Originally Posted by Steve&Clare

I'm currently in a bit of an odd situation. We've got our visa, sold our house and have our flights booked for the 14 August to go and never come back.

Thing is I am an IT contractor and am earning a decent amount of money at the moment but have just learned that my contract will not be renewed at the end of this month - my boss has brought in my replacement a month early so I am surplus to requirements. As such I have 6 weeks between the end of my contract and leaving and I am currently looking for contracts to fill my time. The problem is that most contracts are for 3 months minimum and rates are very good at the moment.

So what do I do? We have to validate before October and had planned to validate and move permenantly at the same time, but I know that once we get to Perth I will earn alot less than I currently do. If I validate and come back to contract for 6 months or a year we will have alot more money to put down as deposit on a house making our life easier in the long term, on the other hand we want to have a less materialistic lifestyle once we move and money won't be so important. I'm stumped, we have made some money on our house but nowhere near enough to be mortgage free when we arrive in Perth. We haven't got any kids so this could be the golden opportunity to set ourselves up for life, what do I do?????

Originally Posted by walaj

we were in no hurry as there were good financial carrots to stay around. Those dates have come and gone. We were aiming for Jan/Feb next yr, but along comes another carrot, which means we will be leaving Apr-Jun next yr.

That will be the last carrot we will bite, otherwise more will keep turning up and we will never make the move.

Yes we are in a lot better financial postion (not as good as we had hoped)than we would have been if we had left a yr ago, plus we now have a baby added to the equation.

How would Clare feel being left in a new country whist to are working in the UK?

Originally Posted by Steve&Clare

I know how you feel, weighing up the options and seeing the pound signs is very easy though isn't it?

Originally Posted by fraser

I thought you wasn't materialistic :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Steve&Clare

I know how you feel, weighing up the options and seeing the pound signs is very easy though isn't it?

Originally Posted by Tiawamutu

When are you going to Melly Fraser? :D

Originally Posted by bridiej

Sounds to me like you maybe want an excuse why not to go...

Originally Posted by Steve&Clare

I'm not sure I'm looking for an excuse not to go, just that this is it for ever and an investment of 6 months or a year of discomfort will make a big difference to our quality of life.

Originally Posted by bridiej

But a lot can change in 6 or 12 months, who's to say further down the line something wont happen that will make you put off the move again?

At the end of the day, you might get knocked down by a bus tomorrow. Personally I'd rather have spent my last few days living the life I dreamed of for so long in Australia than working my arse off in the UK.

Dont know what else to say really.....

Originally Posted by Steve&Clare

you're right, 6 or 12 months more in the UK could drive me insane. I'd rather be skint in the sun than sat here worrying about it!

Originally Posted by bridiej

But if you feel like that you'll just keep using it as an excuse not to go.

I think you need to ask yourself the big question: what's more important, money and material posessions or the lifestyle you envisaged when you started the visa process?

Sounds to me like you maybe want an excuse why not to go...