rabsody

This is true in my experience! And wages are lagging behind UK in Australia (certainly in Brisbane), so I don't think you can really compare say a 200k pounds vs $500k dollars property - you still have to be able to service the mortgage and if you are earning less then you'll need a cheaper property! It's all relative.

rabsody

yep, everything's going up ...

petrol was about 70c when i got here 7 years ago, now $1.20-$1.30! rates gone up, food gone through the roof, clothes/shoes more expensive, and you all know about the housing situation ....

and before anyone says it, i know some things are still cheaper than in uk etc etc, just highlighting how things have increased considerably in a relatively short space of time (with little reflection of this in wages).

arkon

I agree, we have seen a massive increase in costs in just the 3 years we have been here. I can actually see the food prices rising on a week by week basis. In the last year one item in particular I buy regulary has gone from 90c to $1.55 a packet in a year. My shopping bill has gone from $70 a week 3 years ago to about $180 today. The diesel I put in the tractor has gone up from costing me $30 a padock to $55, The car was $50 to fill up and is now $85+, My rates 2 years ago was $650 and today just got the bill $960. Water has gone from 70c a KL to $1.31

The examples go on and on, Whilst most things are cheaper than the UK like the rates for example, this is offset by my far lower earnings. To me the 960 dollars feels like 960 pounds now. As pointed out, it's not the actual amounts but the rate of increase. Everytime they publish the inflation figures it has me shaking my head as I have no idea how they can be so different to my actual experience of living here.

For my pennys worth, a $500k house will feel like a £500k house once your here and working. I just hope your big cheaply contructed toothpick house satisfies you as it sure doesn't satisfy me.

birdynumnum

I completely agree, I came here 7 years ago and at the time everything was so much cheaper. For the average family moving now, thinking Oz is still cheaper, even with equity for a house etc - once they start earning, well the wages havent increased in proportion to inflation as you said.

The area I'm in is particualry ridiculous - Woolies is meant to be the most expensive in OZ. If you go inland to Lismore or down to Ballina you save a small fortune. Eating out/coffee etc is way over the norm here. They fleece you over $4 for a coffee on a Sunday (a take out). Due to the lack of rental properties here, a caravan (tiny one) was advetised for $180/week.

The hike in your food bill is ridiculous Arkon. Interesting your having the figures to compare - I knew stuff was alot more now but didnt realize it had gone up that much!
Hope you've planted a veg garden...

temptininnit

I find the aussie press glosses over these things. you'll get a more honest opinion on the reality here from foreign journos. Google alerts bring stories about Australia, the economy and houseing etc.

For example.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/a...?enewsid=78699

rabsody

yep, modus operandi in the aussie press would seem to be either (a) pretend it ain't happening or (b) sensationalise the absolute arse out of the issue

temptininnit

I'm sick of seeing reporters eyes gleam as they report house prices rising- I'd guess they own investment properties.

jad n rich

Rents will have to go up, very basic house, not the dream jobby, is around $400,000. To the investor thats about $3000 a month in mortage repayments, plus rates, plus insurance, plus liablility ins etc, rent to even recoup costs should be about $800 a week dont think rents at $400 a week will last.

why

i agree with you all....up..up..up...money doesn't go very far at all and yes i don't think what we are told by the media actually reflects reality....wages don't go up but everything else does.....it's only just starting really when we start running out of fossil fuels what's that going to do to us all....and in australia you can't just walk to the shops....there miles away........the rich have got richer and the poor are getting poorer.....my all time pet hate is the pokies.....tax on simple addicted folk....when i think of this it makes me want to go and live in a little village in UK (but i don't think they exist any more either)........saying that it's a nice sunny day the sea looks brilliant from my house and i have plenty...but i don't think coming to australia at the moment would be that good as a financial thing...i have met so many people recently who have given up great jobs and great homes in the uk... to go completely backwards here......it's sad really especially when people on here get all shirty when you say it how it is.......

arkon

Tell me about it. This hike is even after I've stopped buying little luxuries like chocolate and crisps. Bread is a ridiculous $3.69 to $3.99 in my woolies. I used to pay 20p back home.

Oh and the anal reason I know the price rises are what I say, is I computerise my finances, I can recall any bill.

I find the country is in some kind of denial about the food price rises. Try telling to an aussie about it and if you dare mention food is cheaper back home you get total disbelief, they just refuse to believe it's true. Another falacy is the motering is cheaper or there's no MOT or car tax. Petrol is cheaper but I drive two and a half times further, the car has to be serviced twice as often, Rego is the tax disc, Pink slips are the MOT, green slips are an extra tax hidden as insurance, then you need proper insurance on top of that. Then the driving licence expires avery 3 years and you have to pay for another. Then try driving through Sydney without paying a toll. They even shut public roads to force you on to them!

birdynumnum

Slightly offtopic...you know the letts scheme in the UK, up here theres a barter scheme too. A great idea in many ways I think.
A friend is a photographer round here - he was asked to do a product/packaging shoot the other week for payment in part barter & part muesli bars (the product he was shooting). Hilarious, OK so here 200 muesli bars, thanks for the work. He was obviously very tempted but managed to decline the job.


What bread were you buying for 20p?
We used to pay 70p for an organic loaf as opposed to over $5 here.

The things that are cheaper like no TV license - I'd gladly pay one if it meant there was anything worth watching & not crap ad's with people shuouting every 2 minutes.
The price of books are extortinate too, that really bugs me - even 2nd hand you can pay over $10.

I was chatting to the shipping man the other day - he said in the 7 years hes been here (Brit), hes never known so many people moving here and leaving within a year - all stating they're far worse off financially here.
Says alot that!

bourbon-biscuit

Two of my grievances with life in NZ. I pay about NZ$3.80 -$4 for white, spongy bread with a few seeds or pathetic, glutenous wholemeal that is mostly white. In the UK I bought organic wholemeal loves for about 80p.

Why do they shout in the adverts?

Shall I take that as a vote for the "yes, the Australian 'dream' is dead" camp then

themerlin

Rents are going up. But lots of people buy to make money on the property price increase and not the rent.
If you are a high earner then the negative gearing helps.

jad n rich

In the last 2 months here the news has had food going up 500% because of the drought, shortly followed food up because of rain, shortly followed by cold snap = vegetable shortage, now were back on cold snap ruins crops, last weeks one is milks going to go up 30%, cows are probably stressed by Rudd and Howard bickering over who can furk up the country the most, or perhaps Beattie has stressed them by discussing daylight saving. Even bananas are back up to $10 a kilo in coles today, whats that about, probably be on the telly tonight, banana crops destroyed by snow What a load of bolloc%s, the consumer here is preened and primped to pay more.

OzzieNurse

£200,000 get you a three bed mid terrace in the SE??? Not anymore it wont!
We have been trying to get on the property ladder for years and last year nearly bought a brand new Bloor home but this would have cost us £300,000! with a mortgage of £900 a month.
We decided against it. Glad we did. House prices are ridiculous in the UK probably not much better in Oz but maybe just maybe we can get a house and it will be bigger than a 2 bed semi!