rachaelm0 Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 We did a huge shop in Tesco on Saturday, came to £172, but with all the discounts and a £10 off voucher came to £140. In that we got a bottle of decent gin, two boxes of nappies, meat, detergent, bread, pop, cereal, milk, tins, salad, don't want to list every single item we eat, but we filled our cupboards and fridge. Thought that was pretty cheap tbh. Though I think it's right what people say, you need to be clever about what and where you buy. My in-law who has lived in Oz for many years, says it's comparative to what it costs her in Oz. Now she does fill her wardrobe everytime she comes to the UK and I intend to do the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoiam Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Just referring to the general gist of the "cost of living in Australia" threads...So to sum up this thread before it happens: 1) you're not allowed to use the exchange rate! 2) Australia's not expensive. 3) it's unaustralian to moan about being ripped off. 4) I'm sure I've missed something... Super Like. We need a super like button BTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 How could we possibly forget, the hoff reminds us every 5 minutes! Its not true either, and the Hoff only been in Oz for a holiday and not lived here at all yet, lots of advice though!!. loving the hoff avatars!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs WebWeazel Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Just having been on reccie to Perth, I have to agree about things being more expensive in Oz if you're paying off a UK salary. Luckily we're planning to move out and earn an Aussie wage, so that'll sort it out in a few months!! Hopefully...:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sadiesmum Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Its a positive sign of the recession, prices are going down (other than petrol, utilities and properties) you can get really good deals on everything (cars, phones, furniture, food). Im not looking forward to the culture shock when we get to Oz, sure we will be earning more but the cost of things has surprised me especially rental costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartertucker Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I think its easy to forget that although things are more expensive, salaries are much higher and this seems to offset the difference. Not always the case ~ My Hubby could earn more in the Uk than he is here now! :dull: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseBrown1972 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 When we went back to uk at xmas all we said was omg how cheap! Agree on the wages being higher, we shipped four boxes back, holidays spends earned in Oz meant we got loads of toiletries, clothes and all the things we could bring back from tescos and still save money even after shipping costs! I thought I'd died and gone to heaven being back in tescos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjohhny Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 The cost of living has actually put us off moving to Oz. My wife's from Queensland, and it'd always been in our plans to move there in the next couple of years for the kids and the associated improved lifestyle, but a recent extended holiday over there really shocked us with the reality of costs (from secondhand cars, property rentals, weekly shops), everything seemed like it would take a much bigger chunk out of our wages than in the UK. It's especially a problem when we both earn decent salaries in the UK and wouldn't actually earn much more in Oz (possibly a little bit, but nowhere close to the 40% 'norm'). We came to the conclusion that our standard of living in the UK is higher than it would be in OZ, which goes against all we've believed in the past. Still, we're genuinely happy in the uk, with good jobs, nice house, nice village life, and I think the idea we'd be moving to Oz in a few years put our life in the UK on hold a bit (no big purchases, holding off having any more kids, not moving house), and now that we've kinda decided to stay put, we can get on with life and just look forward to nice long holidays in Oz every couple of years or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Indian curry for four (the works) under £30 - takeaway, yeah it's cheaper lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Some things are expensive but to be honest it's not as bad as I feared at all. I stocked up on things like kids' clothes on the strength of "oh my god it's so expensive in Oz" threads only to find the likes of Kmart to be cheaper than the UK supermarkets. I bought DS 3 pairs of trackpants for school for $5 each, and some sandals for DD for $2. Very similar items were £10 and £8 in the UK supermarkets when I left. Food isn't as bad as we feared either. Pasta is cheaper which we eat a lot of. Meat is cheaper which DH likes to eat a lot of! Our weekly shop is around $160 as opposed to about £90 in England. Petrol is cheaper here. It really depends where you are used to shopping I suppose. I also use the 2x or 2.5x to see if things are really more expensive. I have found second hand furniture to be a lot more expensive here (shame I didn't read a thread about that else I'd have stocked up instead of on kid's clothes). Brand specific toiletries are too. DH uses Head and Shoulders (did stock up on that). Costs about 4x the dollars but can sometimes get for 3x in the sale. Swings and roundabouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest17301 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I like the comment about its as expensive as you make it. Agree 100%. You have to buy things when they're on special, just like in the UK. I suppose if you're not used to doing so you will find it more expensive, grocery, toiletry wise etc. This is my experience and I live here....is that Ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOTTY Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Everything is cheaper in the uk, I get all my clothes and shoes sent over, even including postage they are about half price. Oh yes I miss Asda too - oh you're making me all homesick again now! I agree with the other poster, my car insurance is certainly no cheaper here either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jem32 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Hey, Thought I would add something no one else mentioned. In oz the quality seems so much better. Agreed you can go and buy crap in Asda and Tesco for a quid but it's cheap crap. Don't believe ne google Asda CEO comments even said it himself. So if you earn more dollar in oz and it's better quality then I do not grudge paying that bit extra. If you want quality food here in the UK then it's Waitrose or Marks and Spencers and then it's more expensive here for the same quality. