Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
#76
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
I paid $18.00 for some Scholl blister plasters today. Cost in Britain, GBP3.00.
#77
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 30
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
We only found this website as my OH gets terrible migraines and the only thing that will touch them are Migraleve tablets which, as far as we know, aren't available over here. We order them in from here and even with postage the price is pretty good.
Got an order last week and the box had been opened by customs and still been allowed in to NZ. I had been a bit worried that we might have been importing illegal drugs but obviously not. Phew!
#79
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
Daughter asked if she could have some passion fruit in New World today....ERMMMM sorry love not at $32.99 per kg......eeeekkkkkk!!!!!
Tesco 3pack a quid or 33p each....
Tesco 3pack a quid or 33p each....
#80
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
Not sure if www.chemistdirect.co.uk would have these?
We only found this website as my OH gets terrible migraines and the only thing that will touch them are Migraleve tablets which, as far as we know, aren't available over here. We order them in from here and even with postage the price is pretty good.
Got an order last week and the box had been opened by customs and still been allowed in to NZ. I had been a bit worried that we might have been importing illegal drugs but obviously not. Phew!
We only found this website as my OH gets terrible migraines and the only thing that will touch them are Migraleve tablets which, as far as we know, aren't available over here. We order them in from here and even with postage the price is pretty good.
Got an order last week and the box had been opened by customs and still been allowed in to NZ. I had been a bit worried that we might have been importing illegal drugs but obviously not. Phew!
#81
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
Not blatantly three times the price. That particular joke is starting to wear thin now.
#82
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
1. Very roughly speaking, which would go further: £39,000 a year in Midlands, UK, or $93,000 a year in Northland, NZ?
2. Which shops do you shop at? Which shops are popular? Do they have many big cheap chain stores like we do or is it all smaller and more expensive? I think I've got my head around the supermarket options. What about furniture, electronics, clothes, homewares, etc.?
3. The closer we get the more nervous I feel about the prospect of moving somewhere where we don't know a soul. What was your experience of making friends? How easy and quick was it? How did you do it? Those of you with children, how did they cope without seeing family?
2. Which shops do you shop at? Which shops are popular? Do they have many big cheap chain stores like we do or is it all smaller and more expensive? I think I've got my head around the supermarket options. What about furniture, electronics, clothes, homewares, etc.?
3. The closer we get the more nervous I feel about the prospect of moving somewhere where we don't know a soul. What was your experience of making friends? How easy and quick was it? How did you do it? Those of you with children, how did they cope without seeing family?
Here, we still manage to live as normal, pay all the bills and ve around $1000 a month.
Are we better off? Hell yes! We will be laughing once he goes back to work and starts getting paid again!
As for shopping, you buy what's about. If it isn't, you shop online. No different. Except tht some things in the uK are still cheaper, even if you pay for international shipping.
Friends: you get out there, make an effort, I have had no problem. People in Southland are utterly brilliant. But friends won't come to you.
Last edited by M_and_M; Aug 23rd 2013 at 5:24 am.
#83
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: Whangarei New Zealand
Posts: 90
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
To be honest i have not read all 6 pages but am going to reply to your original question,
I now earn less in $ than i did in £ but the life is better, we are living on the outskirts of Whangarei and love it. I am not overly fond of Mauna there is some awesome places but also some less desirable places. Nothing in Whangarei is far 10km's from one side to the other. I commute about 45-50minutes a day as i work out of town. We have been here 18 months and still not managed to get around all the beaches!
We have had quite a lot of inlaws come over and all want to move here.
I found it very expensive at first but you quickly adapt, buy seasonal produce and its very cheap, meat is pretty much half price the uk and has taste and flavour and not pumped with water. I actually very recently done a online shop in tesco's to compare our weekly shop and it worked out marginally more expensive,
Fuel is pretty much 40% cheaper than europe so make savings there, if you get a decent insulated house your electric bills will be less than the UK.
We buy nearly all our daughters clothes from the uk though, when they have the summer or winter sales on marks and spencers or similar its perfect timing to stock up her wardrobe, my wife also does the same.
Lots of British shops offer free delivery to NZ including M&S, Next etc etc so can get decent bedding etc. If you are coming just ship your belongings with you, ours cost about £3k for a 20ft container door to door.
I am not sure what your partner does for a living as missed that bit but $93k dollars is high earnings for up here, i work at one of the largest employers in the region and thats higher than 85% of salaries there. Depends on your lifestyle but we live very comfortably on a similar income, i save money each week from my wages, we eat what we want when we want, go on holiday, drive nice car etc etc We dont want for anything to be honest.
I now earn less in $ than i did in £ but the life is better, we are living on the outskirts of Whangarei and love it. I am not overly fond of Mauna there is some awesome places but also some less desirable places. Nothing in Whangarei is far 10km's from one side to the other. I commute about 45-50minutes a day as i work out of town. We have been here 18 months and still not managed to get around all the beaches!
We have had quite a lot of inlaws come over and all want to move here.
I found it very expensive at first but you quickly adapt, buy seasonal produce and its very cheap, meat is pretty much half price the uk and has taste and flavour and not pumped with water. I actually very recently done a online shop in tesco's to compare our weekly shop and it worked out marginally more expensive,
Fuel is pretty much 40% cheaper than europe so make savings there, if you get a decent insulated house your electric bills will be less than the UK.
We buy nearly all our daughters clothes from the uk though, when they have the summer or winter sales on marks and spencers or similar its perfect timing to stock up her wardrobe, my wife also does the same.
Lots of British shops offer free delivery to NZ including M&S, Next etc etc so can get decent bedding etc. If you are coming just ship your belongings with you, ours cost about £3k for a 20ft container door to door.
I am not sure what your partner does for a living as missed that bit but $93k dollars is high earnings for up here, i work at one of the largest employers in the region and thats higher than 85% of salaries there. Depends on your lifestyle but we live very comfortably on a similar income, i save money each week from my wages, we eat what we want when we want, go on holiday, drive nice car etc etc We dont want for anything to be honest.
#84
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: Whangarei New Zealand
Posts: 90
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
Also my wife made friends easily through our daughter, there are many many things for you to do, there is a gym club from 1year upwards, swimming lessons, playcenters, mainly music's basically anything you want.
#87
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
Unleaded 95 is about 15% cheaper than Europe, not 40%. I've just had a quick look and done some rough maths.
#89
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: Whangarei New Zealand
Posts: 90
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
I use 98 so not sure about 95 but yeah just rechecked and about 25% difference
#90
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Location: Whangarei New Zealand
Posts: 90
Re: Finances.. shopping.. making friends..
If you have any questions about areas to live just send me a PM and will be happy to give you the heads up, quick tip stay away from any area that starts with an "O"!