The cost of things
 

I have made a few comments in the past, and read a number of posts, regarding the general living costs in Australia being so high, rent, food, internet etc. however I was shocked at the weekend when I took my son to look at signing up for our local Under 10's rugby union. $225 sign up fee and $75 for a training top. Added to this will be the costs for boots, protective equipment, transport costs etc. The local soccer club wasn't much better at $200 for the season, plus the obligatory family membership to join the club. Back in the UK we never had to pay more that 40 pounds for a season and soccer was generally pay 3 or 4 pounds per week. How on earth can they justify these costs? I have also been looking at getting my daughter in dance schools but the costs of these are also prohibitive.

Another moan over.

Re: The cost of things
 

re: soccer over here, what are the weekly fees like?

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Just wondering, what are people paying for swimming lessons for their kids ? here in Aus, and in the UK?


just enrolled the little one at a swim school which has a very good reputation, great facilities and very well qualified, friendly staff. Cost is $60 per month.

Other places do it cheaper.... cheapest I have seen is $12 per session.

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We paid $8 a session for our (then) 3 kids but unfortunately had one drowning incident ... however, we figure the cost-savings were worth it in the long run.

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$13.00 per lesson here, with a class of three children.

Netball, which my daughter used to do, was $140 for the years membership + $2.00 per week

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Usual reason is the clubs liability insurance costs. Even with the litigation culture in OZ I think they are still OTT on costs. School camps went the same way, kids went to same camp 2 years apart, it had trebled in that time.

The $75 for a training top is like many things, just a rip off. Mate was teling me yesterday how 5 pairs of private school socks cost nearly $100:eek:

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:ohmy::unsure::huh::confused::blink:

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I surprise myself sometimes ...

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:rofl:

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Hell's teeth !

That sounds steep, if he's an only child it's bad enough, but if you have two or three kids, those sort of charges would leave a hefty dent in the wallet.

Of course with kids....... I guess that you don't really have a choice.

Does the team have any sort of 'uniform pool' so that the kids who have outgrown their uniforms ( usually takes about three weeks ), can pass them on to the smaller kids ???

Sometimes I regret not having kids of my own, sometimes I'm not so sure. :unsure:

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I have to buy my daughter some school socks at the school shop today... you have me worried, i'd better check the price first ....

Phew... only $6 a pair Uniform list

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Our local dance classes are $6 per lesson. I pay $85 per term for tennis and used to pay $120 for gymnastics. When my oldest did circus skills, that was more expensive at around $220 per term (but that was 90 min lessons).

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Custard pies don't come cheap . . .

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my sons rugby league club = $115 and that came with training shorts, socks, a top, and a ball.

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I had a feeling you would have to buy socks today .... ;)


The socks at the school I am talking about sound like a bargain compared to the rest of it:eek:, Avg cost for the uniform is $700 according to the website, it doesnt give a list, they probably dont want to give the parents a heart attack:rofl:.

Mate has 3 kids there now, crazy :eek:

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Lots of stuff is very expensive in Australia - just quietly.

It's almost like a dirty secret in Australia that people try to hush-up, lest it might damage Australia's golden reputation for cheapness.

Try to avoid the mistake of thinking that EVERYTHING is more expensive in the UK. Because it actually isn't.

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Correct but this has been done to death on here dude.

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I didn't start the thread.

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I never said you did, I was just replying to your post which was about a topic that has been done to death on here.

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Football is $160 for one kid or $280 for 2

I pay $14 for swimming lessons. I think parents are more willing to pay more for these if the teacher is good and class sizes are small. There is nothing more irritating that paying and having a different teacher each week. Private lessons are $35 up and there are plenty of parents willing to pay that amount.

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As this is a "The cost of things" thread, can I add in the cost of the watermelon I just bought ? It weighs 9.3kg.

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My god! Thank god my girl grew up in the UK - fraction of the cost!!
Everything seems such a rip off here, glad it's not just us that thinks that!!
We migrated 15 years too late, used to be cheap as chips, not any more!!!
Would be tons better off if we still lived in the UK!!!!!

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My kids did swimming lessons as part of the curriculum during school time.I know it was very cheap but that was quite a long time ago.My daughter takes her little daughter to the local pool(UK)and pays £4 per lesson.

