Beoz

My son has visited the GP 3 times this week. 2 blood tests. All free.

How come you guys are paying for all this stuff?

Pollyana

Because without transport I am limited to finding a doctor in a reasonable distance - and none of them bulk-bill.

spouse of scouse

I wasn't paying for my blood tests (I think most phlebotomy is still free in Oz), was just answering Jad's post re there's been talk from the govt. that they're thinking of introducing a charge for this.

You'd really have to look hard to find a bulk billing GP in Perth now, and I wouldn't have gone to one anyway. My GP was fantastic and worth every cent (God I miss her!).

ps I hope your lad's ok.

Beoz

Oh. That's no good. I guess I'm lucky. 2 within walking range.

rsbhj

appreciate all the posts, comments and advice, taken all the extras into account what is a reasonable salary to expect then to make this possible, is $100k joint income more like it, plus rebate and benefit etc but mainly focusing on $100k

fish.01

As an aside Polly, was wondering whether you could use those home visit GP's that bulk bill ? Think they are for after hours only but I guess GP's close quite early so could use them after work possibly ?

Beoz

I'm confused again. You seemed pretty certain about your salary offer earlier. Are you saying that you haven't had a salary offer and just guessing what it might be?

Have you gone through Cost of Living

It tells you what you need to have the same lifestyle as in Glasgow and is usually a pretty good indicator.

rsbhj

Just to trying to work out what would be required, it may be that i need to hold off a couple years or we need to look at extra hrs, just trying to gauge what would be more acceptable. $100k seems a good sum to work with, can't see us getting more than this holding off a few years

BadgeIsBack

Gbp55 to Aus85 is a drop.

You'd need 120+, probably more. But you may be able to cut your cloth to suit.

I'll let you into a secret: a few years ago I took a pay drop for a year and we did get by, but we spent a year (or 2 recovering) I won't deliberately take such a cut again. But we have a weekly housing cost considerably less than many.

In 15 years no one on this site has ever produced a real budget :that's because all the things you spend money on are things like repairing the tyre on your wheel barrow, having a splurge at the 2nd hand book shop, a dance workshop holiday one-off for the kids, fishing rods....that old retro BMX bike on eBay you couldn't resist....a massage for the Missus: a night out in the city. School camp. Taking the sleeves up on a jacket 1". New soles on a pair of shoes...Yearly subscription to a networking group. Carton of Corona: (how quick will you get through it?) Hosting friends : my wife spent hundreds (she felt obliged to as they had treated us so well)...

rammygirl

When we moved to Adelaide from Greater Manchester I reckoned we needed 2.3 times in $ than £ to get the same lifestyle.

So for example £50 in uk would need to be $115 in Aus. Now that is moving from a small town in UK to just outside capital city in Aus.

Many people in Aus cope on less, but often they are established and have low mortgages. When people came over only a few years ago house prices in UK were booming and still pretty cheap in Aus so they had capital to invest and many could be mortgage free, sadly this is no longer the case and property in Aus is expensive. Australians have the biggest personal debt in the first world these days.


As for checking rental prices on line beware, pictures are very disceptive as they can be decades old ( I kid you not). Look at the median price.

For example we left a six bed house in the UK on a third of an acre. We currently rent a three bed house in a good suburb with minimal outside space ( a good size deck) that is worth much more.

You should look to rent something similar to what you have now, see how much that would cost to rent or buy here.

We could not afford a place like we left in the UK unless we moved much further away from the city.

denzil73

Oh yes, DIY aprts and vehicle spare parts costs in Australia is ridiculously expensive compared to the UK. Even consumables such as underwear and socks are pricey here cos they've caught on to what essentials are and so overprice them.
Things like this immigrants never know till they get here

Amazulu

Consumer electronics and electrical goods, many new cars (VW, Toyota, Nissan etc), diesel and petrol, camping and outdoor stuff, red meat, car insurance, public transport tend to be cheaper here than the UK

DIY stuff (apart from many power tools) (Bunnings is better than B&Q too) and car parts tend to be more expensive - especially car parts (mental prices in Australia)

My overall COL is roughly the same with Australia probably a bit more costly

Hope this helps

ozzieeagle

Hardly anyone pays to go to the Doctors around here.... there are too many bulk billing clinics. Same with the Radiology.... all bulk billed. Prescriptions is probably right though. 3 bulk billers within less than 1 kilometer.

Coburg - HealthSure Medical Centres

Coburg Family Medical Centre - Medical Centres - Coburg

Sussex Medical Centre in Coburg, Melbourne, VIC, Medical Centres - True Local


Dental is horribly expensive.


On my supposed first Sunday back at work... the day before Australia day (Monday early hours night shift) I went up to my local bulk billers.... Got seen within 10 mins without an appointment and had a doctors cert in my hand for Jet Lag. Not bad for a Sunday Afternoon.

Beoz

My local bulk billers is swift too. I reckon they have no less than 5 docs on at any one time. Plus a nurse who does all the bloods and urine stuff.

DC10

If you like visiting the dry cleaners you'll hate Australia. In my view this is the most overpriced service of all compared to the UK. Used to be able to get five pieces (so say two jackets and three trousers) cleaned for a tenner in south London... lucky to get a single suit done for that by the thieving hounds here AND even then it will take a couple of days instead of a few hours