Cost of living / Salaries

July 29, 2011

Also the schools here or the 1 my boys are at is fantastic very positive happy teachers unlike the UK! Lots of exercise and activities and lots of positive talk from the boys when they come home, they enjoy school here, its just a bit hot for them in summer!

lynn22 · July 29, 2011

Thanks, might have to start trying to get my head around the fact I'll have to take a step down on the housing front. Also we prob will just have 1 car & 1 motorbike (atleast to start with). Where abouts are you staying Gail ?

July 30, 2011

Thats good as long as you come prepared I wasnt I thought Aus would be cheaper, the great thing the houses are bigger ours is a little to big esp for cleaning!! Im south of perth!

July 30, 2011

ohhhh and the Aussies hate the brits and they let it be known, they treat us like low grade immigrants, I have spoken to so many people from the UK that feel the same!!

What a load of old tosh!.................certain Aussies may dislike certain Brits..............My personal opinion is that in most cases that I've experienced, they are justified in doing so.

Brits going on about such things as, "Oh, we build our houses like this back in the UK...........you are so behind...............blahdy blahdy blah :rolleyes:

July 30, 2011

I have been here over six years and never met an Aussie who hated a Brit! Sure if you bitch on and on that it is nothing like the UK....why shouldn't they dislike you!

However have not found that. Yes I have been called a pommy so and so but I take it in the humor it is intended and not as offense!

July 30, 2011

Oh I think you will take bad moving to Aus!!! Its very expensive!! we were ok for the 1st while but noticing the bank account is getting smaller every month! Cars are very expensive looking at a new style jeep or car you will be looking at $20,000 to $40,000 so having 2 good cars will be a drain, rent is very expensive. you will need to make sure that you multiply by more than 4 so your husband to give you a lifestyle like you have in aberdeen would need to be $400,000, we earn 4 times the amount than Uk although I worked so we are down 1 wage and have a new baby so also 1 extra mouth to feed! We pay 4 times more rent than we did on the mortgage in the uk. Food shopping bill is horrendous and the food here is awful, you will be lucky to find tasty restaurants.
Houses are weird we are near 30mins each way from 2 airports and the amount of planes that we hear is crazy double glazing doesnt exist here I so wish it did, also the house is freezing in winter they dont build with winter or summer in mind.

Ok that probably sounds negative now for the good stuff, I have 2 boys the same age as yours there is sooooo much here for them they are so lucky swimming lessons within a class of 4 weekly, after school learning, tae kwon do, music lessons everything for them is easy, there are shopping malls all around there are beautiful parks fantastic beaches, the weather at the moment here is very cold but come summer it will be ace!!

I dont want to return to the UK but I havent found the grass to be as green as I had hoped. The lifestyle is fine but its very costly ohhhh and the Aussies hate the brits and they let it be known, they treat us like low grade immigrants, I have spoken to so many people from the UK that feel the same!!

I know I am going to get knocked for my reply but thats how I feel!! And your s.a.d will be fine here in the summer but in winter you will feel the same as you do in the UK as I think I suffer this also but to be honest its easier to cope with the rain and cold here as you know come summer it will be amazing!

Come on Gail.

Is that honestly true, surely it should be 'some' Aussies hate the Poms. A bit of a sweeping generalization I reckon. The Aussies are FAR from perfect, but in all my years I could on one hand count the times I have been 'hated' by an Aussie, mind you those same people did have to share the one brain cell they had with their family at weekends.:SLEEP:

Trouble is that with statements such as this it can in the long run just add the the stereotypical view that some have of the everyday Aussie.

Cheers Tony.

July 30, 2011

Trouble is that with statements such as this it can in the long run just add the the stereotypical view that some have of the everyday Aussie.

Cheers Tony.

