wombat

does any one know what the average weekly wage for a bricklayer in the brisbane area is ? i have tried searching on the net but i cant find anything and we want to try and work out what kind of rent we could afford
thanks
lucy

Jirrupin

Hi this site should bring up the answer

http://www.wagenet.gov.au/WageNet/HomePage/HomePage.asp

wombat

thanks for that link, it said the average wage was $704 for a brickie, that doesn't seem much

Jirrupin

I remember the last time this site was discussed it was a few percent below actual wages but generally I understand its fairly accurate. Is that before tax?

wombat

yeah, thats before tax

Jirrupin

You will probably find the reality is slightly higher but I reckon its probably not too far off. I think some people in Perth are earning similar wages.

You will need to do a dollar cost analysis for yourself, rent, food, bills, insurance etc to see if you can make those dollars stretch.

Some find they manage on that wage but I am not sure if that includes having a mortgage to pay.

We set ourselves the same budget and we are struggling to maintain it. If you total your basic costs it seems achievable but it is the extra bits that seem to get you. Car insurance, petrol, rego, stamp duty, medical costs etc

For us the cost of food does not seem any cheaper, maybe some items might be a little cheaper but all in all I easily spend as much money each week, and there are so many things I don't buy here that I would buy at home.

And because we rent we don't pay the equivalent annual council tax etc which all has to be worked into the cost of living.

The financial element was a definate factor in our deciding to live in a van. Four bedroomed detached home in Uk to 16 year old campervan in Australia........(you too can have this lifestyle if you come to OZ)