BadgeIsBack

have to agree, some family is better than none, depsite what toandfro said.
Unless she is a nightmare - you'll have to manage it.

All this advice I'm reading is very sound. Best level advice I've seen in ages. Take it easy. I do think you'd do 'OK' buying that place in the hills, if that was your wish. These places often breed lifestyle choices and community and you may not need toys to make up for the vacuum.

cheets

denver

I think it depends on the job and the company you work for. There is quite a strong work ethic in Australia, which means you have to earn your money but I do not think you are expected to be rediculous about it. What I found easy about working in Perth is that I could drive to work, and commuting is relatively easy.

i work as a teacher in London and I was laughing with my boyfriend tonight about the fact we walk around wearing clothes with holes in them because we cant afford any new clothes here!! In London, I often have a journey of over an hour both ways which adds on a lot onto your day. I would get up at 6.30 and get home at 6pm, then have marking/prep on top of that. And yes I know London is an expensive city!

Then again, Perth house prices are completely over the top rediculous!!

toandfro

by the time you get up I am at work and when you get home I am still at work as with most of Aust production work it's all 12 hr shifts with your travel time on top of that and where I work its all scrub nothing of intrest to see except the white crosses indicating where people have died in road accidents .

BadgeIsBack

I can't say I've seen this long hours thing. I work a 36 hour week. I hardly ever do overtime.

toandfro

that as maybe but you can very easily be bumped to any shift any day at any rate with the new law .There are very few people who work less than 40hr week in industry .and most do 50-60hrs week .

BadgeIsBack

Sure - but I am a 'professional' hate that word, and as such, we don't do 'shifts'. We provide a service and get adequately compensated - negotiated - for it. Companies we work for don't work like that - you would just go somewhere else and they try to retain people not lose them.

We had letters telling us that the new work relations would not make any difference to us. We knew.

toandfro

And thats the rub isn't it ,It doesn't affect me so it don't matter ,and you might think you have the upper hand and are irreplaceable but you're not and if you want to prove it start demanding more for less

BadgeIsBack

Not really. I don't think I am irreplaceable at all. We're just relatively in demand and can demand relatively high salaries and reasonable, adult working conditions. We don't have to go cap in hand to some supervisor. And often, you can negotiate pay increases. Infact I was told I could ask for more by someone but decided not to as its really not that important and I'm not exactly pushed.

There are some industries where people get shafted and treated like kids and others where they don't - now that's unfair(!)

Having said that, competition is sometimes a good thing, dismantling work force agreements/shop floor attitudes is sometimes a good thing.

If you pay peanuts you get monkeys....

toandfro

a little simplistic ,most people are working to live and have developed a standard of living commisurate to earnings (if every one was you there would be noone to sell you your groceries etc)when the balance of power is shifted rapidly and earnings reduced ,you have to honour you comitments and therefore work longer hours or odd shift patterns to keep fed etc. you cannot just walk out and work else where. it's a pitty the same level of responability is not applied to employers (honour their commitments). as for kids, in realistic terms employers behave more like children than any employee I've seen ,if there is no law forcing a company to do something they don't do it ,just like a child if it is not "forced" to go to bed it won't .
I'm not sure what you mean with your comment about dismantling workforce agreements but if you mean less regulation to allow more flexability I suggest you come work with me for 2 weeks and stop reading the government drivel work place agreements are the only thing between employed and enslaved .

to change attitudes on the shop floor you need to change the managment attitude which is always "well the staff need to change " the old circle thing .
the company I work for now 12mths ago had no shift supers no intermediate staff I reported to the maint manager direct every thing that went wrong on my shift was my (and my two team mates) responsability. So we did every thing we could to keep every thing running (and well I might add ) we had a ratio of 9-1 workers to managers .now we have 3-1 I have 4 people to report to. 4 people with different agendas whining when their job isn't first and now I have to wait until I am told what to do next .one day last week on a 12hr day shift I wasn't allocated until 9hrs into the shift when I wrote that on my report sparks flew but it was my fault. now it is disapline this that and the other .you can't fart without some one taking a note

rant over I hope that all makes sense now I've typed it

thebears

Yes move to Melbourne

You can help me with my house and then retire

(by that I mean if you are nearly 40 it will take 20 years for my house to get finished based on my planning)

clougherty family

Hi

We are in Perth and my OH is a brickie. Being totally honest, he says he has never worked so hard in his life and the sun will end up killing him if we stay here. When he gets home he just eats his dinner and collapses on the sofa. None of this "family time in the pool with the kids" he's just too tired. He also works Saturdays so we only have Sundays all together and he's worn out by then! If you don't mind working from 6am until 3pm with flies constantly in your mouth and up your nose, then you might like it.We only have a small mortgage and even though his money isn't bad, we are skint all the time. My food shopping is nearly always over $250 a week and we don't have luxurious food (we would if they sold any here!). We never go out as we have no babysitters really and just end up sitting outside drinking every night. Nice for a while, but not forever. Everyone is always on about how it's better for the kids here, but I can't see it. You never see kids playing outside, every time they want to go in the garden you've got to slip slop slap and it gets you down after a while. Every time someone has been over to stay from the UK they find it boring here and say it's not like a "Proper" holiday as you can't just walk anywhere, no restaurants/bars/entertainment nearby. I don't think it's better for the kids as I have realised after nearly 2 years here that being close to family and friends is more important to my 3 year old than going in the pool for a swim and going to the beach.

Maybe other areas in Australia have a bit more going on and are more affordable, but to be honest Perth is like a retirement village and if you still like to have a bit of a life don't come here.

JO

bluenose27

Hello,

Me and my partner are moving over to Perth in November and wonder if you could help us?

My boyfriend is a carpenter and I am a journalist and we will be looking to rent a 2 bedroomed place for when we arrive.

We don't mind which area we live in, but would obviously like an area which is affordable!

What are the most affordable areas to live in, in Perth? and how do people finding renting apartments in this side of Oz?Is it a realistic affordable possibility to make a living in Perth when considering our professions?

Many thanks,

Jen and Paul

OzzieNurse

You need to talk to your OH and children, tell them your concerns if you haven't already. It's no good going to start a new life and having a nervous breakdown working your ass off to achieve some sort of higher standard of life...some people would say yep do it work your ass off and never see your children just to have money and materialistic things. Take a step back, do a fors and against list on your own if need be. It is a gigantic step and the stress caused by making a bad decision can be just as life changing and not in a positive way. Perth is expensive f*** knows how we will afford it to be honest....but if we cant we can move state and find somewhere else. Australia is vast and I am sure everything will be ok...
Bottom line you need to talk about it with your family more...
I don't know if it was advice but hey ho! Good luck x

aston man

i asked for you views and i am truly grateful for your answers.i know that this kind of thread usually ends up in a big slanging match so i am really grateful that it has been informative to me ,my family and no doubt others.

can i take it one stage further and ask this,,,i am sorry if it has been asked a thousand times but i just can not understand what is going on..why people struggle ..

we can use me as example if you want.

i am a bricklayer so i would expect to earn on average $1500 per week.
would the stoppages from that at worst $500

so that leaves after tax/getting to work $1000.

what does the other $1000 go on.

mortgage payments on say $350
$250 food,wine is cheap as chips.
what else,

as i said earlier ,i am grateful for your replies ,i am not questioning anyones answer.

thanks.

ast

Nikki

O/H fiecely private - but what the hell. These are out O/G at the moment in NSW:

O/H earns - $863 after tax so a month =

Monthly O/G

Rent - $800 (rent off my Dad so cheaper than most rentals)
Elec - $205
Phone - $100
Foxtel - $ 96
Internet - $30 (will be $60 in another 2 months)
Petrol - $320 (We run 2 cars)
Car Ins - $90 (for 2 cars)
Shopping - $1000 ( I am sure we spend more.....)
Mobiles - $50 (For 2 mobiles)
lunch money - $40 (12 year old....)
School fees - $170 (Catholic school)
Beer - $125 (Carton a week on average.....)

Monthly wages - $3452
Monthly O/G - $3071

Little things also add up which not accounted for, like last week - $50 for 12 year olds cont. to woodwork etc..., $5 for school disco, $31 for school photo, School disco this week will mean $10 for $12 year old etc..........ad-hoc payments not included.

So there you have it, we do get some money from Family Tax Credit which goes towards any shortfall in weekly outgoings and to family treats. We have had to buy uniforms, cars (x2), basic house furniture with our savings.

Hope this helps.

Nikki