naomilondon

Hi all, we are soon to be a family of 5 and planning on heading to Oz in November to Secret Harbour in Perth.

I am after some guidance on average family outgoings so we can try factor in whether my hubby will be earning enough to keep us or whether we will like most families over in the UK need two incomes to pay the mortgage and childcare etc.

We will be renting for at least the first year, seems 3-4 beds in Secret Harbour are around $400 a week, what about gas and elec, water, do they have council tax or an equivalent?

How about average food shops per week? The kids currently have swimming lessons, tennis lessons, rugby and football classes so any ideas on the costs of these extra curriclar things would be great too.

School wise, I like the look of the Comet Bay primary so hopefully if we can get our son in here we won't be paying school fees.

Anything else we might be having to pay out regularly for that you can think of please let me know.

Thanks is advance!!

eddie007

There ARE cheaper rentals.... You dont pay the rates on a rental the landlord does...

Electricity and gas? How long is a piece of string.... Depends on whether you have tye aircon on 24/7 or whether you adapt... We've had ours on twice this summer, both of those times were for guests, not us...

Cars are expensive... Reggo is yearly and carinsurance

Food bills for 5... Again, how long is your piece of string... Do you cook from scratch using seasonal products or demand blueberries out if season??? Do you buy home brand or designer? Organic free range or prepacked mass produced????

Living costs are different to the uk.... You spend more in some areas than others and less in some areas.... But it IS expensive here... It all deoends on whether you can cut yoyr coat according to your cloth, or you have expectations that HAVE to be met no matter what ..

Are you prepared to change your lifestyle?

Yup no school fees, but tgere are contributions.... And uniforms and lists of equipment you have to provide.... Can be a couple of hundred just for those things....

Do you wantto pay extra medicare levy or have private health insurance... ?

Phone bills? Will you be spending an hour on the phine to the uk every day? Or just making local calls... Do you have mobiles? what do you envisage doing?

Likewise tinternet... Are you download junkies or do you pick up email once a week?

Do you eat out at mackers? or haute cuisine five star establishments?

Too many variables.... To give you an real anser mate...

Having said that... Renting IS a heck of a lot cheaper than buying...

mulben

Swimming
Schools do swimming in phys ed (even surf boarding at Secret Harbour beach )
http://www.stateswim.com.au/schools/secret-harbour/

Rugby + Soccer
Lark Hill (half way between Port Kennedy and Secret Harbour ) is brilliant

http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-32.39088...h&nmd=20111217
Clubs
http://www.rockingham.wa.gov.au/City...eserves.aspx#3

Tennis is available but maybe lessons are easier to get at Safety Bay ,
( soccer academy is also in Safety Bay )

cheers

ozzieeagle

I wouldnt like to try it on anything less than 700 dollars per week.... then add accommodation.

So whatever your prospective wage is... take that figure out and see where you can afford to live.

Hmmm I forgot the car/s purchasing aspect as well.... that figure is if you can own cars outright and a minimum expenses figure IE: It would be tight. We always spend at least 2,000 per annum minimum on kids school expenses. It's usually a lot higher than that.

pomtastic

You'll need an income of $100K + to get by as long as you don't over extend yourself with loans and what not. Don't expect to have many family holidays, meals out or entertainment with that income, you'll need $150K + income for that lifestyle in Perth. It's expensive here.

pomtastic

I'd guess $350 a week for food, leaves $350 for bills, fuel, insurances, medical expenses, school, clothing etc. $700 p/w would be VERY tight IMO.

ozzieeagle

I honestly reckon you can do 220 bucks on food for five.... Aldi permitting

chris955

Unless one of you earns a really good wage then yes like in the UK both will probably have to work to have a decent lifestyle.

julesandco

We don't have Aldi in WA though

naomilondon

Thanks all for your replies so far!

I try and base our food shops around what is on half price, BOGOF etc at Tesco here, we eat fresh cooked meals and I try and stick to buying what is in season. Home brand I am fine with, in the UK we do one big shop a fortnight around £150 then top up fresh fruit and milk etc every few days.

We shopped in Coles when we came out last March and did $300 on a 10 night food shop, I did see adverts for the Wanneroo markets which looked like some good deals could be had but that would be quite far from secret harbour, is there something similar down there?

Our house in the UK is too small for us with three children, we have definitely outgrown it. To move we would need two salaries to get a big enough mortgage but then with two children needing daycare while i work it makes no sense, we currently pay £500 a month for childcare for two days a week for one child, when we have to pay for two and if we had to have full time places we would be looking at £2200 a month, more than my take home salary. Hence why we have decided now would be the best time to jump ship as staying in the UK on one salary in a house that is too small for our family doesn't seem like fun!

I expect childcare costs are equally horrific over there but if we can ride out a couple of years on one salary until all children are in pre school that makes more sense than working just to pay for someone else to look after the children.

MUST LEAVE UK

$ 350 a week just for food, even a family of 5.
What are you putting on your bread 18c gold spread ??

Kelli28

As a blended family of 6 I never spend more than 250 pwk, but I home cook jst about everything. when I had a smaller family of 5 with 3 teens I never spent more than 200 but I grew veggies and kept chooks. I could have reduced that by cutting out treats ect but I dont do it save money, I do it coz I don't like pre made/processed food.

Tramps_mate

I was thinking around 250 a week for 5 of us as a max. I'm budgeting 8-900 a week to pay for everything, including utilities, shopping, interweb, medical etc.. Plus rent on top. That's for either in Mackay area or Brisbane. That's reasonably close isn't it?

Kelli28

Not including rent yes, I'd say you may even have trouble spending that amount in Mackay.

Tramps_mate

although the rent can eat the spare up! Rent up that way is shocking!!