fleabo Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I did, and you are quite correct regarding the exchange rate, Yes - I think if the folk at the CIS rewrote their report using 'nominal' exchange rates there would be not much to report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Their comparisons rely heavily on the exchange rate. But the exchange rate is the exchange rate is the exchange rate. You can't magic it away or say well if there were three dollars to the pound then it would look different because there aren't. M Moreover, with the exchange rate as it is, we should be seeing imported goods falling in price by the week - but they aren't. Everywhere I go at work, lifelong Aussies are complaining about the cost of this or that. Sure, they earn Australian dollars but they are feeling the prices too. The papers run stories day and daily about the high increases in the cost of living. The banana examples I gave upthread make it clear - prices increase at any excuse. Storms in Queensland hurt the banana crop so we have the price of bananas increase tenfold - ostensibly because we have to import them. But other countries that don't have their own banana supply - such as the UK - seem to be able to hold banana prices down despite their need to import stocks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I thought it was because of import restrictions that bananas were so bloody expensive, ostensibly to show solidarity to hard up Aussie battler banana growers doing it tough. But the exchange rate is the exchange rate is the exchange rate. You can't magic it away or say well if there were three dollars to the pound then it would look different because there aren't. M Moreover, with the exchange rate as it is, we should be seeing imported goods falling in price by the week - but they aren't. Everywhere I go at work, lifelong Aussies are complaining about the cost of this or that. Sure, they earn Australian dollars but they are feeling the prices too. The papers run stories day and daily about the high increases in the cost of living. The banana examples I gave upthread make it clear - prices increase at any excuse. Storms in Queensland hurt the banana crop so we have the price of bananas increase tenfold - ostensibly because we have to import them. But other countries that don't have their own banana supply - such as the UK - seem to be able to hold banana prices down despite their need to import stocks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Happy New Year everyone!! Just back from the Christmas/New Year break and happy to report that I have better things to do than look at computers when not at work. Thought this thread would have closed long ago but was surprised it's still going strong. There ARE plenty of places that are cheaper than Aus to live, that's for sure, but would you really want to live there?? Pakistan, India, China, South Africa spring to mind and a few others not far behind. Wouldn't swap with anyone anywhere in the world!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Happy New Year everyone!! Just back from the Christmas/New Year break and happy to report that I have better things to do than look at computers when not at work. Thought this thread would have closed long ago but was surprised it's still going strong. There ARE plenty of places that are cheaper than Aus to live, that's for sure, but would you really want to live there?? Pakistan, India, China, South Africa spring to mind and a few others not far behind. Wouldn't swap with anyone anywhere in the world!! USA, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Ireland. I've heard they're now ranked as first world countries, is that true?? Can anyone confirm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 The banana examples I gave upthread make it clear - prices increase at any excuse. Storms in Queensland hurt the banana crop so we have the price of bananas increase tenfold - ostensibly because we have to import them. But other countries that don't have their own banana supply - such as the UK - seem to be able to hold banana prices down despite their need to import stocks... Please read the report as it will help understand why bananas went up in price. Likewise why books and luxury cars are more expensive here. It is useful in that sense, but the CIS report that initiated the thread is flawed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 USA, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Ireland. I've heard they're now ranked as first world countries, is that true?? Can anyone confirm? Wouldn't swap though, would you? I saw a doco on Ireleand over Christmas and the unemployed youngsters queueing up to get over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Wouldn't swap though, would you? I saw a doco on Ireleand over Christmas and the unemployed youngsters queueing up to get over here. I'd like to retire in France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Please read the report as it will help understand why bananas went up in price. Likewise why books and luxury cars are more expensive here. It is useful in that sense, but the CIS report that initiated the thread is flawed. I have read the report and I do understand the issues. But we risk falling into a trap of just accepting that things are so expensive here because we have heard the explanation or because we can blame it on an exchange rate or because it is a special case. The thing is, Australia is super-expensive and more and more Australian families are finding it a struggle. As others have asked, why aren't people more aggrieved about the situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 As others have asked, why aren't people more aggrieved about the situation? Beacause they aren't whingeing poms? :tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyyu Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 bananas imported to britain most probably from africa on the backs of children, id rather pay australian farmers a fair wage,cheaper cars in the uk did nothing for the britsh car industry they went broke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I have read the report and I do understand the issues. But we risk falling into a trap of just accepting that things are so expensive here because we have heard the explanation or because we can blame it on an exchange rate or because it is a special case. The thing is, Australia is super-expensive and more and more Australian families are finding it a struggle. As others have asked, why aren't people more aggrieved about the situation? I am sorry that you are finding it a struggle. For us, life is as cheap/expensive as it was in the UK. I do not find, overall, it any harder to live here and certainly wouldn't describe it as 'super expensive' other than when I have to pay $70 for 2 litres of paint at Bunnings. That is shocking and I would love the CIS to explain that to me instead of babbling on about the well-documented price of bananas! But a lot depends on what you do, where you live, what stage you are at in life, and how you live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I am sorry that you are finding it a struggle. For us, life is as cheap/expensive as it was in the UK. I do not find, overall, it any harder to live here and certainly wouldn't describe it as 'super expensive' other than when I have to pay $70 for 2 litres of paint at Bunnings. That is shocking and I would love the CIS to explain that to me instead of babbling on about the well-documented price of bananas! But a lot depends on what you do, where you live, what stage you are at in life, and how you live. nice post fleabo, I tried to give you rep but I couldn't. It's nice to see an honest post which doesn't appear to have an 'agenda' behind it. Did you win the newcomer poll? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Did you win the newcomer poll? Missed out for the second year running. Maybe next year....:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Missed out for the second year running. Maybe next year....:wink: perhaps you could incorporate that into a new signature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legoman Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 bananas imported to britain most probably from africa on the backs of children, id rather pay australian farmers a fair wage,cheaper cars in the uk did nothing for the britsh car industry they went broke PROBABLY? so you dont really know then, i see the positive posts about uk/ europe are being dismissed, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heyyu Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 what positive posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alun Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 is the cost of living more expensive than the uk then because i am bringing my family over this year dont want jump out of the fire into the frying pan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintpot Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 is the cost of living more expensive than the uk then because i am bringing my family over this year dont want jump out of the fire into the frying pan Generally, yes, at current exchange rates E.g., if your after tax earnings are about £30,000, if in Australia your after tax earnings are $45,000 then you can expect a dip in standard of living You would want to be earning $55,000-$75,000 after tax (depending on where you live, what your spending patterns are, and who you believe) to have a similar standard of living As with everywhere, some things are relatively cheaper an other things are relatively more expensive. And again as with everywhere, you need to "do as the Romans do" to keep costs down; just do and buy exactly what you would in the UK and you will get burned. Adopt local habits and spending patterns and you will get less burned You can wade through 800 pages if you like to get to that conclusion but it's pretty much what it amounts to ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 The banana examples I gave upthread make it clear - prices increase at any excuse. Storms in Queensland hurt the banana crop so we have the price of bananas increase tenfold - ostensibly because we have to import them. But other countries that don't have their own banana supply - such as the UK - seem to be able to hold banana prices down despite their need to import stocks... "ostensibly because we have to import them" ?? Bananas are not imported into Australia because of the bio security risk - introducing banana diseases which are not present in Australia. 75 - 80% of the Oz banana crop was destroyed by Cyclone Yasi, this loss was not made up by any imports, therefore premium prices were paid for what was available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmaxontour Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Generally, yes, at current exchange rates E.g., if your after tax earnings are about £30,000, if in Australia your after tax earnings are $45,000 then you can expect a dip in standard of living This is a great point and one I'd like to understand better. I think we all understand that our savings are going to take a hit when we try to spend them in aussie dollars. However, if I am earning (for mathmatical simplicity's sake) £10000 a year in the UK, about how much Aussie dollars would I need to earn to achieve the same lifestyle, in terms of housing, eating, travel, buying a car (all the staples)? If anyone could answer that, it would help me a great deal. Better still would be if someone could answer teh sam question in relation to the euro as that is what I'm earning at the moment. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintpot Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 The trouble is that no one can answer that because it's infinitely variable depending on your circumstances. All you can do is apply "rules fo thumb" and like all such rules, these can be wildly inaccurate depending on what you spend The only way you can reailstically do it is to work out your AFTER TAX income (hugely important, and the first thing that throws the rules of thumb right out) and then break down your likely spend. Take housing - it can vary wildly depending on state, city, suburb. In the more expensive parts of Sydney you won't get much change out of $1000 a week for a 3 bed house you'd want to live in, somewhere else (even rural NSW) you could be spending less than $300 a week for the same standard of accommodation. So it's impossible to give a simple answer The only realy safe rule of thumb is that if you are coming from Europe given current exchange rate and market conditions, you are unlikly to find it cheap. Sorry but there it is, if you need to be sure then you'll have to get a spreadsheet together and do a bit of research (go to Aussie online shops, real estate websites, car dealers and similar) to work out what your actual outgoings are likely to be The lack of simple answers is precisely why threads like these always go on for ever and end up disappearing up their own behinds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 "ostensibly because we have to import them" ??Bananas are not imported into Australia because of the bio security risk - introducing banana diseases which are not present in Australia. 75 - 80% of the Oz banana crop was destroyed by Cyclone Yasi, this loss was not made up by any imports, therefore premium prices were paid for what was available. Is this true? We were told that the cost of bananas was because of importation costs. Other fruit and veg is happily imported... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 However, if I am earning (for mathmatical simplicity's sake) £10000 a year in the UK, about how much Aussie dollars would I need to earn to achieve the same lifestyle, in terms of housing, eating, travel, buying a car (all the staples)? Some people point to a multiplier of 2.2 - hence, to get the same standard of living as you get for GBP10,000 you would need AU$22,000. But you should also note that $22,000 would not get you very far at all in Australia - the minimum requirement is way higher than in the UK. The average wage is around $60-70k - less than that and you would have a pretty modest lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Some questions that impact on how much you will need are: Where do you want to live, what visa are you coming on, and do you have any school-age kids? This is a great point and one I'd like to understand better. I think we all understand that our savings are going to take a hit when we try to spend them in aussie dollars.However, if I am earning (for mathmatical simplicity's sake) £10000 a year in the UK, about how much Aussie dollars would I need to earn to achieve the same lifestyle, in terms of housing, eating, travel, buying a car (all the staples)? If anyone could answer that, it would help me a great deal. Better still would be if someone could answer teh sam question in relation to the euro as that is what I'm earning at the moment. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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