12k will only last you for a few months so spend it wisely, if your target city is Toronto - and as you say you're single - i would advise you to start with renting a room only (should be in the range of $500 - $650 per month, unfurnished/or semi-furnished) - preferably near the subway line so you'd be able to move around the city easily. Once you secure a decent job, you can slowly plan your next move and gradually upgrade your lifestyle.
If i were you my focus would be in finding a job in my field (because that's the only way to live a decent life in this country)..survival jobs might keep you alive, but you'll be miserable and will always be on a tight budget. If you have to do survival jobs, try to do part-time - say - on weekends and evenings and leave the mornings and afternoons for the professional job search, attending bridging programs, meeting recruiters, attending face 2 face interviews/responding to phone interviews...etc. The only problem with getting a full time survival job, is you could get stuck there and won't have any time or energy to look for anything better.
