LizzyTinKnicks
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Poorest families to bear the brunt of £25m spending cuts.
LizzyTinKnicks replied to a topic in UK Chat
Just to point out that after £118k or thereabouts (threshold might have changed since I did my tax exams in 2012) you don't get any personal allowances. -
We went there for my birthday this year. Expensive, but great food and friendly service. HOWEVER I would hesitate to recommend it wholeheartedly because if there's a huge great cruise shop blocking the entire window frontage (as there was when we were there) the food and service alone doesn't justify the price IMO. You need to be very sure that you'll have a ship-free night (and also ask to be seated by the windows, not towards the back as we were) to make it worth it.
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Radio Cairo in Cremorne is great- more of a neighbourhood restaurant than a flashy place, but great food. You could combine it with a trip to the Orpheum (Art Deco cinema) across the road, or with drinks in the beer garden at The Oaks in neutral bay. Fratelli fresh on bridge st in the CBD is lovely- gourmet Italian in a wonderfully atmospheric basement. However it's very popular, and they don't take bookings I don't think.
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I didn't know you could get a label?? For me, a printout of my visa grant email has been sufficient all the times I've needed to 'prove' my PR
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The 'live and work in Australia' book is ok for the basics and a few tips- I wouldn't say it's worth shelling out for but your library might have it. (Mine did) Is there anything in particular you want to know? Forums like these are good for specific questions!
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Yes that's pretty much it- states simply don't have the power to legislate as marriage is a federal issue, so it was a foregone conclusion really. However it's still a win for marriage equality as the court effectively confirmed that 'marriage' could legally include same-sex marriages, it's just down to parliament to sort it out.
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Although it's a headline pay rise they're also getting cuts in pensions and expenses, so the total annual cost will be the same - and actually will save a lot of money in the long run on pension costs. But that doesn't make as good a headline as "SNOUTS IN THE TROUGH AGAIN WHILST THE REST OF US SUFFER", does it.
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Heading back to the UK after 18 months of a living nightmare,
LizzyTinKnicks replied to Fryertuck's topic in UK Chat
lol good luck trying to get a place in social housing! whilst you're right about the conditions, eligibility is limited and the waiting lists are a mile long. most people end up in private accommodation relying on HB (which doesn't necessarily cover all the rent, especially as it's capped now, and is subject to the whims of the government and private landlords). i'm not even sure that social landlords exist to that extent in australia? (PS I am a renter, have been all my adult life so far - it's suited us up till now but we'll be buying within the next year or two to put down roots and get some security) -
Heading back to the UK after 18 months of a living nightmare,
LizzyTinKnicks replied to Fryertuck's topic in UK Chat
What's wrong with renting? Well, nothing at if you're earning an income. (aside from the usual insecurity of being turfed out of your home on a whim, not being able to decorate the way you want, having inspections etc) But what happens when you retire? Can you afford to indefinitely keep up your ever-increasing rental payments out of your pension? What happens if you suffer an accident or injury, or terminal disease and can no longer work? The right insurance policies will pay off your mortgage in such an event, but will it pay rent for the rest of your and your family's life? -
Depending on which institution you're studying at they might have some sort of on-site or subsidised child care scheme for students. I'd enquire with them as to your options - even if they don't have such schemes you might be able to fit your study patterns around your spouses work. Eg http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/child_care/about.shtml Good luck
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Do I stay or Do I go - Confused.com
LizzyTinKnicks replied to SaffaInLondonMovingToOz's topic in UK Chat
Sympathies on your dilemma. If you're able to financially, practically and emotionally, one solution might be to take a 6 month "career break". Put your stuff in storage/rent out your flat etc and fly to Oz to activate your visa. Set yourself a mental limit of spending 6 months there to try it out for size. 6 months is no time at all and soon passes, yet is enough time to explore your options and enable you to firm up your feelings for Oz vs UK one way or the other. By allowing yourself a "career break" you're not giving yourself unrealistic targets to make a huge life decision that you'd feel you need to either meet or fail. At the end of 6 months, you can either restart the clock in Oz and do it 'properly', or slot back into your old life in London easily enough. Either way, you'll know that the decision you make is the right one. I know you say that you don't want to spend your life ping ponging around, but you're only 32 and 6 months invested now will set you up in the right place for you, wherever that is, for years to come. Good luck with whatever you decide. -
We rent an apartment in Sydney and don't pay for water.
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We subscribe to foxtel on a month to month basis and it's a waste of money! We don't watch sport so it's only really good for Showcase (the new HBO etc type shows) and the movie channels. Going to cancel it soon and instead pay for Quickflix (the netflix equivalent) and a subscription to BBC international iplayer. There are some good programmes on free to air (especially on ABC and SBS) but you have to hunt them out. Channel 10 in particular seems to have lots of up to date US shows, showing them just a few hours after they've been on the US. At the moment they're screening the new series of Homeland and Sleepy Hollow the day after the US and a week ahead of the UK. Overall though the offering is pretty dire. There are also lots of semi-legal and semi-reliable ways you can watch foreign TV for free but I don't really know anything about those.