expensive
Feb 29th 2008, 1:58 am
#46
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: expensive
Isnt that a bit of a drastic statement, your pounds still double and a bit, your aussie house is still twice the size, its still nicer to swim in brisbane than birmingham
I mean its not like suddenly the aussie dollars buying 2 quid is it. Most people say they are not doing it for the money more the lifestyle. I wanna hear lifestyle or as the posh poms call it
''alfresco" posts.The 'dream' bring back the 'dream'
Feb 29th 2008, 2:09 am
#47
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: expensive
Sorry but I think that's nonsense. It's the same as saying your house is worth X when you are not selling it. Whatever the rate has been is irrelevant. You haven't 'lost' anything other than what you perceive others to have got on their exchange rate.
Have to agree with others, if the only reasons you (general) were/are coming over are monetary ones then perhaps you should rethink and just downsize in the UK. It's been a good six years since anyone could say with hand on heart that they are better off monetary wise here than the UK.
Have to agree with others, if the only reasons you (general) were/are coming over are monetary ones then perhaps you should rethink and just downsize in the UK. It's been a good six years since anyone could say with hand on heart that they are better off monetary wise here than the UK.
Feb 29th 2008, 2:11 am
#48
NO ADDED SUGAR
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Center Parcs, WA
Posts: 1,322
Re: expensive
Go to South Africa instead. 
Feb 29th 2008, 2:25 am
#49
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: expensive
Ummm.. What about beaches, bbq's, weather, lifestyle, laid back education for the kids, shite NHS
less crime etc etc etc.
Its interesting how people are reacting to the exchange rate, that couldnt have been the only reason for wanting to make the move. Or were the heady days of 2.8 to the pound the real drawcard.
As for bills, some stuff is cheaper, certainly not food
, but rates, much cheaper than council tax, petrol, mind you not if your a tradie, 3 tanks a week just in one vehicle. First few years, till you go nutty with the repetition you dont spend much on entertainment, the BBQ circuit and the beach are still free, parks for the under 10's. Houses might be on a par with the UK avg price wise but your semi in the UK does not come in with 6 bedrooms ( love the way poms here always brag about the size) or a flipping great pool in the backyard.
Onwards and upwards its only money, barefoot in the sands what your coming for
less crime etc etc etc. Its interesting how people are reacting to the exchange rate, that couldnt have been the only reason for wanting to make the move. Or were the heady days
of 2.8 to the pound the real drawcard. As for bills, some stuff is cheaper, certainly not food
, but rates, much cheaper than council tax, petrol, mind you not if your a tradie, 3 tanks a week just in one vehicle. First few years, till you go nutty with the repetition you dont spend much on entertainment, the BBQ circuit and the beach are still free, parks for the under 10's. Houses might be on a par with the UK avg price wise but your semi in the UK does not come in with 6 bedrooms ( love the way poms here always brag about the size) or a flipping great pool in the backyard.Onwards and upwards its only money, barefoot in the sands what your coming for
Feb 29th 2008, 2:39 am
#50
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: expensive
We only have 2 boys living at home now, food is around the $250 - $280, and I am hell bent I wont pay any more than I possibly have to, ALDI have helped us reduce our food bill by quite a bit. Coles and woolworths ( or the supermarkets they own but call something else) dont see our dollars except for what they have on a big special, then I buy 6
Feb 29th 2008, 2:42 am
#51
Gutter Gob!!
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Perth
Posts: 13,098
Re: expensive
OMBG, I know a couple of single women with kids here, aussies, that (plus a bit of centerlink) is the weekly wage.
We only have 2 boys living at home now, food is around the $250 - $280, and I am hell bent I wont pay any more than I possibly have to, ALDI have helped us reduce our food bill by quite a bit. Coles and woolworths ( or the supermarkets they own but call something else) dont see our dollars except for what they have on a big special, then I buy 6
We only have 2 boys living at home now, food is around the $250 - $280, and I am hell bent I wont pay any more than I possibly have to, ALDI have helped us reduce our food bill by quite a bit. Coles and woolworths ( or the supermarkets they own but call something else) dont see our dollars except for what they have on a big special, then I buy 6
Feb 29th 2008, 2:51 am
#52
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,133
Re: expensive
Now we're nearly at $2=£1,the housing market going mad in Aus,interest rates at 8% and rising,lower average wages than the UK it seems to me that Austalia is no longer an 'inexpensive' location to ship out to.In fact it seems cheaper to live in the Uk at the moment 
Discuss ! ..........................
lee
Discuss ! ..........................
lee
As dull as a cocktail party in Islington, THAT is how dull.