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Yes - you are right to say that it used to be very cheap here in many respects and people kind of haven't fully woken up to the idea that times have changed in Australia as far as price is concerned.

There are lots of areas where I spend more than I would do in the UK here.

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But remember wages have gone up as well. Maybe people don't really notice, as it is swings and roundabouts ?

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know how you feel, both my girls done gymnastics in scotland (my now 18 year old had been in gymnastics since she was 3 or 4), anyway we couldnt afford it here, so when she came here at age 15, we tried it for a while, but the cost was just too much between her and her sister, however through getting to know some gymnastic peeps, she is going to do her first coaching certificate this year and will get paid to coach the little'uns

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It's almost like a dirty secret in Australia that people try to hush-up, lest it might damage Australia's golden reputation for cheapness.



spot on young man! or woman!, especially regarding sport!

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Most sensible older Australians agree that Australia is vastly less affordable than it once was. Housing used to be dirt cheap compared to the UK. Not really all that easy for first time home buyers here anymore.

People who came here having sold a property in the UK 10 or 15 years ago are in no position to judge because, financially, they got it easy back then.

Re: The cost of things
 

By pure co-incidence the ABS released the 6463.0 Analytical Living Cost Indexes for Selected Australian Household Types, Dec 2009
today.

The figures show:
Employee : CPI : Month
100.0 : 100.0 : Jun-98
140.1 : 141.6 : Dec-09

This shows very little real change, a total 1.5% real cost increase over 11 years ?

Comparing against the UK is a totally different thing, as things bring Exchange rates into play, but for those living in Australia and earning an Australian income, my personal view is that everything just seems to stay pretty level on average, and this is born out by todays ABS stats.

Going back to the UK comparison, that will change again when the UK improves and the FX rate returns back to a more favourable rate for the British.

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Property is a different matter, although even that depends on the area...

But this thread was started in relation to "regarding the general living costs in Australia being so high, rent, food, internet etc." which is what I was answering.

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Lot's of cheap stuff too [ made anywhere! ]
But Pauline did good chips and meanwhile the Sport'n Rec club is cheap enough, $3.20 stubbies and $5 in for winner takes all at Poker.

You can even wear your thongs or Crocs to save on socks and feet might get dirty but they're easy to wash with a free stroll along the beach.
The heating is dirt cheap too when you do not need it and that's about always.
Goes for Aircon too.

Minimal cooking costs as well for it's either just throw something on the barbie or wrap in foil for the fire pit.

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I don't think many people do think everything is cheaper, nor is it a secret. :p The reputation would be long dead.

It depends anyhow. I find many things cheaper, others more expensive.

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I dont find anything cheaper except mangos and avocados. And I buy lots every week just to enjoy that.

Swimming lessons = $15
Gymnastics = $20
Riding = $35
Speech therapy x 1 = $40
Piano = $30

Its just nuts but what do you do.

For ABC to say people dont notice - I notice!!! bloody overactive ovaries :eek:

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How much are avos there, and are they big?

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they are a bit more at the moment but in season they are about $2 I think. And they are big, small, round - all different varieties. All wonderfully ripe, some nutty, some creamy.


I never liked them but now I think I am getting an addiction. I just planted some trees at the bottom of my garden and am going to plant some in the nature strip too as I am running out of room!

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A lot of things are much more expensive in Australia. Some things are cheaper.

Swings and roundabouts.

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But have you noticed that wages have also kept up with general costs, overall ?

And I did say "Maybe people don't really notice, as it is swings and roundabouts ?"

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My hubby's wages are much better here than the UK, although the cost of living here is outrageous :eek:

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For me its a bit different being self employed. My wages havent kept up with anything - havent changed really from being depressingly low :)

I think I have noticed the increase in pricing quite dramatically. Also having young children, getting older, there are more costs that were not around before.

when I go to look at contracts, the hourly rates are the same as when I arrived. I have to say that every migrant I talk to, except some really postive ones on here - struggle with the pricing and the value for money. Universally they say they are financially worse off.

I am not in the anti Australia brigade but the reason this topic has been done to death is lots of people struggle to get used to their new country's pricing and costs.

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You are not wrong there :rofl:

I suppose I have been here long enough to know where to buy best these days :thumbup:
But I also recall my wife finding the UK to be expensive, when she came over, even though I didn't think it was. But she was new to the UK, and had to find her way around.