And also frighten prospective migrants away from making a life changing decision for the better........or even worse..............but that's for them to decide when they get here, not for them to decide on the strength of sweeping generalisations without even leaving the Uk because of one person's say so.:rolleyes:

July 30, 2011

The aussies I find that strike up conversation and are pleasant to speak to are the 1s whos parents are from Scotland and want to find out where Im from and why I moved here!! Im a people person I smile at people as I pass in the shop, people dont smile back. I was trained in customer service in a banks sales role so I speak to people from every walk of life! I find at the supermarket the assistant says hi how are you today you, I say fine thanks how are you, no response mainly because they are taught to say this but never speak to you after that and dont know how to respond if you ask them how they are!! In a supermarket in scotland the people were always so friendly and knew how to strike up conversation. I also heard aussies are so laid back and friendly I just havent found it.

Another thing I notice is there is no common courtesy on the roads, our road leads onto a very busy road I can be sitting waiting to get out and a car can be coming along nothing in outside lane but they never move out to let me out or there will be a gap and a car from the outside lane pulls into the inside lane, maybe in the big cities in the uk people were as bad but in Aberdeen and Dundee where I lived close to people had common courtesy.

Im maybe having a moan on here but when an aussie asks me how I like it here I tell them its great but 6 people I have met while here all feel the same even 1 whose american felt the same treatment from the aussies!! Maybe I live in the wrong place, like I say I always smile I will always talk to people who talk to me, maybe they dont hate brits maybe they are just miserable! Ive tried working out why maybe underpaid. I want to get a job but worry how I would be treated.

fleabo · July 30, 2011

The aussies I find that strike up conversation and are pleasant to speak to are the 1s whos parents are from Scotland and want to find out where Im from and why I moved here!! Im a people person I smile at people as I pass in the shop, people dont smile back. I was trained in customer service in a banks sales role so I speak to people from every walk of life! I find at the supermarket the assistant says hi how are you today you, I say fine thanks how are you, no response mainly because they are taught to say this but never speak to you after that and dont know how to respond if you ask them how they are!! In a supermarket in scotland the people were always so friendly and knew how to strike up conversation. I also heard aussies are so laid back and friendly I just havent found it.
Another thing I notice is there is no common courtesy on the roads, our road leads onto a very busy road I can be sitting waiting to get out and a car can be coming along nothing in outside lane but they never move out to let me out or there will be a gap and a car from the outside lane pulls into the inside lane, maybe in the big cities in the uk people were as bad but in Aberdeen and Dundee where I lived close to people had common courtesy.

Im maybe having a moan on here but when an aussie asks me how I like it here I tell them its great but 6 people I have met while here all feel the same even 1 whose american felt the same treatment from the aussies!! Maybe I live in the wrong place, like I say I always smile I will always talk to people who talk to me, maybe they dont hate brits maybe they are just miserable! Ive tried working out why maybe underpaid. I want to get a job but worry how I would be treated.

Driving here is different to the UK. Absolutely. Courtesy is not de rigeur. Ever driven in Italy?

Check out girls seem to want to pass the time of day - but really aren't that interested. Absolutely. Its a nonesense.

I have not come across any anti-UK sentiment here where I live and work. But I am sorry that you appear to be copping it. I have met some miserable Aussies, but not that many.

July 30, 2011

The aussies I find that strike up conversation and are pleasant to speak to are the 1s whos parents are from Scotland and want to find out where Im from and why I moved here!! Im a people person I smile at people as I pass in the shop, people dont smile back. I was trained in customer service in a banks sales role so I speak to people from every walk of life! I find at the supermarket the assistant says hi how are you today you, I say fine thanks how are you, no response mainly because they are taught to say this but never speak to you after that and dont know how to respond if you ask them how they are!! In a supermarket in scotland the people were always so friendly and knew how to strike up conversation. I also heard aussies are so laid back and friendly I just havent found it.
Another thing I notice is there is no common courtesy on the roads, our road leads onto a very busy road I can be sitting waiting to get out and a car can be coming along nothing in outside lane but they never move out to let me out or there will be a gap and a car from the outside lane pulls into the inside lane, maybe in the big cities in the uk people were as bad but in Aberdeen and Dundee where I lived close to people had common courtesy.

