ozzieeagle

Spot on badge, I'm champing at the bit to have a bit of a splurge, everytime I get to that stage, something cloudy turns up. This time it's Aussie posts wage cutbucks means I wont be able to justify working nightshift anymore.

Third time I've been made redundant (more or less this time at least)....

Gas and Fuel..... Apost parcels, and now they want the Fulltimers off of night shift. Bugger there goes my retirement plans, Unless.... Feeling slightly upbeat might reel in some favours via the wifes nursing fraternity, with shift work PCA aka night portering or at least doing it shift work.

Evertime it starts to get easy something crops up...

TheSubMainMan

Yep and that 25-25k you saved equates to how many months salary? Thats a good (average) 6 months of work.

Or put it another way. That new 4WD is going to cost me 6 months of my life! is it worth it?

I guess if your mega loaded that 4WD is worth 1 day of your life. So worth buying, but 6 months?

And it's only a ****** car! what you going to do, use it to get to work?



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MartinLuther

And yet other people say it's not mentioned at all. See http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ighlight=wages

I think the OP may be right (about the number of posts he reads on here).

Sandra

The work is hard for most, the days are long, you do not have long weekends.......Aus worksforce for what I have seen after five years plus puts in a bigger stint than most. They do not see the "sell me I am aus" advertising the govrnment sells, they are too busy working.

Even if coming for lifestyle consider what income you will need ----- me in Aus five plus years on, bigger house, bigger mortgage, bigger debts and now working travelling abroad to pay for it all, something I had the choice for in the UK.

And from a personal perspective you can f**k the free beach!

Cheers Sandra

Amazulu

I've said it before but I think materialism is a good thing. It is a cornerstone of our capitalist society. Without materialism and consumerism the world would be a pretty grim place to live - it would be like Pyongyang.

SKIPPI79

Correct G&M, I'm not advising anyone not to come, please do, it's a wonderful country to see/visit/ live in, even if you go back after several months, or years at least you've seen the place.
And no I'm not unhappy. I am just puzzeled how some people move to the other side of the world, and pack it in cause they feel worse off in OZ with a bigger motgage, less wages etc etc... Haven't you done you homework on OZ??
HAVEN'T WE ALL SEEN THE BIGGEST THREAD ON HERE = the official jobs/wages thread. If you haven't the PLEASE read it

All I wanted to see if there are other people along with me who wonder why people come to OZ thinking they're going to be earning big bucks and have a fantastic life with their new $50k 4X4, big 5 bed house, with games room+ pool+jacuzzi etc etc.....
Let's just say, to everyone that has done it right, and are enjoying their new life down under, fair dink'm, well done and hope your enjoying it to bits.

Otherwise to the other people have you down your homework??
obviously theres homesickness and family reasons and other things that you'll never know unless you try it, but for the other people to move down under, blow big bucks on cars, houses, trips, pools etc etc, surely you must have known that house prices are rising and wages are still less than in the UK and that that lifestyle can't continue unless your minted.

All I'd like to say is don't count your chickens before they hatch..
It takes a while to get ajusted into a new culture, took us 2 yrs in spain( we stayed 5yrs there), and after 1 yr in belgium were still struggling(were earning great money, got our own business, but don't like the lifestyle), but it's never going to be easy at first.
We were happy with 50€ a week in spain for our first winter there. If your happy in your relationship and with yourself then if doesn't matter how much you earn, or spend, or have left over each week, you will suvive and get on just fine!!!!

Rhia27

Exactly!!!!

The key word here is comparative.

Just because the exchange rate says 1:whatever, doesnt mean your pounds translate to "whatever"


I've found thinking 1:1 works best and normally gives a pleasant surprise at the end of the month (but no doubt I'll be accused of having "rose tinted sunnies" by the 'doom-mongers')

Rhia27

This is a good point.

How many people on here have moved from a 2 or 3 bed 1 bath terraced house, then complain cos they cant get a 4x2 with pool for less than they sold their UK property?

Hello? 'Apples for apples'!

PS. I need karma - but thats not why I posted.

spartacus

An even better word is proportion. What proportion of my income do I spend on . . . ?

So, without wanting to labour the point, I've had a few spare minutes and I've worked out the the proportional costs of my basics Aus vs UK . These are figures worked out on gross salary, so include figures for tax etc, and are a proportion of a single wage (I've excluded my OH's income).

First figure Oz, second UK:

Housing: 23% 24%

Rates (Council and Water): 2% 6%

Electric / Gas: 3% 4.5%

Tax: 23% 23%

National Insurance: 0% 9%

Medical Insurance: 2% 0%

Car rego / Road tax: 1% 0.6%

Car Insurance: 1% 2.2%

Fuel: 4.3% 9.5%

Food: 10% 13%

Total: 69% 92%

Total tax load (approx): 28% 43%


These are based pretty much on like for like circumstances, similar job, similar car, similar mileage, similar food habits etc.

ezzie

Interesting! We earn far more here than we could in the UK. Just returned from visit to UK and was horrified at cost of petrol, housing, appliances - couldn't afford to eat out, even buying an ice-cream for the kids was a painful experience! Council rates etc were hideous...and don't get me started on a country where it's pay and bloody display everywhere!!! Still miss the old place though and would love to return. After visiting Chatham and not being able to find anyone who spoke English (no, I'm not joking!), maybe England could do with a few Poms returning.

spartacus

Second all that, except for the bit about wanting to return. The 'working classes' (those who work for a living) are being taxed out of the UK I'm afraid.

Amazulu

Overall, tax is higher in Australia.

spartacus

I admit to being no tax expert, and I've taken a broadbrush to some of the figures, but from my point of view I pay:
- The same income tax.
- No tax on the fuel (QLD).
- No national insurance.
- Less council 'tax'.
- Roughly the same to put a car on the road.

That all feels like less tax to me. Again I admit that some of the above aren't true taxes, but they certainly feel as if they are when you have no option but to pay them

Andy

Amazulu

I definitely pay more tax here than over there, but I knew this would be the case before I arrived.
On the other hand, tax is falling in Australia whilst rising in the UK. Expect that to change when KRudd gets in.

BadgeIsBack

I don't mind constructive consumerism or capitalism one bit. I'm all for decent quality if you can afford it or smart spending to ease work or get efficient.

What is sad is seeing people living in a void and spending to literally cover up an extremely shallow and humdrum life and yet have a look of boredom - the people you see at malls. Some people seem to live for the DVD they will buy at the weekend or what was on their plasma.