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candygirl Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I was shocked by how dear everything was in Australia, no one could afford to eat, people were living in tents, there were shanty towns everywhere, millions of homeless people living hand to mouth, don't believe those pictures on google earth of those big houses in huge plots of lands and swimming pools everywhere, its a conspiracy cunjered up by the Australian government to try and lull skilled migrants there, lying to them by saying they will earn 40% more wages than they were earning in the UK. You make me laugh HOFF!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scrumpy Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Oz is way more expensive, in UK I would have to work one hour and 20mins to get the duvet and in OZ I had to work nearly 3 hours doing the same job, althought utility bills fuel etc do offset this overall. Look at the price of peppers if you wat a real shock!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Everything is cheaper in the uk, I get all my clothes and shoes sent over, even including postage they are about half price. Oh yes I miss Asda too - oh you're making me all homesick again now! I agree with the other poster, my car insurance is certainly no cheaper here either. Everything is cheaper if you are paying with Australian dollars, i think i would do the same as you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I find things far cheaper in the uk even after taking wages into account, cloths are better quality and last longer. i really could not understand the price of goods in oz when they are next door to Asia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachaelm0 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 What kinds of things would you stock up on to bring with you to oz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scary canary Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Not much after watching Border Security last night :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 What kinds of things would you stock up on to bring with you to oz? T shirts, jeans, wool jumpers, good quality scarves, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six it Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 well, OZ may be more expensive than the UK... but its a damn site cheaper than NZ...! I find that we spend a hell of a lot less than we ever did in NZ. And yes.. for me.. wages are much more than in NZ and now that i am in resources.. well... haha.. the money is very good. I suspect i would never be on the sort of money in the UK as i am on now.. no matter if i go back to an exchange rate of 2.2 etc So in that regard OZ has a lot going for it. Yes it's a boom and all booms must end, but its fun making a ton of cash now and looking to retire when i'm 50. Which again, i could not see happening back in the Uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 well, OZ may be more expensive than the UK... but its a damn site cheaper than NZ...! I find that we spend a hell of a lot less than we ever did in NZ. And yes.. for me.. wages are much more than in NZ and now that i am in resources.. well... haha.. the money is very good. I suspect i would never be on the sort of money in the UK as i am on now.. no matter if i go back to an exchange rate of 2.2 etc So in that regard OZ has a lot going for it. Yes it's a boom and all booms must end, but its fun making a ton of cash now and looking to retire when i'm 50. Which again, i could not see happening back in the Uk I keep banging on about this but you can only retir early if you have a very good index linked pension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizzybangs Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Check out food prices on line for Asda and Tesco's - especially the price of milk, bread, potatoes - staple foods. Don't just put 'cheese' though - put 'cheddar cheese' or you'll be offered well over 1000 products! Yes, food is much cheaper in UK and there is a lot more choice. I know this but just to support my knowledge, I met the manager of our local Coles store not long ago and he had only arrived from UK 2 months prior with wife and two teenagers. He used to be a manager of Morrisons. He told me that his wife and him nearly fainted wshen they did their first shop and thought there had been a mistake with the grocvery bill in Coles. He finds the prices here and lack of choice in products horrendous - and he gets a staff discount! However, 14 years ago when we lived their we added up ALL living costs - purchase by purchase and found that overall there was not much difference in the total cost of living. This took into account 3 bed rental, insurances, petrol, car purchase, council tax, telephone and all other costs. Last year I bought a mobile phone here in Oz for $99 but when I went to UK it only cost 5 quid and that was with a free month's credit. Electrical goods and cars are cheaper. Guess it depends on how much public transport you need to pay for and how much petrol you need and also where you work in UK (the wages in Devon were incredibly low). Living in SE Qld we hardly ever use heating, nor air conditioning but over there I'd have to wear central heating costs. I reckon we should ask Tesco's or the like to allow us to do on-line shopping as a group! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I like the comment about its as expensive as you make it. Agree 100%. You have to buy things when they're on special, just like in the UK. I suppose if you're not used to doing so you will find it more expensive, grocery, toiletry wise etc. This is my experience and I live here....is that Ok? No! you didn't come for a better lifestyle just to waste your time shopping around! :arghh: It takes far less time writing posts on ex pats forums about how expensive it is in Oz.....................the time saved can be better utilised on that better lifestyle that you came for..........................Oh!........................Wait a mo?????????............ You can't afford that lifestyle now 'cause you didn't shop around?????????? :wacko: :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Oz is way more expensive, in UK I would have to work one hour and 20mins to get the duvet and in OZ I had to work nearly 3 hours doing the same job, althought utility bills fuel etc do offset this overall. Look at the price of peppers if you wat a real shock!!! Yeah.................I buy peppers every day..................in fact my swimming pool is made of 'em...................can't afford bugger all else but the pool is a poser's dream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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