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Cost of living v. Average wage

Cost of living v. Average wage

Old Feb 24th 2011, 7:37 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by P18PPS
But this is where your lifestyle comes into it - if you don't mind a highrise 1 bed in the centre of town with no balcony then you may be able to be in the centre of town and do without a car - see trademe for cost of apartments. If however you want a small unit then a bit further out, if you want the cafe lifestyle then it will cost you more again.
See the thing with me is that I really am pretty adaptable. I don't actually know how to phrase this, but whatever accomodation I live in, I adapt to. When I live in a house, I adapt to live in a house and commute, when I live in a high-rise, I live in a high-rise and adapt. My lifestyle is a function of things, not the cause of things if you see what I mean.

As long as the basics are covered, food, utilities, rent, everything else is optional. If I have the free income to indulge in my more expensive hobbies, I do, and when I don't, then I go for cheaper lifestyle choices and hobbies.

Trademe.co.nz will have houses/flats for sale/rent so you can get an idea.
Trademe will also have vehicles so you can price up.
Thanks, for the link, I shall add it to my reading list. Ideally I'd like to work no more than 10 miles from where I live since I cycle to work at the moment on an 17 mile round trip, so I know I can do that comfortably.

I think most single people on a $40k wage would be ok, assuming they cut their cloth according to their means.... but rich you will not be - but it is somewhere to start if living the dream over here is what you want.
Honestly? If I wanted to be rich, I never would have given up database programming. It's ridiculously lucrative work if you are good at it, but I found it emotionally draining and personally unfullfilling.

I like solving problems. Give me a broken anything, a budget and time, and I love the challenge of fixing it. Doesn't matter if it's a computer, a water-pipe, a team of people who aren't hitting their targets. It's all good.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 7:38 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by hazeandsteve
Mate, I work as an engineer, (outside of my usual field) on a pretty much 40 hour week
I'm on 45-50, . Wife earns approx 15-20k.
We have a lifestyle similar to the one we left as regards social life.
We run a bike, a ute, a car and a boat.
Have sky, drink plenty, broadband.
Now, here's what you don't want to hear.....no rent or mortgage.

40-60......
I don't think it will be easy for even solo on the wages you have mentioned (40-60k NZ $s), especially in Welly or Auck where rent/houses are much more $$s. Life in NZ is hard unless you are on a good wage say $80k plus p/a and/or you are mortgage/rent free. You need to work out why you want to be here and add to that you are very unlikely to be able to get back to see rellies much if at all. What drives you to leave the Uk (I assume that's where you are).....have you worked out how much your day to day living expense will be??

Last edited by Genesis; Feb 24th 2011 at 7:41 am.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 7:44 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by hazeandsteve
Mate, I work as an engineer, (outside of my usual field) on a pretty much 40 hour week
I'm on 45-50, . Wife earns approx 15-20k.
We have a lifestyle similar to the one we left as regards social life.
We run a bike, a ute, a car and a boat.
Have sky, drink plenty, broadband.
Now, here's what you don't want to hear.....no rent or mortgage.

40-60......
Shrug, I've given up the luxuries before to allow me to spend the money on things I wanted, and I'm fine with curtailing the lifestyle boondoggles for the kind of lifestyle I don't believe I can get in the UK.

All right, next question.

1. I've heard a lot about how CV's are designed differently in NZ than in the UK. Both seminar's on emigration I've been too have suggested that you need to 'kiwi' your CV if you want to stand a chance. Does anyone here agree with that sentiment? Does anyone here have any templates or examples they are willing to share?

2. Obviously trying to get work while not having a visa presents an exceptional challenge. Has anyone here done the working holiday streaming into permanent residency path of getting work? Because at least you'd be in NZ and working?

thanks for the advice peeps.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 8:55 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Excuse the upfront question, but why do you actually want to come to NZ?
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 9:02 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

I would suggest you visit the Inland Revenue equivalent website to work out your income after tax and other automatic deductions here..there is no tax free allowance like in UK so you pay tax on every dollar...makes a big difference.

http://www.ird.govt.nz/
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 9:23 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by P18PPS
Excuse the upfront question, but why do you actually want to come to NZ?
In no specific order. Better outdoors opportunities, better quality of air, to get away from the desperate overcrowding in the UK, somewhat better weather, easily accessible surfing and sailing, gorgeous landscapes.

There's probably more, but that covers most of it. I think it all comes down to that ephemeral 'quality of life' concept. Of course you do have to make financial ends meet.

As an aside, I am currently posting from my phone. I will respond to everyone, bit it takes longer and I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them because I'm responding to posts out of order

Last edited by Godeskian; Feb 24th 2011 at 9:43 am.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 10:10 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by Genesis
I don't think it will be easy for even solo on the wages you have mentioned (40-60k NZ $s), especially in Welly or Auck where rent/houses are much more $$s. Life in NZ is hard unless you are on a good wage say $80k plus p/a and/or you are mortgage/rent free.
That could be an interesting challenge to overcome then, as I might have a potential to earn that kind of money, but I'd rather plan for the lower end outcome than a higher end one.

