Genesis

There is a duopoly here, that I do not deny. 4 years ago I was married and to be frank had loads of money. I do not any more. Since then I live on a shit load less and it has made me have to eek out every dollar thus I now buy 2nd hand clothes and shop very shrewdly. There is stuff that is more expensive here. I still say on balance....all things included, food too, that even on my small $600 buck a week expenditure that I live a much better life here than in the UK. 4 years ago I way paying $3 for 2 litres of milk. It is now $2.75 (if you buy two). Not everything is going up. Rego has more than halfed. My car insurance has not gone up either. Buildings and contents, even after the big EQ have not risen much for me dollar for dollar in terms of a total rebuild.

Genesis

As I said I was married then. Money a plenty, did not need to shop wisely. If you full price dollar for everything here it is more expensive than the UK for some things...not everything. When one's fiscal circumstances change HUGELY over night you have a choice, go skint or seek out the cheap stuff. I now seek out the cheap stuff. I buy legs of lamb for $20. I bought a size 16 chook yesterday for $7. Now that I have limited funds I buy wisely. When you have 3 times the money that I have now ($90k plus per annum back in 2013) you just pay up. I do not anymore.

Genesis

Very good point about the stamp duty and the rates etc. I guess we are going to beg to differ with those who think the UK is a shopping nirvana. There is much that irks me about this country. It is far from perfect, but as I have said before I have very limited funds thus have found a cheap way to shop to avoid paying the full price for everything that I used to do back in 2013 and before. And I still think the duopoly should be broken. It is uncompetitive. Thus bad for the consumer.

Genesis

And if you want comparisons how about the UK pension V the NZ one? In the UK I would get 155.65 pounds a week as a single person. That, at 1.70 is $13,759 a year or $264 a week. Permanent residents get the full NZ state pension, if they meet the criteria, resident in NZ for 10 years, 5 years must be over 50 years of age. The NZ pension for a single person is $23,058 per annum or $443 per week. All the figures are gross.

https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/el...ent-rates.html

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles...on-credit-rate

Quite a difference eh? One would have to do lots of shopping at Lidl to make up the difference there what?

Bo-Jangles

I'm not sure who you're trying to kid really, as a $10 bottle of wine will always be a $10 bottle of wine in either country. I'm sure you will find something equivalents in the UK for much the same price - Mud House Sav for example in Tescos GBP 6.75

Tescos have the Oyster Bay range at GBP 9.75 which converts at today exchange rate to $16.71 (normal price not on special) and Countdown have it at $17.99 and that's the price ladies and gentlemen of the UK are paying after the cost of shipping it half way around the world.

Kotare

First thing we did was to change over to NZ super. If you are already drawing a uk state pension you don't need to meet the 10/5 year criteria.

Kotare

Can't believe this is generating so much dissension. Those living in NZ obviously cope with the prices (whether higher or lower seems to depend on lifestyle). Much of the ruckus seems to be caused by returnees to UK (justifying their return(?) and the best of luck to them). Potential migrants will do their own sums, but doubt they will be swayed by the price of sushi or a bottle of Oyster Bay :-)

Genesis

Thank you!! My thoughts entirely. I do not go on the returning back to the Uk site when I have visited the Uk comparing the mental, (IMO) gridlock of the country. I have no idea why people who have returned to the UK bang on about the price of food in the UK, other than to make themselves feel better. I am not sure what validity any comments I may make on the returning to the UK page would have re what I see as unacceptable over crowding. Why would I wanna bring that to the fore? As I have said, manifold times, there are MUCH BIGGER. MORE IMPORTANT issue that prevail here other than the prices of food and bitching about groceries at large. I do not understand it. The very tone of some of Barnsleymats comments are goading.

Like this one............ QUOTE "We move into our modern central heated double glazed house this week and we'll be doing The Big Shop for The Big Shop Comparison. It's going to be a CRACKER!!!!" UNQUOTE And pray, why will it be a cracker? Why don't you just enjoy your wonderful life in the UK and save your time doing your 'Big Shop Comparison'. Its all a tad sad mate. Just let it go. Peace.

Stuck in Auckland

Just wait until the All Blacks play England next

Forget the prices, my grocer has the biggest melons.

and yet the tightest t shirts

barnsleymat

Stop replying to my threads then Genesis old love. Everything you do it goes to the top of the forum again.

And stop being so sensitive, if I was on here saying how wrong I was about the price of stuff you'd be lapping it up.

It is quite funny that a few years back you were moaning about the cost of stuff though and are now name calling others that do the same. Bless you.

Genesis

Sensitive? Nah, you are confusing it with irritated. Back in 2013 I still LIVED in NZ so my bemoaning was relevant. You do NOT live here anymore so it is hardly relevant. You come over with an air of smuggness and goading like I suggested. Like I also said, I do not go on the returning to the UK site and start crowing on how shite I think the overcrowding is in the UK when I return from having been there.

Like I said there are far more important things wrong with NZ than the price of a few groceries. And again, like I said last time peace.

scrubbedexpat094

Keep on doing what you're doing Matt. As someone who is hoping to return to the UK in 2018 I'm very interested to know what prices are looking like in the UK.
I do the occasional shop from Sainsbury's for delivery to my elderly parents, so that keeps me in touch to some extent. It's not only the prices that blow me away, it's the choice of goods. How I miss be able to buy fresh turkey breast and baby sweetcorn (not the awful tinned stuff) for a healthy stir-fry. I always lose weight when back in the UK despite hitting M&S's naughty cakes . Now I've reminded myself of their gorgeous custard tarts and chocolate eclairs.
Of course I'm very capable of making them myself but there are only the two of us, hence we would have to eat the whole lot ourselves . I'm loathe to throw stuff away that I've paid an arm and a leg for.

Don't be surprised if the cost of your car insurance premiums don't start to sky-rocket in the near future. The insurance companies are needing to make huge cost savings and with increasing technology in cars, the costs of repair etc. have increased significantly.

On petrol prices, whilst NZ is probably cheaper than the UK, make sure you are comparing like-for-like. The price here on the forecourt sign is for 91 whilst in the UK it's for 95. Really having to shop around for petrol locally as it's $2,00.9/l on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and 10 cents cheaper on the North Shore .

PS. We are drowning in Passionfruit, have already frozen loads of pulp, so if anyone wants some and you want to come and get some do flick me a PM!

chocolate cake

A key fact you mention there is those figures are gross, in the UK you have personal allowance before you start paying any tax, that's currently 11,000 pounds (per year), in NZ you're paying some tax on every $. Though admittedly at a low rate initially and the NZ super after tax amount assuming no other income would be NZ$20,007.

Either way though no one should be planning towards retirement on state/super only, as neither are much and both unaffordable support in the long term with growing pension population v working popn.

Kotare

Back to food.

'Outrage as UK pizza lovers pay four times as much as New Zealanders for Domino pizzas' 'Mail'. Fortunately (for my waistline) the nearest pizza joint is 20 km away. :-)

LoCarb

Yea, I listened to the tripe Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell spouts too.

At least Greenspan understands it: