Marisawright Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'll preface this by (a) reminding everyone that I've moved back from Sydney, which has a different cost of living and lifestyle than, say, Pert or Adelaide or Brisbane and (b) saying that I'm well aware my feelings are influenced by all the stresses of being a stranger in a strange land (I haven't lived in the UK for 30 years). Who knows, in a few months I may be loving it, but right now I just have to moan to someone and you guys are the only people available! We've made up our minds we're going to stick it out in England for two years but right now I'm gritting my teeth when I say that. If we hadn't already invested so much money into this, I think we'd both be on the plane to Hobart tomorrow (which was our second choice). Actually we're shell-shocked by how much money it has cost us so far. I assumed we'd be able to find a furnished flat for the first six months or so, but the standard of furnished flats is just shocking so we've had to take one unfurnished. All I can say is, thank God for Ikea, because the cost of furniture everywhere else is frightening. I'm sure it's frightening in Oz too, it's just that it's ten years since I had to buy any and I had no idea a cheap sofa cost over £500. Not to mention the exorbitant admin fees charged by estate agents (and the 3% extra they charge for overseas debit cards). We're also finding day-to-day living costly. We've had to change our lifestyle, because in Sydney we're used to eating out once a day - whether it's breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. We can't afford that here, it's all too dear. A big part of the problem is alcohol - most restaurants in Sydney are BYO - but food prices are higher as well. We had lunch at Nando's the other day and the meals cost us double what it costs in Sydney. An English breakfast in most cafes here is also double the price. And yes, even Wetherspoon's is expensive by comparison, though some of its specials come close. It's weird because if anything, food prices in the supermarkets seem slightly cheaper. So suddenly we're sitting in the flat on our own for meals, which doesn't help our feelings of isolation. But hey, we can compensate for that - we're going to have more interesting things to do, like dancing and rambling and going to shows and visiting abbeys and castles, right? Except I forgot to check the cost of travel. Rail travel is so ridiculously expensive - $100 just to get us to London, a distance no further than the Blue Mountains from Sydney. Locally, there isn't nearly as much going on as I'd expected in a city the size of Southampton. Buy a car, you say? Everyone here talks about how expensive cars are in Australia but we're finding the second-hand market here just as dear. We can't buy a car equivalent to the one we sold in Sydney for a similar price. I guess we're feeling so poor after all the money we've already spent - and all the hurdles we've had to clear as "foreigners" trying to get bank accounts, leases etc set up - that we can't quite face spending several more thousand pounds on a car, insurance problems etc . I'm sure it will get better but right now I'm wondering what the hell we've done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 i agree about prices - I was flabbergasted at how expensive train travel was - also casual eating out. I suppose I was always surprised when I read how some forum members said how expensive Australia is. I don't find it expensive compared to the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aston Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'll preface this by (a) reminding everyone that I've moved back from Sydney, which has a different cost of living and lifestyle than, say, Pert or Adelaide or Brisbane and (b) saying that I'm well aware my feelings are influenced by all the stresses of being a stranger in a strange land (I haven't lived in the UK for 30 years). Who knows, in a few months I may be loving it, but right now I just have to moan to someone and you guys are the only people available! We've made up our minds we're going to stick it out in England for two years but right now I'm gritting my teeth when I say that. If we hadn't already invested so much money into this, I think we'd both be on the plane to Hobart tomorrow (which was our second choice). Actually we're shell-shocked by how much money it has cost us so far. I assumed we'd be able to find a furnished flat for the first six months or so, but the standard of furnished flats is just shocking so we've had to take one unfurnished. All I can say is, thank God for Ikea, because the cost of furniture everywhere else is frightening. I'm sure it's frightening in Oz too, it's just that it's ten years since I had to buy any and I had no idea a cheap sofa cost over £500. Not to mention the exorbitant admin fees charged by estate agents (and the 3% extra they charge for overseas debit cards). We're also finding day-to-day living costly. We've had to change our lifestyle, because in Sydney we're used to eating out once a day - whether it's breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. We can't afford that here, it's all too dear. A big part of the problem is alcohol - most restaurants in Sydney are BYO - but food prices are higher as well. We had lunch at Nando's the other day and the meals cost us double what it costs in Sydney. An English breakfast in most cafes here is also double the price. And yes, even Wetherspoon's is expensive by comparison, though some of its specials come close. It's weird because if anything, food prices in the supermarkets seem slightly cheaper. So suddenly we're sitting in the flat on our own for meals, which doesn't help our feelings of isolation. But hey, we can compensate for that - we're going to have more interesting things to do, like dancing and rambling and going to shows and visiting abbeys and castles, right? Except I forgot to check the cost of travel. Rail travel is so ridiculously expensive - $100 just to get us to London, a distance no further than the Blue Mountains from Sydney. Locally, there isn't nearly as much going on as I'd expected in a city the size of Southampton. Buy a car, you say? Everyone here talks about how expensive cars are in Australia but we're finding the second-hand market here just as dear. We can't buy a car equivalent to the one we sold in Sydney for a similar price. I guess we're feeling so poor after all the money we've already spent - and all the hurdles we've had to clear as "foreigners" trying to get bank accounts, leases etc set up - that we can't quite face spending several more thousand pounds on a car, insurance problems etc . I'm sure it will get better but right now I'm wondering what the hell we've done. wouldn't get me back there for any reason. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Wow, that is just the absolute polar opposite of our findings. A cheap sofa costs over £500?? You really are looking in the wrong places. We find eating out so much cheaper here. We can get a BIG full English for around £4 at most and pub meals are very affordable. Secondhand cars are way cheaper here, I can buy a late model family car for under 2 grand. Can I ask where you are in the UK ? It shouldn't really make that much different but I know the SE is more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelensvaleHoward Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Wow, that is just the absolute polar opposite of our findings. A cheap sofa costs over £500?? You really are looking in the wrong places. We find eating out so much cheaper here. We can get a BIG full English for around £4 at most and pub meals are very affordable. Secondhand cars are way cheaper here, I can buy a late model family car for under 2 grand.Can I ask where you are in the UK ? It shouldn't really make that much different but I know the SE is more expensive. We can get a great fried breakfast here local to us every day 6 til 12 for less than $5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 i agree about prices - I was flabbergasted at how expensive train travel was - also casual eating out. I suppose I was always surprised when I read how some forum members said how expensive Australia is. I don't find it expensive compared to the UK. Definitely agree about train travel, it's crazy, more so if you buy a ticket on the day. Other stuff, food, eating out etc is certainly cheaper for us here in the UK, especially pub grub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations. I guess it goes to show that effectively starting from scratch is difficult and expensive whichever direction one is heading. Eating out every day is probably not typical though. We would probably eat out once a month, twice at most and rarely drink alcohol but I am surprised you find Wetherspoons expensive. Rail travel can be very expensive but you need to check out online as you can get some cheaper fares travelling off-peak and booking specific trains in advance. What is your budget for a car? We just sold one of ours a couple of weeks ago in preparation for moving; there are deals to be had. You definitely need to get a car (be careful about insurance though) and look to join National Trust and English Heritage to get free access to so many historic houses and parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 We can get a great fried breakfast here local to us every day 6 til 12 for less than $5 Yes we can get a huge one in our local (ish) cafe for under £3. Sets me up for the day ☺ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 i agree about prices - I was flabbergasted at how expensive train travel was - also casual eating out. I suppose I was always surprised when I read how some forum members said how expensive Australia is. I don't find it expensive compared to the UK. Part of it has to be the exchange rate, after all it was a lot more favourable only a few months ago. But rail travel is just a joke. We looked into going up to London from Bournemouth while we were there - it was over £50 each, off peak! Another thing I can't understand about the reality vs what people talk about here - television. We complain about the rubbish on Australian TV but this is worse. Hundreds of channels but they're full of nothing but "property porn", reality shows, and repeats of drama programs I've already seen twice on Australian TV, or straight-to-video movies. We're lucky if we can find one show a night worth watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelensvaleHoward Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yes we can get a huge one in our local (ish) cafe for under £3. Sets me up for the day ☺ Still cheaper in Aus lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booma Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 im not surprised you are finding things expensive in the uk & that it doesnt live up to the propaganda you see on this forum. was going to say something before you left but didnt cause you needed to find out for yourself just like i did. good luck with the rest of your time there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 im not surprised you are finding things expensive in the uk & that it doesnt live up to the propaganda you see on this forum. was going to say something before you left but didnt cause you needed to find out for yourself just like i did. good luck with the rest of your time there. Well I am extremely surprised to be honest, not what we found at all other than train travel which is expensive. It's not propaganda if it is what people are experiencing, it's facts surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'm back in uk on holiday at moment and can agree with pretty much everything you just listed. Can't wait to be back in Brisbane this weekend. Can get cheaper rail fares by trying split ticketing (breaking trip into smaller journeys and booking online) still way overpriced. The coffee in general is absolutely awful here too. To get a good meal you need to spend more than a similar standard meal in Oz too. UK wins the cheap end of the market though if you like to eat at low end places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Did you go back for a reason, family etc or did you just decide you wanted to go to UK for a while? You might be back in Oz quicker than you thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I really feel as though I am living in a different UK than the one being talked about here lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Wow, that is just the absolute polar opposite of our findings. A cheap sofa costs over £500?? You really are looking in the wrong places. We find eating out so much cheaper here. We can get a BIG full English for around £4 at most and pub meals are very affordable. Secondhand cars are way cheaper here, I can buy a late model family car for under 2 grand.Can I ask where you are in the UK ? It shouldn't really make that much different but I know the SE is more expensive. We're in Southampton. We traipsed around as many furniture shops as we could find including a couple of retail parks, and searched online. Even Homebase wanted £499 for their sofas and $425 for a bed base. In the end we bought an Ikea three-seater for £325. An English breakfast with coffee in Sydney would cost $10 to $15, we're paying more here. Pub meals are relatively