Feb 29th 2008, 2:55 am
#53
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,600
Re: expensive
. . . food is around the $250 - $280, and I am hell bent I wont pay any more than I possibly have to, ALDI have helped us reduce our food bill by quite a bit. Coles and woolworths ( or the supermarkets they own but call something else) dont see our dollars except for what they have on a big special, then I buy 6
We save a fortune in Aldi compared to those barstewards at Coles / Woolies.
Weekly shops about $120 plus veges delivered at $50.
Feb 29th 2008, 2:59 am
#55
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: expensive
Thats good, how many of you, how old are the kids, mine are at the hollow legs stage, keep telling them I am going to switch them for a couple of anorexic teen girls
Feb 29th 2008, 3:16 am
#56
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,600
Re: expensive
We've cut out all the crap from the diet which helps with the weekly spend, and the waistline, plus the OH makes muffins etc for the kids lunch boxes.
The veges have been a revelation; delivered for free, perfect amount for a week, and nothing gets wasted.
Feb 29th 2008, 3:30 am
#57
Account Open
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 4,298
Re: expensive
Four, two adults plus two kids (11 and 6). Oldest just getting to that stage, fill him up with 4 weetabix on a morning and away he goes.
We've cut out all the crap from the diet which helps with the weekly spend, and the waistline, plus the OH makes muffins etc for the kids lunch boxes.
The veges have been a revelation; delivered for free, perfect amount for a week, and nothing gets wasted.
We've cut out all the crap from the diet which helps with the weekly spend, and the waistline, plus the OH makes muffins etc for the kids lunch boxes.
The veges have been a revelation; delivered for free, perfect amount for a week, and nothing gets wasted.
we usually go to charlies to get our veggies, everything is way cheaper than the supermarkets and on top of that, they do some good offers... have a look at this weeks deals:
http://charliesfruitmarket.com.au/specials.php
Feb 29th 2008, 3:49 am
#58
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,600
Re: expensive
tell me more about your veggie deliveries.
we usually go to charlies to get our veggies, everything is way cheaper than the supermarkets and on top of that, they do some good offers... have a look at this weeks deals:
http://charliesfruitmarket.com.au/specials.php
we usually go to charlies to get our veggies, everything is way cheaper than the supermarkets and on top of that, they do some good offers... have a look at this weeks deals:
http://charliesfruitmarket.com.au/specials.php
We use www.homefreshorganics.com.au (who would have thought it, greengrocers with websites). They do fruit and veg boxes, either organic or conventional, and if you order over the phone there's no delivery charge. The good thing about it is we use everything, nothing gets chucked out.
Feb 29th 2008, 3:55 am
#59
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
Re: expensive
My grocery shopping for 2 adults was 20.9% cheaper in Australia this week when I compared like for like between Woolworths and Tesco.
In other words, Tesco were 26.5% more expensive.
I checked my Woolworths invoice (28/Feb/2008) with Tesco using this web page today (29/Feb/2008):
http://www.tesco.com/todayattesco/pricecheck.shtml
This was a normal careful shopping where I know by trial and error that the goods are fair to good quality and good value.
A few things which I could not compare directly were:
. Rice bran oil spread
. Olives kalamata pitted,
. Cherry ripe,
. Crispbread puffed,
. Cucumber lebanese.
Otherwise pretty much exact like for like.
This shopping (total $129.80) was a little more than normal ($5,800 / year; $111.50 / week) due to being 10 days since previous shop rather than my normal 7 days. Also stocking up on a few items and already stocked up on others such as laundry detergent but all told an average shopping.
Perhaps Tesco are not in Australia because they could not compete with Woolworths?
