Things you wish you took

[michaelc17]

Cheers for the replies people think we’ll squeeze in as much as we can even if we think it’s not a priority. Any home comforts you wish you took? Things you can’t get there 

[InnerVoice]

3 hours ago, michaelc17 said:

Cheers for the replies people think we’ll squeeze in as much as we can even if we think it’s not a priority. Any home comforts you wish you took? Things you can’t get there 

In my case, about a year's supply of real ale! 

[Marisawright]

4 hours ago, michaelc17 said:

Any home comforts you wish you took? Things you can’t get there 

If you're talking about consumables, then personally I don't think there's a lot of point.    I've known people bring their favourite face creams or detergent or gravy mix or sweets, and maybe it makes sense to bring enough to cover the first few months:  but after that, what are you going to do?  You're not going to pop back for more supplies, and the postage would be astronomic if you order it from the UK. You're here for the rest of your life, so you'll have to start discovering new favourites in your new country at some point, instead of fixating on the old ones.  You might as well start now than in a year or so.  Your tastes will change if you give them a chance.  

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Marisawright

[InnerVoice]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

If you're talking about consumables, then personally I don't think there's a lot of point.    I've known people bring their favourite face creams or detergent or gravy mix or sweets, and maybe it makes sense to bring enough to cover the first few months:  but after that, what are you going to do?  You're not going to pop back for more supplies, and the postage would be astronomic if you order it from the UK. You're here for the rest of your life, so you'll have to start discovering new favourites in your new country at some point, instead of fixating on the old ones.  You might as well start now than in a year or so.  Your tastes will change if you give them a chance.  

Not to mention that anything remotely perishable will not survive the trip - I was joking above about the beer, by the way!

I would buy some nice clothes and ship these over because good quality clothing is very expensive over here, but give consideration to the climate where you'll be living. There's no point in stocking up on winter woollies if you're moving to Cairns, but even in S E Queensland you'll still need a few warm clothes to get you through the cooler months. The southern states have real winters, of course.

[Nemesis]

3 hours ago, Marisawright said:

If you're talking about consumables, then personally I don't think there's a lot of point.    I've known people bring their favourite face creams or detergent or gravy mix or sweets, and maybe it makes sense to bring enough to cover the first few months:  but after that, what are you going to do?  You're not going to pop back for more supplies, and the postage would be astronomic if you order it from the UK. You're here for the rest of your life, so you'll have to start discovering new favourites in your new country at some point, instead of fixating on the old ones.  You might as well start now than in a year or so.  Your tastes will change if you give them a chance.  

 

But equally, bringing toiletries etc that you are used to can make the first few weeks or months easier while you find replacement. Especially true if you have allergies or sensitivities - even finding decent washing liquid that one isn't allergic to isn't easy. The stuff from home can also make the transition easier, as you aren't suddenly pitchforked into a world where you are trying to buy stuff but don't know where to start. If people have the container space, bring stuff!

[Tychen]

57 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

But equally, bringing toiletries etc that you are used to can make the first few weeks or months easier while you find replacement. Especially true if you have allergies or sensitivities - even finding decent washing liquid that one isn't allergic to isn't easy. The stuff from home can also make the transition easier, as you aren't suddenly pitchforked into a world where you are trying to buy stuff but don't know where to start. If people have the container space, bring stuff!

Agreed - gives you time to find something you are happy with here. We brought some hand soap for example. I wished I'd brought more tea bags - not English Breakfast, there's plenty of that here, but non-standard varieties, you can get a much wider variety in tea bag form in UK supermarkets. If you want the same variety here you often have to buy expensive loose leaf in tea shops.

Edited February 24, 2023 by Tychen

[InnerVoice]

@michaelc17 not sure how well you know Australia but there's an outlet over here called the Reject Shop, which often stocks lines of British products at rock-bottom prices, such as beverages, snacks and confectionary.

https://www.rejectshop.com.au/c/snacks-drinks?resultsPage=1&position=1324

 

[Lavers]

On 20/02/2023 at 19:03, Raplin45 said:

I'm really glad someone has said this as that is my plan when I get to that point! Everyone's different of course but this gives me confidence that I'm not totally nuts 

Depends on how much sentimental things you have which you want to bring.

We wanted to bring all the kids things so decided on getting a movecube, just packed in as much as we could.