affordable here if we go for the specials, but the specials are still more expensive than the specials in a Sydney pub (e.g. steak or schnitzel with chips and salad $10, ribs and rump $15, both offers available at several pubs near us). Anyway do you really want to eat in pubs all the time? In Sydney we had three local Italians where we could get a big seafood pizza for $20 and bring our own wine - total for the night, $30. Or we'd eat Thai or Indian - $15 to 20 each for mains plus our own wine, total around $50. We haven't fully researched the car market yet but looking at dealers, I'm seeing most of their cars are over £5 grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Part of it has to be the exchange rate, after all it was a lot more favourable only a few months ago. But rail travel is just a joke. We looked into going up to London from Bournemouth while we were there - it was over £50 each, off peak! Another thing I can't understand about the reality vs what people talk about here - television. We complain about the rubbish on Australian TV but this is worse. Hundreds of channels but they're full of nothing but "property porn", reality shows, and repeats of drama programs I've already seen twice on Australian TV, or straight-to-video movies. We're lucky if we can find one show a night worth watching. I just looked online and two off-peak returns Southampton to London (tomorrow) are £75.20 or £37.60 each but agree it is over £50 each if you add a Travelcard for bus and tube in London. Rail fares in the UK are probably the highest in the world I'm afraid. Daytime TV is never great and TV in general is better in the autumn/winter months when the TV companies reason that most people are stuck indoors more and therefore more likely to watch TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Even supermarket shopping I found a bit dearer. Mind you I cook from scratch so I don't buy ready meals. Breakfast cereal and bread is cheaper but fruit and veg dearer in the UK - at least where I shopped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Eating out every day is probably not typical though. We would probably eat out once a month, twice at most and rarely drink alcohol but I am surprised you find Wetherspoons expensive. I guess that's my point - for us in Sydney, eating out every day was typical because it's affordable, and that's the case for a lot of Sydneysiders. I mentioned Wetherspoons because it's often held up in these forums as proof that food in the UK is not dearer than Australia. Its meals are more reasonable than most places but that overlooks the fact that it's a pub, and pubs in Sydney offer specials too - which are cheaper than Wetherspoons' specials! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 And wetherspoons food is awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 We're in Southampton. We traipsed around as many furniture shops as we could find including a couple of retail parks, and searched online. Even Homebase wanted £499 for their sofas and $425 for a bed base. In the end we bought an Ikea three-seater for £325. An English breakfast with coffee in Sydney would cost $10 to $15, we're paying more here. Pub meals are relatively affordable here if we go for the specials, but the specials are still more expensive than the specials in a Sydney pub (e.g. steak or schnitzel with chips and salad $10, ribs and rump $15, both offers available at several pubs near us). Anyway do you really want to eat in pubs all the time? In Sydney we had three local Italians where we could get a big seafood pizza for $20 and bring our own wine - total for the night, $30. Or we'd eat Thai or Indian - $15 to 20 each for mains plus our own wine, total around $50. We haven't fully researched the car market yet but looking at dealers, I'm seeing most of their cars are over £5 grand. All I can say is it is MUCH cheaper away from the South then. £8 for a full breakfast is something I have never seen. I eat steak in the pub, it can be from £6 and that is for a nice piece of steak. Indian or Thai is about the same as you mention, £8-10 for a main. We favour the pubs as the food is just so good. No need to pay more than £250 for a decent sofa. You can understand my confusion as it just doesn't seem to be describing where we live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I guess that's my point - for us in Sydney, eating out every day was typical because it's affordable, and that's the case for a lot of Sydneysiders. I mentioned Wetherspoons because it's often held up in these forums as proof that food in the UK is not dearer than Australia. Its meals are more reasonable than most places but that overlooks the fact that it's a pub, and pubs in Sydney offer specials too - which are cheaper than Wetherspoons' specials! Wetherspoons really shouldn't be used as a yardstick, the food is OK but you get far better in almost any independent pub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Even supermarket shopping I found a bit dearer. Mind you I cook from scratch so I don't buy ready meals. Breakfast cereal and bread is cheaper but fruit and veg dearer in the UK - at least where I shopped. Again definitely not our experience. My wife constantly comments on how much cheaper a whole trolley load of food is and she is extremely balanced in her views of the 2 countries. We find fruit and veg cheaper. It's strange isn't it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 All I can say is it is MUCH cheaper away from the South then. £8 for a full breakfast is something I have never seen. I eat steak in the pub, it can be from £6 and that is for a nice piece of steak. Indian or Thai is about the same as you mention, £8-10 for a main. We favour the pubs as the food is just so good.No need to pay more than £250 for a decent sofa. You can understand my confusion as it just doesn't seem to be describing where we live. The south is expensive and the nearer you get to London the more you are ripped off. Our boiler broke down and when I called to get a repair booked out they immediately upped the price by 20% because they said I was within the M25. Actually I am 1 mile outside but they were basing it on my postcode. You generally pay through the nose living in the south east of England but as I have always lived here I just get used to it. Travel north and west and it's a different world IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Wetherspoons really shouldn't be used as a yardstick, the food is OK but you get far better in almost any independent pub.Wetherspoons is Rank! Thats why its cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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