Originally Posted by escapedtonz

We live in Tauranga and currently on a single wage of approx. $125k while the Mrs has a few more months maternity leave. I'm looking forward to her returning to casual part-time work, but she's not taking the hint yet! Will just take the pressure off that little bit more.
We earned a lot more in the UK so in the 4.5 years we've been here we've had to curtail our spending and adapt to life in NZ as it soon disappears. One major part of the cost of living is accommodation which is pretty high. We currently get away with $475 a week here in rent but we've also bought a section and are on the verge of building so not only are we paying rent, we are also paying a mortgage on a footie field size of grass. We are trying so hard to not waste our cash on anything we don't need.

Don't read heaps in to this very high cost of living thing for NZ. Yes, on the whole it is more expensive to live here - I'd say 10%/15% if you consider recommended prices, BUT if you adapt to it, are careful and shop in the sales or promotions, you can make it work and not have to spend a whole heap more.
It's like going back in time here for groceries etc. Where in the UK you can just get absolutely everything in one shop, here you have to adapt back to the old ways to make the money work so go to the supermarket for the majority of the shop but for the likes of meat, go to the local Mad Butcher and for fruit and veg go to a weekly fruit and veg market or get out in the country and visit a farm shop. They are heaps cheaper and the quality of the produce much better. You can even buy fruit and veg at the roadside from an honesty cart by driving around a few country roads as people sell their produce outside their properties. I picked a huge tubtrug full of Avocado's this morning from one of 8 of our trees to sell at $1 each. They go for $5 each in the supermarket at the moment so the bargains are out there for sure, you just have to get off your arse, stop moaning about the prices and go find the deals.
With us ready to build our own home here we have been pretty busy ordering all manner of new furniture, tv's, other electricals and crockery etc etc for our new home. We really thought it was going to be a nightmare and very very expensive but we have been so surprised that in fact it hasn't been like that at all. There is so much more choice than we thought there would be and prices have certainly dropped. Virtually everything we have bought has been in a sale or some promotion or other so we've saved thousands. Sony 60" LED Smart TV with wifi, apps n all that jazz $2k. A similar 43" one for the family room $500. A $6k top quality lounge suite for $2.5k. Huge quality TV unit for the lounge with a matching hallway table $1k.
That is the key to surviving here. Don't ever pay full price as you just don't need to.

Also, if you want to maintain life in NZ as you do in the UK, so for example going to the pub often, weekly visit to the cinema and/or ten pin bowling, you are going to pay big time as those pastimes are expensive here. Just me and the boy 1 game Ten Pin bowling costs like $30. Just me for an adult ticket in to the movies with a drink and the mandatory bag of minstrels is around the same.
NZ is all about the outdoors so embrace it as it's free. Get out and about walking/cycling the trails. Go to the beach. Have a tramp in the bush or up the hills. There is so much to see and do out and about and it costs very little or nothing. You will find that the local parks are just so inviting without vandalism or graffiti or anti-social teenagers so you'll find you pass your time going to places that doesn't cost you anything to go. From late Spring to late Autumn you will find plenty of weekly events in one of the many local parks - from a weekly market to a night owl cinema or food festival. They are great things to do of a weekend and either free or just a gold coin donation to get in ($1 or $2 coin).

Don't listen to the comparison reports of the weather/climate between somewhere in the UK against somewhere in NZ as being similar. It is rubbish as they simply aren't comparing apples with apples and unless you have the personal experience of it, take it with a pinch of salt. The weather and climate in NZ really is better here no matter what the reports or studies suggest. I live the majority of the year in shorts. Mainly September through to June. We get way more sun than I ever saw in the UK and days never have that dismal dreary grey depressing feel to it. It is way more humid up North Auckland/Tauranga and there is virtually no wind chill factor to worry about, even when standing on the beach as the wind is generally a Northerly so from the Pacific islands so is warm. Yes it rains often which is also warm, but on the whole it won't be for long and the sun is never far away & so much stronger here than the UK. Just going out to the park with the kids needs factor 50 on your bonce so you don't burn. Nearly a month in to Winter now and the lowest temp we've seen at home has been +5 degrees at 5am then mid teens by 9am. We've yet to have a frost this year. If we want snow we have to go and find it by driving down to Mt. Ruapehu to the ski fields and when we do it's usually warm enough on a clear sunny wind free day to snowboard in a t shirt.
Really can't recommend it enough here.

Originally Posted by escapedtonz

We live in Tauranga and currently on a single wage of approx. $125k while the Mrs has a few more months maternity leave. I'm looking forward to her returning to casual part-time work, but she's not taking the hint yet! Will just take the pressure off that little bit more.

Originally Posted by barnsleymat

After 5 years NZ is really getting to us as you can probably pick up on, we miss seeing a bit of life, being able to go visit different places and having the freedom to go out and do things. I'd love to book a holiday to Aussie or the pacific islands but we're too busy spending our money on $6 cucumbers.

Originally Posted by Stormer999

I think I did say expensive on post #2 and OP read the post hence answer post #3 without having to go on endlessly about different food costs. High cost comes with low population density FACT ! that is why NZ post introduced YouShop !

Originally Posted by kakapo

that made me laugh so much, I have recently come back from the supermarket cursing the damn $6 cucumbers to my partner!!! I like NZ in the summer but in the winter find it frustrating that choice of fruit and veg so limited and SO expensive. At least in Dunedin, may be different in bigger places/North Island. I also agree that after a few years enjoying the quieter pace of life, starting to miss a bit of action that is one of the reasons we are heading back to the UK next year. For me NZ is lovely as a holiday destination but personally would not want to stay forever. Each to their own though!

Originally Posted by Moses2013

Apart from everything else, wouldn't it make sense to grow your own cucumbers and keep chickens. Most people who have the dream of moving to NZ will do it anyway and I doubt that the price of cucumbers will stop them. They now might even want to start a cucumber business.

Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles

It`s very easy for people to roll their eyes and try to belittle anyone that dares to mention the unmentionable price of tomatoes, $6 Cucumber, the $4 peppers and the $3 leeks but it doesn`t of course stop there, the list is endless. If it were just limited to the odd random salad thing then it would not be so bad but trying to balance that on a weekly basis is bloody wearing and can actually have a huge bearing on your quality of life.

There`s only two people in our household; yet I still managed to spend $171 in the supermarket on Friday and find myself back there again tonight spending another $30 something dollars on random few items for lunch stuff for tomorrow.

Recycling leftovers, watching the pennies and trying to keep it interesting on a budget is a way of life for most people around us - oh yeah lets see what fun we can have living on a shoestring is a game you can play short term but not a lifelong proposition that most people wish for or factor into their emigration plans.

Originally Posted by Moses2013

I agree with other things, but it can't be that difficult to reduce the costs in that area and it's beyond me why nobody thought of starting a low cost fruit and veg business in New Zealand. A polytunnel might be a good investment. Just checked prices online here:

Originally Posted by Kotare

Lots of low cost fruit and veg outlets (and roadside stalls) but they are 'in season'. Fruit and veg aren't flown in from Israel or transported by road from Dutch greenhouses like UK.

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistix

We've been in NZ for 9 1/2 years now and the shine has gradually worn off as time has gone on. We came as an adventure not to get away from anything in the UK. It seemed like a good idea at the time!
We've had some good times in NZ and met some interesting people but on the whole I wish we had stayed in the UK. We had a great lifestyle, excellent friends and didn't worry too much about money. How I wish I had been satisfied with that but we felt that maybe there was more to life. Life here has been a real struggle at times, mainly due to ill health. I never feel 100%. I'm on anti-depressants, have had a gastric ulcer (stress related) & have to take medication to prevent another one. I've put weight on and am less active than I was in England. My diet is not as healthy or as varied as it was at home. That's down to cost and lack of choice. I've gone off some vegetables I used to like because it's all you can get in winter.

I had a career I loved in the UK but didn't enjoy the lack of teamwork, rivalry and "us and them" attitude that previled here so i left it 7 years ago. Tried to get other work, training and couldn't. OH has probably gone as far as he can go in his profession, there just aren't that many openings for someone at his level.

Our house was built in 2004 and we have gradually made some improvements since we bought it in 2007 but we haven't got the money to do all that we planned when we first moved in. How naive were we! It's a nice house that others compliment but it has never felt like home. Wish we had continued looking for longer but we had to move out of our rental and it was the best of a not so great bunch and at least it's not leaky.

Initially it was exciting coming here and searching out were to buy things you need/ want, the novelty soon wears off I can tell you. The expense, lack of choice and poor quality gradually grind you down. Books, clothes, electrical goods, food etc., shopping isn't one of my favourite pastimes but I feel depressed just trying to decide what to cook for dinner.

I was back in the UK just a few weeks ago. What bliss, the shops, the history, the culture, the choice, the transport system. What an utter joy it was. I felt so relaxed to be home. It was good to be able to visit France, Spain and Switzerland too. There's not much in the way of history here, approx 800 years of Maori history and that's it. It's interesting and I enjoy watching the women with the poi but I'm very over the haka, which seems to be performed at the opening of an envelope these days. Also I'm not one for mythical stories that some actually seem to believe

It's a number of factors that have ground me down over the years that now have me yearning for home. And by the way, cucumbers were 45p at Tesco's in June and 3 peppers for 85p. Bargain!