Am I being realistic?
Jan 27th 2009, 1:39 pm
#16
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,048
Re: Am I being realistic?
(2) Is $1000 (dollars) a week a realistic sum to live on? I've researched and I reckon this is about right for the cost of living. This is based on:
$250 weekly rent for a 2 bed unit in HB
$250 food & alcohol a week for myself & Mr Kiwi (no kids)
$100 a week gas & electricity
$50 a week for broadband & landline phone
$50 a week for PAYG mob
$100 a week for car insurance & petrol for smallish car
$200 a week for "other" (eg, entertainment, contents insurance)
$206 a week for 1 bedroom flat (although in Melbourne)
$5 a week water bill
Haven't been sent an electricity bill yet
Don't have a landline just a mobile which I don't often use
Petrol depends what you do with the car. Petrol went to $1.60 a litre last year so I reduced car usage and cycled everywhere. Now it's around $1 a litre. On a busy week I'd probably use about 30 litres - although I still cycle to work or if i'm going into the city I take the train since its cheap over the weekend.
Car insurance is about $300 a year, but on top of that you have road tax which is near $600 a year
I usually budget about $100 a week for doing other things
Jan 27th 2009, 11:09 pm
#17
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Location: Watford, UK and now Hervey Bay
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Re: Am I being realistic?
Thanks guys - had never thought of ambulance cover! Thats obviously not covered by Medicare then! How much is that per year?
I'm going to need an ambulance at this rate - so many things to think of!!
I'm going to need an ambulance at this rate - so many things to think of!!
Jan 27th 2009, 11:14 pm
#18
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
Re: Am I being realistic?
$110 for our family of five...but it has to be paid in one go and is really important cos a trip in an ambulance can cost 1000's.
Well except if you live in subsidy central AKA QLD,
then you get it free when you pay for ya leccy 
Well except if you live in subsidy central AKA QLD,
then you get it free when you pay for ya leccy
Jan 28th 2009, 7:59 pm
#19
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Re: Am I being realistic?
Thanks hevs, definitely going to get ambulance cover then. Any names of companies that provide it would be great if you have them, many thanks. Can add it to my list of things to do.
Jan 28th 2009, 11:16 pm
#20
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
Re: Am I being realistic?
It strange...here in Vic we have victorian ambulance cover. I can't seem to find the same for W/A and can only find links through the private companies, but they do seem to do ambo cover only policies.
W/A peeps? Is that right?
http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Co...FQ9JagodqUqFVw
W/A peeps? Is that right?
http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Co...FQ9JagodqUqFVw
Jan 29th 2009, 12:00 am
#21
Aussie Finn Mixture!
Joined: May 2005
Location: Leschenault WA (after few locations around WA and Around Europe!)
Posts: 1,151
Re: Am I being realistic?
It strange...here in Vic we have victorian ambulance cover. I can't seem to find the same for W/A and can only find links through the private companies, but they do seem to do ambo cover only policies.
W/A peeps? Is that right?
http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Co...FQ9JagodqUqFVw
W/A peeps? Is that right?
http://www.medibank.com.au/Health-Co...FQ9JagodqUqFVw
Jan 29th 2009, 9:41 pm
#22
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Re: Am I being realistic?
Thanks guys, will look in to it.
Jan 29th 2009, 10:08 pm
#23
The Brains
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Dubai / Hervey Bay
Posts: 886
Re: Am I being realistic?
Hi Mrs Kiwi,
Yes it is possible to live on $1,000 a week easily. We spend approx $200 on shopping - some weeks more some less, you know how everything runs out at once.
$250 for all bills, water, rates, car insurance etc only watch free TV. this leaves $500 for anything else.
We are not great drinkers but do have a box of wine a week sometimes two.
There may not be many jobs advertised for Hervey Bay but if you look on Seekers and do a search for Maryborough there are a lot more and it isn't that far to travel. There were quite a few when I looked last weekend.
Carpenters and plumbers seem to be flat out at the moment but other trades are very quite but they tell me this is quite usual in January and things don't pickup until February.
Good luck,
Gillian
Yes it is possible to live on $1,000 a week easily. We spend approx $200 on shopping - some weeks more some less, you know how everything runs out at once.
$250 for all bills, water, rates, car insurance etc only watch free TV. this leaves $500 for anything else.
We are not great drinkers but do have a box of wine a week sometimes two.
There may not be many jobs advertised for Hervey Bay but if you look on Seekers and do a search for Maryborough there are a lot more and it isn't that far to travel. There were quite a few when I looked last weekend.
Carpenters and plumbers seem to be flat out at the moment but other trades are very quite but they tell me this is quite usual in January and things don't pickup until February.
Good luck,
Gillian
Jan 29th 2009, 11:06 pm
#24
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Re: Am I being realistic?
Great, thanks, Gillian.
You've made me feel so much better.
With the recession in the UK and in Oz I'm trying to imagine the worst case scenerios - if we can't get jobs for a while how long will our savings last AND if we do get jobs, whats the minimum we need to earn?
You've made me feel so much better.
With the recession in the UK and in Oz I'm trying to imagine the worst case scenerios - if we can't get jobs for a while how long will our savings last AND if we do get jobs, whats the minimum we need to earn?