Im maybe having a moan on here but when an aussie asks me how I like it here I tell them its great but 6 people I have met while here all feel the same even 1 whose american felt the same treatment from the aussies!! Maybe I live in the wrong place, like I say I always smile I will always talk to people who talk to me, maybe they dont hate brits maybe they are just miserable! Ive tried working out why maybe underpaid. I want to get a job but worry how I would be treated.

At the risk of sounding personal................if youe general demeanor is similar to your style of writing...............then I fully understand why you have problems here.

Sometimes, how we perceive others is not down to how others are, but to our perceptions of them, based on whatever "hang ups" we have.

So "6 people I have met........even one whose American" (as if that counts for something) all feel the same"..........perhaps they don't hate Brits?.............."maybe they're just miserable"??????????????? I put it to you that perhaps it's someone else other than the Aussies that are "just miserable"?

I reckon your life will be a total disaster unless you admit that you need to return to the UK..............sorry......................I've seen and heard it all before.........and IRL, not on forums.

Wake up to yourself and your perceptions of Oz before it's too late............go home

July 30, 2011

At the risk of sounding personal................if youe general demeanor is similar to your style of writing...............then I fully understand why you have problems here.

Sometimes, how we perceive others is not down to how others are, but to our perceptions of them, based on whatever "hang ups" we have.

So "6 people I have met........even one whose American" (as if that counts for something) all feel the same"..........perhaps they don't hate Brits?.............."maybe they're just miserable"??????????????? I put it to you that perhaps it's someone else other than the Aussies that are "just miserable"?

I reckon your life will be a total disaster unless you admit that you need to return to the UK..............sorry......................I've seen and heard it all before.........and IRL, not on forums.

Wake up to yourself and your perceptions of Oz before it's too late............go home

Im not even going to waste too much time responding to this!! I have taken a real slating on posting this thread!! Must remember and keep all my thoughts to myself!! I dont know why I thought getting others feelings would benefit me its just depressing!!!

Think the best thing is to give up poms in aus not aus posting this thread has not been worth it at all!!!

steen1976 · July 30, 2011

Oh I think you will take bad moving to Aus!!! Its very expensive!! we were ok for the 1st while but noticing the bank account is getting smaller every month! Cars are very expensive looking at a new style jeep or car you will be looking at $20,000 to $40,000 so having 2 good cars will be a drain, rent is very expensive. you will need to make sure that you multiply by more than 4 so your husband to give you a lifestyle like you have in aberdeen would need to be $400,000, we earn 4 times the amount than Uk although I worked so we are down 1 wage and have a new baby so also 1 extra mouth to feed! We pay 4 times more rent than we did on the mortgage in the uk. Food shopping bill is horrendous and the food here is awful, you will be lucky to find tasty restaurants.
Houses are weird we are near 30mins each way from 2 airports and the amount of planes that we hear is crazy double glazing doesnt exist here I so wish it did, also the house is freezing in winter they dont build with winter or summer in mind.

Ok that probably sounds negative now for the good stuff, I have 2 boys the same age as yours there is sooooo much here for them they are so lucky swimming lessons within a class of 4 weekly, after school learning, tae kwon do, music lessons everything for them is easy, there are shopping malls all around there are beautiful parks fantastic beaches, the weather at the moment here is very cold but come summer it will be ace!!

I dont want to return to the UK but I havent found the grass to be as green as I had hoped. The lifestyle is fine but its very costly ohhhh and the Aussies hate the brits and they let it be known, they treat us like low grade immigrants, I have spoken to so many people from the UK that feel the same!!

I know I am going to get knocked for my reply but thats how I feel!! And your s.a.d will be fine here in the summer but in winter you will feel the same as you do in the UK as I think I suffer this also but to be honest its easier to cope with the rain and cold here as you know come summer it will be amazing!

