flag of convenience Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The whole thing in the case of a family immigrating I suspect is to create a better life and that seems to infer a greater financial security for most. To come out with a family in tow and tread water at best at worst go backwards,just doesn't appear the desired outcome for many. At least having the facts just how it is allows the person insight into what they are getting themselves into. Rest of course up to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Petrol, meat, seafood,TVs , electricity bills,power tools and hand tools,selected clothing, some insurances all cheaper here. Other things around the same price ,some things a little more expensive. Your not in the uk anymore. Your in a new country. Comparing prices should be quickly forgotten. Exchange rate means nothing. Remember when it used to be 2.6. Different story then I bet . Not true for everyone at all. Mine are way higher in Oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Families can and do survive on $80k, however to the question how does it compare to your current £50k then the answer is not very well. You should want to get well over $100k to have anything like similar financial standing. I was going to make the same point that someone else did, your UK salary is not far off twice national average, the Australian one just a little bit over. You will feel that. Best and most succinct post on this thread. P1P isn't wrong, but can't get past his "thing" about weather nor being blind to the fact that new migrants have to pay full whack for housing, whereas he doesn't as he's been here 20 years $80K with no (or minimal) housing cost? No worries. $80K in many Aus cities when you are paying full whack for housing (so >$500 a week)? Totally different story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergal007 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Re electricity bills, we used to pay around 20 quid a month. Now for the same usage and we are very conscious of not having lights and appliances on that we dont need, we are paying 40 to 45 a month. Flipping ridiculous if you ask me. And the heat our 3 bed detached house with the temp on 16 to 18 max, cost us 85 quid last month!!! Wtf?? to the OP, like others have said, work out what you spend your money on now and then compare to what it would cost in Oz. there are lots of resources out there to do so and its so much more relevant to you than asking for general opinions on here, its all relevant to them but may jot be to you. Eg, price of a pint and smokes is not relevant to me at all, but price of a family day out is. And lets face it there are lots of free days out in oz from what i have researched! good luck! Reaearched!!! wait till you live here!! free days me arse, as soon as step outside your door your spending money, sun cream for your kids, ice cream and food for your kids, petrol to get to the beach etc etc a trip to the beach will cost you!! , you will find out for yourself!! and by the way you will be fleeced at the beach! like $7 for an ice lollie and a 600ml bottle of Coke zero I paid on Monday in Torquay on the Great Ocean Road so multiply that by how many kids you have and then add the cost of some proper food! Trust me you will be bringing your sambos in your esky box! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozzachino Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Whatever i spend on suncream will probably be cheaper than the amount i spend on coats for my my son!! Who thought such a small coat could cost more than a coat for me!!! A few months ago boots changed their suncream branding and were selling off old brand stock at £1 a bottle and buy one get one free. Got 20 bottles for £10. Should keep us going for a while. always keen to pack our own picnic so no probs there. As far as im concerned a walk to the local park or a walk along the beach is a pretty good outing for us. Nearest beach for us is over 2 hrs away, and no i dont count weston super mare as a beach!! So thats not wven an option for a day out here, and having grown up on the coast i really do miss the beach. totally appreciate that everyone has different views. Just expressing my own and advising op to do their own research specific to them. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergal007 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Whatever i spend on suncream will probably be cheaper than the amount i spend on coats for my my son!! Who thought such a small coat could cost more than a coat for me!!! A few months ago boots changed their suncream branding and were selling off old brand stock at £1 a bottle and buy one get one free. Got 20 bottles for £10. Should keep us going for a while. always keen to pack our own picnic so no probs there. As far as im concerned a walk to the local park or a walk along the beach is a pretty good outing for us. Nearest beach for us is over 2 hrs away, and no i dont count weston super mare as a beach!! So thats not wven an option for a day out here, and having grown up on the coast i really do miss the beach. totally appreciate that everyone has different views. Just expressing my own and advising op to do their own research specific to them. :biggrin: Fair enough I used to drive from Ruislip, London to Croyde to surf, hey at least a coat will last a while unlike sun cream which runs out fairly quickly LOL!! maybe you can get the kids to wear the coats over here save on the sun cream LOL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleal Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Doable - probably, but it would be a struggle with not much room for luxuries. We are a family of 5, in Sydney on more than that and still we do not get by some months. Of course, it will depend