper feature too: the seat slides back and the wheel retracts when you get in. And there are no keys. None. Your phone is the key and it just works.

5) Sound system. Stellar. Better than most systems on the road, period.

6) Performance. Perfect for what it is. I bought this to commute, and it has power everywhere, though it's clear the 0-20 is software-limited on the RWD. From 20-100 it will surprise a lot of people.

7) FSD. The demo wasn't on the latest build yet (OTA update pending), but even so: stop-and-go on the Henday, one click, and it just handled the misery for me. That alone might be worth it for anyone with a commute.

I'm not someone who commits easily to large purchases like vehicles. But the value for dollar here is something I haven't seen in a long time. The mid-2000s were the last era where deals like this existed, and since then prices have only climbed. Yet here's a product that's dramatically better and costs less than what came before it. That's unheard of. And as far as I'm concerned, everyone benefits from this kind of competition, whatever brand you drive.

One last thing. I've been buying vehicles for 20 years. Diesels, muscle cars, tuners. Every one of them was a machine: it did what my hands and feet told it to, nothing more. This is the first time I've felt like I'm buying something else. Not a car, a partner. It knows when I leave for work. It plans my charging. It takes over when traffic turns into a parking lot. Every vehicle I've ever owned started depreciating in capability the day I bought it. This one gets better while it sits in my driveway.

May 2nd order Stealth Gray Black Interior M3 Premium RWD.

Edmonton

My vin was assigned the next day. My original EDD was May 25th to 30th.. so I rushed out and sold my current EV.

And then the next day it was updated to June 11th to 17th.

Yesterday I got a text message saying "Get the insurance ready" Well I can't TD won't take the VIN so I messaged them and they said "We have other users, they have registered with TD"

So I asked where my car is. And its not in Canada yet. Last ping they had was Shanghai May 16th.

Where is my car?

#	Car	Engine	Era	0–60
1	Honda S2000 AP2(F22 2.2L)	238hp NA I4 9k RPM	2004–09	5.8 s
2	Porsche 968(Club Sport)	237hp NA I4, transaxle	1993–95	5.9 s
3	Nissan 300ZX(NA, Z32)	222hp NA V6, RWD	1990–96	5.9 s
4	BMW M3(E30, 2.5L)	215hp NA I4, RWD	1986–91	5.9 s
5	Volvo 850 T-5R	243hp Turbo I5, FWD	1994–95	5.8 s
6	Ford Mustang GT(SN95 5.0)	215hp V8, RWD	1994–95	5.8 s
7	Chevrolet Camaro Z28(LT1)	275hp V8, RWD	1993–97	5.9 s
8	Mazda RX-8(6-speed)	232hp NA Wankel, RWD	2003–11	6.0 s
9	Porsche Boxster(986, 2.5L base)	201hp NA flat-6, mid-engine	1997–99	6.1 s
10	Audi TT(225hp quattro)	225hp Turbo I4, AWD	1999–06	6.0 s
11	BMW 328i(E36)	193hp NA I6, RWD	1995–99	6.1 s
12	Jaguar XK8(coupe)	290hp NA V8, RWD	1996–02	6.1 s
13	Nissan 350Z(base, 2003)	287hp NA V6, RWD	2003–09	6.1 s
14	Pontiac Firebird(base LS1)	305hp V8, RWD	1998–02	6.0 s
15	Mercedes SLK 230(R170)	193hp Kompressor I4	1996–04	6.2 s
16	Ford Mustang GT(4.6L, 1999–04)	260hp SOHC V8, RWD	1999–04	6.2 s
17	Toyota MR2 Spyder(ZZW30)	138hp NA I4, mid-engine	2000–05	6.2 s
18	Ferrari Mondial T(coupe)	300hp NA V8, mid-engine	1989–93	6.2 s
19	BMW Z3(M Roadster, 2.8)	193hp NA I6, RWD roadster	1997–00	6.2 s
20	Porsche 944 Turbo(968 era)	250hp Turbo I4, transaxle	1985–91	5.9 s

Here is a chart I put together, These are the cars I grew up with. These are some decent sports cars. In fact I would say the S2000 and E36 are some of the best cars ever made.

