BrisDubBris Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 hi kaylee, your right there, we are a family of four from south wales. I am currently a housewife looking after my two young children and my OH goes out to work full time ( a barber) and his salary is £17500 gross equating to about £1080 per month take home. Granted we get tax credits etc to top this up and our total income per month is around £1600. We are surviving. We own our own home (pay a mortgage) with enough equity (I hope!) to make the move. We go on a (UK) holiday each year to the likes of haven / caravanning etc, I take the kids out once per week to soft play / swimming etc, and I pay 3 days of playgroup fees. And over the last 4 years since owning this house have spent a good few thousand improving it and also spent a few thousand on the Visa process. Yes it can be a struggle at times but is certainly do-able, so I do worry about how people say equivalent (even at 2.2 to the £) in Oz won't be enough to survive:wacko: Surely there are born and bred unskilled australians over there earning salaries in this range and Surviving!! In Oz I do plan to work eventually however with 2 small children, until settled and childcare etc can be sorted, I hope it will only be my OH working. (we are looking at him setting up his own barber shop as soon as we decide where to settle). You see people saying its much more expensive and others saying as a whole on comparison it's even stevens, some things cheaper, some things more expensive. I don't think we will truly know until we actually get there and start earning dollars and spending dollars, but threads like this do tend to give me the jitters:frown: Sarah I think that someone that can by as you have described will be fine. It is just a matter of matching your house / lifestyle / location to what your income is. Many people can't afford the Barbie dream house that some people feel they are entitled to own when they arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libbysmum Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I think that someone that can by as you have described will be fine. It is just a matter of matching your house / lifestyle / location to what your income is. Many people can't afford the Barbie dream house that some people feel they are entitled to own when they arrive. I hope so too. I don't expect to be able to move from a terraced house in a semi rural town in the welsh valleys a good 30 minutes from Cardiff with a population of 350,000, to a 5 bedroom house with a pool smack bang in the middle of a much larger city with a population of 1.2 million (Adelaide) on the same salary. I do expect that we will be able to live a comfortable life in a 3 bedroom house in a busy-ish town, an hour or so from any city centre with enough of a population to support a busy barber shop. We are not looking for a change of lifestyle in terms of affordability, bang for your buck so to speak, We are looking for a better quality of life - to be able to enjoy the outdoors if we don't have much money to spend on days out, be able to take a picnic to a park, go have fun on the beach, go for walks in the bush, be thankful for the use of a "free" barbeque. Here in the "sunny" welsh valleys we rarely get the opportunity to go out and enjoy our breathtaking scenery because the weather dictates too much. I absolutely loathe the kids having to spend much of their time inside staring at the same 4 walls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrisDubBris Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I hope so too. I don't expect to be able to move from a terraced house in a semi rural town in the welsh valleys a good 30 minutes from Cardiff with a population of 350,000, to a 5 bedroom house with a pool smack bang in the middle of a much larger city with a population of 1.2 million (Adelaide) on the same salary. I do expect that we will be able to live a comfortable life in a 3 bedroom house in a busy-ish town, an hour or so from any city centre with enough of a population to support a busy barber shop. We are not looking for a change of lifestyle in terms of affordability, bang for your buck so to speak, We are looking for a better quality of life - to be able to enjoy the outdoors if we don't have much money to spend on days out, be able to take a picnic to a park, go have fun on the beach, go for walks in the bush, be thankful for the use of a "free" barbeque. Here in the "sunny" welsh valleys we rarely get the opportunity to go out and enjoy our breathtaking scenery because the weather dictates too much. I absolutely loathe the kids having to spend much of their time inside staring at the same 4 walls! If everyone migrated with the attitude you seem to have, there would be a lot less posts on MBTTUK :biggrin: Good luck. I think you will be happy in Aus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munchbaby99 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I hope so too. I don't expect to be able to move from a terraced house in a semi rural town in the welsh valleys a good 30 minutes from Cardiff with a population of 350,000, to a 5 bedroom house with a pool smack bang in the middle of a much larger city with a population of 1.2 million (Adelaide) on the same