You need to work out why you want to be here and add to that you are very unlikely to be able to get back to see rellies much if at all.
My only relatives that I care about left in the UK are my parents. My siblings have all fled the UK before me to Canada, the US and the south of France respectively, and my parents reaction to me mentioning emigrating to NZ was, and I quote, 'about bloody time you got out of here'

What drives you to leave the Uk (I assume that's where you are).....have you worked out how much your day to day living expense will be??
Why am I driven to leave the UK? Not an easy question to answer without giving offense, but here goes.

The culture, the weather, the disintigration of the social contract, the defeatist attitude, the politics, the structure of the political system, the casual middle class racism, the classism, the veneration of mediocrity as fed through tabloids, the marginalisation of intellectual endeavour, the architecture, the l

There's plenty of other reasons, and yes I'm aware that many of these reasons are also issues I'll have in NZ, but not all of them I hope. And in my way of thinking, any time I can reduce the number of things giving me grief, I'm winning.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 10:11 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by luvwelly
I would suggest you visit the Inland Revenue equivalent website to work out your income after tax and other automatic deductions here..there is no tax free allowance like in UK so you pay tax on every dollar...makes a big difference.

http://www.ird.govt.nz/
Hmm, I shall definitely visit. Many thanks.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 10:22 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by Godeskian
There's plenty of other reasons, and yes I'm aware that many of these reasons are also issues I'll have in NZ, but not all of them I hope. And in my way of thinking, any time I can reduce the number of things giving me grief, I'm winning.
Except nobody can guarantee you that you will find any of your 101 reasons for hating the UK to be any better in NZ, or that you'll simply not replace with just another long list of things you don't like about NZ. If mediocrity, the structure of Government and poor architecture bother you in the UK, I would implore you NOT to ever step one foot on NZ soil.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 10:30 am
  #25  
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

I'm glad bo-jangles said something similar to what I was thinking - 40k seemed a bit of a low estimate to me for a Wellington wage.

I may have missed it, but how old/roughly how old are you? You mention putting a deposit on a house so I figured the remainder will be a mortgage? If that's the case then seriously consider sharing - either as a flatmate or purchasing a place and getting in someone to split the mortgage

It is very common to rent here...not just 20 year old students either. So it's perfectly possibly to find flatmates who are older (eg 30s, 40s...haven't seen many older though).

I'm in my early 30s, share a lovely 10 year old townhouse in Mt Victoria (Wellington) with an IT nerd and a lawyer (ie not students - they are in their late 30s). I walk to work, go out regularly (oops, too often), travel overseas and don't scrimp anywhere near as much as some people here do. I am *not* saying that there's something wrong with their situation. But rather, they are in a different situation to a single person who has a bit of leeway in what they can do/what they can spend money on etc.

I certainly have a better lifestyle than my friends in similar positions in the UK. Definitely more so than when I lived there. Oh, I am kiwi though. I don't know if that makes a difference to anyone (it shouldnt) but i will throw it out.

Oh, and I am a secretary. A glorified one - a PA - but a secretary. I am *not* on a high income. I am on a higher one than 40k...but not truckloads more. And I was earning that only a couple of years ago. My assistant earns 40k and is in a similar situation.

Arghhhh sorry, that was long.

Executive Summary of My Post
Check the 40k salary. It doesn't sound quite right
Someone single can definitely live in Wellington (& presumably Auckland) city if you find the right place. Getting someone in to pay a mortgage is perfectly normal here for many people buying their first house (even if it's not for you). So that's a possibility for you perhaps.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 10:43 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

oh rats, before anyone accuses me of being a happy clapper, I'm not.

I just think that sometimes there needs to be a bit of an opposing view to the doom and gloom posts when actually, it's not always doom and gloom. Peoples points good and bad are relevant obviously.

Don't come looking for paradise. But it's not all gloomy either.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 10:55 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Sorry! Third post - I have just gone stalking and noticed you are 30?

Bloody hell, get a Working Holiday Visa before you hit 31 (I think you need to have applied and arrive before you are 31....the age is 18-30).


Even in the current economic market my workplace has employed staff on WHV's and applied (successsfully) for them to change to longer term visas.

It also doesn't commit you (even mentally) should you not want to remain here for more than a year.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 11:02 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
Except nobody can guarantee you that you will find any of your 101 reasons for hating the UK to be any better in NZ, or that you'll simply not replace with just another long list of things you don't like about NZ.
True, but there is an equally long list of things I want out of life that I CAN get in NZ, and having the things I want, and the oppertunities for hobbies and interests that I want, makes any issues more palatable.

Even if the list was identical in NZ as to the UK, I would have the mitigating factor of good things that I cannot for various reasons do currently in the UK.

Take one, (and note it is only one example among many) the whole water-sports thing. I live in a landlocked area hundreds of miles from the ocean due to economic reasons. Being able to live somewhere within a commutable distance to the ocean would improve my quality of life by such a tremendous amount that it would mitigate against a vast number of potential negative qualities.

