Vash the Stampede

Low mortgage is the key; ours is less than $160k, and we pay ~$1,000 a month. (I doubt many on this forum could say the same). The rest is just careful living, I guess. Our vegetable garden has paid for itself many times over. I'm Australian and my wife is English but came here on a PR spouse visa, so we receive a lot of government assistance. We have one credit card ($2,500 limit) which is only used for emergencies. We have no personal loans, no store cards and no debt of any kind apart from our mortgages.

This was our fortnightly income when I was unemployed and we only had one child:

• Newstart: $420
  
• Parenting payment: $370
  
• Family Tax Benefit A & B: $170

I haven't included our UK rental income, since most of it goes on the UK mortgage and the remainder stays in our overseas bank account to cover the property maintenance, so we never touch it.

I am now working part time, and we have two children (our second was born less than a month ago). Our current fortnightly income:

• Job: $940
  
• Parenting payment: ~$130-350 (depends on the hours I've worked)
  
• Family Tax Benefit A & B: $170
  
• Baby bonus: $475

The baby bonus runs for 13 fortnights, so we'll have to make the most of it while it's there. My job is only temporary and finishes in Feb 2011, which is when I go back to uni. I'll be on Austudy at ~$420 a fortnight, though our family payment will return to full strength. We'll probably struggle under those circumstances, and could end up selling our UK house to build up a savings buffer or mortgage offset.

We're not living in luxury, but we get along. It will be easier once I've finished uni and can re-enter the workforce full time.

freebo

Just looked at paycalculator.com.au - $50k will give you about $745 pw take home, rent of $500 pw would be two thirds of your pay

spottydog

I think you will struggle on $50k for 2 adults and 2 kids. This salary is well below average for even the lowest paid state in Australia.

How does this compare to your UK earnings? If as a family you currently earn 2/3 of the average single income for your area then you will probably manage OK, if not you will probably struggle. GBP 4k won't go very far here and you definitely don't want to be relying on savings for day to day living costs once you have a job here.

upyerfud

Agree that 50K for a family of 4 in WA is completely unworkable.
Would also like to say that getting a job in mining, straight off the plane with no prior experience or likely relevant qualifications is remote to non existent. Mining and oil/gas jobs are all about qualifications, experience and more importantly contacts. We all see the situations where someone's mate/brother/wife etc turns up and starts work, when there will be dozens of other better qualified people being looked over. Company I work for on Gorgon employs about 120 people, out of that we have 2 x husband/wife, 1 x brother/sister, 1 x brother/brother, my mate got me a job, I got my mate a job. It's endemic and very much who you know, not what to a large extent. Most jobs where you are getting 23 weeks off a year ( 8/6 rota?) will have significant numbers of people chasing them, likely with the above factors in their favour.

verystormy

Agreed, though we are now struggling to find people full stop - we have had reduced production for the last few weeks because we cant get people. Our main contractor has been running adverts and things and still struggling. We started a couple of people this week with no experience who had applied via the ad. Things are starting to boom more and more for mining

ABCDiamond

European cars may be expensive, but others may not be. It would appear the statement "cars here are damned expensive" may not be 100% accurate. Many of them are pretty similar, but if the FX rate goes back to "normal" then the Australian price may become cheaper again.

eg:

Suzuki Alto with Air Con
Australia

UK

Australian price is "Drive away price" and includes stamp duty, rego and CTP
UK Price is "on the road"

Beedubya

Ah yes the old family incentives, none for the single PR struggling unfortunately.

You both still have done very well I must say, lots of people can't manage on double what you are living on, so very well done.

Vash the Stampede

Ah, I feel for you! But at least you have PR, that's a bonus. It's been much easier for us because I'm an Aussie returning home, so I had an extensive support network of family and friends ready and waiting. If we were both Poms on visas, life would be very different.

Cheers.

Beedubya

Ah well this is so very true, it is so important especially when you have little 'uns, I wonder if the OP has family here for support or is just going to rock up?

freebo

Sounds like we're all agreed, Syd, Melb, Bris and maybe others are really expensive places to live (thought it was just me) and currently unless you bail up with many hundreds of thousands in savings and/or a well paid job, you will struggle.

Maybe not a few years ago, maybe not in a few years time, but now, thats how it is, and why net migration to Aus will decline, because on an average wage (e.g. in Sydney) its no-longer attractive or even possible to live well on an average income.

Beedubya

I have noticed a BIG difference in rents in say the past 3 years. Once I could afford to rent a lovely flat in Gymea, now I have been priced right out of the market. And I don't want to compare lettuces () but I did notice that food in Sydney has shot up since I left in April 2009.

ABCDiamond

At that rate, and paying rent, FTB payments will be $513 per fortnight. (That covers half the rent)

So net pay of $796 + $256 = $1,052 per week.

White noise

lots of food for though, and it doesn't look as cut any dry as i was hoping for
thanks for the paycalculator.com.au link, to see what the net we would get
i don't have any family over in auz, and me and my partner are unmarried
it looks like i need to get paid more, or my girlfriend will have to get a job.
WN

eddie007

as the poster was bringing 4k(pounds) that would exclude them from even those cars... what I SHOULD have said was Cheap second hand bangers that would set you back a few hundred at home are DAMNED expensive....

If you're buying brand new its swings and roundabouts but a lot of people are shocked at the prices old cars fetch....

avi

Hi I am a nurse so will have some penalties hopefully.
I will look into mining for my hubby he has no qualifications though.
thanks for all the replies we will have noone but ourselves to care for us.