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-   -   What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ (https://britishexpats.com/forum/new-zealand-83/what-benefits-raising-familyin-nz-330872/)

melting pot Oct 11th 2005 8:37 pm

What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
After being here 6 months, my family are now facing as to whether to stay or not in NZ. We came to provide a better lifestyle for raising our 2 children,1 a toddler, and 1 a baby.
We thought that we would be able to buy a house with smaller mortgage, and have money for savings,to be able to have trips back to the UK.
The cost of living is proving to be very high, I am looking after the children and my husband is working,he earns 65K which we are told is a good salary for Auckland, but we are $1000, dollars a month short on paying the bills, we dont drink, have 1 car, dont have holidays,dont buy clothes, or eat out, there is no extravagant lifestyle but still the ends do not meet.
As I can not see any improvement in exchange rates it is not an option to even convert our money to purchase a property,not that we can afford one at the current time anyway,so will be staying in rented.
I didnt dislike the UK, and do miss family,and wonder if raising children without them is best for them, but my husband does not want to return,and is determined that we should make it work, where as I can not see why to put our family, or our marriage though more anguish and that returning maybe the only compromise that we should make,before we leave it too long, lose more money and then have our options taken away from us.
Therefore, why should we stay here,....what is the benefits of being in NZ

JaneAS Oct 11th 2005 9:09 pm

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
MeltingPot, it sounds as though you are having a rough time of it, and this is what I fear about emigrating (we are still doing our research). When you say the cost of living is high, is it in the mortgage repayments, utility bills, food bills, health care? Are you living in an expensive area?

I hope you work things out. Good luck,
JaneAS

melting pot Oct 11th 2005 9:24 pm

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 

Originally Posted by JaneAS
MeltingPot, it sounds as though you are having a rough time of it, and this is what I fear about emigrating (we are still doing our research). When you say the cost of living is high, is it in the mortgage repayments, utility bills, food bills, health care? Are you living in an expensive area?

I hope you work things out. Good luck,
JaneAS

not living in expensive area,rent 390pw for 3bed hse on north shore,elec 160per month,food 300 per week inc nappies, formula milks etc, but concidering only small,as they grow will eat more..... car insurance 60 pm,petrol 250 pm hse insurance 50 pm,life insurance 70pm...list goes on,even if we got a mortgage,the interset rates are 9 % and rising so wworks out similar to what we would pay in rent,each docter visit is 65 dollars for adults and 15 for children rising to 35 when over 5....I wasillrecently,2tripsto doc, 2 courses antib cost $180.....not funny !!
Generaly everything is about 2 1/2,time the cost and more of what you would pay in the uk, but salaries are not, maybe its just a case needing 2 salaries to support families here,but not what we had intended.

Carkedit Oct 11th 2005 11:10 pm

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 

Originally Posted by melting pot
not living in expensive area,rent 390pw for 3bed hse on north shore,elec 160per month,food 300 per week inc nappies, formula milks etc, but concidering only small,as they grow will eat more..... car insurance 60 pm,petrol 250 pm hse insurance 50 pm,life insurance 70pm...list goes on,even if we got a mortgage,the interset rates are 9 % and rising so wworks out similar to what we would pay in rent,each docter visit is 65 dollars for adults and 15 for children rising to 35 when over 5....I wasillrecently,2tripsto doc, 2 courses antib cost $180.....not funny !!
Generaly everything is about 2 1/2,time the cost and more of what you would pay in the uk, but salaries are not, maybe its just a case needing 2 salaries to support families here,but not what we had intended.


The doc in west auckland is $40 a visit.

CWEMM02 Oct 12th 2005 3:16 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 

Originally Posted by melting pot
After being here 6 months, my family are now facing as to whether to stay or not in NZ. We came to provide a better lifestyle for raising our 2 children,1 a toddler, and 1 a baby. . .

My wife and I (and four kids but no dog anymore) had our first EOI accepted last September. We withdrew our application after we were invited to apply for PR. We currently live in Niagara Falls, Canada where we enjoy above average income and below average cost of housing. These two factors weighed very heavily on our decision not to move to NZ.

In September of this year our second EOI was accepted and we have been invited to apply for PR. So, why are we doing it a second time as one could have other hobbies than completing endless EOI's?

I know that I will make less money, save less money, pay more for housing and so have a mortgage for a longer time and likely overall enjoy a lower standard of living in NZ then here. However, I look down the road and like the idea that I am not likely to drop dead of a heart attack after clearing the snow off the drive and will actually be able to go outside in summer as it is so very hot here. I am looking for a place that allows me to continue to live and work in the same city. I want a place where the weather is fair, where there are reasonable social and educational assets and where there are reasonable opportunities for a satisfying career. There are only a few places in the world where one finds so many of these things. Vancouver is too big and getting very expensive. After Vancouver one is looking at New Zealand as Australia is too hot, Sidney too big and too expensive.

When push comes to shove I would have to say there is only Wellington and Christchurch. I still find them more expensive then they should be and can't understand how NZ'ers pay for their homes or why they keep deciding to pay more for them each month. They should all sit on their hands for a bit.

So, should you stay? I lived in the UK for two years (south east) I loved it. It is always good to have a little extra money each month, but I found in the UK it is a necessity. I worked for a few years in the US and there is only so much on offer and these days it is best to stay away. I think you should stay, but perhaps look for cheaper accomodation and perhaps a chance to move out of the Auckland area. Overall, for us we have no illusions that we are up for a challenge but in the long run, I can't see how it should be considered a huge mistake.

Now on a sligthly new topic for all you Brits: How can you not be substantially better off by moving to NZ? If I had the number of pounds that I have Canadian dollars I should do quite nicely with the currency conversion even at current levels. I am by no means wealthy. I keep thinking that housing prices are so high in New Zealand because you all show up with all your pounds and get so many dollars that you just have to buy real estate and if it costs an extra 25,000, so what it is only 10,000 pounds.

All the best to you all, we are planning on showing up on 30 August 2006.

Michael

melting pot Oct 12th 2005 5:34 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 

Originally Posted by CWEMM02
My wife and I (and four kids but no dog anymore) had our first EOI accepted last September. We withdrew our application after we were invited to apply for PR. We currently live in Niagara Falls, Canada where we enjoy above average income and below average cost of housing. These two factors weighed very heavily on our decision not to move to NZ.

I can understand,and thank you for your balanced opinion on NZ, I lived in the South East of England, and we had a good quality of life there,but house prices, etc just kept rising and we decided on children so I stopped work to look after my children. We were not in a position to move ( as we thought at the time ) as didnt want the huge mortgages that all the people we knew had,to get the bigger house,to accommodate the bigger family or thought we couldn't afford anyway. So the option to come to NZ,and to be in a position where we could have a bigger house,small mortgage and we thought similar pay,so similar cost of living, that although 12000 miles away,it would be the right thing to do for the raising of our children, Even though we would be leaving family and friends behind.

I think the assumption is that Brits come in with all this money,but we are a young couple 1 salary,2children...we dont have suitcases full of money, yes enough to be able to put a sizable deposit,but still needing a 200k mortgage, which is what we thought couldn't afford in the UK,on similar money to what we are earning here........

So all of a sudden....I hope you can now see my concerns...the cost of living has more than doubled, mortgage will have more than doubled.....so why have we come all this way.

I can hear people thinking why didnt you research....we did,my husbands parents have retired here,his uncle,and a cousin is living here, we came twice to visit, in 1999,and 2003... but only recently is it unraveling from family here that yes it has got very expensive,but obviously did not want to tell us, why would they want to deter there son from coming !!!!! motives which also concern me...

My husband is very keen to stay, and me....well....I want to the best thing,its cost alot of money to get here....not to mention the heartache...but so far finding it difficult to reconcile in my own mind that this is the best thing for us to have done.

Gill and Rob Oct 12th 2005 6:51 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
Hello
Sorry you are having such a rough time at the moment. Only my thoughts, but have you considered moving out of Auckland, where you will get a less expensive rental, where if you bought, you would get more for you money, where communting times would be shorter saving you on petrol {$250 !!!}?

What does you hubby do? How likely would he be of finding a job outside of Auckland.

Cheers and keep you chin up.

Gill

babybella Oct 12th 2005 9:14 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=melting pot]

Originally Posted by CWEMM02
My wife and I (and four kids but no dog anymore) had our first EOI accepted last September. We withdrew our application after we were invited to apply for PR. We currently live in Niagara Falls, Canada where we enjoy above average income and below average cost of housing. These two factors weighed very heavily on our decision not to move to NZ.

I can understand,and thank you for your balanced opinion on NZ, I lived in the South East of England, and we had a good quality of life there,but house prices, etc just kept rising and we decided on children so I stopped work to look after my children. We were not in a position to move ( as we thought at the time ) as didnt want the huge mortgages that all the people we knew had,to get the bigger house,to accommodate the bigger family or thought we couldn't afford anyway. So the option to come to NZ,and to be in a position where we could have a bigger house,small mortgage and we thought similar pay,so similar cost of living, that although 12000 miles away,it would be the right thing to do for the raising of our children, Even though we would be leaving family and friends behind.

I think the assumption is that Brits come in with all this money,but we are a young couple 1 salary,2children...we dont have suitcases full of money, yes enough to be able to put a sizable deposit,but still needing a 200k mortgage, which is what we thought couldn't afford in the UK,on similar money to what we are earning here........

So all of a sudden....I hope you can now see my concerns...the cost of living has more than doubled, mortgage will have more than doubled.....so why have we come all this way.

I can hear people thinking why didnt you research....we did,my husbands parents have retired here,his uncle,and a cousin is living here, we came twice to visit, in 1999,and 2003... but only recently is it unraveling from family here that yes it has got very expensive,but obviously did not want to tell us, why would they want to deter there son from coming !!!!! motives which also concern me...

My husband is very keen to stay, and me....well....I want to the best thing,its cost alot of money to get here....not to mention the heartache...but so far finding it difficult to reconcile in my own mind that this is the best thing for us to have done.

