Got to give it another try
 

We've been back in UK from oz for nearly 5 years now and it seems in that time the cost of living in Oz has gone through the roof:frown: We have 'almost' moved back a few times but various factors have gotten in the way (having another baby, big family holiday planned, etc) Last year we put our house up for sale and after being messed around quite a bit we gave up. Anyway, a year later and we feel ready to make the move back (the move back here was more due to family pressure). So we have decided to sell up, take a risk and go back with 3 kiddies in tow and are hoping for the best. We detest what this country has become, the people that are ruining it, the lack of employment, the fact i am losing my job and my husband has taken a HUGE pay decrease for the same job, etc. We probably couldnt pick a worse time to go, our house value isnt great, the exchange rate is dire and aussie prices are through the roof:unsure: but how long do you leave it? do we wait another year when our house will decrease more, the exchange rate may decrease, the kids get older and more difficult to move? I'm not sure what i am asking really:o maybe just 'what was the straw that broke the camels back' for you? Or are you not going to risk it? I know this is something that we 'have' to do as year after year it crops up! Btw my husband never really wanted to leave, would always go back in a heartbeat regardless of circumstances and i was the homesick one and always more cautious! Time to throw caution to the wind:eek:

Any comments welcomed:)

Re: Got to give it another try
 

When it came to our moment of decision, there wasn't any such thing as a straw that broke the camels back. I have always thought that most, if not all, countries go through periods of economic downturn and will have some kind of social troubles. We weighed up pros and cons, but stuff like that did not come into it.

You seem very negative about the UK but say little about Australia and what draws you there.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

I guess i am very negative about the UK at present - it is hard not to be at present, but as you say that happens the world over. It seems the harder you work here and the more you try the worse off you become. I have always had positive things to say about england but at the present time i am struggling, too many reasons. What draws me back to oz is giving my children a better chance, to play, to be children, to be outside, for us as a family to do family things rather than spending weekends in shopping centres because the weather is so dire (i know i will get comments about the heat in oz), we have just spent 2 weeks in the caribbean, high temps and kids having a ball. I came back here for family, i now have no contact with them (another long story), i had more support and friendships in oz then i ever have here (although i have learnt since coming back that ultimately i just need to support of my immediate family ie husband and kids.

There has never been a 'straw that broke the camels back' for my husband, he has always been against living here and bringing our kids up here. I think there has just been that lightswitch moment for me. Thanks for your response:)

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Yep:D Dont make rash decisions on moving abroad just after youve returned from holidays, end of hols is totally depressing. And bloody hell how bad is the UK if you can afford caribbean holidays, that would be a 15K family trip from OZ:eek:

On serious side, yes it has become staggeringly expensive. good you can see that.

And dont move because idiots are wrecking the UK, the govt here would be better placed on the comedy channel that in the world arena:eek:

Aside from that, good luck, there are worse places to live.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Thanks for the reply. I havent just made the decision since coming back - sorry it may have sounded like that:) and yes it was a very expensive trip as it was a caribbean cruise but we could never of afforded it - it was all paid for by a family member.

I do think it is foolish just to move because of the govt. so i hope my reasons are not based on that alone but god i get mad when i see what has become of this place:( I am hoping to be able to give our kids and ourselves more than we can do here?? maybe we can't - maybe they will choose to live in UK when they are older:confused: I know there are worse places to live - i am sat here in tears watching children in need and feeling very foolish that i am even thinking i need to improve our lives:o

Re: Got to give it another try
 

I take it your visa is still valid (or you sorted out citizenship before you left Australia)?

As Jad says - the down after a holiday can be massive, especially if you had an amazing time, and it's perhaps not the best time to make major life decisions! As you'll know, dealing with the heat when you're on holiday is completely different to dealing with the heat when you're having to work/go to school/live in it :)

You need to look at the things which took you back to the UK last time and work out if that's going to affect a life in Australia.

Also, look at the things which took you out to Australia in the first place - did it live up to your expectations?

Perhaps it'd be an idea to put your UK house up for rent? I don't know how old your children are, however I don't think it's the age of the child that affects how well they settle in a new place, more to do with the attitude of the child, you'll know better than anyone else how well your children are likely to cope with another major move.

Good luck with your decision, as Jad also says, there's worse places to live, but I'm not sure that's the best reason for a move :D

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Well you have probably got your DH being negative in your ear all the time so his resentment may well be seeping into your rationalization as well.

