mel.b

I am an Australian who has been living in Ireland for just over 10years now. A job opportunity has come up in my home town (regional Vic) that would also be a promotion that I am seriously considering.

I have been unhappy in my current job for the past 3years at least and have applied for several jobs. Unfortunately my skills are specific and there isn't a lot of opportunities or jobs available in ireland to change into. I had one interview last year and am 2nd on the panel if a job becomes available, however there's no guarantee that 1) a job will come up and 2) even if it did, the person who is 1 on the panel might still want it. The panel will probably stay 'live' for 2 years. Money wise, I am currently taking home around €2900 per month after tax and my mortgage is just €600 a month so I have a good amount of disposable income and there's just me to worry about.

The job in Australia has a salary of $85000 (excluding super) with increments each year for 4 years. As it is with a non-profit I could salary sacrifice up to $16000, which would mean my take home pay after tax and medicare levi etc would be around $54000 per year or a bit under $2100 per fortnight. From this, part of the mortgage would have been paid, but I'd have to top up another $250 per fortnight on a mortgage. In my home town I'd be able to get a house and land package for around $450000 and I'd be bringing equity with me from selling my home in Ireland which would reduce the mortgage to around the $330000 mark.

How does this salary sound for Australia now? I always find Australia to be expensive when I come home for a visit. I know there are things like rates and water charges that I'll need to pay as well and I'll chat to my parents to see what they are paying to give me an idea. Financially I know I am well off in Ireland with a good standard of living and disposable income so I can go travelling etc, and I don't want to make the move if it means I will be worse off. However I'm just so unhappy with my work and job here and have been wanting a change that it seems silly not to take the opportunity if it arises. If it wasn't for this potential job opportunity I wouldn't be looking to leave Ireland.

Sorry for the long post - I hope you're able to make heads and tails of it!

quoll

Could you take a career break from your current job and suck it and see? Rent out your home in the first instance and see if the move floats your boat.

carcajou

Unfortunately, "regional" no longer means "cheap," especially as you don't mention what part of regional Victoria. There is quite a difference between Warrnambool and Mildura.

a $330,000 mortgage on an $85,000 salary, you would be looking at I suppose a $2,000 mortgage per month? So on $4,500 take-home per month that would leave you about $2,500 for other things. If it's just you, that is certainly doable, but it won't be a flash lifestyle by any means.

Regional properties you can of course cut back on other things, use water tanks instead of mains water, etc. But I mean the water rates are not much.

I think it comes down to, how bad do you want to come back?

mel.b

i think a career break would be a possibility, although I don't know if it would be approved. However I have the complication of a cat & dog so I wouldn't be able to rent out the house. I'd have to get housesitters in for the year and pay the mortgage myself and live with my parents for 12months while in Australia. It's an option worth exploring though.

It's Gippsland I am from. With regards to the mortgage I can actually salary package most of the repayments, which means it comes from my pre-tax income. I'd be looking roughly at a mortgage repayment of $1850 per month, of which $1333 would be paid through salary packaging, meaning I'd have to pay $500ish per month additional. So take home pay would be around $4200 and I'd have to pay $500 of for my mortgage as the rest is paid by the salary packaging. So that would give around $3700 per month for all other bills and disposable income.

As I said though, I wouldn't be looking to come home if it wasn't for this job opportunity. I actually like living in ireland and having the ability to travel and explore Europe. However when you're not happy in work, changes have to be made as well and the opportunities for me in Ireland in my career are very limited I believe.

Moses2013

I think carcajou made a good point with how bad do you want to come back. I'm in Ireland myself and that certainly is a good salary. Ok, while it might be difficult to find something in your specific field, what about something completely different? Even if you take a small wage cut, with a €600 mortgage you are still better off if happier.

A good friend and work colleague of mine moved with her Australian husband to Melbourne 2 - 3 years ago, but they were also shocked by prices. They had a nice house here & small mortgage that allowed them to enjoy holidays and save some money for early retirement.

Now they regret it and the salary just won't allow them to buy a house in the area, or let's say nothing available in their price range. We're all different and so many things to consider.

mel.b

This is something I have been thinking about. I have the details of a career counselor and am thinking about making an appt because I don't know what else I could do / want to do. The job at home would move me more towards management while still allowing me to do a day or so of what I am currently doing.