Hi Melting pot,
Sorry you are having a hard time of it. $65,000 per year does not give you a lot to play with unless you are morgage free.
I haven't been to NZ for 5 years now but the other day I spent £180 on the weekly shop I can't believe that I would spend $540 on my shopping in NZ
KAZ

uk+kiwi Oct 12th 2005 10:00 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=melting pot]

Originally Posted by CWEMM02
My wife and I (and four kids but no dog anymore) had our first EOI accepted last September. We withdrew our application after we were invited to apply for PR. We currently live in Niagara Falls, Canada where we enjoy above average income and below average cost of housing. These two factors weighed very heavily on our decision not to move to NZ.

I can understand,and thank you for your balanced opinion on NZ, I lived in the South East of England, and we had a good quality of life there,but house prices, etc just kept rising and we decided on children so I stopped work to look after my children. We were not in a position to move ( as we thought at the time ) as didnt want the huge mortgages that all the people we knew had,to get the bigger house,to accommodate the bigger family or thought we couldn't afford anyway. So the option to come to NZ,and to be in a position where we could have a bigger house,small mortgage and we thought similar pay,so similar cost of living, that although 12000 miles away,it would be the right thing to do for the raising of our children, Even though we would be leaving family and friends behind.

I think the assumption is that Brits come in with all this money,but we are a young couple 1 salary,2children...we dont have suitcases full of money, yes enough to be able to put a sizable deposit,but still needing a 200k mortgage, which is what we thought couldn't afford in the UK,on similar money to what we are earning here........

So all of a sudden....I hope you can now see my concerns...the cost of living has more than doubled, mortgage will have more than doubled.....so why have we come all this way.

I can hear people thinking why didnt you research....we did,my husbands parents have retired here,his uncle,and a cousin is living here, we came twice to visit, in 1999,and 2003... but only recently is it unraveling from family here that yes it has got very expensive,but obviously did not want to tell us, why would they want to deter there son from coming !!!!! motives which also concern me...

My husband is very keen to stay, and me....well....I want to the best thing,its cost alot of money to get here....not to mention the heartache...but so far finding it difficult to reconcile in my own mind that this is the best thing for us to have done.

Sorry things are not looking particularly rosy for you at the moment. I hope they get better and that there are some aspects to your lifestyle that are much better than they were back home? :)

uk+kiwi Oct 12th 2005 10:01 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=kaz Hen]

Originally Posted by melting pot
the other day I spent £180 on the weekly shop I can't believe that I would spend $540 on my shopping in NZ
KAZ

Hope you picked up some nice wine!!! :) You wouldn't do that every week though would you? Good for you if you do though.

babybella Oct 12th 2005 10:14 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=uk+kiwi]

Originally Posted by kaz Hen

Hope you picked up some nice wine!!! :) You wouldn't do that every week though would you? Good for you if you do though.

No that was more expensive that usual (It was the bottle of Laphroaig that did it) I do spend about £150 each week on food for five of us though.
I used to spend $450 per fortnight in NZ
KAZ
Now I really must go and do some work, ugh!
KAZ :mad:

uk+kiwi Oct 12th 2005 10:17 am

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=kaz Hen]

Originally Posted by uk+kiwi
Now I really must go and do some work, ugh!
KAZ :mad:

Me too!! See you later - Carmen.

melting pot Oct 12th 2005 6:39 pm

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
Unfortunatly the cost of the car, is for trips to see family general use,my husband uses the bus $185 on top of this

melting pot Oct 12th 2005 6:41 pm

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=kaz Hen][QUOTE=melting pot]
why have you chosen to raise family in UK, and would you prefere to be in NZ

babybella Oct 12th 2005 6:56 pm

Re: What are the benefits of raising familyin NZ
 
[QUOTE=melting pot][QUOTE=kaz Hen]

Originally Posted by melting pot
why have you chosen to raise family in UK, and would you prefere to be in NZ

I would much prefer to raise my kids in NZ, go and look at some other posts I have made. My kids have been robbed and chased lots in the UK. Last time my middle one had to hide in bushes, jump fences and knock on somebody's back door to ask to use the phone to call us to pick him up, his friends were so worried when they had to split up they called the police. We then had to go and make a statement. The times this type of thing has happened is too numerous to mention.
My kids are very sporty and don't go out hanging around much at all, we choose to spend our Friday nights taking them to sport matches to avoid them wanting to hang out.
My oldest has chosen to go back to NZ to go to Uni, a trip back last Feb for his 18 birthday convinced him it was the best place. He said that the level of youth agression was non existant compared to the UK and that kids went out to have a good time, not drink so much and just have fun.
We have got ourselves stuck in the ages of our kids, the middle one is very dyslexic and now doing an IT course at the college I work at, has good support and I can keep tabs on what is happening. He is also very good at basketball, playing regional and college and on course for a place in the US.
So for us it is very difficult to make it right for everyone, but in short yes for kids they are kids for much longer in NZ and apart from a few terrible cases like they sick world thread (it happens in the UK too) I believe it is a better place to raise you children.
Good luck with your decission.
KAZ


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