Come on. Aus winter vs UK winter?

It was 20 degrees here, glorious with the beach busy and loads swimming. This is the depth of the winter.

blobby1000 · July 30, 2011

Where are you living Gail2010? I can relate to some of the stuff you say, the grass is not as green as you hope its gonna be, how long have you been in Australia? Have you considered moving? I get slated on here when I am negative too, its frustating and you are surely entitled to say whatever you want (you aint hurting anyone) or there is no point.

I must say tho that I have found Australians have a real warmth in regards to the British, I find they really like us and there seems to be a good relationship between Australian and British, maybe you have just met some miserable buggers! I do find the Australian sense of humour to be rather lacking at times but i think thats just city life.

We dont find it expensive, we find the cost of living to be almost exactly the same as the UK and we earn twice as much so we are much much better off.

Our house is very cold in winter too and thats depressing, electiricity bills are expensive and our gas heating is not to be truested, they dont have regulations for checking Gas so we dont use it so it is cold but we can move soon.. The winter we have found to be beautiful sunny crisp days, cold but nice and not much rain.

I would be interested ot know whereabouts you live. Stick with it, it will come good!

lynn22 · July 30, 2011

I'm laughing , I live 35 miles north of Aberdeen & aberdonian drivers literally drive me crazy LOL. Think even oz winters would be better than here, this past winter kids lost 2 weeks of school due to it being closed for adverse weather, hubby atleast a week of work lost, my car didn't move for best part of a month ( stupid BMW) & hubby spent around 4 hours per shovelling snow. Money side of things still worries me though but we keep saying folk manage on less than what he earns so surely it would be possible for us too.

byrned · July 31, 2011

Gail, you are just been honest on how you find oz that is all, I read plenty of post on here where people ask can a family of 4 or 5 survive on 50k a year, and people say oh yes because we have lots of fun and free things to do ie beaches, barbis at the park etc, but you have to buy the meat to put on the barbi you have to buy the eski, you have to buy the car to get to the barbi, you have to pay for the rego for the car and the insurance, and the tax on top of the price of the car, you have to put the petrol in the car to get to the beach, you have to buy your kids the sun block you have to buy the kids the safe sun suits, you have to buy the drinks for the day at the beach, you have to buy the body boards the kids will want and it goes on not being negative but honest that is all its fact not fantasy. for a lot of working class people with kids i know, on the avergage salaries,especially on one average salary with kids even with family assistance for them that are on perm residents visas they are struggling, with the ever rising costs of food, utilities, cars, rego, taxes, dentists, doctors etc etc, alot of people also make the mistake of looking at the gross salarys here that is the first mistake, what is the point of looking at gross salarys, they are not taking that home in the pay packet, people want to believe what they want to believe, and they forget the realities of real life, because for many as it was for us this is their dream of coming to a country, where you spend all day and every weekend on beaches and in swimming pools, we have 365 days of sunshine, never rains, never cold, and everyone is positive.

July 31, 2011

Theres millions of people here in the uk with kids, living on the bread line, its no different anywhere, this site is mainly for skilled migrants who by that very nature most will get good well paid jobs in Australia, where unemployment is incredibly low. No one thinks it is going to be easy and no one thinks the weather is perfect, or that theres no crime, or that the everyday things that annoys everyone here in the uk isn't the same in Australia. People who are emigrating are doing so for many different reasons and most find what they are looking for, a servey conducted found that over 8 out of 10 Brits who had migrated said there lives had been improved, so those who's lives haven't improved, need to think about what they really want and where they want to be, if you don't like Australia then come back to the uk, its still a great country.

July 31, 2011

Where are you living Gail2010? I can relate to some of the stuff you say, the grass is not as green as you hope its gonna be, how long have you been in Australia? Have you considered moving? I get slated on here when I am negative too, its frustating and you are surely entitled to say whatever you want (you aint hurting anyone) or there is no point.

I must say tho that I have found Australians have a real warmth in regards to the British, I find they really like us and there seems to be a good relationship between Australian and British, maybe you have just met some miserable buggers! I do find the Australian sense of humour to be rather lacking at times but i think thats just city life.

We dont find it expensive, we find the cost of living to be almost exactly the same as the UK and we earn twice as much so we are much much better off.

Our house is very cold in winter too and thats depressing, electiricity bills are expensive and our gas heating is not to be truested, they dont have regulations for checking Gas so we dont use it so it is cold but we can move soon.. The winter we have found to be beautiful sunny crisp days, cold but nice and not much rain.

I would be interested ot know whereabouts you live. Stick with it, it will come good!

Im south of perth!! once summer comes it will be too hot and we have to turn the air con on so electric bills wont be much better!!

I watched wanted down under lots before I came to Aus so I think maybe that prog makes it seem to easy in Aus and reality is, its not far diff from the uk apart from you do get a decent summer!!

We will move from this area we are tied into this house for another 6 months!

Paul1Perth · August 1, 2011

I did say I didn't know how accurate it is!
We're trying to work out which country to live live in (between three of them) and working out what the respective salaries might get us in all three, using the currency my oh would be earning, so perhaps not as stupid as you think.......

It's just another tool that some people in a similar situation to ours might find useful....or perhaps not....

Positive Pixie - I looked at the prices too and they do seem to vary. Perhaps they're an average? I don't know. The cost of most of the groceries are different (some higher and some lower) than I pay, but they vary around the country too. I looked at Manchester and Norwich (where I live) and they are different! It just gives you a bit of an idea, I suppose. I wouldn't take it too seriously.:smile:

Like you say, it's just another tool amongst the lots on line to give you an idea.

There is more to take into account, when moving countries, than salary and cost of living.

There are so many things to do here that get you out of the house and keep you occupied that are free. A lot of these just aren't available in the UK.

When you get a nice day and go out you have the cost of parking wherever you go, petrol is about twice as expensive, there are lots more people competing for space and entertainment.

Just little things like free parking at the beach (and being able to park easily), free barbeques at most parks, beaches which are clean and not packed on nice days, warm sea, nice weather.

The money you might end up on is so small a part of the whole package.

August 1, 2011

It's hard to compare UK & Australia in terms of salaries and lifestyle, because it depends on what you're used to/expect, and also on the source of your income. If you earn and spend $s, then it is pretty straightforward. Things cost what they cost, and you know how much you get (& therefore what you can afford). If your income is from the UK, the current exchange rate is going to skew everything.

I disagree with many points raised in this thread - I find Aussies to be good-humoured and fun (in general), and where I live and work, I find shop assistants and waiting staff, etc, to be mostly personable and friendly. Sometimes teenage checkout staff are a bit surly - but I'm sure I came across that way sometimes when I was young and daft enough to go to work on a few hours' sleep and too much beer!

My Aussie workmates are fabulous - they work really hard and are a pleasure to work with.

August 1, 2011

Gail, you are just been honest on how you find oz that is all, I read plenty of post on here where people ask can a family of 4 or 5 survive on 50k a year, and people say oh yes because we have lots of fun and free things to do ie beaches, barbis at the park etc, but you have to buy the meat to put on the barbi you have to buy the eski, you have to buy the car to get to the barbi, you have to pay for the rego for the car and the insurance, and the tax on top of the price of the car, you have to put the petrol in the car to get to the beach, you have to buy your kids the sun block you have to buy the kids the safe sun suits, you have to buy the drinks for the day at the beach, you have to buy the body boards the kids will want and it goes on not being negative but honest that is all its fact not fantasy. for a lot of working class people with kids i know, on the avergage salaries,especially on one average salary with kids even with family assistance for them that are on perm residents visas they are struggling, with the ever rising costs of food, utilities, cars, rego, taxes, dentists, doctors etc etc, alot of people also make the mistake of looking at the gross salarys here that is the first mistake, what is the point of looking at gross salarys, they are not taking that home in the pay packet, people want to believe what they want to believe, and they forget the realities of real life, because for many as it was for us this is their dream of coming to a country, where you spend all day and every weekend on beaches and in swimming pools, we have 365 days of sunshine, never rains, never cold, and everyone is positive.

