Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Apr 30th 2006, 8:20 am
#1
On the Dark Side :-)
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: South Wales to New South Wales!
Posts: 3,065
Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Hi Guys
Well we've been here a month now (cant quite believe how quickly its gone!) so I thought some of you may be interested in our initial costs. We're in NSW
$495 - Car Rental for Magda for 5 days with www.thrifty.com.au
$230 - Car Rental for Getz for 5 days with www.avis.com.au
$16,000 - Purchase of 2003 Toyota Corrolla Wagon
$342 - Stamp Duty for Car
$98 - Aussie Licence for 3 years (no test needed)
$1040 - Rental Bond
$4500 - School Fees (due to being here initally on Temp 457 Visa - in process of applying for PR - we will then get refund Pro-Rata'd when application is accepted.
$100 - application fee for school fees
$200 - school uniform
$50 - school books and stationery
$180 - set up fee for new Gas Account (refunded if you opt to pay via Direct Debit)
$150 - set up for few new Elec Account (refunded if you opt to pay via Direct Debit)
$60 - Connection fee for new Telephone Account!
$50 - Express Tag for use of Motorways (there are tolls everywhere!!)
$30 - vodafone sim card - good deal as you get $30 credit on phone
Obviously on top of all this you have the usual weekly/monthly outgoings of petrol, groceries, rent & insurance etc but these are things that need to be paid for to get your life started in Oz!
Hope this is of use to some of you! If I think of anything else I'll add it on!
Cheers
Rach xxxx
Well we've been here a month now (cant quite believe how quickly its gone!) so I thought some of you may be interested in our initial costs. We're in NSW
$495 - Car Rental for Magda for 5 days with www.thrifty.com.au
$230 - Car Rental for Getz for 5 days with www.avis.com.au
$16,000 - Purchase of 2003 Toyota Corrolla Wagon
$342 - Stamp Duty for Car
$98 - Aussie Licence for 3 years (no test needed)
$1040 - Rental Bond
$4500 - School Fees (due to being here initally on Temp 457 Visa - in process of applying for PR - we will then get refund Pro-Rata'd when application is accepted.
$100 - application fee for school fees
$200 - school uniform
$50 - school books and stationery
$180 - set up fee for new Gas Account (refunded if you opt to pay via Direct Debit)
$150 - set up for few new Elec Account (refunded if you opt to pay via Direct Debit)
$60 - Connection fee for new Telephone Account!
$50 - Express Tag for use of Motorways (there are tolls everywhere!!)
$30 - vodafone sim card - good deal as you get $30 credit on phone
Obviously on top of all this you have the usual weekly/monthly outgoings of petrol, groceries, rent & insurance etc but these are things that need to be paid for to get your life started in Oz!
Hope this is of use to some of you! If I think of anything else I'll add it on!
Cheers
Rach xxxx
Apr 30th 2006, 8:28 am
#2
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,147
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
nice one - thanks for that 
Apr 30th 2006, 8:30 am
#3
Sunshine Coast -Yeepee!!
Joined: Dec 2005
Location: Sunshine Coast - Oh yea!!
Posts: 464
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Great help, thanks
Apr 30th 2006, 8:41 am
#4
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2005
Location: at the bottom of a wine glass
Posts: 28,176
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Excellent. I was wondering how much I needed to take with us for the first few weeks, so that is invaluable. Thankyou for taking time to post it 
Apr 30th 2006, 8:43 am
#5
destination Cairns
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,839
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Thanks for that. Great post.
Miranda
Miranda
Last edited by tum; Apr 30th 2006 at 8:48 am.
Apr 30th 2006, 8:44 am
#6
Ok this isn't so bad
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Dundee (Scotland) now Bayside Brisbane
Posts: 4,824
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Thanks for the info...really useful
Cheers
Ginny
Cheers
Ginny
Apr 30th 2006, 8:49 am
#7
Is it the weekend yet?
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Thirroul, NSW
Posts: 1,619
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Thats really useful Rach, thanks. We are headed to NSW in a month or so, so its helpful to know the initial outlay.
Apr 30th 2006, 9:06 am
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Burbage - soon to be Bateau Bay NSW
Posts: 60
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Really usefull information here Rach, Well Done.
Quick question - how much did it cost to insure on the car first time, as i gather that any no claims that we may have here doesn't apply when you get to Australia?
We'll also be heading to NSW as soon as we've sold the house. Can't wait!
Paula
Quick question - how much did it cost to insure on the car first time, as i gather that any no claims that we may have here doesn't apply when you get to Australia?
We'll also be heading to NSW
as soon as we've sold the house. Can't wait!Paula
Apr 30th 2006, 9:11 am
#9
On the Dark Side :-)
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: South Wales to New South Wales!
Posts: 3,065
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Originally Posted by paulaljones
Really usefull information here Rach, Well Done.
Quick question - how much did it cost to insure on the car first time, as i gather that any no claims that we may have here doesn't apply when you get to Australia?
We'll also be heading to NSW as soon as we've sold the house.
Paula
Quick question - how much did it cost to insure on the car first time, as i gather that any no claims that we may have here doesn't apply when you get to Australia?
We'll also be heading to NSW as soon as we've sold the house.
Paula
We pay $56.49 per month with http://www.budget.com.au/ - initally we took it with NRMA insurance which was $300 more expensive so definitely worth shopping around. Break down cover was an extra $50 (approx) with the insurance company and was added to the first monthly instalment.
HTH
Rach xxxx
Apr 30th 2006, 9:17 am
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2006
Location: Burbage - soon to be Bateau Bay NSW
Posts: 60
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Thanks alot for getting back so quick.
Obviously i was misinformed. Worried that it was going to cost us a fortune. :scared: One less worry as least for us.
Thanks again
Paula
Obviously i was misinformed. Worried that it was going to cost us a fortune. :scared: One less worry as least for us.
Thanks again
Paula
Apr 30th 2006, 9:22 am
#11
On the Dark Side :-)
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: South Wales to New South Wales!
Posts: 3,065
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Originally Posted by paulaljones
Thanks alot for getting back so quick.
Obviously i was misinformed. Worried that it was going to cost us a fortune. :scared: One less worry as least for us.
Thanks again
Paula
Obviously i was misinformed. Worried that it was going to cost us a fortune. :scared: One less worry as least for us.
Thanks again
Paula
Take care
Rach xxxx
Apr 30th 2006, 9:44 am
#12
no longer searching
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,030
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
good list -
in addition I have found we have spent more eating out due to all the other things we have been doing during the day (searching for car/house/furniture & other bits to buy) that the last thing you want to do is cook, especially if waiting for goods to arrive and have little in kitchenware. We spent about $70 at ikea to tide us over for plates/pans/cultery etc.
Spent a fortune at internet places (mainly for email & rental searches) (found fed ex cheaper/quicker outside backpacking areas) before we sorted out rental and connection.
in addition I have found we have spent more eating out due to all the other things we have been doing during the day (searching for car/house/furniture & other bits to buy) that the last thing you want to do is cook, especially if waiting for goods to arrive and have little in kitchenware. We spent about $70 at ikea to tide us over for plates/pans/cultery etc.
Spent a fortune at internet places (mainly for email & rental searches) (found fed ex cheaper/quicker outside backpacking areas) before we sorted out rental and connection.
Apr 30th 2006, 9:52 am
#13
On the Dark Side :-)
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: South Wales to New South Wales!
Posts: 3,065
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Originally Posted by walaj
good list -
in addition I have found we have spent more eating out due to all the other things we have been doing during the day (searching for car/house/furniture & other bits to buy) that the last thing you want to do is cook, especially if waiting for goods to arrive and have little in kitchenware. We spent about $70 at ikea to tide us over for plates/pans/cultery etc.
Spent a fortune at internet places (mainly for email & rental searches) (found fed ex cheaper/quicker outside backpacking areas) before we sorted out rental and connection.
in addition I have found we have spent more eating out due to all the other things we have been doing during the day (searching for car/house/furniture & other bits to buy) that the last thing you want to do is cook, especially if waiting for goods to arrive and have little in kitchenware. We spent about $70 at ikea to tide us over for plates/pans/cultery etc.
Spent a fortune at internet places (mainly for email & rental searches) (found fed ex cheaper/quicker outside backpacking areas) before we sorted out rental and connection.
Thats a good point Walaj - we ate out a lot initially!
We were lucky enough to move into our house a week after we arrived and got Broadband set up pretty quickly (its much easier here to do than in the UK - you've literally just got to wait for the parcel - costs around $60 per month unlimited) but when we were in the hotel the internet access charge was $10 for an hour and we got through 3 of those in about a week I think.
We also did the IKEA run (been back there today actually!) and spent $180 first time and $154 this time on things just to tide us over. Our container arrives on Tuesday so fingers crossed the spending will stop soon!!
Apr 30th 2006, 11:11 am
#14
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Tamborine Mountain, QLD
Posts: 219
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Originally Posted by tygwyn
We pay $56.49 per month with http://www.budget.com.au/ - initally we took it with NRMA insurance which was $300 more expensive so definitely worth shopping around. Break down cover was an extra $50 (approx) with the insurance company and was added to the first monthly instalment.
Scott
Apr 30th 2006, 11:26 am
#15
On the Dark Side :-)
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: South Wales to New South Wales!
Posts: 3,065
Re: Initial Costs When we arrived - might be useful to some?
Originally Posted by ScottDavis
On that site the cheapest I can find is $800 for a month. Are you sure that isn't per day?
Scott
Scott
http://www.budgetdirect.com.au/
I'll amend my original post now if it lets me - I'm an idiot - what more can I say?!!