speedyap

Food is really expensive here. You will be shocked at first and then spend half of your time converting prices back to Uk prices and say I am not paying that. You will soon find out that will stop and you buy whatever you want.

ABCDiamond

It must depend on the food. A lot of it seems pretty cheap.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Nope, don't believe you.

Just come back from Warrila Grove... one of the cheapest locations to do your shopping in the Illawarra apparently. Went to Woolies, Bush Meats, Mitchells Fruit and Leonards... so followed all your ideas about Butchers/Fruit&Veg/etc being cheaper than shopping at the supermarket... total cost was $306... Mrs Creature says we will need to go again on Wednesday to top stuff up and probably spend another $100 then.

WillBlack

Change your house keeper?

ABCDiamond

That must be Illawarra then

What sort of things did you buy, and at what prices ?

BadgeIsBack

You should not convert back to UK prices if you are earning AUS. I thought that was well understood - unless there is a new generation of migrants out there who have not learnt that...(!) Work it out as a proportion of your incomes.

Nonetheless, groceries are expensive here and other things balance it out.

50k pa is not enough, you will only need 200k pa if you have a huge mortgage approaching 1M!! and no deposit or other income.

ABCDiamond

I was actually considering working out some examples of that myself, but thought I should update my UK/Aus average wage figures first.

Then do something like:
x litres of milk per week per average wage for each country.

But then realised someone would say they don't earn the average wage.

The Feb 2009 average Full time Australian earnings were:
Male $68,915.60
Female $55,265.60

So an average combined income for two people working full time would be about $124,000. A good figure to aim for... and almost smack bang in the middle of the original question $50k or $200k

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Not telling...


Mainly because we chucked the receipt in the bin and I'm not prepared to go rooting round (cue Aussie sniggers) in the bin looking for it.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

My wife earns precisely $55,265.60 less than the average female wage.

Kooky.

You also have to consider that two people working usually means more expense than 1 person earning all the salary. I spend more now - I have transport costs, I eat out every lunch time, I needed work clothes (thankfully in my case, very casual).

In the centre of Sydney an average lunch and a soy latte means not much change from $15, and sarnies usually cost more than a full meal in a food court in Chinatown.

Just thinking further about food costs, I reckon an average home-cooked meal costs about $25 for two of us - usually fish, veg, maybe some wild rice. It's cheaper to go to Mucky Dee's.

ABCDiamond

Actually I was going to check my wifes figure, as I think it is close, but I got sidetracked when I saw her figure....

ABCDiamond

I disagree !!! When my wife wasn't working she had more time to go out and SPEND !!!

Kooky.

I had more time, less opportunity. Maybe I just haven't found the good shops yet, but I think the ones I have are dire. That's why I've just gone wild in 3 days in Singapore.

BadgeIsBack

I do that a fair bit. I say to myself - 'there goes Exhibit A for next week's BE thread'..never know when I might need it.

When it comes to food, it's moreorless, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
I ask...especially in the butcher. Luckily he has his prices on tickets... and I can come in under the radar.

Possums

no it must depend on the individual