Hi there all - it's been a while or us but we have an offer on the table that we are 'almost' convinced is right for us all

The opportunity looks good - so typically we are now at that nervous final decision stage. We've done the lists - seen the pros, and the cons - measured the excitement of the new new against the reality of being on the other side of the globe - and the enormity of what we are going to do frightens the life out of us all - but it would be cheaper than spending every other summer there!

However the job comes with a home so we think we could move and survive reasonably comfortably on one wage if needed for a while although prospects for the OH in the area are very good. The question is are we deluding ourselves or is the cost of living in SE Qld so high that we leaving behind a good situation and ending up far worse off?

Bezza

Who knows? We have no idea what your current circumstances are and what you would be moving to. Take a belt and braces approach - take a career break (never quit unless you absolutely have to), rent out the house etc and hedge your bets.

Thanks Quoll.

Re-reading my post makes little sense to me either.

Put it another way - are we foolish and arrogant to be questioning the future given that we not only have a job offer but also a rent and bill free accommodation for the duration of theta role - and it is permanent so it would be me that would end it.

Seems a no-brainer in black and white.

Bezza

Does look that way. The cost of rent and utilities is the expensive side of living here (IMO) so if they are out of the equation then, depending on the wage offered, you could be very well off x

I'm sure it must have been done on the forum so can anyone point me to a decent thread on the cost of utilities?

Git ti be honest I don't think I've ever seen an offer like that for unlimited accommodation, only for "first two months" and similar limited time offers.

Perhaps the accommodation is free but the electricity is $600 a week.

The main downside to the accommodation are the neighbours - all of whom will be adolescent boys between the ages of 13-18.

The accommodation is a flat/dwelling in/or attached to a boarding house at a school. Thankfully I know the advantages and disadvantages of such an arrangements having just five minutes ago had to firmly tell a young man that playing his music at 11:00 pm wasn't an ideal way of making fiends with other pupils - or indeed me!

You are clearly questioning the financial side of things so I will stick to that too. But it is really hard to comment, as we don't know what your income was before, what it is now or anything..

If you were on £150k before and here would be on $80k and a house then you would feel the pinch, having free accommodation doesn't automatically mean this arrangement is worthwhile in the financial sense.

There is no need to hunt down other people's utility bills, they vary so much anyway. All you need to do is compare your income now to what it will be, what anyone else has or spends is not relevant.

If its part of the school I guess it would be all down to how that calculate/meter your usage of 'utilities'. My electricity is $70 a week, but that seems to be higher than most. I don't have gas. Food, for four adults in my case, is easily $400 a week.
Running a car, like everywhere, costs a bloody fortune. Fuel may be cheaper than the UK, but I doubt anything else is.

Hard to give a useful/meaningful answer but you would likely be paying $300-350 per week rent and about $40 per week electricity and gas (YMMV).

That's $680 - 780 per fortnight rent and utilities.

On a wage of $75,000 (for arguments sake - it's about average-ish) you would take home about $2100 per fortnight so it's 32 - 37% of your income.

I'd be very happy to not pay rent and utilities!

As a single person, I put $350 per fortnight away to cover my 'expenses' - car rego, insurance, contents insurance, health insurance, gas, electricity, phone, car service, travel insurance, dental, optical, haircuts etc) and spend about $500 per fortnight on 'living' (food, eating out, fuel, coffee, books/treats/whatever).

If you earned $75K as above and had similar expenses (or even a bit more for two of you) you would still have a fair bit to play with (>$1000 per fortnight).

It obviously depends how much they have offered and what your expectations are.

Good luck.

I thought all pupils were fiends anyway??

Will you be teaching English at this school by any chance?

Oh dear - I knew I shouldn't reply without glasses