Chippiejohn

Hi,

I've just read a post in which someone said their joint income was $3500 week. Someone else posted a reply asking how they manage on $3500, to which they replied by sacrifice! Would $3500 be considered not enough to live comfortably I've heard that food bills are expensive but didn't expect everything else to be. We are trying to get an idea on what sort of life we would be able to live on a carpenters wage. I've heard that $1500 would be a good indicator of chippie wages but that includes a Saturday. One of the attractions of coming to Oz was to have a better work/life balance but now I'm thinking I'll still have to work all the hours in order to be able to live a good life!

Loch Lomond

Joint income of 3500$/week is just under $182K a year. How can someone struggle to survive on that?

stuckinblighty

i would

I dont get out of bed for anything less than $5000 a day


Lee

NikiL

I suspect there may have been a teeny element of sarcasm in the original comment of "by sacrifice"....

Don't think lettuce costs that much yet

Pollyana

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...6&postcount=25

I'm thinking that's the post you're looking at, in which case I would take it that he meant he was sacrificing his quality of life in order to get the cash?

stu66

gday john im a chippie on the gold coast working doing formwork we generally work 9 hours a day mon - thurs 8 fri and 4 sat my gross wage is 1800$ a week plus super redundancy and holidays paid for the overall package is good but dont come out to oz if your looking for an easier life in work it aint going to happen .the construction sites here are very well organised safety is a -grade but buildings get built very much quicker than the uk hope this is some help any other questions feel free to ask
stu

Geelong Gent

John it depends on your individual circumstances - with a mortgage of over $2m is going to be different with someone with a mortgage of say $200K

A good life is different to many people - look at what you "need" and not what others "want".

There are many happy people in Oz on less than $1000 per week. They just spend it differently

Mrs Jackaroo

We usually get around $1200 per week and do ok out of that

Australia_bound?

Maybe who you heard it from earned far more in the UK, as I believe the $3500 is around the average wage in the UK? We know we won't earn more in Aus but will be looking at saving £100,000 saving when buying a decent 3 bed home ccomparedto what they cost in UK. So is swings and roundabouts, lose in one way gain in another and hope to keep head above water.
If people take on board they'll have to shop and live differently they should manage on lower Aus wages. Also need to add lots seem to think work is easier in Aus, for the vast majority it isn't working 6 days a week to make ends meet could well be a necessity

cherry6

We survive fine on an income of $1600 a week. Our rent is $375 a week, and our car loan is $617 a month. Bills are phone $100 a month, internet $10, gas $30, electric $40, petrol $30 a week, food about $200 a week. We dont smoke or drink (much). We go to the cinema nearly every week and eat out often. So lifes not that bad!

jojosan

The average UK male wage is approx 26,000 pounds pa, or 500 pounds per week - translates to about $1150 at current exchange rate. Is it possible the original figure should have been $3500 per month? That would probably require some sacrifice, but is just about do-able, depending on individual circumstances...

Wendy

No, they said per week and the post made saying is that enough was definitely taking the mickey.

Chippiejohn

Sorry this is long but thankyou all for your replies. So it looks like we could manage on around $1500 -$1800.
The one thing I am worrying about and it's something I don't think I will really know until we've made the move is how we will be financially. I would just like an insight into a typical chippies life.
I am a hard worker, working six days a week (9 hrs mon - fri and 5hrs sat renovating property) Occasionally I work on a Sunday to boost the piggy bank! I have 4-5 weeks annual leave a year, own a car, van and have one 'big' worldwide holiday a year. We have a mortgage on a 3 bed house.
I have only been looking into things for a few days now but there are things that make me wonder whether we will find things more financially difficult. Firstly, we will have to pay for school/hospital fees as we would be going under the 4 year employer sponsorship visa, then I hear that grocery shopping is expensive, even compared to here and yesterday I read in The Mail that "Australia and NZ have the least affordable housing in the English speaking world at 6.3 times the annual household earnings"England came in second at 5.5 times. I know it all sounds negative and I do apologise but i would hate the thought that we make this move only to find things difficult and me having to work 7 days a week and forfeit time with my wife and children.

I've tried to get a rough idea on how much a 3/4 bedroom house would cost in Queensland to work out the monthly mortgage but it is very difficult because you need to specify a district and I haven't got a clue what one district is like from another! What would groceries for a family of 4 (2 ad 2 teenagers) cost per week.

Stu66, you're a chippie from Gold Coast. Do you have a family? Would you say you have a good life or do you feel that life is all work and no play?

Thanking you all.

Chippiejohn

Thanks cherry6 for this guide. Could you just tell me whether you are a couple or family? Our monthly outgoings are roughly the same as yours here in England and we too don't drink or smoke. Can I just ask you what type of property you rent for $375 a week?

thankyou.

stu66

hi john
i dont have a family to support here ,there is myself and my wife only we spend on average 250$ a week on groceries and thats eating healthly .I do find we dont have as much disposable income available as we had in the uk but you cant have everything in life ,there probably are thousands of people in thier 60 s -70s sat back in the uk thinking - i wonder what it would of been like if we had emigrated to oz all those... years ago when we had a chance .So be brave and take a chance or you to could end up one of those statistics in years to come,the worst case scenario is it doesnt work out and you head back home..... i would say for a average 4 bed home in qsld you are looking at paying $500-$550k hope this is some help

stu