on where you will be living. In Sydney, you would be looking at at least $500 (for a unit/apartment) per week = which is already $2172 a month before bills. However, as you are a family of 5, I would imagine it would be a little more than this figure. Have a look at www.domain.com.au, this will give you an idea on what you could expect to pay. Rent for eg would be much cheaper the further out of the city you go, but then again, may not be convenient for you travel to work etc. There are always things cropping up. This month, we have to buy 2 x full school uniforms, shoes, trainers, backpacks, library bags, stationery. We have to pay for my 3 year old kindy fees for the quarter upfront ($55 a day). We will get the elder two's invoice for school - most probably around $300 each. Next month, we have to pay for our cars rego, CTP (which is compulsory) and service (which was due 3,000 k's ago - we have been putting it off). We are also expecting in the next couple of weeks our quarterly electricty and gas bills. We do have a mortgage, so therefore life insurance and building/contents insurance/ council rates which we have to pay. Food is about $350 a week - food and other essentials such as toilet rolls, detergents etc. I cook from scratch and we eat alot of fresh fruit and vegetables. I make my husbands lunch which he takes to work, my children take food to school too - they very seldom get food from the canteen. At our local public school, they eat three times a day - 10am, 11.30 and 1.00 pm. When I get time to travel out of my area, I go to Aldi - this cuts the grocery bill down substantially. Their meat, especially the grassfed steak is fantastic quality and very good quality. Fergal is correct about every outing costing you money. I took my kids to the local park the other day - 3 ice creams, a coffee and a bottle of water was $20. We took the kids, along with my mother down to the beach for some Fish and Chips last weekend - cost $92.00 - nothing fancy, just your regular fish and chip shop. Whilst the experience was enjoyable, I wonder if it was worth it, as I have had to cut the budget elsewhere, so we shall be eating baked beans twice maybe three times this week. I hope that this hasn't put you off and that you have found this info helpful. These are just the facts of life here in Oz - and rather you have an idea what to expect than come here and find that you cannot afford it. All the best, Purp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergal007 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I would like to remind people that I am a 33 year old single man with no major overheads living in suburban Melbourne sharing a house with one other person , I pay rent and have a smallish loan (15k for a car over 3 years) I earn 55k a year I dont struggle, nor do I live like a lord! but I cant imagine how a family could live on 80k a year and be comfortable. I think the people with kids and mortgages can better answer the OP concerns. I think Purp has hit the nail on the head on that note I am leaving the debate Later dudes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest26012 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I think it's doable in the first instance. As long as you bring enough cash to set you up for prob the first six months! Rentals are expensive in perth at the mo. but you can do other things cheaply, it depends what you expect tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix16 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm not very savvy with money but I've learnt fast in Perth! I have only lived in Perth so I cannot speak for the rest of OZ. My experience is that on arriving I was shocked at the cost of things. I truly believe if you want this enough you can make it work and I think you have to try it. However, shoot me down in flames by all means but I still can't get my head around spending $500k for an average house in an average area, you get to a point where this is the norm but when I occasionally find myself watching 'Million Dollar Property-Hollywood' and thinking wow that's a good price compared to Perth, I have to wonder!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest26012 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I agree? Inflated prices at the moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm not very savvy with money but I've learnt fast in Perth! I have only lived in Perth so I cannot speak for the rest of OZ. My experience is that on arriving I was shocked at the cost of things. I truly believe if you want this enough you can make it work and I think you have to try it. However, shoot me down in flames by all means but I still can't get my head around spending $500k for an average house in an average area, you get to a point where this is the norm but when I occasionally find myself watching 'Million Dollar Property-Hollywood' and thinking wow that's a good price compared to Perth, I have to wonder!! Ha Ha! I watch 'escape to the country' (I shouldn't I know as it makes me homesick) and the properties (even for posh folks) look such value for money! 350 GBP will buy you a nice house in a lot of places in the UK. The AUD equivalent (550K?) buys you a starter home in Brisbane. I know you can't compare straight off, as earning AU $ makes the position different, but if you're selling up and moving over it's a real consideration. You really do need to trade down property wise - a step too far for many (me included). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Like I said before I don't know what people spend there money on. We a a family of four - two adults and two kids. Between us we earned nearly £70k in the UK. Here we managed on $54500 plus family benefit and were comfortable, if careful on $85k plus family benefit. On nearly $140k between us I'm feeling very well off even without any childcare rebate (opted out for the time being), but we've only just started both working so I don't actually know how this is going to feel long term, but the budget says we have plenty of money. I would say our lifestyle here is better than the one we had in the UK, even on just $85k. In the UK we lived in Rotherham and had very little in walking distance of our house which meant having to drive somewhere and pay parking. Here we have four play parks, the school grounds (with 3 separate playgrounds, a large oval with an obstacle course and various hard surface areas), a tennis club with 6 tennis courts and a conservation park within a short walk of our house. We don't each out much, but then we didn't eat out in the UK either. We get the odd take away here like we used to in the UK. We make sandwiches to take to work/school just like we did in the UK and take snacks for the day as well. If we want anything extra we will buy it we our spending money that we give ourselves, just like in the UK. We almost never did day trips to the beach in the UK because it was so far from our house so it was reserved for holidays. A trip to the beach here is a 45 minute drive and parking is free when we get there. We take drinks, snacks and lunch with us as it is just easier than messing about trying to find somewhere that has something everyone likes and it means we don't have to worry about going off to the shop to get something evey 5 minutes. We will buy hot drinks for me and the OH and an ice-cream each for the kids. As for bills, well don't get me started on electricity. We used to pay just £80 a month for gas and electricity in the UK. Here I'm budgeting $300 a month for gas and electricity. The last electricity bill was just $350 for three months but I think the next one will make up for it (air con on a lot). Gas is just hot water and hob so not that much. We only have one car here where we had two cars in the UK, but one of them was a T reg Vectra that hardly went anywhere. I work in the city and catch the bus to work everyday. We've decided not to bother with another car for now as there just doesn't seem much point. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's really cheap here in Australia, but you don't have to spend a fortune to live a good lifestyle, just as you don't in the UK. The main thing is to ensure you have enough money to live on and make the most of being here. Personally I think on $80k plus family benefit A and B you could do that, but it depends on where you will be living as rent will be a large factor, and also what kind of lifestyle you currently have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The big problems with cost comparisons between the UK and Aust is that in Aust - everywhere housing costs about the same, and look at what you earn???? cents in regional areas, dollars in citys, alas its all the same you earn it you spend it!! no matter where you live! I can assure you there are people in regional areas earning very good dollars and those in cities earning cents. However, that doesn't alter the fact, in reply to newjez, that housing prices in Oz are not the same throughout the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergal007 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Came across this today on 7 news!have a read! http://au.totaltravel.yahoo.com/news-opinions/news/a/-/15877944/english-cricket-fans-face-expensive-ashes/ And who said beer was not important!!!:tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 It does depend on the sort of lifestyle you are expecting, and it also depends on what you are giving up, in the UK, to come here.You may very well find you take a huge step backwards with your standard of living.Of course that may not bother, you, but if it does, you should think long and hard, about what you are giving up and leaving behind. I agree with Fergal it is very expensive to live here.Research is all very well, but quite often the reality is a shock, even though you think you have researched everything. I always liken it to refurbishing a house, you set yourself a budget, but you nearly always go over!!! There are some great points in Purpleals post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Of course one can stay in most nights and not spend money....but for those that do like a social life that doesn't involve the same old barbie.......or possible beach picnic(nice though that can be) it is very expensive to participate. Regardless of the dollar by world standards it is way over the top. I don't see how that can be argued. A lot depends from whether you come from a more disirable part of UK or less......for those that come from less and there are a number I take it on this forum,having a self contained house on a block with a pool.....under constant blue skies may well appear to be paradise.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kel87 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 A lot depends from whether you come from a more disirable part of UK or less......for those that come from less and there are a number I take it on this forum,having a self contained house on a block with a pool.....under constant blue skies may well appear to be paradise.......... Another comment I completely agree with,which again confirms that without knowing the ins and outs of someone's life it's impossible to state whether or not they can be comfortable on 80k pa. For us, we live in one of the least desirable places in Glasgow, have a 2 bed flat, and the local kids entertainment is setting fires almost every night in the spare ground (dump) behind our flat, only the other week I witnessed a child no more than 8 years old brandishing a kitchen knife beside the local shops and acting like he was a