If you wont get homesick this time (and it isnt just for family and friends, it is that whole sense of belonging) and you have better opportunities here and can afford to lose what you do have then go for it. Australia isnt immune from total numpty politicians (our carbon dioxide tax is going to screw up a whole lot in the near future) and we still have first world social problems. You'll probably have to make do with Bali or Surfers Paradise for your holidays for the next few decades (the Carribean - wow, and one of my mates has just spent a month around the Galapagos - so much for "poor" old Britain, I'm lucky to get to Queanbeyan:rofl:). Good luck whichever way you go.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Thanks Quoll - just gotta say i would happily go to Bali every year - i love that place:)

The one thing that does bother me is the sense of 'belonging' because i never quite got that in oz and always feel it here:o

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Interesting, as I also have family and friends in the UK, who moan and groan all the time about how tough life is and the lousy salaries, but they all take at least one big vacation a year in a far flung place; none of this Costa del Sol stuff; then at least a couple of long weekend breaks to places in Europe. I recently came back from a holiday in England, and like many others have said, I found the cost of living to be much lower than NZ, and Chile ( the 2 countries I´m familiar with. " They´ve never had it so good !" ( can´t recall which statesman it was that actually said that some years back)

Re: Got to give it another try
 

I think if it is something that you realy need to do, then you should do it but don't underestimate just how much things have changed here in the last two years, let alone the last five.
Are you thinking of moving back to the place you were before or trying elsewhere?
Lots of luck with your decision.:)

Re: Got to give it another try
 

You don't got to do nothing

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Them's some big double negatives there A. However I have to agree. Aint nobody got to do nothin.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Hey Betty. I agree with most of what you say and you sound like a lovely lady. However, from what you say you need to convince yourself its the right move. Sounds like your hubby and kiddies would love it here. Sounds like it was more your decision to go back for family, and now you are not in touch with them. Thats fine and these things happen. But you must make sure you will be happy moving back to Oz. Not at the first sign of things being not to your liking you'll want everyone to move back again. That wouldn't be fair on your husband or your kids. Lots of people on here go back and forth and you wonder is it the countries that are the problem or the people themselves.

Like some of the guys have said Oz is very expensive now but I can totally relate to what you said about the UK. Work is in short supple but here is the other way around - there is tons of work. Saying that as Shorts said economies go in cycles. The UK will be fine in 5-10 yrs and with the unsustainable cost of living here you could be back to how the UK is now.

We just moved here and I'd taken a big pay cut in the Uk so I actually think you should move back. I'm not you though. Its good your asking these questions. We can say come or don't come and give lots of reasons. I think you know who the main person to ask is.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Thank you for your unpatronising response:) I know this time i have got to be 100% sure as i would never want to move the family to and fro, much too unsettling for kids and not good for a marriage! When i first moved to Oz i was thinking it was a 1 year WHV, only 23 years young and no expectations:huh: I didnt love the place nor did i hate it - it was just what we were doing at that time. After the kids came along it was a whole different story, being at home alone, family ringing all the time saying if we lived back home they would help and i think i got caught up in all of that. SO we moved back, none of the 'help' materialised and i realise that probably most of what i was feeling was the feelings of most mums with 2 young kiddies at home all day! I have even gone on to have a 3rd child who sadly doesnt know my mum (who after years of begging me to come back decided she wasnt that bothered after all!). Sorry to digress:o all of that isnt what is making me want to return as it has been a few years now, it is more the area we live in going downhill fast, me losing me job with not much hope of getting another in the near future, my husband taking a huge paycut and having no hope of the those few weeks a year away in the sun to break the monotony of this tiresome, depressing weather, the list goes on:) I think i know the answer to my own question - just sometimes nice to hear an unbiased opinion rather than that of friends and family.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Oh oops - sorry didn;t mean to sound patronising. I was in a similar boat re job etc and now you saying about the family thing makes perfect sense. I am sure there are many many people in the same boat.

Maybe you should start off my looking if there is work for you guys out here. I suppose starting the application process would do that for you - are you on the skills list? If you are then thats a good start and take it from there. That'll tell you if you'll be able to get work here (not 100% but more or less) as its the reason they have the skills list. Definitely worth a go. Try to get PR (175) as you have been here already and kids will go straight into school and you won;t have to pay.

Only bad thing about here is its expensive. Depennds where you want to go in Oz and your liefstyle but I reckon you'll need to get 2.5 times what you earn in the Uk to love here. So say when your both working if your combined income in Uk is 60k pounds. Thats pretty good. Here to live the equivalent lifestyle I reckon your combined income would need to be $150k - thats inc the 1.6 exchange rate. I am sure others will say you can come here and live on $60k a yr but don;t give yourself false hope. I'm not saying you need to earn $150. If you live comfortably in the UK on 40k combined then $100k here should be fine.

Go to seek.com.au or do a search on the net to get an idea of your wage. Michaelpage.com.au has a section thats good for office type work (if thats what you do)

Anyway, good luck. Any questions ask here - people are v helpful

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Crossed wires!! Sorry i said your response was unpatronising and i really meant it:) (is that a word lol)

We are already oz citizens with passports so no issue with that, also my husband is in IT and i am in Quality Management and looking on the jobs website there doesn't appear to be a problem with jobs at present either - although you never really know until you get there. Saying that, with 3 young kids i dont know how easy it would be to juggle the job with child care because here i work term time only, not sure how easy it would be to get a job like that in oz. I think we would be ok short term with some money to bring over but worry about geting back on the property ladder over there because it seems out of our league now (could kick myself sometimes as had a beautiful home in perth once :( Anyways! Thank you for all your advice - do you rent or have you managed to buy yet?

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Ah cool on the visa. Nice one. You should get work no problem in Sydney, melbourne or maybe even brisbane and perth. We live in sydney and there is TONS of work for what i do (IT testing - may be what you do?). More than London. I know lots about the testing mkt here so if you have any questions let me know

Disadv of sydney is house prices are high. You could get a big 4 bed 45 min commute from cbd for 800k though. Which isn't too bad but defo not cheap. Melbourne, brisbane etc will be cheaper. We rent in Lower north shore - its only 10 mins to beach and cbd but its a rip off $675 per week. 3 bed townhouse. Could get a massive 4 bed for that further out. Will move when we buy as its too dear here.

You have the visa. UK doesn't sound that great for you. get over here!

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Seems to be lots of jobs in IT if you're prepared to be flexible about what you do. Few cutbacks at the moment as end of Financial year approaches but probably fine from July onwards. Downside here for me is lack of holidays - my (relatively skint) brother taking family in UK to Switzerland and Cornwall this year!!! I really miss holidays but it is so expensive in Oz to go away even for a weekend, and the weather in the last few months has been crap for camping. We are on a reasonable income and only manage a holiday every 2 years in Brisbane. Our quality of life here is lower than in the UK. Rent is sky high (I pay $640 for 4 bed townhouse) and money doesn't go far. Paying for healthcare takes a fair wedge of our salary. So it's tricky and the grass always seems to be greener!

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Thats the catch isnt it :(

Doesnt matter what you have here if you dont 'fit'.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Betty Boot, would you consider waiting to move until your youngest can start kindergarten and you can go to work? Would help with the cost of living. I wish we had done that because we bailed on Sydney after a year because I didn't want our youngest in full-time daycare. It might make it easier on you with more chance of success?

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Good idea. That would make a big difference

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whatever you decide wish you all the best for the future whatever it may bring xx

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I agree, that is good advice. But that would mean my eldest daughter would be 13 and in High School - a very difficult age to move a teenage girl, I know that from personal experience. I would much rather do it now while she is only 8 and still likes her parents:D

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Thank you :)

Re: Got to give it another try
 

One thing that i do wonder is why people who talk so much about cost of living, etc don't make the move back to the UK? The exchange rate is in their favour and house prices are so low. I'm guessing it is because their lifestyle outweighs those things (i know there are lots of other factors too) so maybe it is 'grass is always greener' situation.

Our house is not yet on the market (just had EA round to value it on Friday)but we had an unexpected call from the estate agent asking if someone can view our house this morning so maybe we may make the move sooner than anticipated:eek:

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Or maybe they can't afford to? Or maybe they're married to Australians who won't leave Australia? Or maybe their children are at a crucial point in their education? Or maybe one half of the couple want to and the other half doesn't? Or maybe their house won't sell here?

No, the grass is not always greener. Nor does the "lifestyle" outweigh those things. It's not inexpensive to move back and forth (as you well know).

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Yeah know what you mean. Quit moaning and do something about it. Not that expensive to move - just a few k and so easy nowadays compared to people moving yrs ago. Everyone has a different situation though

Yes move now then. We have all read enough about pain in the ass teenagers on here

Re: Got to give it another try
 

There is always someone ready to jump down your throat when you make a genuine remark. I did say I know there are lots of other factors. I posted on here to have a discussion, not lectured.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

You're the one who was complaining about patronising posts earlier. Sorry you don't like people with differing points of view to yours. I was simply pointing out that it's not as simple as just packing up and going back. My answer was (IMO) much more genuine than your facetious question

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Ooh dear its kicking off here. Dorothy - how did you get 17000 posts!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats crazy. I feel like I'm on here loads and I only have 300 odd. Have you been on this site since the 60's? ;-)

Anyway, everyone is different and has their own problems.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

You are funny but I think that you might get yourself in trouble,some people don't react well :eeg:

Re: Got to give it another try
 

ok

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You asked a question and it got answered, I'm confused as to why you thought she was being aggressive or jumping down your throat :confused: I was just about to respond with much the same thing including the fact that whilst the cost of living 'may' be lower in the UK, the simple matter of funding the selling up, the shipping over, the setting up again would totally negate the possible cost of living savings for a large amount of time. I honestly don't understand how people can even contemplate the moving out just because of the apparent CoL.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

I'm not sure you did! You have not acknowledged all the replies, only those that suit you. Your remarks about patronising replies etc do not sit well. My earlier reply was completely genuine, it has got vey expensive here in the last few years. Kids will adapt whatever age they come if they are going to settle. I have read many stories on here where young children have been very unhappy & have caused the move to fail. I moved with a 15 yr old who loves it here, so go figure!
At the end of the day, only you can make the decision that is right for you, so as I said earlier, good luck!

Re: Got to give it another try
 

You're not sure i did what???? Now i am really confused:confused: It is 'standard procedure' to respond to each comment, if so then i appologise for my rudeness as i wasnt aware of that. I have not said anyone made a patronising reply - i thanked one person for making an unpatronising one:confused: I have not said your comment wasnt genuine - i believe it was, infact i said myself how expensive it has become. I read these threads with great interest and have followed them from living in perth to returning to the UK and decided to come back on to get more help and support for returning to Oz. It seems that if your comments do not fit with what the people who seem to spend their entire lives on here say then you get ripped to shreds. I won't post for any more help - this site does obiviously not belong to me, no need to respond, message received.

Thank you to the genuine people who responded and offered some help, it was much appreciated.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Hardly a lecture from Dorothy, neither was she jumping down your throat!
You are on a discussion forum & should therefore expect some diverse opinions and a discussion!

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Hey - don't take it to heart. There's a little posse on here that seem to have taken a dislike to your comments but it happens here all the time so don't worry about it. I thought they'd be more pissed off with me but never mind. These guys are pretty tight. Another 15,000 posts and we might get there.

To be fair you have got wound up pretty easily though ahem. Keep posting - don't let the bullies win! ;-)

Peace!

Re: Got to give it another try
 

'These guys'? 'posse'? 'Bullies'? This is not a 'newbie/oldie' or number of posts issue, it's simply a discussion in The Barbie. No one has taken a dislike to any comments. The OP asked a question "One thing that i do wonder is why people who talk so much about cost of living, etc don't make the move back to the UK? The exchange rate is in their favour and house prices are so low. I'm guessing it is because their lifestyle outweighs those things (i know there are lots of other factors too) so maybe it is 'grass is always greener' situation. " People, including me, answered that question, that yes there are other factors and it's not a grass greener thing. Discussions involve more than one person with more than one opinion. Sometimes those opinions differ, sometimes they don't but no one has taken offence at anything the OP has written.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

I can understand how posters may take umbrage at some replies though. On occasion replies can come across as a little brusque to say the least.

Re: Got to give it another try
 

Totally agree and the written word is so much harder to 'read' than when you can see the face of the person commenting. Unless everyone stops after writing a reply, reads it through, asks someone else to read it, to ensure that no one can take offence to what's been written, someone, somewhere will take umbrage and it wouldn't be very entertaining either :lol: