Is Oz much more expensive than the UK

[Guest]

My aupair left to become a waitress on $22 an hour. Considering I get $37 an hour as an IT manager with a team of 10 it makes you think!

[Paul1Perth]

My aupair left to become a waitress on $22 an hour. Considering I get $37 an hour as an IT manager with a team of 10 it makes you think!

 

$37 an hour for an IT manager sounds on the low side. Your company are ripping you off.

[Guest chris955]

I was buying up a few essentials yesterday and was amazed at how many checkouts there were and the fact that there was only maybe 2 people waiting in each, in Woolies there would be 10 checkouts and 3 people working on them and queues in each one. Again maybe it is regional ?

There seems to be a huge amount of competition between the supermarkets here and with there being 5 or 6 it tends to keep the prices way down.

 

 

One observation I'd like to make about the likes of Tesco and Sainsburys. Has anyone that's been away for a few years and come back noticed that the queues are longer? (Except at the deli where numbered tickets no longer are required).

 

Gone are the days when a new checkout would be opened to ease a growing queue (both Sainsburys and Tesco had customer service promises to do it at one point). The self-service lanes don't seem to have improved things.

 

I wonder if this is because the UK supermarkets are no longer competing against the small high street/cornershop alternatives?

[Peach]

I'm in Swindon, so not too far from the blessed region that you're in.. My nearest supermarket is a mega-Tesco (46 aisles in total). Don't believe the prices on the face of it: Every little helps? Supermarkets accused of 'cynical manipulation' over 1p cuts | Business | The Guardian

[Guest chris955]

I am quite frankly amazed at how cheap supermarket shopping is, I first went to Tesco and was blown away by it and then a friend said go to Asda because Tesco is too expensive :elvis: She was absolutely right, Asda was even cheaper. Some things are more but very few items overall.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

When we were in Brisbane in april the costs of food at Coles was similar to here in the uk based on $2.2 to £1, i would say it was slightly dearer overall and some items - British were extremely dear.

 

The choice was good. but it was still better in the uk and i get better deals - 2 for 1's in Morrisons in the uk, but the fruit and veg were fantastic.

[Guest guest36762]

When we were in Brisbane in april the costs of food at Coles was similar to here in the uk based on $2.2 to £1, i would say it was slightly dearer overall and some items - British were extremely dear.

 

The choice was good. but it was still better in the uk and i get better deals - 2 for 1's in Morrisons in the uk, but the fruit and veg were fantastic.

 

blimey Jim

that's the most objective post I've seen ever from you!

[Guest chris955]

I'm still in shock :elvis:

 

blimey Jim

that's the most objective post I've seen ever from you!

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

I like me 2 for 1's................ Morrisons is better than Asda, Sainsburys, Tescos and other supermarkets, i save loads because we have a big chest freezer in our garage and i buy bulk stuff. I thought overall the shopping was better at home in the uk, but it could have been because it was just different, i think its what your used to.

 

Being a yorkshireman born n bred i like a bargain.

[Peach]

I am quite frankly amazed at how cheap supermarket shopping is, I first went to Tesco and was blown away by it and then a friend said go to Asda because Tesco is too expensive :elvis: She was absolutely right, Asda was even cheaper. Some things are more but very few items overall.

 

Maybe it is, if you're paying in AUD converted to GBP - with the current exchange rate.

 

Once you're spending earned pounds, having given 40% of your net pay in tax, 9% in national insurance, Council Tax (gone up a 105% under Labour), Petrol prices (On a £1.19 litre of fuel 75p is tax - set to go up Oct 1st and again in April with VAT), fiscal drag, 17.5% VAT (rising to 20% in April), the most expensive train fares in Europe, some of the most expensive gas & electricity in Europe (now that all our utilities are foreign owned - 60% hike over ten years)..

 

Add all these things together and set them against a decade of stagnation, where globalisation has taken more and more jobs offshore. Topped off with the worst recession since the 1930s, resulting in mass job lossess and pay cuts. I can assure you that it's only returning expatriates that are finding the UK supermarkets cheap... :jiggy:

[Guest chris955]

Actually no, my friends seem to think shopping isn't too expensive which looking at the prices obviously makes sense.

[Stuju]

After being here in Oz for just over 4 years & our first trip back to the uk this year i did find that the uk is much cheaper (except for fuel & smokes) i had a good old nosey round while i was in the uk at prices & yep its much cheaper than oz

[Peach]

Actually no, my friends seem to think shopping isn't too expensive which looking at the prices obviously makes sense.

 

Was that the same friends who told you to got to Asda because it was cheaper? Surely if shopping was that cheap they wouldn't be price conscious?:jiggy:

[Paul1Perth]

After being here in Oz for just over 4 years & our first trip back to the uk this year i did find that the uk is much cheaper (except for fuel & smokes) i had a good old nosey round while i was in the uk at prices & yep its much cheaper than oz

 

It's bound to be with the current exchange rate.

