freebo

I'll be sending a few grand back to pay for our trip, it's getting cheaper by the day.[/QUOTE]

Hi Freebo - how does that work, paying for the flights from Aus to UK in GBP? How do I book to depart from Aus but pay in GBP? Please could you advise? If I can save a few dollars that would be great!!

Cheers,
BB [/QUOTE]
Not what we did I just mean that I'll be transferring Aud to one of our Uk accounts to cover what we've spent while over here.Flight back to uk was 2nd half of a return, traveling to aus on a one way so next trip can be whenever and also using Aud to top up our account for that one.

I am thinking about sending some more Aud over to take advantage of the current rate but that could go either way!

xzibit

My fiance and I plan to return in Feb, and due to the exchange rate are just going to come with enough money for a week, and will just sleep outside as it's warm.

We can cook dinner on the public BBQ's, and sleep in a swag. And shower at the beach before interviews.

isgraham

Well I've just seen the pound dipping into the 1.53's It makes me wonder just what kind of fool is now going to move over to Australia from the UK unless you have nothing to take over or so much that you don't care the numbers simply don't add up especially with the high cost of living to salary ratio even if you do earn AUD.

xzibit

If I can find a job in the UK in January then I am putting off going back to Oz until things improve a bit. I'm in no rush, I've got a few more years before the visa expires and I have to be there.

eugene43

So do I deteched sence at last

Evelin

I'll be sending a few grand back to pay for our trip, it's getting cheaper by the day.[/QUOTE]

Hi Freebo - how does that work, paying for the flights from Aus to UK in GBP? How do I book to depart from Aus but pay in GBP? Please could you advise? If I can save a few dollars that would be great!!

Cheers,
BB [/QUOTE]

I only can tell you from my experience. My brother bought our tickets from his company travel agent in Germany, paid in EURO, emailed the tickets to OZ, and I'm now in Germany for one month already. Departure was from Perth by Emirates.

xzibit

Oh the irony of that sentence!!

Beoz

Surely you'd be better off earning $A rather than £GBP right now? Especially if you are sending $A back to the UK. Back in the glory £££ days, and despite cost of living in London, it was always benefical to be earning £££'s and paying London living expenses.

brendarover

Yep sensible move, Oz is far too expensive;

Housing costs to wages recieved are to the moon, the exchange rate is at a million year low, and to cap it all, the costs of living in Australia are rising faster than wages, but nothing is falling YET to offset these rising day to day costs. What Australia needs is cheaper housing costs, but with rising debt servicing costs, its lose lose lose. Something will give and it will not be wages rising so outstripping upward living costs, it will be something else falling in value so bringing down accomodation costs. Houses are to expensive forcing rents to the point where they cannot go any higher.

isgraham

I guess that depends on living costs for my case I am saving multiples of what I was in Australia now im back in London and not because I earn more I'm on a similar salary to my Sydney salary but costs are so much lower Sydney can't compete.

paulry

But the high costs to salaries remarks don't seem to add up. If you go to any shopping centre here it's bursting with people spending their dosh, and more than anything that I ever saw at this time of the year in the UK. Everyone appears to have lots of money to spend

isgraham

It's probably just debt or false wealth I.e the equity they think they have in their houses.

Wendy

or maybe they've just got money to spend?

I know I have been able to buy everything I've wanted to this year without a credit card. And I've just spend the best part of $6k on a trip to the UK.

Believe it or not, some people are actually a lot better off here. I'm one of them.

isgraham

How delightful for you. But I am confident that many run on debt I.e credit cards or equity release etc. That's why Australians have so much debt per person. For the record I took home a large salary in Sydney and a similar salary in the city but I am much better off in London.

Centurion

As a person involved within the UK debt industry for years, I think the situation is not dissimilar there as to here. It is almost a cultural norm now in western society to have credit.

I believe the major difference in Australia is the availability of that credit which is a darn sight easier to obtain and thrust upon you still at every opportunity. Lo doc loans still abound and frankly anyone can have a platinum credit card of some type. This in turn leads to a greater level of debt.

It's not just a simple case of one country is more expensive than the other as if we were comparing like for like. Both countries are at very different points in economic cycles and that plays heavily on the state of private debt.