In other words, Tesco were 26.5% more expensive.
I checked my Woolworths invoice (28/Feb/2008) with Tesco using this web page today (29/Feb/2008):
http://www.tesco.com/todayattesco/pricecheck.shtml
Quantity Size Unit $A / unit $A $A @ $2.09/£1.0
Bread Breakmaker 1 2.4 kg 2.9625 7.11 4.31
Sugar lite brown 1 1 kg 1.78 1.78 3.28
Oats` porridge 1 1.1 kg 1.318181818 1.45 1.59
Milk UHT 6 1 L 1.09 6.54 7.09
Pickles Mustard 1 0.75 kg 2.053333333 1.54 2.63
Salmon Pink 1 0.415 kg 8.409638554 3.49 2.08
Dressing Balsamic 2 0.3 L 7.3 4.38 4.26
Cake Mix 1 0.4 kg 4.975 1.99 2.26
Olive Kalamata pitted 1 0.304 kg 19.96710526 6.07 3.57
Jelly Flavored 4 0.085 kg 5.529411765 1.88 1.47
Bar Sesame 2 0.045 kg 18 1.62 1.69
Toothpaste Colgate triple 1 0.16 kg 18.6875 2.99 4.77
Coffee Vittoria Oro 1 0.25 kg 31.96 7.99 6.67
Trout Rainbow whole smoked 1 0.46 kg 23.76086957 10.93 21.26
Chorizos Spanish sausage 1 0.242 kg 17.76859504 4.3 3.95
Fetta Danish 1 0.56 kg 9.982142857 5.59 10.18
Fruit & Nut Mix 1 0.75 kg 10.64 7.98 4.79
Beef Roasting Silverside 1 2.486 kg 7.980691874 19.84 34.76
Pumpkin Butternut 1 2.168 kg 1.978782288 4.29 4.49
Grapes Thompson green 1 1.83 kg 3.420765027 6.26 11.44
Eggs 12 Large 1 0.6 kg 6.416666667 3.85 5.00
Eggs 12 Very large 1 0.8 kg 4.9125 3.93 6.90
111.87 141.51
100.00% 126.49%
Bread Breakmaker 1 2.4 kg 2.9625 7.11 4.31
Sugar lite brown 1 1 kg 1.78 1.78 3.28
Oats` porridge 1 1.1 kg 1.318181818 1.45 1.59
Milk UHT 6 1 L 1.09 6.54 7.09
Pickles Mustard 1 0.75 kg 2.053333333 1.54 2.63
Salmon Pink 1 0.415 kg 8.409638554 3.49 2.08
Dressing Balsamic 2 0.3 L 7.3 4.38 4.26
Cake Mix 1 0.4 kg 4.975 1.99 2.26
Olive Kalamata pitted 1 0.304 kg 19.96710526 6.07 3.57
Jelly Flavored 4 0.085 kg 5.529411765 1.88 1.47
Bar Sesame 2 0.045 kg 18 1.62 1.69
Toothpaste Colgate triple 1 0.16 kg 18.6875 2.99 4.77
Coffee Vittoria Oro 1 0.25 kg 31.96 7.99 6.67
Trout Rainbow whole smoked 1 0.46 kg 23.76086957 10.93 21.26
Chorizos Spanish sausage 1 0.242 kg 17.76859504 4.3 3.95
Fetta Danish 1 0.56 kg 9.982142857 5.59 10.18
Fruit & Nut Mix 1 0.75 kg 10.64 7.98 4.79
Beef Roasting Silverside 1 2.486 kg 7.980691874 19.84 34.76
Pumpkin Butternut 1 2.168 kg 1.978782288 4.29 4.49
Grapes Thompson green 1 1.83 kg 3.420765027 6.26 11.44
Eggs 12 Large 1 0.6 kg 6.416666667 3.85 5.00
Eggs 12 Very large 1 0.8 kg 4.9125 3.93 6.90
111.87 141.51
100.00% 126.49%
A few things which I could not compare directly were:
. Rice bran oil spread
. Olives kalamata pitted,
. Cherry ripe,
. Crispbread puffed,
. Cucumber lebanese.