If mediocrity, the structure of Government and poor architecture bother you in the UK, I would implore you NOT to ever step one foot on NZ soil.
I can't comment on the mediocrity, but the structure of the goverment while modelled on the UK version has several elements that I find an improvement such as fixed parliamentary terms.

As for the architecture, everything I've seen of NZ architecture (mind you I'm talking about look, not design) says I like it better.

The only thing at the moment that is a genuine dealbreaker for me, is whether I can sustain myself financially, if I can, I'm coming, if not, I'll be staying. Everything else, even everything on my list, is simply not a dealbreaker.

You know, the more and more I post the more I feel like I'm failing to express myself in a fashion that gets across my point. Like my ability to clearly and concisely explain my views is failing me while I'm getting stuck in minutia of personality and world-view and finance.

Let me put it this way.

Everyone has issues, no exceptions. Mine are not a barrier to emigration and are well in hand, and NZ seems to offer the best balance of mitigating my issues with the world, while providing the best mix of interests that I cannot engage in while living in the UK, and change of cultural and social pace that I feel I need to be happy.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 11:47 am
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Hi KiwiPrincess,

I hope you don't mind me combining your three posts for my response to cut down on the number of posts.

I'm glad bo-jangles said something similar to what I was thinking - 40k seemed a bit of a low estimate to me for a Wellington wage.
From looking at the more specific jobsites I'm probably going to be able to do better than that. 47K was mentioned in this thread for what is essentially the very lowest level skill I have in my skill set. But fair enough, if 40K is low, then I have an improved idea of what I'm looking for.

It is very common to rent here...not just 20 year old students either. So it's perfectly possibly to find flatmates who are older (eg 30s, 40s...haven't seen many older though).
I find this interesting. I've always bought properties after renting for just long enough to figure out where I should be buying, but if long term rentals are the norm (or at least that the skew is closer to the center than I'm used to) then I can live with that. I've house-shared once before, so I'm okay with that.

I walk to work, go out regularly (oops, too often), travel overseas and don't scrimp anywhere near as much as some people here do. I am *not* saying that there's something wrong with their situation. But rather, they are in a different situation to a single person who has a bit of leeway in what they can do/what they can spend money on etc.
See that seems just fine to me. I can even do without the overseas travel. I've spent vast sums of money and much of my life travelling, and I've pretty much seen everywhere that I want to see (the caveat being that this is true at the moment, things can always change)

Oh, I am kiwi though. I don't know if that makes a difference to anyone (it shouldnt) but i will throw it out.
I think the perspective of immigrant v native is important when considering emigration to be honest. Once you've country once, I think it permanently alters not just your perspective on a country, but the way you gain that perspective in the first place.

Check the 40k salary. It doesn't sound quite right
Will do.

Someone single can definitely live in Wellington (& presumably Auckland) city if you find the right place. Getting someone in to pay a mortgage is perfectly normal here for many people buying their first house (even if it's not for you). So that's a possibility for you perhaps.
It's an interesting idea. My sister in Canada is doing that.

I just think that sometimes there needs to be a bit of an opposing view to the doom and gloom posts when actually, it's not always doom and gloom. Peoples points good and bad are relevant obviously.
A balance of viewpoints is usefull I think. Emigration is to some extent the ultimate expression of 'the grass is greener' philosophy, because almost everyone who has ever emigrated has done so because they think they can get something on the other side of the fence they can't get in their current location.

Don't come looking for paradise. But it's not all gloomy either.
So it's not perfect, nowhere is. As long as it gives me more of what I want out of life (and hopefully less of what I don't want) then I consider that a win.

Sorry! Third post - I have just gone stalking and noticed you are 30?
And you haven't even bought me dinner yet :P

Bloody hell, get a Working Holiday Visa before you hit 31 (I think you need to have applied and arrive before you are 31....the age is 18-30).
Applied before 31 yes, but the INZ guy I spoke to at an emigration seminar said that you don't have to land before you hit 31.

Even in the current economic market my workplace has employed staff on WHV's and applied (successsfully) for them to change to longer term visas.
My sister did the WHV thing a few years ago, and she struggled to find employment due to the temporary nature of her visa. Mind you, she also wasn't looking to stay in NZ and was taking a gap year while her emigration papers to Canada went through the system.

I imagine it's different if you're actually planning to hang around.


It also doesn't commit you (even mentally) should you not want to remain here for more than a year.
I'll admit that if I go, then I go. I'm adaptable enough that I'd try very hard not to come back, and I'd probably sell my flat before I go. (plus of course I'd have to give up my job etc). So while yes, I could technically come back, I probably wouldn't if I could avoid it.

It's an option I'm thinking very hard about to be honest. The idea of jumping into the semi-unknown like that has a lot of appeal to me.
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Old Feb 24th 2011, 3:12 pm
  #30  
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Default Re: Cost of living v. Average wage

Hi again bloke.
From what I've read, get here, give it a shot, if it doesn't work out, you leave.
Best of luck.

Oh, also, wasn't blowing the trumpet before, just that we now have a life that UK prohibited us from, so understand your thinking to an extent.
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