nickandbev

hi everyone can you help???

My husband has been offered a job in Auckland offering between $65 and 70k per year. Reading the different threads here, we are getting confused as to whether we are making the right move. I know that emmigrating somewhere is not Utopia. Is the salary being offered enough to survive with 2adults and 2 children in Auckland?

Thanks.......

newkiwi

Thats not a bad salary to be offered as a start. Auckland is quite expensive as people have been saying. It depends on what lifestyle you want to support, how much cash you have to bring over (ie will you be able to buy a house with a small mortgage) etc.

I think you will be getting around the $700 - $800 per week in the hand, although the Government has increased the family allowance for single income families with two children, im not sure how that works or how much exstra that will be.

Property/ accommodation will be you most expensive item, look on realenz what can be had. Renting would be the way to go for the 1st six months or so while you suss out areas before you think of buying. You wont get much for below $300 - 350 a week. Food probably between $150 and $200 a week. Transportation costs around $100. Doesn't leave a lot for the rest, you will have to watch your spending.

If you are careful with your spending it can be done, but you will have to manage it. It will be fine if you can put down quite a large deposit on a house and save on a mortgage.

Bear in mind that you are likely to be able to attain higher salary in the future once you have some NZ experience.

cheers

JAJ

Don't just think salary, also 'think visa' - will you have a permanent or temporary visa when you go to NZ?



Jeremy

nickandbev

We are applying for a permanent visa can you give us any advise

Pinkie Pie

From what I can gather guys, the average salary seems to be around the $42k - $45k with the average family income being around $70 - $80k. Have a look here http://www.emigratenz.org/Work.html

There are lots of threads on here covering this issue, if you do a search and have a read through it will give you a better idea.

If you need to know anything just shout, someone on here will usually have an answer for you or be able to point you in the right direction...

ukkiwi

Be careful and do plenty of research - i know a 21 year single guy that earns $65 in Auckland and finds it a struggle.Though he does have different priorities i.e going out drinking beer.

JAJ

About getting the visa? No, I can't. But with a permanent visa, unless it has employment conditions on it (which you'd need to check), you're generally free to find alternative employment once you've settled in NZ.

You'd have no reason to if you have a good employer, but a permanent visa is good insurance against being paid less than the market rate for your skills. Having a permanent visa also avoids the hassles (and worse) that people on temporary visas can experience due to having no security in NZ.


Jeremy

Yozzer

You will struggle on that salary alone. I earn 90k and with minimal commitments we don;t have much spare

hubbard

Couldn't agree more. You will be able to 'get by' in Auckland - pretty much wage cheque to wage cheque. Limited $$$s left over for travel, non essential clothing, doctors, dentists, pension payments. Do you really want to move to the other side of the world to 'get by'??? And bear in mind living a frugal existence in a city is far more miserable than out in the countryside - no gorgeous view of mountains or the sea to take your mind off your money woes, daily commute in traffic.

Sorry but if your husband takes that salary of $70k you would need to work. That way you may be ok.

packet to wage packeton that but have limited $$s for

lapsed kiwi

Could you enlighten me? I'd really like to know how you struggle on $5300 per month after tax with minimal commitments. Without getting too personal, could you give a rough breakdown of your monthly expenditure? It's just that I will be on $82k per year, with a medium-sized mortgage, and my calculations indicate that this hould be OK. My rough breakdown is: net income $4600 pm, mortgage $1500 pm, groceries $1k pm, other bills $500 pm, leaving $1500 for other expenses. I'd be keen to hear how yours compares, and I'm sure others would, too.

newkiwi

there are a number of threads about cost of living and calculators, I know National Bank has one.

we (me and my wife....no children) spent about 500 a week on mortgage, 100 per week on groceries, plus maybe another 50 a week on other foods from the dairy, an average of 100 a week for utilities, sky tv etc, 50 for transport, varying amounts per week on entertainment, a meal out is around 100 for two, so say 200 a week all up for going out, then we try to having a savings acount for holidays, plus saving for large expenses that may crop up, saving for retirement because companies rarely provide this, and we each have money for incidentals during the week (my OH spends all of hers on clothes!!). A hair straightner apparently costs $300, and the same again to get a haircut and color.

We had to pretty much set up house from scratch again, so we had up to 150 a week at one stage serving HP, I like to go diving so I try to save money each week for that...

Its scary how quickly it all adds up......... :scared:

Im not saying everyone has to have all of these, this is just what we spend, but I know if you are good on living within a budget you may get away with less.

annaerb

New Kiwi,

You obviously both have expensive tastes. You can buy cheaper hair straightners ranging from $30 upwards obviously you only get what you pay for, My Daughter bought some a few months back that cost $80. As for getting hair coloured/cut etc your wife must go to one of the most expensive hairdressers around to be paying $300. I pay $80 for a cut & Colour and yes, that's in Auckland. As for buying clothes you don't need new clothes every week either. You don't need to be going out for dinner all the time invite people over instead.
I think if you looked into what your money goes on every week you could cut back and save more for your holiday & diving.

Getting back to salaries:
I think $70K will be fine for you and your family. My brother in law earns $55k and most of that goes on everyday expenses etc my sister does have to work (3 days a week) and earns about $300 pw and that goes on extras.

newkiwi

Hi

i was laying it on a bit, its not as if we do eat out every week, and I also think $300 is a rip off for a hair straightner (to be fair my wife got tyhe money to buy a nice one as a present). She doesnt really buy clothes every week altho im sure she will want to,
same goes for the hair cuts and colors. she usually does the coloring herself....

I just wanted to point out how easy it can be to spend tons of money in NZ, esp if you are not careful..... :scared:

Were certainly not high flyers, you wont think we have expensive taste if you saw our second hand car...........

I think the basics of groceries/food, travel, utilities, and rent is pretty standard though.

Dave in Auckland

With all due respect, who are you to decree what someone does or doesn't need? The scenario that he suggests is what would be considered a "reasonable" standard of living in the UK. What you say merely proves that the cost of living is higher in NZ than the UK, myself & my wife earn far more than that and we have little to spare at the end of every week. As for the point someone made earlier about $1500 being a medium mortgage, not any more that's for sure, that repayment would get you a $200,000 mortgage, half the average Auckland house price. No MIRAS here either, no 100% mortgages, high interest rates...

If you want to emigrate to NZ, and don't want to live week to week, multiply your UK salary by the prevailing exchange rate 2.8ish) and if you get that in dollars you'll be doing about the same

southerner

Or simpler still - don't pay the premium housing costs that Auckland requires.

Actually, that is a bit tongue in cheek!
My point really is there is no magical rule of thumb. Everyone has different spending habits, some even want to change those habits by immigrating. And comparing translating Auckland costs to the rest of NZ work either. Do the numbers for yourself.