Otherwise pretty much exact like for like.
This shopping (total $129.80) was a little more than normal ($5,800 / year; $111.50 / week) due to being 10 days since previous shop rather than my normal 7 days. Also stocking up on a few items and already stocked up on others such as laundry detergent but all told an average shopping.
Perhaps Tesco are not in Australia because they could not compete with Woolworths?
Feb 29th 2008, 3:57 am
#60
Aussie lost in the UK
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Terrigal, NSW Central Coast
Posts: 682
Re: expensive
I see these posts about the cost of things a lot and don't really agree most of the time.... sure I see that some things are more expensive, but many of the other things aren't and it evens itself out....
I live half my life in Australia and half my life in the UK, on comparable jobs and in comparible parts of the country...
petrol is cheaper here, as is eating out (we can eat out in our local town for under $50 and for less than $70 you can get some real;ly flash places - and this is considered to be one of Austrlias most expensive suburbs), my council taxx in Australia is $1300 per year, for my house that overlooks the beach, compared to 1350 POUNDS in the UK for the my one bedroom apartment...my electric bills, phone etc much cheaper here (internet still sucks), I spend less on going to the pub because the beach in the afternoon is a better investment of my time.......
I have to say that financially I fee better off in Australia, but probably not by much - I live in a nice place, always have, and I lived in a nice place in the UK. The thing is, in the UK I didn't have an apartment in Chelsea with great views.....so I wouldn't expect to have a house on Sydney Harbour or overlooking hte beach ......
Many of the English people I know make that mistake - move to Australia from some little town or medioclre sized city, and want to live in the middle of Melbourne....or overlooking Manly Beach..... thats the same as my parents moving from there 5 bed house on the mid-north coast NSW to London and complaining that the can't afford even a tiny bedsit in Kensington....
I said it on a post here the other day - lifestyle (for me) there is nothing like Australia, and much of it is free...... but this is a personal decision for me (if you like the pub egery night, then perhaps the UK is the best for you.... I like the pub everynight....for about 2 years, then I long for hte beach again)...
I can't find anything better than coming home from the office and going for a surf, or a walk on the beach, or just being outside in the garden digging up stuff cause its warm and sunny (not today, admitedly)....
Money is not everything, and if its lifestyle and happiness then I'm a far wealtheir man for the times that I am in Australia than the times I spend in the UK.....no question.
I live half my life in Australia and half my life in the UK, on comparable jobs and in comparible parts of the country...
petrol is cheaper here, as is eating out (we can eat out in our local town for under $50 and for less than $70 you can get some real;ly flash places - and this is considered to be one of Austrlias most expensive suburbs), my council taxx in Australia is $1300 per year, for my house that overlooks the beach, compared to 1350 POUNDS in the UK for the my one bedroom apartment...my electric bills, phone etc much cheaper here (internet still sucks), I spend less on going to the pub because the beach in the afternoon is a better investment of my time.......
I have to say that financially I fee better off in Australia, but probably not by much - I live in a nice place, always have, and I lived in a nice place in the UK. The thing is, in the UK I didn't have an apartment in Chelsea with great views.....so I wouldn't expect to have a house on Sydney Harbour or overlooking hte beach ......
Many of the English people I know make that mistake - move to Australia from some little town or medioclre sized city, and want to live in the middle of Melbourne....or overlooking Manly Beach..... thats the same as my parents moving from there 5 bed house on the mid-north coast NSW to London and complaining that the can't afford even a tiny bedsit in Kensington....
I said it on a post here the other day - lifestyle (for me) there is nothing like Australia, and much of it is free...... but this is a personal decision for me (if you like the pub egery night, then perhaps the UK is the best for you.... I like the pub everynight....for about 2 years, then I long for hte beach again)...
I can't find anything better than coming home from the office and going for a surf, or a walk on the beach, or just being outside in the garden digging up stuff cause its warm and sunny (not today, admitedly)....
Money is not everything, and if its lifestyle and happiness then I'm a far wealtheir man for the times that I am in Australia than the times I spend in the UK.....no question.
Last edited by AndyR1976; Feb 29th 2008 at 4:00 am.