paulst30

I'm currently looking at my saving potential coupled with trying to judge what everything costs in NZ, however with the fluctuating responses, i need something solid.

All i really need to know is on average how much does everyone spend in a week, as in going to work, food, cars and all that. Basically i want a target to save too, and i'll be adding up the costs per week, and deciding on a 6 month living sum. So that if it ever came to a point, i could just fly over, and live off it for 6 months, if i dont get a job right away.

If i get a job, no worries, i'll have some savings to keep the worry at bay

Appreciate the advice as always

Regards

Paul

howden40

Don't say if only you or a family. - prices not set in stone, will give you some idea.

Rental - $350 give or take a $100 depending on where you live, cheaper if you share.

Food - average weekly shop in area of $250 (according to statistics)

Petrol - $60 - $80

Car registration $95 - 6 months
Car w.o.f $50 for 6 months
Insurance $800+ for year but not compulaory

Electricity $100 per month (give or take)

Telephone $90 per month including broadband - buy cards from local shops to make international calls as it works out cheaper.

Spending money on top for things like alcohol etc

Hope this helps

Genesis

[QUOTE=paulst30;6419909]I'm currently looking at my saving potential coupled with trying to judge what everything costs in NZ, however with the fluctuating responses, i need something solid.

All i really need to know is on average how much does everyone spend in a week, as in going to work, food, cars and all that. Basically i want a target to save too, and i'll be adding up the costs per week, and deciding on a 6 month living sum. So that if it ever came to a point, i could just fly over, and live off it for 6 months, if i dont get a job right away.

If i get a job, no worries, i'll have some savings to keep the worry at bay

Appreciate the advice as always

Regards

Our family bills are thus per month, 2 adults, one cat and three under 8's

$1200 ish food

$300 gas elec

$100 house ins conts/blds

$120 ins x 2 cars and MOTS

$100 school fees for 3 kids

$100 phone

$25 life ins X 2

$250 ish petrol X 2 cars

So thats about $2200 per month excluding housing costs. As you can see there is nothing for clothes, hols, breakages, Xmas/birthday pressies, other sundry items plus other unknown expenses etc etc.

I guess you can bung on another $800 per month for the latter. Then you have to add on your housing costs.

$1500 ish for a rental say????? You are looking at the best part of around $4500 per month to live comfortably. Deducting so much if you have no kids/less kids etc!

Its always better to weigh in with more money at your disposal than less aye?

So 6 months in NZ on the above estimate would cost you about $27000.

paulst30

Sorry i should have said, that i am married and have two kids, and a wee kitten, well cat lol.

newt

Not sure I should be doing this exercise , but here goes....

(about to be separated, two teenagers still at home, 3 dogs, one cat)

Mortgage $300 (rent would be about the same)
Groceries $300 (we eat well, and that includes some alcohol)
Insurance $ 25 (House, contents, three vehicles)
Power $ 50 (auto payment, evens itself out over the seasons)
Phone $ 65 (two lines, two cellphones, and broadband internet)
Petrol $ 75 (wife's car only, I have company vehicle)
Heating $ 20 (at a best guess, $1000 a year for firewood and LPG)
Car expenses $ 40 (rego, WOF, tyres, etc)

+++....a pint at my local is $4.80 ($3 at the Club), KFC or Pizza to feed the family about $30, 20 rounds of .270 ammo $35, etc.

simonmarkellis

[QUOTE=newt;642037420 rounds of .270 ammo $35, etc.
[/QUOTE]

Right you've got my attention!!! Are you hunting? Do you eat what you shoot? Is it for protection? If so from who?

paulst30

Thats great information peeps, i appreciate it greatly, its shown i probably could save about £10,000 before coming over,

No-one else needs to reveal all and if anyone wants to edit their posts i understand. Revealing info on the net is like stripping in a shopping mall hahaha

newt

I do eat what I hunt. Mostly deer, red, fallow, or white tail, depending on where we go. There are Thar and Chamois near here as well but I'm not into trophy hunting.
Plenty of pigs as well, but I don't particularly like pig. Sometimes go goat hunting for fun and dog tucker.

Protection...nah, that's what the shotguns are for (as well as ducks)

Rumour has it that there are still Moose in Fiordland and cougar in the MacKenzie Country, but I've never seen either.

Edited to say I don't think I'd fancy eating cougar, but then I wouldn't want one eating me either.

Possum Chaser

Hay Dude,

This is what we done, we came over with $55k NZ (£20k UK)and no jobs to go to. I took nearly 5 months to find a job that paid all the bills so we could stop living of savings. After 4.5 of living very carefully, buying two cars, fridge, washing machine, sofa bed etc and moving from Auckland to Welly as that was where the job was we had about $4000 NZ left.

Due to money worrys and to make ends meet a little easier I took basic jobs that I could walk into and out of easily whilst still looking for the right job. however these were only on the min wage end of scale so only paid around $350 p/wk. so I didn't worry about not turning up for work if I had a interview for someting worthwhile. As an example my first job here was in a shipping container yard, Spotting containers, basicly looking for specific boxes out of a yard of about 2k containers, it only lasted 4 weeks but it paid the rent.

We now live ok and spend around $4000 p/month on food, fuel, bills, mortgage etc. There is only two of us, with 2 cats and 2 dogs (only 1 mutt when we got here)

Batty

Two of us too (and 1 cat) and we spend around that as well.

dlmckay

Try looking at this... my spreadsheet of what things actually cost me in 2007 to live...
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...7&postcount=18

dustylegs11

What a fantastic bit of information. Thank you so much for sharing that.

dlmckay

You're very welcome Hope it helps!

paulst30

Yes gratitude shared

My wife opened it immediately and started to customise it for our situation, so with all the above comments and advice we have a sound realistic savings plan in place, and it looks like the take a way dinners are being dumped lol

thank you very much

PeggyP

What a helpful thread - Thanks everyone.