Oh if only it was 365 days of sunshine, its rained here all weekend and waited for me to get my washing out this morning and has rained again, its been so bad here it wakes me every night battering off the window!!

we have had to pay alot for my sons adhd so anyone coming whose kids would need to see a specialist have this in mind we have paid thousands to see the specialist dr then go back every 3 months to get a prescription that costs us another $50 just to get it and the level of care is rubbish the dr is awful then we have to pay for the prescription each month at least in scotland they sent it to his dr to prescribe. we got a referral to see a specialist for help managing him who was ripping us off. My son is also going to the orthodontist next week its not covered so another cost, we hadnt thought we would be paying so much for child health as we have had to my other son is going to a speech therapist we have weekly sessions now our private health care has run out till january so we will be paying full whack for that.

If your kids need no extra input great but our boys have needed help, but I must say its easier to get seen here than in UK but its because we are paying. I dont know I trust all the people I have seen. The baby is seeing a chiropractor and he is the 1 person who is not ripping us off he is so nice and so fair and I can see results the baby cries far less than before.

I think must people dream of coming to aus for an easy life expecting it to be cheaper expecting to have a pool at the back door with a comfortable heat of sun beaming down drinking beer and everything being perfect but it is still like the uk, Id feel sorry for someone coming here on 50k unless they were great with money they would seriously struggle, getting an old car for a start would cost 6k and its not as if having beans on toast would be cheap here either would it.

But yes its everyones dream to live in the perfect place and yes aus is perfect for lots of things that the UK aint but there is still rain crime and costs here!

I think for the original poster total your tax credits plus your annual salary and make sure you come to aus on that wage times by 3 or 4 to make it nice for your family. maybe if your wife is able to work also it wont be so hard for you, best of luck you wont know till you get here how you will manage and when its your dream you have to try it!!!

August 1, 2011

It's hard to compare UK & Australia in terms of salaries and lifestyle, because it depends on what you're used to/expect, and also on the source of your income. If you earn and spend $s, then it is pretty straightforward. Things cost what they cost, and you know how much you get (& therefore what you can afford). If your income is from the UK, the current exchange rate is going to skew everything.

I disagree with many points raised in this thread - I find Aussies to be good-humoured and fun (in general), and where I live and work, I find shop assistants and waiting staff, etc, to be mostly personable and friendly. Sometimes teenage checkout staff are a bit surly - but I'm sure I came across that way sometimes when I was young and daft enough to go to work on a few hours' sleep and too much beer!

My Aussie workmates are fabulous - they work really hard and are a pleasure to work with.

Im coming to live where you are!!! in fairness the school my boys go to the staff are fantastic well all but 1 and its a shame she teaches my adhd son he is too much for her but then he is too much for most people. There are more places I find people uncaring and rude and some maybe arent orginally from here. Even shopping in supermarkets people push in front of me its sometimes like Im invisible I think I must have a face that says please be rude to me! I havent found dr's a great place to go they are getting a fair whack of our money and really couldnt give a toss, and its easy to say find somewhere new but when you have to pay nearly $400 for an initial consultation its very expensive to move they love doing referrals to lots of places where more rude people like our money!!

Paul1Perth · August 1, 2011

The aussies I find that strike up conversation and are pleasant to speak to are the 1s whos parents are from Scotland and want to find out where Im from and why I moved here!! Im a people person I smile at people as I pass in the shop, people dont smile back. I was trained in customer service in a banks sales role so I speak to people from every walk of life! I find at the supermarket the assistant says hi how are you today you, I say fine thanks how are you, no response mainly because they are taught to say this but never speak to you after that and dont know how to respond if you ask them how they are!! In a supermarket in scotland the people were always so friendly and knew how to strike up conversation. I also heard aussies are so laid back and friendly I just havent found it.
Another thing I notice is there is no common courtesy on the roads, our road leads onto a very busy road I can be sitting waiting to get out and a car can be coming along nothing in outside lane but they never move out to let me out or there will be a gap and a car from the outside lane pulls into the inside lane, maybe in the big cities in the uk people were as bad but in Aberdeen and Dundee where I lived close to people had common courtesy.

Im maybe having a moan on here but when an aussie asks me how I like it here I tell them its great but 6 people I have met while here all feel the same even 1 whose american felt the same treatment from the aussies!! Maybe I live in the wrong place, like I say I always smile I will always talk to people who talk to me, maybe they dont hate brits maybe they are just miserable! Ive tried working out why maybe underpaid. I want to get a job but worry how I would be treated.

Maybe I live in the wrong place,

I think you may be spot on there. We've been in Perth 20 years and hae never noticed anti British feeling. There was a bit of a backlash a couple of years ago as a bunch of British guys kept coming down to the beach park with their English soccer T-shirts, union jacks, a few beers and then started a fair bit of trouble with the locals.

I was on patrol on the beach a couple of times and helped to break up a couple of scuffles. I was embarrased to say that it was definitely the Brits who were starting the trouble and it seemed to be getting a little worse every week. It all came to a head on Australia Day about 3 years ago when there was a mass brawl at the beach park which was on National TV. Not only brits involved this time though as other nationalities were there, with their own flags, stirring up trouble.

Up to that point the park had a non-alcohol policy which had been sort of ignored and the police turned a blind eye to it. It was a place where mostly families went, took a picnic and had a couple of beers and a glass of wine or two. All fine.

After the brawl they put up new notices and a few cameras and followed the letter of the law.

This lead to a crazy situation a couple of times when the trouble causing bunch still came down, openly drank in the park to excess, got fined and then pointed out a family having a picnic and the cops had to fine them too.

Now everyone knows that if you drink on the park you are going to get fined, booze confiscated and moved on. Slowly the beach park has become nice and safe again with families picnicing and having a good time with no idiots getting pissed and causing trouble. No doubt they have moved on somewhere else but at least they got the message.

Also Gail, the road rules are totally different.

nothing in outside lane but they never move out to let me out or there will be a gap and a car from the outside lane pulls into the inside lane,

If there is a car in the inside lane and a gap you still pull out and go in the outside. They won't move over as there is no law here about overtaking on the inside. You would just pull into the outside lane and the car would pass you on the inside. Just different rules, nothing to do with courtesy.

rikyuu · August 1, 2011

Well, I'm in Ireland and the current exchange rate is 1.34 for Euro.
So at current exchange rates $50k is equal Euro 37,300, which is an okay salary in Ireland.

Plus I've been to Australia and it's no more expensive than Ireland.

What is the national average salary in Aus?

But if you divide the cost of everything in Oz by 1.34 (EUR/AUD), that would make everything in Oz seem very expensive. You can't do it on the exchange rate alone as when you are living and working in Oz, the exchange rate is meaningless. To get an idea, you have to use a conversion factor on the cost of living for the same standard of living. A factor of 2 or 2.2 (AUD/GBP) works quite well, it makes the cost of living similar. Then you can work out the income for the same cost of living.

August 1, 2011

Look guy's... at the end of the day you have to forget about what costs what, forget the exchange rates. If you have the opportunity of getting work, having a great life, good times you can make it work.... or would you prefer sitting at home with nothing,having no money, no life........ i know what i'll prefer and it has a lot of SUNSHINE and WORK....... :hug: :smile: