andromeda9 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Hello F M of all the posts I have read I would say almost for sure you could possibly regret going back to the UK, could you not find work in the evenings when husband at home even if it was only two nights a week so that you can have time out on your own, catch up and meet others its friendship I feel you are needing whatever you decide to do hope you will find happiness regards Lynda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 You could be right, I do remember being able to buy much much more for your money 10 years ago when we moved back. Isn't it funny how the people on different sides of the fence see things differently ? Someone just recently posted how some friends from the UK said how cheap eating out was here compared to the UK. That did surprise me and went against what I had experienced a few years ago and what my wife saw just last year. I am not sure that everything was cheap 10 years ago - Australia has always been expensive for those living here long term. It certainly appeared cheap for new migrants from UK because their pound stretched a long way. We have always paid through the nose for pretty much everything when you compare it with relative incomes. I just got back from UK on Sunday and walked around Canberra looking for lunch yesterday - I could not believe how expensive the cafes all were and yet just over a month ago I would have been quite content to fork out that much for a focaccia or whatever took my fancy. A month of good eating at half the cost (and not just the $/L difference, literally half the cost!) has made me acutely aware of just how much we are ripped off. I guess I notice it every time I go home but this time the difference was really marked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaret Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Hello,of course it will work out.The main thing is your heart will be free,from loneliness and you know that you will be happier back home.I will be doing the same as you and nothing will stop me. best of luck MARGARET Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozpom Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 All the best on getting back to your life back in the UK and we hope all goes well for you all. We are the entire opposite, we lived in Widnes, Cheshire and decided to emigrate to Australia and moved to Brisbane in 1998 and to be honest have not even looked back whatsoever. We had read in the likes of the Australian News about a lot of brits that had come out and then returned within months and even weeks and at that point i could not understand as to how or why they would put themseves through so much expense and upheaval but now after being in oz i can see the other side of the coin and understand their feelings. Luckily enough we have not had those feelings and are still very happy here in Australia after 12yrs although we are flying back in July 2010 to see family that we havnt seen for over 12yrs so that should be a tearful but happy re union for all of us. They do say that you do have to give it somewhat longer to adjust however that is if all is going well but on the flip side if you are having finance and health problems then that sheds a different light on matters and decisions. From the day we arrived we had a very positive attitude that we had come here for our new life and nothing is going to deter us and still after 12yrs we all think the same and it has worked for us. I know when we go back to the UK in July i will enjoy some of the things we have missed like Fish n Chips, Tesco,s, Asda, Pasties, Beer etc etc but they are small things compared to the lifestyle here in Australia in comparison to the lifestyle we left behind in the UK and certainly would not warrant a decision to move back home. A good percentage of people who have decided to go back to the UK actualy need that realisation of what they left the UK in the first place for and return back to Australia to continue there new lives. To all of you no matter what your final decision i wish you all the luck and happiness that awaits but dont forget if you are not an Australian citizen before you return to the UK then dont forget to apply for a Resident Return Visa otherwise you wont get back in if you decide to change your mind after arriving in the uk. All The Best Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsindecision Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 To all of you no matter what your final decision i wish you all the luck and happiness that awaits but dont forget if you are not an Australian citizen before you return to the UK then dont forget to apply for a Resident Return Visa otherwise you wont get back in if you decide to change your mind after arriving in the uk. Tony on the matter of the resident return visa - we still ahve 2 years left on our visa, do we have to apply for the RR visa before we leave in June or before the visa runs out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 To all of you no matter what your final decision i wish you all the luck and happiness that awaits but dont forget if you are not an Australian citizen before you return to the UK then dont forget to apply for a Resident Return Visa otherwise you wont get back in if you decide to change your mind after arriving in the uk. Tony on the matter of the resident return visa - we still ahve 2 years left on our visa, do we have to apply for the RR visa before we leave in June or before the visa runs out? You only need a rrv after you have had your visa 5 years and you have not taken citizenship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ozpom Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 Check with your nearest Visa dept in the state you are in regarding whether the remaining time on your existing visa allows you back into Australia. I think although not 100% that if you get a RRV it lasts for 5yrs so will give you ample time to come back to Oz should you have a change of heart. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsindecision Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 Check with your nearest Visa dept in the state you are in regarding whether the remaining time on your existing visa allows you back into Australia. I think although not 100% that if you get a RRV it lasts for 5yrs so will give you ample time to come back to Oz should you have a change of heart. Tony Thanks will give them a call - the website says that you need to demonstrate that you have lived in oz for 2 of previous 5 years as a permanent resident - which in 2012 will still stand as we will have been here 3 years by the time we go back. Which I guess gives us a 7 year window. I am thinking more about the kids if they want to come back following their uni they will have that option withouth any problems. Famous last words but not sure I could put myself through this again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Its Yvonne by the way, Andy at work and im on a late today, so yep we are both working (managed to find jobs both of us within a couple of months of landing, which to say there is no jobs about according to some people on here is outstanding I think :wink:) and we both work with Aussies and we get on brill with them. We have been here 12 months now and loving every minute of it and niether of us would consider ever going back to the UK. Yep we did have good jobs etc over there but our quality of life over here is so much more than we had in the UK, not sat in watching the box at night time because it was too cold and miserable to go out, or just go and sit in a pub everynight, more to life for us than sitting in pubs im afraid. The only bills you pay in a rental are electric and phone, (unless you have gas and CHOOSE to have Foxtell etc) so our bills are much cheaper here than UK. Also I dont understand how people can compare prices with the UK, when you are living here and earning $$'s the exchange rate is all irrelivant anyway, unless you go back to UK for a holiday. Yes we have looked at buying our own place and will do in another 12 months or so (we not in any rush to buy) and we know we will get alot more for our money here than we would do where we came from. We came over with little money too, we had a scrap of a car that cost us $600 when we got here, sold it for $500 9 months later and now have a brand new one, so yes it can be done on little money too. You dont have to have everything all at once. Absolutly loving living in Australia Yvonne & Andy We have been here 24 years.you would find it alot cheaper liveing in the northern suburbs,it's the cheap area of Brisbane.But you must be paying arround $350-$400 for a decent house.You say it's not expensive in Brisbane.You must be the only one that thinks so,you must earn good money to eat lots of steaks.Send money over to the uk ect.Don't you have air/con?as our electric bill for last summer was $800,( My sisters bill in the Uk for gas and electic is not that much for 3 months.) and thats just to keep comfortable.But maybe you like to sweat it out.Buying a house in 12months,The longer you wait the more out of reach they will be in Brisbane.9% interest by then and a wacking big $100,000 deposit.By the way u won't get more for your money than you would in the UK,houses here are poorly built flashy paper thin sheds.ovens in the summer and fridges in the winter.To buy a car for $600 must have been in real good condition, used it for 9 months seems real cheap,seeing that rego is over $700. 35 quid in the UK.Brisbane has the name as being a grave yard with lights?But i suppose u find heaps to do,unlike in the UK where they watch tv or go down the pub.I know when we lived in the Brisbane suburbs everyone was in bed by 8.30pm.My Aussie mates aswell,i could never get them to go out at night.Now we live on acerage,couldn't stand the noise in suburbia,thumping loud music,screeching car tyres,the houses are so close in some areas you can here the nieghbours fart.But i think you and Andy would make great tourist reps for Aus.Don't suppose you have heard any anti pommie vibes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy123 Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 We have been here 24 years.you would find it alot cheaper liveing in the northern suburbs,it's the cheap area of Brisbane.But you must be paying arround $350-$400 for a decent house.You say it's not expensive in Brisbane.You must be the only one that thinks so,you must earn good money to eat lots of steaks.Send money over to the uk ect.Don't you have air/con?as our electric bill for last summer was $800,( My sisters bill in the Uk for gas and electic is not that much for 3 months.) and thats just to keep comfortable.But maybe you like to sweat it out.Buying a house in 12months,The longer you wait the more out of reach they will be in Brisbane.9% interest by then and a wacking big $100,000 deposit.By the way u won't get more for your money than you would in the UK,houses here are poorly built flashy paper thin sheds.ovens in the summer and fridges in the winter.To buy a car for $600 must have been in real good condition, used it for 9 months seems real cheap,seeing that rego is over $700. 35 quid in the UK.Brisbane has the name as being a grave yard with lights?But i suppose u find heaps to do,unlike in the UK where they watch tv or go down the pub.I know when we lived in the Brisbane suburbs everyone was in bed by 8.30pm.My Aussie mates aswell,i could never get them to go out at night.Now we live on acerage,couldn't stand the noise in suburbia,thumping loud music,screeching car tyres,the houses are so close in some areas you can here the nieghbours fart.But i think you and Andy would make great tourist reps for Aus.Don't suppose you have heard any anti pommie vibes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyyu Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 e have been here 24 years.you would find it alot cheaper liveing in the northern suburbs,it's the cheap area of Brisbane. its a misnomer that houseing is cheaper on the nth side of brisbane the most expensive houses in brissy are situated on the nth side.housing on both sides of the river vary from suburb to suburb.the cheapest id say are in the sth west ipswich area.resident 63 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 so,you must earn good money to eat lots of steaks.Send money over to the uk ect.Don't you have air/con?as our electric bill for last summer was $800, This weeks meat purchases for the freezer. Two whole rumps at 5.99 a kilo. 4 trays of T Bones at 8.99 a kilo, 1 whole filet at 8.99 kilo and two pork joints at 3.99 kilo. Electricity for summer quarter 600 bucks. Running 6 fans.........2 in lounge and 1 in each bedroom. 