I would never call any of these cars slow.

But man does this car get some massive hate because its not in the 4 second range. I don't give a rats ass if it was advertised as such. Yeah its a piss off but man the amount of shit this car gets because someone fucked up a web template is something I have never seen before.

You understand what you're getting.

You're getting a bulletproof battery and motor. You're getting fully loaded interior, you're getting a glass roof that allows you to sit in a cockpit that feels truly futuristic.

You get to enjoy a truly rewarding RWD platform that has instant torque. You wake up every morning with a "full tank" no more fucking around with fobs, keys, you have 360 dash cams, access to the best charging network currently built. And if you do not feel like driving. Don't the car will do it.

And you have instant torque... let me tell you when you have that at any RPM it makes the car feel far more agile than it has any right to be. I came from a 2021 Kona Electric

6.6 seconds to 60, I have owned supercharged coyote powered mustangs pushing upwards of 700hp.

I would take the punch of the EV over any v8 car out any gas / diesel car. It is unlike anything else. Its like being on a jet and having to accelerate hard to get airborne.

And this being Canada... you realize that unless you're on the coast, near the ocean all these ICE cars suffer from loss at elevation. In edmonton at the dragstip. 12 second cars in California are 13's here. EV's don't care about this. There is no variation, no traction issues, no e85 mixture / 93 tune to dial in. It is just the same no matter what.

And if you want to sit there and call the Model 3 a Corolla or Camry like its beneath you, there are sub reddits where people are excited to own one of the most dependable vehicles ever made who are perfectly happy with all the perceived shortcomings. and they gladly are paying 40-50k for a less equipped car then you are getting for 42k.

Be better.

I'll gladly take this "slow" car with no oil changes, free OTA updates, no road trip anxiety, no cold starting bullshit, and instant heat in winter and never darkening the doorstep of a gas station again.

1	2025 VW Golf GTI(DSG auto)	2.0T I4, FWD, 7-spd DCT	6.1 s	241
2	2025 VW Jetta GLI(DSG)	2.0T I4, FWD, 7-spd DCT	5.6 s	228
3	2025 Honda Civic Si	1.5T I4, FWD, 6-spd manual	6.6 s	200
4	2025 Honda Civic Hybrid(Sport/Sport Touring)	2.0L + 2 motors, FWD, e-CVT	6.2 s	200
5	2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid(AWD XSE)	2.5L + 3 motors, AWD, CVT	6.9 s	232
6	2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid(FWD XSE)	2.5L + 2 motors, FWD, CVT	7.8 s	225
7	2025 Toyota Prius(FWD)	2.0L + 1 motor, FWD, e-CVT	7.7 s	194
8	2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid(FWD)	1.8L + motor, FWD, e-CVT	8.1 s	138
9	2025 Toyota Corolla(2.0L NA)	2.0L NA I4, FWD, CVT	8.2 s	169
10	2025 Honda Civic(2.0L NA base)	2.0L NA I4, FWD, CVT	9.7 s	150

First I am prefacing this I am not buying an ice or hybrid vehicle. I have access to cheap (Free) charging at home and at work and after test driving what EV life is like I can't go back.

Last year in September I bought a used 2021 Kona Electric. and drove it all winter.... and I am telling you -30 was amazing when I had instant heat. It had a few downsides and I recently sold it for what I paid for it.

I sold it because I test drove a Tesla.

We recently got gridlocked and Tesla was near where we were so I decided to go look at them. I swore I would never buy one.

We got in the tesla with the advisor, and then the advisor was like "So you want to see FSD?" And I was like total green not a clue. "What the fuck is FSD? Frame Shift Drive?" and he laughed and looked at me like I was dumb and said "Full self driving." and I was like "What is that?"

And he proceeded to punch an address in and then said "Ok hit this button."

Before we go further, at that moment I now know what it felt like sitting on a wagon while a car drove past. I felt what I felt when I saw my first iphone. I drove home that day on the highway and couldn't wrap my head around it.

I came back and brought my parents from out of town and we test drove a model Y premium.

My dad wanted to buy one right there.

