BEVS

Shamelessly nicked from a post by AndyEvs.


Maybe this is a better way for some of us here in NZ to illustrate how our costs spread out against our net wages per week or per month.

After all people in other countries looking to come to NZ will be leaving behind their overseas budgets and settling into an NZ budget.

Those that prefer not to blab their actual net income could use percentages instead.

I'd perhaps keep family tax credit or whatever separate from actual income. Same child care stuff.

scottishstacey

Very good idea for a thread. I had tried to do as much research as possible but always felt like i was missing out on other costs that would affect out overall budget

Synky

Do you get anything like family tax credit or child benefit in NZ? (After 2 years?)

Bo-Jangles

Some might be interested in the series of articles being run by the Herald this week with regards to what is required for a 'living wage'.

The articles discuss what constitutes a 'living wage': "A living wage would mean that you could have a computer in your home with the kids, you could afford your kids to go on a school camp, and you could have a modest recreational event with friends, say once a month. It's pretty minimal,"

'Battle for a living wage: The pay you need to survive'

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10864620

To calculate a "living wage", the Anglican Family Centre research unit in Lower Hutt looked at the costs of a basic food diet, a lower-quartile three-bedroom rental and selected items from other spending by couples with two children in Statistics NZ's household economic survey.

It arrived at a family budget that may be a bit under $1100 a week, or about $56,000 a year, or near 80 per cent of the $70,300 median after-tax income of all couples with two children in 2011.

The biggest items in the weekly budget may be around $280 for rent, $217 for food and $176 for petrol and other transport costs if the analysts used the 2010 average figure updated for inflation.

Researchers then factored in tax and ACC levies, family tax credits and accommodation supplement, and worked out the gross hourly rate both parents would need to earn to achieve the $56,000 net income target if one parent worked 40 hours a week and the other worked 20 hours.

'Battle for a living wage: A Kiwi bloke can survive on $19 an hour ... yeah right'

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10864565

Synky

That rent seems low?

Assanah

For Auckland it definitely seems to be very low.

luvwelly

'Lower Hutt looked at the costs of a basic food diet, a lower-quartile three-bedroom rental'

Lower Hutt is next to Wellington. Upper Hutt is cheaper. The clue is in 'lower quartile'. It would not be a luxury rental or even a dry warm rental at that price level. Basic living wage as Bo said.

Genesis

I don't think you have to wait 2 years.......you did not 8 years ago. Working for families tax credits is what we get. It is based on how many kids (under 16) you have and what you earn, the more kids you have and the less you earn the more you get back. You can either get it monthly/weekly or in a lump sum each year. We have 3 kids under 16 and last year we earned about $82k ish in total and we got about $5k tax back.

Tom1983

Depends on the visa mind

We can't claim any tax credits for our wee boy yet since we're not residents. Cannot claim on a WTR visa.

ellenarosemary

You can claim this once your children have been in NZ (and you have residency) for 183 days, i.e. six months give or take. Then you will be entitled to working for familes tax credits. Note this date is from when your children enter NZ not from when you started work (if different and you came first). Also send any claims in about 6 weeks before you can claim as they take a while to process (or so am told).

Genesis

Yes, I was assuming that everyone has residency. Sorry.

Genesis

They used to go much further 6-8 years ago here in NZ, alas expenses in NZ have gone thru' the roof whilst wages have remained quite stable.

concretepump

very much the same as the uk, its the only thing that has not gone up

Pom_Chch

Agree, I'm not sure people realise it's a similar story in the UK. The OH didn't get a payrise for three years and I was made redundant yet everything else was going up. It is not specific to NZ, although a lot of people seem to act as though it is.

Genesis

I am sure we are not on our own with respect to this issue, however food here is so much more expensive and we are a low wage economy.