salary. I do expect that we will be able to live a comfortable life in a 3 bedroom house in a busy-ish town, an hour or so from any city centre with enough of a population to support a busy barber shop. We are not looking for a change of lifestyle in terms of affordability, bang for your buck so to speak, We are looking for a better quality of life - to be able to enjoy the outdoors if we don't have much money to spend on days out, be able to take a picnic to a park, go have fun on the beach, go for walks in the bush, be thankful for the use of a "free" barbeque. Here in the "sunny" welsh valleys we rarely get the opportunity to go out and enjoy our breathtaking scenery because the weather dictates too much. I absolutely loathe the kids having to spend much of their time inside staring at the same 4 walls! You should share this wisdom with those appearing on wanted down under as they have no idea!!!!! Hoping for a move to oz in the coming year or two.......hoping not three! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Why are you using this exchange rate when it has been not been 2.2 for over 2 and a half years. Its been about $1.6 to the pound for a long time now and today's exchange rate $1.55 means $50k is 32258 pounds , a substantially higher amount. It would still be a struggle for a family but if 2 people are earning that amount it would be reasonable and parents may also qualify for some benefits, like child benefit, family tax credit, education benefit too. Don't ask :eek: no one understands mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest 47403 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Let me get this right your all being paid to make me move to Australia :wacko: Blimey didn't expect that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisandelaine Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 We could not agree with your post more... we too want all the things you mention, and not the thought of thinking we going to be better off finanaiclly from the off, just for a better quality of life for kids and us. :daydreaming: I hope so too. I don't expect to be able to move from a terraced house in a semi rural town in the welsh valleys a good 30 minutes from Cardiff with a population of 350,000, to a 5 bedroom house with a pool smack bang in the middle of a much larger city with a population of 1.2 million (Adelaide) on the same salary. I do expect that we will be able to live a comfortable life in a 3 bedroom house in a busy-ish town, an hour or so from any city centre with enough of a population to support a busy barber shop. We are not looking for a change of lifestyle in terms of affordability, bang for your buck so to speak, We are looking for a better quality of life - to be able to enjoy the outdoors if we don't have much money to spend on days out, be able to take a picnic to a park, go have fun on the beach, go for walks in the bush, be thankful for the use of a "free" barbeque. Here in the "sunny" welsh valleys we rarely get the opportunity to go out and enjoy our breathtaking scenery because the weather dictates too much. I absolutely loathe the kids having to spend much of their time inside staring at the same 4 walls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Hi There,Been reading some thread's about salaries in Australia. The general impression I get is that most people seem to think it is unrealistic to live on anything below $150000 (for a family of 4, as an example). Is there anyone here on a salary of say $50000 and surviving? What type of occupations have these people who are earning $150k plus (one person's income not two)? Ok, I've been brought out of exile .......again! :rolleyes: I've read the whole thread and excuse me if I've missed something but not one mention of initial capital brought into Australia. If you've got a good deposit, or something laid by, your salary circumstance/ lifestyle will rest on that. Without that, 50,000 is pretty low unless it's net. Our personal circumstance: We live very comfortably on one salary (4 of us) which nets around 75k (90k gross), have/had 2 kids in private school and inject $400 fortnightly into superann voluntarily, outside the 5% that we agree to be deducted from salary. After our first year here 15 yrs ago, we had only $7k in the bank and were in a rental. Salary then was around 40k. We now have a home worth around 650k mortgage free and our income has doubled.............we scrimped period, to get where we are today. What you earn can be fairly irrelevant, it's what you want to spend that counts. Folk tell us, "Oh! OK! you had it fairly easy back then with property prices being the way they were":rolleyes:.................No sorry? we didn't have it easy. We scrimped and scraped to be where we are now. There's no doubt that property prices have spiralled, but Aussie annual wage increases are well above European, so a full investigation may reveal that property price rises, when compared to wage increases, may not be as exorbitant if they were compared to wage rises. What am I trying to illustrate? feck knows?:biglaugh: All I know is that figures, and indeed "facts" can bear no relation to the reality of the individual. If you base your expectations on "facts and figures" posted here and elsewhere, then those facts and figures are likely based on the endemic "materialism" of modern culture nurtured by the media. If you want that immediate lifestyle that the media and some posters here portray as being unachievable, then I have to agree with them (as much as it hurts) :biglaugh: If you think that Oz will give you immediate satisfaction.............even on 70k, then you're mistaken. You are in effect, starting all over again when you migrate, and you will lose capital in the migration process that you wouldn't lose in moving to a different location in the UK. If a different location in the UK won't give you what you want, then you have to bite the bullet and look to "cutting your cloth" kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Why are you using this exchange rate when it has been not been 2.2 for over 2 and a half years. Its been about $1.6 to the pound for a long time now and today's exchange rate $1.55 means $50k is 32258 pounds , a substantially higher amount. It would still be a struggle for a family but if 2 people are earning that amount it would be reasonable and parents may also qualify for some benefits, like child benefit, family tax credit, education benefit too. Because it is/was the difference in average salaries between the two countries. This is a far more sensible rate to use when trying to compare living costs between the countries. The exchange rate is meaningless when comparing cost of living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest 47403 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Why are you using this exchange rate when it has been not been 2.2 for over 2 and a half years. Its been about $1.6 to the pound for a long time now and today's exchange rate $1.55 means $50k is 32258 pounds , a substantially higher amount. It would still be a struggle for a family but if 2 people are earning that amount it would be reasonable and parents may also qualify for some benefits, like child benefit, family tax credit, education benefit too. I think Jim may have just worded it wrong isn't the general consensus if you earn between 2.2 and 2.5 times your UK wage you will have a similar standard of living in Oz if you live a similar lifestyle? Obviously as Kev has said most migrants are going to use a big chunk of there savings/equity to get through the immigration process and set up, so what might not have been the case when the exchange was $2.2 it is the case for most of us we will be starting over when we make the move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Recently, someone posting in the Gold Coast Bulletin's Comments Section laid it out, chapter and verse. I'll see if I can find it, but in the meantime, the poster provided a link to the Oz Government's blurb to potential UK migrants - which claimed that the minimum wage in Oz was in the vicinity of $47,000 The poster then went on to provide another Oz government link which stated that the actual minimum wage in Oz (according to the government) was in fact in the vicinity of $29,000 Same poster backed these claims up with excerpts from both these Oz govt. sites -- and then advised all Aussies to lodge a claim for the balance with the Oz govt. It amounted to approx. $17,000-plus dollars, from memory - owed to every Aussie, according to the inflated minimum wage being sold to potential UK migrants Seems the Oz government is still trading on the 'Australia is Cheap ' fiction peddled to prospective UK migrants some decades ago This is a total misrepresentation of the immigration website. The $47,480 talked about on the 457 page is the 'industry rate' the 457 job must pay for diac to allow it to be offered to an temp immigrant. Given the immigrant will be a temporary resident they suggest any lower will be too low for a temporary resident given they have no access to government support or family payments. They also give an example of a job with a lower industry rate in the $39,500 which they say would be disallowed - even if the employer agreed to pay $47,480. They would not give this example admitting industry rates exist at $39,500 if they were trying to pretend this was the minimum salary. The minimum salary is irrelevant to the 457 temp resident anyway. See more here: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/457-market-salary-rates.htm Australia is definitely NOT cheap. Unemployment as ever, remains a problem. Even modest housing is beyond the reach of most. It's all relative...unemployment is higher on the gold coast than other parts, but lower than some other countries. 