2 6x2x2 fish tanks and i 4x2x2 tank lit for 12 hrs daily all with 30 watt filters. Pool pump for 8 hrs daily and pond pump for 4 hrs daily.........cooking all electric..........3 plasmas and 2 computers..........2 fridges and 2 (big) freezers kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I must say that $600 sounds a lot more realistic than the $150 someone else quoted recently. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I must say that $600 sounds a lot more realistic than the $150 someone else quoted recently. I can assure you that 150 is achievable. She waved the bloody bill in me face to take the plss when I got my bill. :arghh: If you're out at work all day, only two bodies using the shower (a main consumer of electric), use the barbie more than the electric plate, use a table top convection oven (which we both do), don't have kids running fans and plasmas in other rooms and turn off the lights when watching tv, then it's no big deal to achieve a much smaller bill. Yvonne is in the same position as we were when we first came here and is watching every penny (with my advice of course) :biglaugh: If folk were honest about their lifestyle, I bet there's not many who wouldn't deny that electric is one of their more wasteful "consummables". Do they switch the bedroom light off when they go into the ensuite? Do they switch the tv off if they break for dinner/tea? Do they (and this is one of the big wasters of electric) measure their cups of water into a kettle, or do they simply fill it up? Multiply all that daily boiled (wasted) water by a quarter! :shocked: Do they (honestly) only spend 4 minutes in a shower? How long does it take to wash yourself for heaven's sake? Do they microwave their 3 veggies together or have them in separate pans of boiling water? Why give my fish tanks 12 hrs of light when they're not planted and I'm only watching 'em for an hour a day? I could go on and on as to how to save on electric as I've been there when we had to watch the pennies...........but that's a whole new thread. Nowadays saving electric seems more about saving the planet than saving money. kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinsmom65 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Here is WA (Perth), Synergy has a booklet that they can send out to people to show them how to reduce electricty costs. I work as a financial counsellor and 3 times a day I see clients who have accessed our service for a HUGS (Hardship Utility Grant Scheme). I often see bills of over $400 and up. Myself I had a $600.00 bill, but I live in an all electric house and my air con is not working properly and I had 2 teenagers home during the school hols. If I see a client having a bill of over $400.00 often I will recommend them for an energy audit. This doesn't cost my clients anything as it is part of the program, however, anyone can get an energy audit done in Perth. All they have to do is call Synergy and the cost is around $95.00. Someone will come out to your house and go through everything, including to see if there are any faulty appliances that might be sucking energy. They will also give tips on how to save electricity. Remember, here in Perth, we have already seen a 25% increase in utility costs (both synergy and alinta) and both are coming up for another 25% increase in the next couple of months. Cheers Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Kev, yes I suppose it is possible to have a $150 bill if you are basically never at home with no kids and you watch everything you do. We are pretty careful but we put the air con on if it is hot or the heater if it is cold, loads of showers, pool, all cooking electric etc. I know it isn't achievable for us but good on anyone who can do it. How are people managing with the prices going up like they are in WA ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabroom Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I would say for us a family of 4 our average electricity bill is $400 and that includes a pool and all the usual electrical appliances and we don't have gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Our power bill is usually somewhere between 150 and 200 a quarter but there are only 2 of us regularly (we do have visitors quite often). However we do have solar hot water and the booster is rarely, if ever, on and we have wood heating in winter so we dont use electric heating very much. I have a mobile evap air cooler because the DH wont go with air con. We dont pay for wood for the heater because DH and his chain saw are scavengers (legal ones!). Our granny flat is all electric and the bill (for one) is usually around the 250 - 350 mark (he uses aircon occasionally). It's going to go up of course, ACTEWAGL isnt known for its philanthropy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr Happy Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 Solar hot water is a must. Just can't see any reason why everybody doesn't have it particularly with all the rebates? Never seen a $600 bill and we have pool, air-con, and a daughter who thinks we own a nuclear power staion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campari Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I am thinking of coming out to validate my visa in July. Little worried about the prospects of work as I work in finance, and of the cost of living. Any tips? Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Posted April 11, 2010 Share Posted April 11, 2010 I am thinking of coming out to validate my visa in July.Little worried about the prospects of work as I work in finance, and of the cost of living. Any tips? Regards My tip would be to get your CV updated & then send it out to as many companies & recruitment agencies before you leave, then follow them up when you arrive. It seems to be that persistance is key here, I guess it also depends on where you're going. Also, it is expensive to buy things here: duvets, duvet covers, etc. so think about shipping out a few boxes of items (8 weeks before you leave) so that you've fot them pretty much as soon as you arrive. The rest of the expensive stuff you tend to only really notice if one or both of you aren't working. Food is expensive, but it just makes you more selective. Back home there is a big culture around things being cheap so buy, buy, buy. You'd pretty want to do the opposite here. We thankfully brought out all the clothes we needed, so ship some out, as clothes are very expensive & the quality can vary significantly. Good luck,you'll love it. Just try to get a job asap.!