DougandZoe

Hi everyone, I'm hoping some of you that have already made the move may be able to help with ideas about living costs.

I suppose the easiest way of asking this is; If I was earning $45k would this be enough to support a family of 4 (2 adults + 2 Kids)? Mine would be the only income as the kids will both be under school age.
We would have some savings but I don't anticipate us making much off the house in the UK.
We hope to be somewhere around the Wellington area and will be renting to begin with. I know its different for everybody but just some idea of the real living costs would be great.

I appreciate any and all the comments you may be able to pass on ( even if its to say your nuts, no way).

Thanks.

Jan n Neil

Do a quick search there are loads of threads on this but in my opinion u would struggle on that money

Sorry Neil

urbanproject

Agreed. I earn a tad over that, and it's just OH and myself (OH doesn't work). We live well on my wage here and can afford a reasonably good lifestyle, but I doubt this would be enough for a family of 4, especially with kids

There are also a lot of other factors involved such as where you'll be settling, how much money you're planning on bringing with you, are you planning on purchasing a house ect ect. Definitely do a search on the forum, this should give you some pointers.

Best of luck,

Jen

Am Loolah

It does sound a little low compared to various other threads and calculations. Would you be entitled to any Working For Families tax credits?

The Jezzers

With working family tax credits you could make ends meet. It also depends on where you are going to live as different parts of the country are cheaper to live in than others. Good Luck.

BEVS

It would also depend on how much rent or mortgage you would end up with.

mcuddy1

Hi
I have two kids, and live in CHC. 45k would give you approx 2750NZD take home a month. 180NZD working for families. This is all approx but I would suggest it's virtually impossible to enjoy a fair standard of living on that.

No matter how much work you put into your budget there are always unforeseen extra's. I have no mortgage so to speak but we spend about 3.5k a month.

The only things across the board which are cheaper over here are insurance and petrol. In the UK 3 years ago we spent 120-130gbp a week on food, here and now 350-400nzd a week. This is a mixture of basic with some so called ready made foods and of course alcohol.

You may do it cheaper growing and cooking all your own, but with two kids my wife tells me it's hard work.

Don't forget Doctor, Dentist etc and health insurance.

Good luck

kenpom

If you have rent or mortgage to pay you will not manage

lapsed kiwi

$45k is a poverty wage (although still nearly twice the minimum wage)
Is this seriously the best offer you can get? I'm surprised you could get PR if that's all you're qualified to do
Sorry if that sounds harsh, but you would really struggle to make ends meet on that.

luvwelly

Yes you'd essentially be coming halfway across the world - at considerable expense to yourself - to trap yourself here on low wages, just because they speak English and have 'more interesting' weather. You pay income tax on every dollar earnt - that's part of the problem - no tax free allowance.

CAN2NZ

I agree, you should not come here to make $45,000 per year.

Last year, my job was relocated to Wellington, we stayed behind here. I have only worked 6 weeks since the 1st of July 2009. I am a Chartered Accountant and cannot find work. I won't go into that now. I only mention it because I am looking, hoping for the offer this coming week to work in Dunedin at only $90,000 per year.

Yes I say only. We have three children and run two cars, we don't drink or smoke. Becuase I have not been working we are in a position of taking a job, any job really, and this is the bottom of the barrel for us. It is, without exchanging the money, $50,000 less than I made in Canada four years ago and $30,000 less than I made in my job. We have really had to look very hard at our budget and see what we have that we can do better on for less. I can tell you, you will be so sorry to come here and take a job for $45,000.

Just start doing the sums yourself budgeting for rent, utilities, groceries, auto, home, life insurance, car registration, auto warrant of fitness, dentist visit, christmas gifts, birthday, eye glasses if applicable, hair cuts, clothes, school fees, petrol, car repairs and replacement and so on. You will soon see, like us, out of $90,000 per year, we have a surplus of $5 per week. That includes no amount for savings other than our budget of $25 per week for car repair/replacement. Now we have covered all of our expenses, but not saved a thing for a rainy day. Oh, and no health insurance.

Please, please don't come here, you will be very sorry if you do unless you can double your income for now and then when your kids get to school, your wife can work. However, with no relatives to help you with child care, your wife had better be a professional to make it worth her while to work and pay child care.

Again, do not come here on that sort of salary, you will be very un happy and cold in some cheap rental some where with the memories of a warm house you could afford to heat back in the UK.

Don't come here.

irish_eyes

It is a fairly low income, to be honest. As someone else said, there are extras that you dont always budget for so its good to have savings. My husband is the only one working at the moment but i want to stay home with my kids so until I go back to work, we wont have the money to have a massive holiday abroad. We are happy to have weekends away within New Zealand while our kids are young.

To buy a house you will need 20% deposit here and no matter where you buy, thats still a large amount of money that you'll need. I can understand how people spend 300-400 on food - its expensive but we manage spending way less than that ($150 a week) and we are a family of 2 adults and 2 kids. There are ways of keeping costs down. I live a fairly simple life here so I'm happy to keep costs down but if your used to having lots of luxury items, it wont be possible here on that kind of a salary.

concretepump

sorry fail to see how if your earning $90,000 a year why you have no money left, we are coming over in sept and my gross money will be between $50,000 and $60,000 a year inculding saterdays, we will only bring about $180,000 the rest will be on a mortage, and we will have money left over and more once my wife gets a job, we have lived there before, i was only bring home $650 to $750 a week and still paying $360 a week rent and we had sky and lane line and running a 4x4

dannigirl

I agree with the other posts that on $45,000 it would certainly be a struggle. But I'm sorry $90,000 in Dunedin and you describe it as ONLY $90,000 - I realise that you have three children but you don't mention if your other half is working.....if not, then even a part time wage will allow you to put away some savings and/or add luxuries to your lifestyle. Dunedin rent and house prices are much lower than the rest of NZ generally. You get your expensive parts of town but if you are sensible you can get a good house in a great part of Dunedin for a fair price (not an old shack in Welly for $400,000 like I have been looking at!!!)

luvwelly

You haven't read it properly she's hoping to get a job in Dunedin precisely because of the lower costs.