mini gangster. No matter what this is not the area I want my 4yr old to continue living in any longer. To us a 3 bed house in a nice suburb in Adelaide and earning the money we will, will feel like 'paradise' . Yes we could move areas here in Glasgow but at the moment that involves spending a lot more £s per month to buy a house in a nicer area, yes if we didn't have to save for oz then that would be doable as currently we do have a bit of disposable income per month but i would rather take my chance and continue living here and saving like mad to get us to oz, if all falls through then we'll always have the savings to move to a nicer area here. I fully understand that oz isn't all sunshine and paradise either but coming from where we are there will be huge difference. I kind of went off on a tangent there and I'm a bit worried at posting what I have in case I now get snapped at :laugh: What I am trying to say is again depending on your current lifestyle you may or may not struggle to live comfortably to your own standards on 80k pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I kind of went off on a tangent there and I'm a bit worried at posting what I have in case I now get snapped at :laugh: What I am trying to say is again depending on your current lifestyle you may or may not struggle to live comfortably to your own standards on 80k pa. No snapping at all. A perfectly fair and rational response! :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 You are right - it's all about expectations and current lifestyle. The problem is that the more affluent people become the more things we think of as essentials or at least things they would struggle to give up. It's human nature. For example we came from a nice area in the UK with a great school so I wasn't willing to come here and not have that as it would've seemed like a big step down. That, of course, means higher rent. In answer to the question - yes it's definitely possible and to have a nice family life but what we would be happy with isn't the same for everyone. I have had people on much much higher wages than us be surprised we can even survive. But we are just careful with our money. We have still done lots of things but we look for bargains, use Groupon etc and save meals out etc for special occasions. I don't agree that even beach days out have to cost alot of money. We have taken food to BBQ on the beach or else picnics. I don't think I have even seen an ice-cream shop/van right by the beaches we have been to - I'm sure my kids would've noticed if there had been! We have ice-cream at home so if they did ask, we would just say we'd have some after tea and they would be happy with that. We have a great lifestyle but on these kinds of wages it is difficult to save and look to the future in terms of buying a house etc. As a starting position then it's definitely doable if you are willing to do your homework and compromise if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Hello. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flathead Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Update.... A$80K+ gross salary; A$500/fortnight rent allowance from employer which i would need to supplement heavily as we have 3 kids (18, 15 & 10 years) so need a fairly large place- would like a decent place with pool; Immediate pension from UK employer of GBP750/month +one off tax free lump sum of GBP70K both/most of which i would prefer to save (? Aus mortgage in future); Likely not living in Perth or Sydney. All of us would get PR and citizenship after 90 days. Husband may work after settled in. Quality of life? We like the beach, walking, swimming, BBQ'ing, etc. We eat out 2 or 3 times/month but recognise this would need to stop! Thoughts? How would you get citizenship / PR after 90 days??...and how would you get a pension of 750/month and a lump sum of 70K. The usual lump sum is 3 times annual pension. How would you qualify for a pension if you are not pension age and if you are then PR becomes very difficult....this doesn't make sense to me....please explain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 You'll get citizenship after 90 days? Or PR? - why are they not going for PR now? Sounds a bit confusing. Your pension will be taxed as income in Australia IIRC and your £70k will be a bit of a start on a mortgage down payment - assume you have another pot for settling in, buying cars, setting up utilities, rental bonds, etc - I know of people who have gone through £10k with barely a glance. You may want to rethink the pool, a lot of people do as they are hard work but I guess if you get one in a rental then you will know if you want all the palaver if and when you buy. you say it won't be Sydney or Perth but Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane at least are going to be expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 How would you get citizenship / PR after 90 days??...and how would you get a pension of 750/month and a lump sum of 70K. The usual lump sum is 3 times annual pension. How would you qualify for a pension if you are not pension age and if you are then PR becomes very difficult....this doesn't make sense to me....please explain Could be a UK army/navy pension paid on leaving the UK services? Could be they get PR/Citizenship after a short period because they're transferring to the Australian Defence Force? Just a possibility.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flathead Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Could be a UK army/navy pension paid on leaving the UK services?PR/Citizenship after a short period because they're transferring to the Australian Defence Force? As a Nurse? Then why not say that as it makes a huge difference to the original question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.