Your life in NZ vs UK
 

All of us who have come to NZ, did actually have a life back in the UK (or somewhere else).

What did you do in the UK and what do you do now?

All things considered, how to things stack up?

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

My life in Sheffield

Work 50 plus hours week
Earned a shed load of money
Got pissed and pilled up at the weekend (spent all my money)
Had a small semi
Went to the Med for my holidays

Life in NZ

Work 20-40 hours week
Money wise, doing OK, but nowhere near UK levels
Drink local wine and some home grown
Got a 3 bed house with 1/4 acre
Off to Asia for four weeks holiday.

Overall for me, much happier here. Although I suspect I could have settled in many other places in the world. I was unhappy in the UK on a pretty personal level (kind of a mid life crisis at 32).

Here we are a much more outdoorsy lifestyle, fishing, diving, horse riding.

We have great plans for the future, which are coming together.

Materialistically, I was much better off in the UK. But life here is much more fulfilling.

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

My life in the South East:
Worked 35 hours a week
Earnt a reasonable amount for what I did
Spent 2 hours a day commuting
Was pretty lazy at weekends and didn't do an awful lot
Took short breaks in European cities once or twice a year
Lived in a one bed flat in a grotty town on the outskirts of London

My life in Auckland:
Work 35 hours a week
Earn more than I did in UK or would if I was still there now!
Spend 1 hour on a bad day commuting - 30 mins on a good day
Spend weekends out exploring, walking, time on the beach, out with friends
Have been on holiday 6 times in 18 months (all NZ or Oz).
Live in a three bed house 5 minutes from the beach :)

Apart from missing my European city breaks I think I have it much better in NZ!! :thumbup:

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

Was plod, now a beleagured kitchen bitch with 3 'spirited' children 2 X 8 and 1 x 10. The last 6 years have in many ways been the hardest of my life. Doing a 40hr week working as a copper is a walk in the park in relation to being a 'mummy'. I do like the challenge (even though I am crap at what I do, I do try my hardest..but am worst own enemy, sound like all my school reports..crap, crap, crap) and feel it an honour and a privilige to be in a situation to do this. Still bloody hard BUT no regrets.

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

Worked hard (both of us), had my own small electrical business, also lectured at college, and had property developing as side line… had nice house in crap area, Mercedes car, holidays abroad, no money problems.

Now, have huge house which I am renovating, acres of land, plenty of toys, lots…. I mean LOTS of room to play, which was an issue back home. No bothersome neighbours, a driveway you could land a small airplane on, huge garden/s, veggie beds, chickens (coming soon)….. Got a few gripes like most folk, usual stuff, also been feeling down of recent, what with quakes, cold weather, missing family and friends, cheap flights to Europe…. Blah blah. On the whole I would say we have more “stuff” than we had back home, especially if you count the land, house size, outbuildings (man caves) and such.

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

UK
Lived in Devon
Had a nice job with the Government but didn't get paid a huge amount Worked an irregular 35 hr week but it was always fun filled
30 days leave a year + flexi time so always had plenty of time off.
Holidays in the usual places 3 or 4 times a year
Owned a 3 bed end terrace
Had a sensible car + 2 classic cars and a motorbike

NZ
Live in Wellington
Good job in IT earning 4 times what I did in the UK
Work a full-on 50 hr week and do not usually see a lunch break
20 days leave a year, no flexi and difficult to get a day off
Holidays thru the year would be a nice thing but now save it all for Christmas/Summer
Own a 3 bed detached on a reasonable section
1 sensible car, no classics and no motorbikes


All in about the same sort of life style but I do not have anywhere near as much free time as I did have. Swing and roundabouts really :o

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

UK
Lived in Nottinghamshire....far from the sea
Had a very easy job, working odd night shifts, sometimes from home and very rarely above 6 hour shifts, earning a good wage...for Dixons / Currys (30 minutes from home)
Holidays in Europe mainly and several short weekend breaks in the UK
Owned a traditional bay window 3 bed 3 storey house with big garden in nice area
Had a new Alfa, an old 'project' E Type and a vintage motor bike


NZ
Live in Whangaparaoa, 60 seconds walk from the sea
Tried to set up a business but didn't know enough people (Kiwi thing!) now working 50 hours a week for a very busy 4x4 garage in Glenfield (40 minutes from home)
Holidays in NZ so far but that's good for us for the next few years
Rent at the moment but looking to buy a 4 bed house on a 1/4 acre section near the sea
Have an 18 year old heavy duty 4x4 to use off road and not up a kerb! as well as a 16 year old jap runaround but the wife wants an Alfa...soon!