Dont make my mistake though, we brought our king size mattress with no frame, bought a king size frame here only to realise that a UK king is an Aus queen. I now sleep with a 6inch gap at the side of me

[Lavers]

On 24/02/2023 at 07:38, michaelc17 said:

Cheers for the replies people think we’ll squeeze in as much as we can even if we think it’s not a priority. Any home comforts you wish you took? Things you can’t get there 

There’s nothing that jumps to mind regarding  things we wish we brought.

Things are very similar here so can find substitutes for most things.

 

[Johnny Kash]

Agree with previous posts that quality and choice of clothing is far better in the UK.   There are still a lot of the higher end UK clothing web sites that do international shipping and will knock off the VAT as we are outside of the EU.   That usually covers the shipping costs or more in some cases.

I ordered a pair of Kickers boots (trying to relive my rave days, haha) and got them sent over.    Some random Welsh bloke spotted me in Adelaide CBD in them and stopped us, asking where I got em.   The Aussies I was with at the time were utterly confused with the whole encounter 

[Lavers]

11 minutes ago, Johnny Kash said:

Agree with previous posts that quality and choice of clothing is far better in the UK.   There are still a lot of the higher end UK clothing web sites that do international shipping and will knock off the VAT as we are outside of the EU.   That usually covers the shipping costs or more in some cases.

I ordered a pair of Kickers boots (trying to relive my rave days, haha) and got them sent over.    Some random Welsh bloke spotted me in Adelaide CBD in them and stopped us, asking where I got em.   The Aussies I was with at the time were utterly confused with the whole encounter 

I was into all the designer things in the UK but it’s refreshing here that most people aren’t bothered by it. (Or at least in Adelaide)

Clothes get covered in sun cream here so not worth splashing the cash.

As you say though the stores in the UK will post items at a fairly cheap price.

 

[Marisawright]

53 minutes ago, Lavers said:

I was into all the designer things in the UK but it’s refreshing here that most people aren’t bothered by it. (Or at least in Adelaide)

Yes, it depends where in Australia you are.  If you were in Sydney you'd need all that designer stuff, Sydneysiders are all about which suburb you live in, what car do you drive, what clothes you wear. There is an element of that in Melbourne but thankfully not as rampant.  I think the rest of Australia is generally more relaxed!

[InnerVoice]

1 hour ago, Lavers said:

I was into all the designer things in the UK but it’s refreshing here that most people aren’t bothered by it. (Or at least in Adelaide)

Not sure how Adelaide compares as it's many moons since I've been down there, but young Queenslanders spend a fortune on tattoos, personalised number plates (often unintelligible), and bizarre customisations to their motor vehicles. The posing here is more lowbrow, but it still exists!

[InnerVoice]

26 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Yes, it depends where in Australia you are.  If you were in Sydney you'd need all that designer stuff, Sydneysiders are all about which suburb you live in, what car do you drive, what clothes you wear. There is an element of that in Melbourne but thankfully not as rampant.  I think the rest of Australia is generally more relaxed!

I spent a year working in Sydney when I first migrated, as many do. Absolutely loved the location, the city and the beaches, but found some Sydneysiders to be rather obnoxious, and superficial on another level.

Edited February 25, 2023 by InnerVoice

[Marisawright]

56 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

I spent a year working in Sydney when I first migrated, as many do. Absolutely loved the location, the city and the beaches, but found some Sydneysiders to be rather obnoxious, and superficial on another level.

I love Sydney in so many ways and will always think of it as home after 30-odd years there, but I do find the people in Melbourne less materialistic on the whole 

[Lavers]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

Yes, it depends where in Australia you are.  If you were in Sydney you'd need all that designer stuff, Sydneysiders are all about which suburb you live in, what car do you drive, what clothes you wear. There is an element of that in Melbourne but thankfully not as rampant.  I think the rest of Australia is generally more relaxed!

See that’s a really good thing about Australia, even in the small villages in the UK (not all) it’s all about those things you listed.

Especially in the young kids, my friends kids would ask for £500 jacket for Xmas at 14

[Lavers]

1 hour ago, InnerVoice said:

I spent a year working in Sydney when I first migrated, as many do. Absolutely loved the location, the city and the beaches, but found some Sydneysiders to be rather obnoxious, and superficial on another level.

I’ve not been but I imagine similar to London.

[Blue Flu]

19 minutes ago, Lavers said:

See that’s a really good thing about Australia, even in the small villages in the UK (not all) it’s all about those things you listed.

Especially in the young kids, my friends kids would ask for £500 jacket for Xmas at 14

The pretentiousness is not so much in clothing here. Of course it depends on the pack you run with (offices can be very aware of attire, especially for females) But it runs to postcodes, type of car and a general greed for money. 

[Lavers]

21 minutes ago, Blue Flu said:

The pretentiousness is not so much in clothing here. Of course it depends on the pack you run with (offices can be very aware of attire, especially for females) But it runs to postcodes, type of car and a general greed for money. 

 You will get it everywhere you go these days but I do find it a lot better in Adelaide compared to where I was in the UK.

Apprentices at 17 would go out and get a Mercedes A class as there 1st car, couldn’t settle for a banger.

At the end of it all though I personally couldn’t care what other people think anyway, I walk my own path and that’s it.

[Lavers]

3 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Not sure how Adelaide compares as it's many moons since I've been down there, but young Queenslanders spend a fortune on tattoos, personalised number plates (often unintelligible), and bizarre customisations to their motor vehicles. The posing here is more lowbrow, but it still exists!

Plenty of tattoos, cars I’ve noticed a few but not many.

I read before we came that Australia is 20 yrs behind the rest of the world and Adelaide is 30.

This could be true haha but in a good way 

[Ausvisitor]

3 hours ago, Lavers said:

I’ve not been but I imagine similar to London.

Nothing like London, but I guess closer to London than any other Aussie city, more like a baby-New York.

There really isn't anywhere in the world that is like London (and some people would say that's a good thing), ultimately 750 years at the head of modern exploration and empire (whether you like that sort of thing or not) tends to create something unique.

You'd love Sydney - if only to be able to say Ive been on the bridge and I've seen a show in the opera house (I only watch comedy in the opera house - Jimmy Carr, Nish Kumar etc - not cultured enough for Opera)

And on the subject of being behind, it's totally true, stuff I was doing in the UK 10-12 years ago is considered cutting edge in the finance and utility companies here today. Which of course is great as I just rinse and repeat stuff I know I can already do

Edited February 25, 2023 by Ausvisitor

[FirstWorldProblems]

2 hours ago, Lavers said:

 You will get it everywhere you go these days but I do find it a lot better in Adelaide compared to where I was in the UK.

Apprentices at 17 would go out and get a Mercedes A class as there 1st car, couldn’t settle for a banger.

At the end of it all though I personally couldn’t care what other people think anyway, I walk my own path and that’s it.

If you started a thread on this I could rant for days.  Boils my piss.   Literally had this conversation with my 23 year old the other day.

• no, you don't "need" a £16k car, you "want" one
• no, just because "everyone else does it" doesn't make it smart to spend £20k over 4 years on a PCP for a £16k car
• every customer of your [debt collector] uncle also thought there would never be a down-turn in their circumstances before  they took out their loan
• when I was your age (proper old man moment, despite still being in my 40's), no one did this.  We all saved a few grand and bought a 10 year old car and your generation is absolutely not richer than ours
• be patient, live to your means, stop looking at the image other people are putting out there and assuming that means they are successful and you are falling behind.  

It's all the fault of great marketing and, in my opinion, we have a massive gap in our education system.  We should be swapping out something that only some people will ever make use of in their career/lives and replacing it with a year of Personal Finance.  Why don't we do this?  It's not in the government nor big businesses interests for us to live to our means [yes I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist, maybe I am]

rant, rant, rant

Edited February 25, 2023 by FirstWorldProblems

[InnerVoice]

15 hours ago, Lavers said:

I’ve not been but I imagine similar to London.

I used to call Sydney 'London in the sun' when I first arrived given the mindset of the natives, but there's a lot more to London tbf, as @Ausvisitor has stated.

[InnerVoice]

15 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

The pretentiousness is not so much in clothing here. Of course it depends on the pack you run with (offices can be very aware of attire, especially for females) But it runs to postcodes, type of car and a general greed for money. 

Lots of greedy folks here (Australians are heavily influenced by America), but then there's probably as much in the UK these days - Brits are just a bit less vulgar in displaying it.

Edited February 25, 2023 by InnerVoice

[Blue Flu]

On 25/02/2023 at 16:34, Lavers said:

 You will get it everywhere you go these days but I do find it a lot better in Adelaide compared to where I was in the UK.

Apprentices at 17 would go out and get a Mercedes A class as there 1st car, couldn’t settle for a banger.

At the end of it all though I personally couldn’t care what other people think anyway, I walk my own path and that’s it.

I find big changes here in Perth anyway with conspicuous consumption. A lot of youth have considerable money. Many drive cars in teen years we would never have afforded nor probably desired. 

I imagine they consider themselves 'doing their own thing' as well.