Retirement, while still 25 odd years away is something to consider as well. I haven't paid into my super fund in Australia in 10years, although it has been growing with the balance that was in there before I left. I'm in the public sector in Ireland, so if I left I would be able to get a small pension and lump sum from that when it's time to retire. I'd have to do some sums and look at what is the better option although obviously that's going to involve lots of assumptions about growth rates and that there'll even be a public pension available then!

Moses2013

Don't know where you are based exactly in Ireland, but have you tried job agencies? Sometimes you might be surprised and they can really help here. I work and live around Galway and also just came into IT sector after doing complete different things before that.


No matter where you are in the world, the worst thing to have is a big mortgage. The idea (even if 25 years away) is to reduce it, rather than increase it (Well just my opinion). And don't forget that no job (even in Australia) is guaranteed.

mel.b

Thanks. I'm actually not that far away from you in Clare. I'm in the Allied Health sector. Any recommendations for job agencies to contact?

i agree with you about mortgages. Especially having seen what happened in Ireland, the thought of a big mortgage in Australia does worry me. I was lucky that I bought in 2013 at the bottom. However Australian house prices and the potential direction of them isn't the conversation I want to get into on this thread!

Moses2013

You could try here https://www.cpl.ie/Home. It won't harm to reach out and get some advice.

Beoz

Just to put that in perspective, I set myself $1500 per month as a disposible income target. That's in Sydney. I generally never spend that but just in case of a big expense like a lavish meal or big night out appears, its there.

I think with all your tax tricks you will be more than fine. Just check those tax tricks are really what they say on the tin.

mel.b

Thanks Beoz, thanks helpful to know.

Re: salary packaging. I used to do it when I worked in a hospital in Australia and the organisation advertise it on their website so it's legit. There are some different rules and amounts for charities and non-profits but I've run the figures through a few different company calculators that offer salary packaging and the results are the same so I'm pretty confident about them.

the troubadour

A fairly average salary but surely that alone is not the basis on which you formulate your move to return to Australia?


You appear happy enough in Ireland, minus present employment. I would caution on making any move without due consideration of all consequences that would entail.


You know very well what Country Victoria is like as a place to live. Is it a lifestyle you wish to return to at this stage of life? You may recall perhaps the limitations from past experience?


Regarding the employment. I take it is for a non government non profit organisation? If so know the area rather well and quite a revolving door here in Australia with staff turnover and a host of issues to accompany that. Very dependant on government funding and often management is too poor to be believed.


As you say to have Europe on the doorstep, (are you an Irish citizen?) without the Brexit nonsense engulfing your neighbouring country, is well worth considering.


Quite a number of Irish that lived in my inner city Perth area (4% or just under of our resident population is born in Ireland) have returned home with the improvement of the Irish economy and/or the decline of the West Australian.


Salary sacrificing is great to be sure. One thing in fairly recent times, the other benefits working in such a place as you are considering is the meal/entertainment card. Now that was a great deal, now heavily reduced in benefit by the amount one can pay into it. It got abused hence was clamped down on and I suspect the restaurant business felt the results rather sharply.


Personally I doubt I would return to Australia as it stands at present. It appears you are single. Even more reason to stay aware IMO. Probably not a great country to be single in especially when a little older. Personal relations are somewhat fraught here IMO. Happy to answer any questions with my take on things in a private post if so desired.


You've certainly quite a decision to come to. Good luck.

spouse of scouse

It appears you are single. Even more reason to stay aware IMO. Probably not a great country to be single in especially when a little older. Personal relations are somewhat fraught here IMO.



I don't think the OP's asking for personal relationship advice! And even if she was, what you're saying makes no sense at all.

the troubadour

Well you do have problems making sense of most my posts, so I'll take that with the salt it deserves.


Actually the post makes perfect sense and additional points of consideration can be discarded at will. The post is about returning to Australia. The thing is do you have anything further to offer the OP? Or do you just get your enjoyment climbing on my back? Does get rather tiring. Although I see you get something almost of a perverted sense of pleasure from it.

Beoz

It makes no sense. As it presently stands many of your opinions about Australia are false and give you grief because you don't have the desire, balls, whatever to change your own situation. Many of us have a great time.