I earn more than I did in the UK (just) but work harder for it, except here I like the job and it's different everyday. We do more at weekends and the kids have more freedom, so all in all, a great move!

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

[having that crisis myself haha, so off to NZ I go, hope bit will never look back and I love your post!!

QUOTE=Catchafire;9468216]My life in Sheffield

Work 50 plus hours week
Earned a shed load of money
Got pissed and pilled up at the weekend (spent all my money)
Had a small semi
Went to the Med for my holidays

Life in NZ

Work 20-40 hours week
Money wise, doing OK, but nowhere near UK levels
Drink local wine and some home grown
Got a 3 bed house with 1/4 acre
Off to Asia for four weeks holiday.

Overall for me, much happier here. Although I suspect I could have settled in many other places in the world. I was unhappy in the UK on a pretty personal level (kind of a mid life crisis at 32).

Here we are a much more outdoorsy lifestyle, fishing, diving, horse riding.

We have great plans for the future, which are coming together.

Materialistically, I was much better off in the UK. But life here is much more fulfilling.[/QUOTE]

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

Most of above true for us too, although collectively we do earn a fair bit more over here.

Major things to add would be that I have my life back here - I used to commute 3 hours 40 minutes every day and it killed me, now I commute 50 minutes a day. My health has improved too, probably as I am much less stressed generally.

Also our dogs have a way better life - in the UK a short walk on the lead was a luxury for them, here they have 2.5 acres of safe secure garden to run around in - and they do :rofl:

Jan

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

Scotland
Lived in a city
I taught children with severe autism and/or emotional and behavioural difficulties in a residential school.
I worked about 40 hours a week
Paid a teachers salary with a small allowance for evening work
Went to Islay for our holidays!
Spent weekends with friends usually dinner or something and/or going to restaurants
Lived in a huge town-house in the west end of Glasgow with no garden
Was happy :D


New Zealand
Live in the countryside
I'm a farmer
work ... all the time ( but it's up to me!)
paid nothing
:lol:
(luckily hubby has a job)
Go to Rarotonga or the islands for holidays
Weekends spent with friends having dinner etc at eachothers houses.
Have 24 acres of 'garden'
Am happy :D

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

sounds like you were taking the wrong pills lad :p

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

UK

Owned most of a 3 bed mid terraced house, extremely small mortgage
Worked for myself earned quite a bit ;)
Had loads of disposable income
He worked for a large IT firm
Holidayed around the UK 2-3 times a year
Holidayed abroad maybe once every 2 years
Owned 2 cars
Socialised frequently, and went out clubbing a lot :lol:

NZ

Rent a 4 bed house just a few minutes walk from a popular beach
Studying for, and nearly finished, a Bachelor of Education teaching degree
He works for a major IT firm
Holidays are non-existent due to us not getting the same time off - been to Oz once, Coromandel twice, Rotorua once, and the Bay of Plenty once - in 4 years.
Own 2 cars
Kids go to really good schools (now we've moved them)
Socialise less frequently and been out clubbing ONCE in NZ :sneaky:
We have one wage coming in and survive comfortably on that

I prefer our lives here than in the UK. We have more space, freedom, and opportunities... for me though, this still isn't enough to keep me here :o

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

Dead right there.

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

So have we, but it was a good one, Chemistry at the Britomart in 2006!

Re: Your life in NZ vs UK
 

Mine was too - my 30th :lol: I danced allllllllllllll night long and fell into my hotel room (at the Hilton - still sober) at around 4am. Rock and roll baby :rofl: