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Will we struggle on $65K please

Will we struggle on $65K please

Old Apr 14th 2013, 6:00 pm
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Default Will we struggle on $65K please

can I ask is it going to be worthwhile us coming over or do you think it will be a struggle, 2 adults 3 boys OH on $65.000pa and I will work PT after a while. I'm so confused with everything I read,
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Old Apr 14th 2013, 10:52 pm
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

Originally Posted by banski
can I ask is it going to be worthwhile us coming over or do you think it will be a struggle, 2 adults 3 boys OH on $65.000pa and I will work PT after a while. I'm so confused with everything I read,

It is going to be tight on that money. Did you see my post about bills? NZ is not a cheap place to live as the gulf betwixt wages and housing costs is huge. I am sure others manage on less. I guess it depends how much you want to be here eh?

You need to work out your projected expenses agin your take home $$. Settling down in a new country and being skint is not a nice thing.
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Old Apr 14th 2013, 10:57 pm
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Smile Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

Depends on housing arrangements. We are in a bubble right now so it's uber expensive and getting worse.

If you can avoid a big loan you might be OK.
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Old Apr 14th 2013, 11:01 pm
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

You're certainly not going to live the life of Reilly on that money. Sorry, but there's no sense trying to sugarcoat it.
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Old Apr 14th 2013, 11:10 pm
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

is that take home money or money before tax? don't forget every single cent is taxed over here. Think it would be a struggle and it also depends on where you are thinking of going. Also think you may need to consider yourself not working as it does seem fairly hard to gain work over here for partners from what I have seen on other threads. Snap Shot I believe has still not gained work but has been looking, another member took ages to gain work and her daughter also longer. I have a couple of friends who are over here and neither of them have not been able to gain any sort of work in the last 18mths even with her partner being in the IT industry and they are now having to move to Auckland to see if their luck gets better there.

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Old Apr 14th 2013, 11:34 pm
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Red face Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

We have been here ten months now, and we don't earn 65k by any means! I don't need to work. We have a small ish mortgage and a vehicle! We also have 12 acres on which we have sheep to eat! We were lucky enough to sell our house, and at the time the exchange rate was just under double. (From what i can remember) we bought well within our means so that we have savings left to do up our home.
We don't go out much to pubs etc, but if we want to eat out etc we do! We don't have to scrimp and save. We live in a very rural area, so maybe that is why we are able to afford it? Plus our rates are half what we were paying in the UK, and we don't have heating costs as we have our own wood, and water is from the tanks.... So we only pay electricity.

I just wanted to say that it depends on your lifestyle. And where you are. If your big city types then I guess its expensive? We don't find that it is a worry for us! We have two kids and we eat well!

Wanted to give you my opinion! I hope it helps?
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 2:10 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

I'm a teacher (NZ$72k pa approx) with 2 teenage boys.
Our mortgage is tiny by most people's standards and we have no real vices. We have only one car (although it does use a lot of petrol).

We would struggle on 65k which is why my wife also works part time to keep us afloat.

As downunderpom says there is no point trying to sugarcoat it, that sort of money for a family is not a lot. If you have zero mortgage and live outside of the big centres it might be possible, but you would not save a lot and trips back to the uk would be out of the question.
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 3:35 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

Originally Posted by banski
can I ask is it going to be worthwhile us coming over or do you think it will be a struggle, 2 adults 3 boys OH on $65.000pa and I will work PT after a while. I'm so confused with everything I read,
you'll have to see if you'll qualify for working for families tax credits... that could bring in $100+ a week and with you possible working part time, it'll all add up...
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 4:13 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

With one baby and wife on under $500 a week and me on around that figure

We struggle towards the end of the month

Even better now winters coming and mega expensive electric bills on the way

Good luck, $67k with 3 children - you'll definitely need a decent enough well paid job. Especially wherever you decide to rent
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 5:04 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

I've been looking for work for so long I'm starting to see the funny side of all the turn downs ! I used to get an inferiority complex about it, these days I just take it as normal.

You might not get work as quickly as perhaps you might have done in Britain. I am, frankly, shocked/bewildered at how my employment situation is here. (It was one of the reasons that I didn't think I'd fare well or be happy in NZ i.e. I was scared that no one would take me seriously for work or at work.) As it goes, when I got to work in NZ, there were times when I forgot I'd left Britain !

I've had a couple of temporary jobs which I can refer to when applying for yet another job in NZ but if I'm honest, apathy is starting to kick in. Why bother applying for a job to get yet another turn down ? I'm pretty resilient but this is taking the you-know-what.

I've never had this amount of crap looking for work in Britain. The most I'd ever been out of work for in Britain was three months. I could claim unemployment benefit in Britain. I can't here because of our household income. The income tax I've paid during my temporary jobs here in NZ means nothing to the NZ government. At least in Britain I would be treated as an individual.

I'm registered with two employment agencies here in provincial NZ. Both as useless as each other. I apply for jobs on internet job vacancy sites, newspaper vacancy notices, WINZ (Work & Income New Zealand - the equivalent of the job centre) vacancies, on and on it goes. For the record, all I want is an intermediate level admin job that suits my capabilities.

To keep my sanity I do voluntary work and I also make sure there's structure in my day. We will just have to continue to find a way to make it work until things improve.

So, in short, will you struggle on NZ$65,000 annual salary ? Sorry to say this but yes you probably will. Now, I don't want to get into a whole analysis of living within your means and being happy. Plenty do it, but do you just want to get by or do you want to live ? I realise once again it's personal choice, personal circumstance.

Last edited by Snap Shot; Apr 15th 2013 at 6:43 am. Reason: post wasn't long enough
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 6:25 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

I think this is what i needed, a little honesty I don't just want to hear the good bits I need all the facts warts and all, we dont have an extravagant life here in uk, the whole point of the move is to give our boys a better outdoor lifestyle and were not happy how the youth culture is turning out here, but if we can't afford for them to have a decent life then there is no point.
We would be moving to ChCh for my OH to help with the rebuild on the roads, I suppose if they really want him they will be willing to pay more thanks for your replies We have lots to think about, and yes saw your post Genesis thats why i wrote this, my brain hurts lol
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 6:44 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

While struggle may be a harsh word you probably wouldn't be far off. There's just 2 of us here and I wouldn't like to have that kind of income for us both to live off.

While its great coming out here for the lifestyle for you and the kids I'm sure that could be pretty pricy. Yes there is a lot of walks, nature, sports etc you could do but just getting all the gear together to do it, let alone cost of domestic travel, accommodation etc I suspect would be prohibitive on that kind of money.

E.g Aside from the usual cost of living threads for fruit &veg there have been others on here recently about the cost of domestic flights, international flights, overpriced shoddy hotel accommodation etc.

Also when ur kids start loving the outdoor lifestyle and your then in to buying fishing gear, rugby gear, scuba gear, camping gear etc or weekends away to "see & do" the country it will all add up.

Given its a very international traveller tourist industry set up here the prices are pretty jacked up, even the stuff aimed at backpackers let alone family's with kids.

Just my thought on what you may need to consider if your coming here for the lifestyle as a family of 5.
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 9:00 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

When I arrived 7 years ago I was on 38k............now that was a struggle!!
A couple of promotions later and I managed to double my original wage.
Consequently I no longer have to sell one of my kidneys.

Unless you live alone and have a small ish mortgage say 170K or less you will struggle somewhat on 65k. Not impossible as I have proved - but not a bowl of cherries either.
However, according to my friends and family back in England, people are struggling more and more every week with their wages not keeping pace with ever increasing everyday bills.
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 9:38 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

That is very true OH has not had a pay rise in 4 years but everythng else is going up, but if i bring boys out for a so called better life then cant afford for them to do activities then I will feel really bad, answer to earlier question $65k is before tax and dont think were entitled to tax credits either, I really wanted to do this but now i'm not sure :/
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Old Apr 15th 2013, 10:07 am
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Default Re: Will we struggle on $65K please

A key question here would be whether you would need a mortgage. In my experience that makes a massive difference to the quality of life and what you can manage on.
For us $170k would be a huge mortgage! But of course we know plenty of people with much more than that, I have no idea how they manage to be honest.
I would say that if you can be mortgage free, and you had a part time job you could just about manage but I'm not sure it would be a lot of fun.......
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