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 This is the same as us. We have been here just over 5 years and our house is going on the market in the next couple of weeks so we can return to the UK. My husband, who is Australian does not really want to go. He asks me every morning if i have changed my mind!! His main reason is because of his job, he really likes it and it pays well etc. I have been the one pushing the move, which is hard work on your own and is a huge responsibility. We have had three children since we got here and i know that we will not be able to afford flights home for holidays in the future once we start paying for three sets of school fees! I have missed home for the whole time i have lived here but i am in absolute turmoil in trying to remain positive with our return home. The thought of starting again..finding a decent rental, jobs, schools etc nearly scares me enough to not go. If it fails i know my husband will blame me and of course i will blame myself too, for being selfish and wanting to go home. We will have nowhere to stay when we go back so we will have to stay in a travel lodge or something until we can find a rental and that on its own makes me feel so guilty. We have a nice house here with a lovely garden for the children. Sometimes it feels all too much and i feel like giving in, admitting defeat and just staying here and putting up with living here. Even though i have never settled here and ended up pretty depressed last year because of the constant living in limbo state we are in. My family would love us to come home but they have no room to put us up (found this pretty disappointing when i asked i have to say) and they have all moved on with their lives so i worry that there won't be a place for us there either. Gosh, what a mess, i wish i could wave a magic wand and transport us back to the UK with a happy husband, good job, nice house etc Mind you for all his grumpiness about going, he has got a skype interview with a company tonight without really trying very hard and i have been offered a job with my old company should i want to work, (have young baby so bit hard at the mo)! Anyway, sorry for whining on, i don't have anyone to talk to about it and it just goes around and around my head all day long. Think we have to stick to the plan and go home and take the chance that it will all work out ok!! Thanks for listening.:unsure: I think part of your problem is you don't seem to have many friends here who you can talk to. You seem to be the only one in the family who feels you are "living in limbo state". It's tough when you have young kids too. Anywhere. Have you ever thought you may have post natal depression? I notice that you refer to England as "home" when you mention it so you have never thought of here as being home? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest funkymonkey Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 I think part of your problem is you don't seem to have many friends here who you can talk to. You seem to be the only one in the family who feels you are "living in limbo state". It's tough when you have young kids too. Anywhere. Have you ever thought you may have post natal depression? I notice that you refer to England as "home" when you mention it so you have never thought of here as being home? My husband feels like we're living in limbo too and my children are too young to know anything about those type of feelings. Yes, it is tough when you have young children, especially when you have recieved no help or support from anyone apart from each other and to be honest, most friends really do not want to hear about how tough it is when they have their families and support network around them and really don't understand. I don't believe its post natal depression, more like post traumatic stress disorder from the shock of moving and living here! Your right about England being home, i don't think here would ever be home. Anyway, i reckon life is too short to carry on worrying about doing the right or wrong thing. I'm not happy here, hubbie has agreed to move to Blighty (his only worry is work), children are young and will be happy wherever we are... So..... our house goes on the market this week, hubbie is applying to jobs in the UK, i have been offered one that i can take if he doesn't get work, good exchange rate....so all quite exciting once you have made the decision and stick to it. When i was home last year for a holiday, spent 6 weeks in the UK and didn't once think about Australia, our house here or anything...remembered it all at Heathrow though, thats when the blues set in!! Onward and Upward, thanks for your advice btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Funky monkey my heart goes out to you. So often when you're in a hard situation & you don't want to talk to you partner again about it, it's hard to find someone just to talk it out with. I'm sure you are making the right decision, it's just that once you've made the decision you worry you've made the wrong decision, epsecially when you've got kids & you're worrying about their future. The hardest part about settling back in will be getting the jobs & it sounds like you're both on you're way there. Just take it one step at a time, rather than thinking about the huge big picture, you'll get there. Do you know whereabouts in the UK you're planning on going back to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julesbazz Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 That WANTED DOWN UNDER show has got alot to answer for!!!!! haha Update the bloody show to 2010 and show how expensive it is here now!! My friends have just returned for a holiday after living here a few years ago and he said he could never come back now and he loved it, as it's gone so expensive! As Rayman says be warned you need plenty of money to set up new home here xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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