[Stuju]

It's bound to be with the current exchange rate.

Putting that to one side its still much cheaper

[Guest chris955]

Of course, they are no different to friends in Australia, they always point you to the bargains.

 

Was that the same friends who told you to got to Asda because it was cheaper? Surely if shopping was that cheap they wouldn't be price conscious?:jiggy:

[Guest chris955]

Actually it has nothing to do with the current exchange rate, that of course makes it seem cheaper still but even at a realistic 2:1 it is still cheaper by some margin. Just the facts, sorry. :biggrin:

 

It's bound to be with the current exchange rate.

[Paul1Perth]

Putting that to one side its still much cheaper

 

I can't see how you can "put that to one side". You have to be doing some kind of conversion to come to the conclusion that the UK is cheaper.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

After being here in Oz for just over 4 years & our first trip back to the uk this year i did find that the uk is much cheaper (except for fuel & smokes) i had a good old nosey round while i was in the uk at prices & yep its much cheaper than oz

 

The uk is one of the cheapest countries there is to shop in if you are visiting, because the pound has plummeted and i went to spain for 2 weeks in August and everything was a third dearer, Spain for christ sake, it used to be half as cheap for stuff, but the uk's currency is at rock bottom and anyone visiting here will be quids in, but you will be paid in Dollars in Australia, based on about $2.2 to £1, which evens costs out more.

 

Nice while your hoildaying here in the uk though, cost us a fortune in Brisbane for 5 weeks in april we were getting $1.65 to £1.:mad::arghh:

[Peach]

Actually it has nothing to do with the current exchange rate, that of course makes it seem cheaper still but even at a realistic 2:1 it is still cheaper by some margin. Just the facts, sorry. :biggrin:

 

I think we're confusing cost and affordability. I will concede that UK supermarkets could be selling bread cheaper than in Australia.

 

But if you're living in the UK and earning and spending GBP the supermarkets won't be anymore affordable...

 

:jiggy:

[Guest chris955]

Of course that is your opinion, myself and many others it seems are finding a different situation but that's fine.

 

 

I think we're confusing cost and affordability. I will concede that UK supermarkets could be selling bread cheaper than in Australia.

 

But if you're living in the UK and earning and spending GBP the supermarkets won't be anymore affordable...

 

:jiggy:

[Paul1Perth]

The uk is one of the cheapest countries there is to shop in if you are visiting, because the pound has plummeted and i went to spain for 2 weeks in August and everything was a third dearer, Spain for christ sake, it used to be half as cheap for stuff, but the uk's currency is at rock bottom and anyone visiting here will be quids in, but you will be paid in Dollars in Australia, based on about $2.2 to £1, which evens costs out more.

 

Nice while your hoildaying here in the uk though, cost us a fortune in Brisbane for 5 weeks in april we were getting $1.65 to £1.:mad::arghh:

 

Things must be cheap if Spain is dearer. What happened to the days when everyone went to Spain for the sun, cheap hotels and cheaper beer. Are those days over and done with?

God that beer used to be cheap and came in two litre pots?

 

A workmate of mine has just been to Spain on a work trip. He reckons they have 20% unemployment at the moment.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

Theres not much overall difference. I have conceded that i think it is slightly cheaper for food in the uk and i like shopping here better, but alot of things in Australia, major things like gas/electric, rates, petrol are far cheaper and its impossible to predict a true outcome of equal costs, because most things are cost quite considerably different. My opinion is that it is slightly dearer overall in Australia, where i want to live, but to me its very close and if you earn a good wage in Australia equivalent to $2.2 to £1, you should have a similar quality of life financially as you did in the uk.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

Things must be cheap if Spain is dearer. What happened to the days when everyone went to Spain for the sun, cheap hotels and cheaper beer. Are those days over and done with?

God that beer used to be cheap and came in two litre pots?

 

A workmate of mine has just been to Spain on a work trip. He reckons they have 20% unemployment at the moment.

 

 

Thats what i am saying mate, what is Spain doing that sees the pound plummet against the euro, all the euro zone countries are struggling. No cheap beer now and there is 20% unemployed in Spain. The country to visit is the uk, the pounds at rock bottom, because of our elongated financial problems and i see no sign of things changing for quite awhile. I want the dollar to go up, i am $160,000 down since we started the visa, its a nightmare.

[Peach]

Of course that is your opinion, myself and many others it seems are finding a different situation but that's fine.

 

I think you're missing the point... Fingers in your ears going 'La La La' springs to my mind. The point I'm failing to get across is that the UK populous hasn't found Shangrila in the fourth aisle of Tesco. They might well be cheaper than Coles, but that benefit is all but lost when so many other things aren't cheaper...

 

Not going to bother wasting any more words on you, is clear you don't read my posts or watch the news.. Hope the move back works out for you.

 

P.S. before you brand me as a hopeful emigrant looking for a new life in Australia - I'm not. My partner is an Aussie and we wanted to make sure our kids get to see both countries and families.