So. May 2nd I ordered for 39k cad a model 3 rwd it should be here mid June.

I can't find a deal in Canada for a vehicle that is comparable at that price point.

With dealer markups Hybrid Corolla's are 40-44k. Camry's are 50k and Rav4's are 60's
And looking at the EV space... I have the issues with the ICCU for Hyundai. Ford makes a nice SUV but again thats 20k more. Toyota BZ is... ok. Part of the allure of Tesla is plotting a route and it plots charging stops and preconditions before you charge. And its all... hassle free you just plug in charge no cards, no apps, and then you drive off. Its seamless.

So all things considered, is there any better deal than what Tesla is offering for a fully loaded Model 3?

P.S. - I know its not awd, I have winter tires, if I can drive a 2014 Mustang GT through multiple winters with good Nokian winter tires I am certain I can do it in a Model 3.

This hasn't been explained to me, but I am guessing no is my answer. I don't get a charging kit with the car? Will I need to supply my own EVSE?

I ordered Stealth grey black interior and then realized I didn't like the color and couldn't change the order. kept getting 404ed

Annoyed me to the point I went to Tesla and looked at stealth grey. The app makes the color look like shit I actually fell in love with it.

Anyway... now with my delivery date being may 25th to 30th... thats very quick turnaround time.

Let me preface this as follows.

Back in September I bought a used 2021 Kona Electric. it was the cheapest used EV I could find in great shape...

I was at the time living in an apartment and wanting a decent commuter car. And by all accounts I got a decent commute out of it. And level 1 charging on a block heater port outdoors was never an issue.

The Kona was really just me dipping my toes in ev life... and if I didn't like it I would sell it in the fall.

1. Instant heat in Edmonton made it a solid purchase.

2. I got away with level one charging to the point I never had to charge at dc fast charging or level 2 at work.

3. You never really understand how much fucking time you waste at gas stations until you don't.

Now enter Tesla.

I was worried about buying a used Tesla... and they were all more expensive than the Kona.

Well me and the wife just moved and I found us using her CX5 a lot for larger items and I said "I wish we had an EV suv with more space the Kona is too small."

So I started looking and I got drawn to the model y. the fucking things are everywhere. I got 4 on my block.

So I looked into them....

Now... before we go any further. I want to set the scene here.

My wife was in a hospital for 6 months and I drove approx 600km a week to see her before she could come home (long fucking story)

I had a 2021 Toyota Corolla and that car I loved... it was comfy road great, got great mpg, and radar cruise control with lane tracing.

Kona has this as well.

CX5 has lane keep assist and radar cruise.

These are toys. Oh my god these are just toys.

Today I went and looked at a standard, I am going to be honest I love the premium, I love the awd.

But its a 22k difference. I drove a Mustang GT through 2 winters on Nokian winters. I can do RWD tesla life.

So we took the 2026 Juniper Standard for a drive.

I mean I have a hard time telling people this and them getting exactly what I mean.

The fucking car drove itself down the road to a destination and parked.

Back in 1994 I was 6 and I watched Timecop for the first time (us millennial kids were built different.) It was a shitty Van Damme flick. And I remember watching him tell his car "Home" and the car drove itself.

According to my phone in 3-4 months time that will be my life!

I didn't touch the wheel guys, I didn't touch the gas or the fucking brake. It navigated RUSH HOUR EDMONTON traffic better than most drivers. Including myself I hate rush hour it aggravates me.

My wife was floored... She was like I can't believe this is real.

IT DROVE ITSELF TO THE PARKING LOT OF OUR DESTINATION AND PARKED IN A STALL. 90 percent of the dumb fucks with licenses can't get it perfect in the lines THE CAR DID.

We can go spend 500 bucks at Costco, and have it MEET US AT THE DOORS.

I am sorry if this is immature but the last time my mind was this blown was when I found out how babies were made in grade 4. "I put my what in her where?" is very much how I was like "I put my destination here and hit the blue button and it goes?"

THE FUCKING CAR DROVE ITSELF GUYS...

I need to go lie down now.

EDIT:

Order stats

Pearl White RWD Standard Aug - Sep 2026 Delivery.