British Expats - Materialistic Brits?

Page 1 of 3

Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- New Zealand (https://britishexpats.com/forum/new-zealand-83/)

- - Materialistic Brits? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/new-zealand-83/materialistic-brits-336959/)

jueinnz

Nov 11th 2005 9:03 pm

Materialistic Brits?

Ok this may upset a few people...Just remember I am English...

So many people as moaning about being less well off in NZ. I was wondering if it is because they expect to be able to continue there materialistic way of life here rather than embracing it the way the Kiwis do?

I was a very materialistic person in UK...it was more important to me to have a new top to go out with at the weekend than to have enough money to buy fuel without putting it on the credit card. We always had the latest electrical equipment, and money just constantly ran though our fingers, but we thought we were doing ok because we had the latest newest stuff. Our image was important.

Kiwis are not like that... no-one cares if you have last years t-shirt on, and jandles are worn till they fall apart. Many of people houses are filled with furniture that we wouldn't have given garage room to in the UK. But thats them...they buy when stuff is on special not at full price, they wait and are not ashamed about what they don't have. Is this why the Kiwis can afford to live here and the Brits can't?

It is not about living as you did in the UK but just in a hotter country ...you are at the bottom of the earth...its about embracing the way the Kiwis live and accepting it. Or go home!!!!

No offence intended!!!!

Does any one else agree?

Jue

Markk

Nov 11th 2005 9:06 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jueinnz

Maybe. Probably. Yes.

sky	Nov 11th 2005 10:50 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Mostly we find it hard to afford food so I'd hardly call myself materialistic!
Lots of my kiwi friends are finding it really hard at the moment too
I spend $300 a fortnight on groceries before any one says I must be buying extravagantly sometimes I even manage to get it down to $250 and that's for a family of five.
What are new clothes I have almost forgotten what it feels like to own them :rolleyes:

Markk

Nov 12th 2005 7:03 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sky

Sky,
That's fair enough. However, we are in the same situation in the UK. I earn an an above average salary and I'm still wearing clothes I was wearing 10 years ago. I think maybe a lot of people live beyond their means in the UK and hence the large amount of personal debt here. Maybe people who move to NZ automatically think they should have a very high standard of living? Possibly that is the wrong reason for going in the first place?
Before anyone jumps on me, that's not necessarily a critism. Human nature is too want something better after all.
Mark

babybella

Nov 12th 2005 8:18 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

[QUOTE=Markk] Maybe people who move to NZ automatically think they should have a very high standard of living? Possibly that is the wrong reason for going in the first place?

We did and still do find the Uk an incredibly materialistic place, one of the reasons I dislike Christmas here is the amount of money people waste buying every man and his dog a present, Christmas tips for the milkman, postman, hairdresser, madness.
Now I know this is not going to be a popular comment but it seems to me that people do think that moving to NZ will automatically raise their standard of living. If you are a milkman in the UK your not suddenly going to be chairman of the dairy board in NZ are you (ie if your not on a great salary here why would you think you would get more in NZ). Nobody goes to NZ to make money (that's why we are still in the UK) But what you do get is better weather, lovely parks, beaches all for free.

lizard

Nov 12th 2005 8:30 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

We are much worse off financially here in NZ but we were able to scrape enough cash together to put a deposit down on a house. We are now living on a 4 acre small holding. The sacrifice made to achieve our dream is losing the ability to buy things whenever we want, eating out, new clothes etc. But we now live in a beautiful area, great neighbours and of course in the country. Coming from poor working class stock we never thought we would be able to afford to do this ( well we couldn't in the UK). We think it is paradise here and dont mind at all about having less money. Quality of life is more important than material possessions.

bookemjano

Nov 12th 2005 8:42 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jueinnz

I agree, I've never been a clothes person (have never had either the shape or the money), but I was definitely more materialistic in UK than here - I had the best CD player I could afford, more handbags than any one person should have, and piles of books I'd never get round to reading, to name just a few of my extravagances.

Here, every dollar counts, but it doesn't bother me like I thought it would. I like being 'restricted', I only wish I could have done it years ago, but it took moving this distance to realise how much waste, monetary and emotionally, I made. I'm glad I got my kids out of that lifestyle before they became adults who repeated my mistakes.

I'm grateful I have some money in the bank from the UK, and perhaps this 'colours' my judgement on this issue - hard to say you're skint when you have capital - but I have definitely changed, for the better, my spending habits since arriving here, and am happy to 'make do' in exchange for being able to experience what NZ has to offer.

Pompey_Paul

Nov 12th 2005 4:35 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

I would agree.........(not just Brits though) but some people like nice stuff...thats what they go to work for..in NZ you will be working hard for the pleasure of a dif lifestyle......INMHO :scared:

auldduck

Nov 12th 2005 10:14 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Kiwis love new things and possessions as much as us Brits, they just can't all afford as much. :rolleyes:

Sugo	Nov 13th 2005 4:26 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by lizard

whoo hoo great post quality of life is what coming here is about not how much money you have in your wallet. Look outside there is so much more than a new pair of jimmi choo shoes or the latest pair of trainers.

sunshine_and_rain

Nov 13th 2005 5:12 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugo

Like what?? :D Don't knock a paid or Jimmy Choos - its my dream, and i am here in NZ. I STILL love shopping and clothes and handbgs too :D

sky	Nov 13th 2005 5:30 am

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugo

When I look outside, all I see are farmers fields that I'm not allowed in and we can't afford the fuel to travel far or go snowboarding etc.
Went swimming with the kids today though and it was ridiculously cheap and as it's an outdoor pool, they even have a BBQ for you to have your BBQ picnic at :cool:

Markk

Nov 13th 2005 6:52 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by auldduck

Kiwis love new things and possessions as much as us Brits, they just can't all afford as much. :rolleyes:

This was the point I was trying to make a bit further up this post. The average Brit CAN'T afford as much. He/she has a large amount of personal debt.

deedee

Nov 13th 2005 8:02 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markk

This was the point I was trying to make a bit further up this post. The average Brit CAN'T afford as much. He/she has a large amount of personal debt.

and the average Brits debt is increasing week after week, to now what are unpresidented levels.Now although debt is sometimes not a problem, the real problem here, and as any financial adviser in the uk will tell you, the current climate of debt has a very long time frame.Most people will have to carry their personal debt for more than 10 years, and we're not talking about bricks and mortar debt!This is just loans and cc funds.Its a spiral that is way out of balance and is an impossible one to reverse without a huge impact on the UK as a whole.Never before has this level of debt, as a percentage of earnings, shown itself.
The only other side is the debt free will get richer and the rich even richer,all from the pockets of the average brit.

NZ Climber

Nov 13th 2005 8:33 pm

Re: Materialistic Brits?

Quote:

Originally Posted by auldduck

Kiwis love new things and possessions as much as us Brits, they just can't all afford as much. :rolleyes:

Yes they do, and that's why the debt culture here is abysmal:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0408/S00125.htm

And that article was written in 2004, it's only got worse since then...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,...6a6160,00.html

:scared:

In fact, according to the Herald, NZ is well on its way to becoming a banana republic...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/s...ectID=10346727

All times are GMT. The time now is 9:21 pm.

Page 1 of 3

Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page