70% of Australians own a house...how can even "modest" housing be beyond the reach of "most". Cost of essentials such as food and energy is extremely high and increasing all the time. ' Neighbours' and 'Home and Away' are also fiction, remember Certainly are, though I hear that is happening everywhere. ... and online forums are filled with people who are paid to post glowingly and falsely about life and earning a living in Australia If you say so, but to suggest many could be doing that unnoticed on pio is stretching things. So do your homework before you jump. Find out the truth instead of choosing to believe what you want to hear and believe Almost everything you need to know can be accessed online these days - cost of housing in every town and city. Unemployment figures from govt. sites (then double it for a true indication). Cost of groceries, clothing, essentials, tax, council rates, cars, cost of tertiary and other education, etc. You can also learn the temperature, rainfall (or lack of) humidity, employment situation, etc. etc. from the comfort of your armchair before you invest quite often the rest of your life, in Australia You go bungy-jumping, rafting, caving, etc. for an 'adventure' and 'new experience' Moving to the other side of the world, especially in today's economic climate, is a far more sober undertaking. And it's you and yours who'll pay Certainly worth doing all the sums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realitynotincluded Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 hi ... just to jump on the boat on the tax stuff... if you were earning $50000 a year here in oz and say you were paid fortnightly .... before tax it comes to roughly $ 1923 the government will take $526 in tax =$ 1397 a fortnight... most companies pay weekly... fortnightly.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Because it is/was the difference in average salaries between the two countries. This is a far more sensible rate to use when trying to compare living costs between the countries. The exchange rate is meaningless when comparing cost of living. it was over $3 dollars not that long ago and is know half that so comparing rates as you say is a complete waste of time, the only time it will really hurt is when you take your initial money with you which will have half the buying power as it did some time back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 This is a total misrepresentation of the immigration website. The $47,480 talked about on the 457 page is the 'industry rate' the 457 job must pay for diac to allow it to be offered to an temp immigrant. Given the immigrant will be a temporary resident they suggest any lower will be too low for a temporary resident given they have no access to government support or family payments. They also give an example of a job with a lower industry rate in the $39,500 which they say would be disallowed - even if the employer agreed to pay $47,480. They would not give this example admitting industry rates exist at $39,500 if they were trying to pretend this was the minimum salary. The minimum salary is irrelevant to the 457 temp resident anyway. See more here: Subclass 457 – Market Salary Rates It's all relative...unemployment is higher on the gold coast than other parts, but lower than some other countries. 70% of Australians own a house...how can even "modest" housing be beyond the reach of "most". Certainly are, though I hear that is happening everywhere. If you say so, but to suggest many could be doing that unnoticed on pio is stretching things. Certainly worth doing all the sums. Great post Fish:notworthy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bobby Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Cheaper houses must be built by the goverment as soon as possible even if it is shared. Affording to get on the ladder is just as bad in England as it it is in Australia, this makes an intresting read. . Australia It is extremely difficult if not impossible for a single full time worker earning the mean weekly wage to be able to afford to buy a house in any of these capital cities. Whilst units are generally more affordable, they are likely to be beyond the reach of mean wage earners. The reality is there has to be another part time or full time household income to support the dream of home ownership. Buying a home - Money and Your Life - Yahoo!7 Finance - Yahoo!7 Personal Finance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Cheaper houses must be built by the goverment as soon as possible even if it is shared. Affording to get on the ladder is just as bad in England as it it is in Australia, this makes an intresting read. . Australia It is extremely difficult if not impossible for a single full time worker earning the mean weekly wage to be able to afford to buy a house in any of these capital cities. Whilst units are generally more affordable, they are likely to be beyond the reach of mean wage earners. The reality is there has to be another part time or full time household income to support the dream of home ownership. Buying a home - Money and Your Life - Yahoo!7 Finance - Yahoo!7 Personal Finance Yeah it has been difficult for a single income to get on the ladder for a long time if they have no equity. That article uses overall average wage which is a lot lower than male fulltime average wage (70,000 I think?) so easier if working male involved. Still have to move a long way out or buy an apartment to start off with. A lot wait until they partner up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 hi ... just to jump on the boat on the tax stuff... if you were earning $50000 a year here in oz and say you were paid fortnightly .... before tax it comes to roughly $ 1923 the government will take $526 in tax =$ 1397 a fortnight... most companies pay weekly... fortnightly.... Which benefits the home owner. Pay your mortgage weekly and you save a packet in interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 it was over $3 dollars not that long ago No it wasn't. The best it's been in the last 5 yrs is around 2.6 and if I'm not mistaken (from memory) that figure is the highest since 1985 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 No it wasn't. The best it's been in the last 5 yrs is around 2.6 and if I'm not mistaken (from memory) that figure is the highest since 1985 Your memory is getting dodgy Kev :wink: It was around 3 sometime around 2001. But that is a good 10 years ago now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Why are you using this exchange rate when it has been not been 2.2 for over 2 and a half years. Its been about $1.6 to the pound for a long time now and today's exchange rate $1.55 means $50k is 32258 pounds , a substantially higher amount. It would still be a struggle for a family but if 2 people are earning that amount it would be reasonable and parents may also qualify for some benefits, like child benefit, family tax credit, education benefit too. Theres two ways to look at comparing costs and both of them equate to the same figure. Your way is using the current exchange rate which is ok, but then you have to understand that the average skilled wages are then paid at more than 30% more in Australia. But using the current exchange rate, means you are using the pound to work out the cost of everything in Australia and you will be paid in Dollars when you get there. So.............. i use the $2.2 to £1 average skilled wage rate because it is easier to understand when trying to work out the true cost of everything and the exchange rate is only really relevant if you are visiting or exchanging your english pounds, or euros. Also, some people who are emigrating think their wage offer is worth alot more, because they use the current exchange rate, of say $1.55 to £1 and they end up skint, because the true cost of living figure is closer to the $2.2 figure based on wages. Either way is ok, but your way means that the wages are over 30% better and this then has to be factored into the costs of everything when comparing costs. A word of warning though.............. if you are on £45,000 here in the uk, you will need a wage of about $100,000 in Australia, to have the same standard of living and it is what you should be expecting to earn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrisDubBris Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 A word of warning though.............. if you are on £45,000 here in the uk, you will need a wage of about $100,000 in Australia, to have the same standard of living and it is what you should be expecting to earn. Good post Jim although, I think the term standard of living is a little misleading. There are plenty of things to do in Aus are free like the beach, parks, concerts, family activities put on by the govt etc. People may find themselves doing a lot of this type of thing on weekends particularly if you have kids. This MAY reduce the amount of money you spend between Friday and Monday on entertainment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Don't ask :eek: no one understands mate. Only you can't grasp it.:goofy::goofy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 We've had this before havnt we Jimmy,one of those things were yer can get a mental block or overcomplicate things,i can anyway:goofy:,but going on $2 to the £ (cba with the .2)....a bricky in the UK earning £15 an hour would need to earn approx $30 an hour in OZ yes? which is roughly what i was offered when over there(some offered a copper more but...) and speaking to firms,so that equates to the $2 to the £ you talk of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 We've had this before havnt we Jimmy,one of those things were yer can get a mental block or overcomplicate things,i can anyway:goofy:,but going on $2 to the £ (cba with the .2)....a bricky in the UK earning £15 an hour would need to earn approx $30 an hour in OZ yes? which is roughly what i was offered when over there(some offered a copper more but...) and speaking to firms,so that equates to the $2 to the £ you talk of. Thats fair enuf pablo $2 to £1. I was using the wages equivalent from wages paid to nurses, police, teachers, government jobs, prison officers etc and it came to just over $2, but $2 is a good yard stick. One guy with a family was going to accept a wage of $48,000, thinking it was worth the same as £32,000 using the current exchange rate and he was earning £27,000 here in the uk and thought he was getting a 5k rise, but when i told him it was actually the equivalent of about £22,000 he gawped at it and couldn't thank me enough for preventing him making a massive mistake, which would have seen him skint if he had taken it. It made me feel good helping him and his family, it is easy to be taken in using the current exchange rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I was also told they pay 9% super on top of that Jimmy,dont know if thats the norm or not??,but i dont worry about pensions tbh,i'l be in the bone orchard by then i reckon,either that or Jan will just get a tonne of red building sand and a bit of lime tipped on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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