POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
#16
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Thanks guys what a superb inspiring post - with all the hurdles you have overcome and jumped ready for the next one!! Will keep my fingers crossed for you..so many threads about all the equity that people have is 100k enough and all that tosh.....you have managed to live the dream on a modest budget....long long may it continue - there is more to life than money....it is better to live everyday as it were your last so you experience things others would only dream about!! GOOD LUCK GUYS!!! HOPE I SOON JOIN YOU THERE AND HAVE JUST HALF OF YOUR OPTIMISM!
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 141
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
OK. An honest view point of the not so rich and famous! We migrated to Gold Coast area almost 2 years ago. We came with 12 FULLY loaded suitcases and $11,000. 2 kids under 10 but with all the positive vibes in the world. We also brought camera equiptment with us to fall back on wedding videos if all else failed. (which we start in a few weeks!) We got down to our last 69 cents! Then hubby got a job in retail. He was a bouncer for 5 years in UK, a cameraman for 1 year and a full time dad for 2. As some of you know - I had 7 p/t jobs in UK, doing lecturing at Uni, youth work, tv work, teaching toddlers music, singing lessons and sold all we owned on e-bay 4 years prior to the move. 2 years down the line and we are still "just" surviving. Hubby has a full time job in retail, he pulls in only $520 a week and I work 3 days as a Media Co-ordinator/Back up Director for a Kindy and pull in $380 a week. $100 a month on mobile phone, $300 a month on food, $100 odds on elec, $100 on telephone bill and we had to get loans to buy cars $400 a month for loans. Trust me - little is left every single bloody week. Our rent is $290 a week for a 3 bedroom house up the mountain. No frills, but lucky for us the steepness of the drive was too high to use as a double garage - so we have a fabby large living room and a balcony. Not posh ...but feels like a home. And we just ADORE living up here. We would buy it tommorrow if we could. Worked on a famous TV show here 12 hour a day shifts - through hell every day - had a team of 12 underneath me and had some MAJOR responsibilities - I got $15 an hour for that job! The job I do now have training & meetings once a month, we don't get paid for that, Christmas dinner - we have to pay for, no bonuses, no frills. We are currenly in a rush period and are expected to work around an extra hour each day over what we are paid for. 1st job ever that we got our Christmas and new year pay late instead of early! I like the job, but there is no respect or loyalty here. They truly use and abuse here and that works both ways - the staff treat the job disrespectully too - but that seems to be common here. Hubby and I both had to start casual positions - which means you are on-call for shifts and if they don't want you, they don't call.....so you can never plan to do anything as as soon as you do you'll be called in. I have a small business too now, but trying to convice Aussies to give a new idea a go is hard. They generally think about things for a long time and are in no rush to make decisions - you need to badger them to remember who you are. Possibly only my area of business but I don't think so.
All I am trying to get over is that, it is friggin hard to come with no money. Hubby has applied for the police force - I pray he gets it. That would suit him to a tee. I really like my job, but just it is expected and taken for granted that you have to give so very much. Gold Coast working life if pretty hard going for those in unusual areas or not in easily transferrrable higher paid jobs. I was hopeing to buy a home here as we never owned one in UK. Hubby is 40, me 36 - unless we get a real good breakthrough soon, it's not going to happen - as we would have to pay at least double our rent on a mortgage. Not like in UK where it's cheaper to buy! I can't understand how people buy and rent out here - rental is by far cheaper! Had to put my camera in the pawn today as the kids start school on Monday and we havn't got uniform or books yet! The owner knows us well now, lol! But it's kept us ticking over - borrow from Peter to pay Paul. SOOO NOT looking for sympathy, just wanted to tell how it is for the other side of the coin. So many on here have finances to back up their move. Please don't bother with negitivity either - he made our choices and I do not regrett one minute of this beautiful place. We were in a housing estate in UK and have such a better standard of living here....with sun too! Yippeee
Truly, my whole family love it here to bits. Wouldn't dream of going back. I have a reoccuring dream that I go back to visit my parents and I can't get back to OZ and I awaken with such sadness, before I open the curtains and look at the parots and breath a huge sigh of relief! Just is hard is all! Harder than I had hoped!
All I am trying to get over is that, it is friggin hard to come with no money. Hubby has applied for the police force - I pray he gets it. That would suit him to a tee. I really like my job, but just it is expected and taken for granted that you have to give so very much. Gold Coast working life if pretty hard going for those in unusual areas or not in easily transferrrable higher paid jobs. I was hopeing to buy a home here as we never owned one in UK. Hubby is 40, me 36 - unless we get a real good breakthrough soon, it's not going to happen - as we would have to pay at least double our rent on a mortgage. Not like in UK where it's cheaper to buy! I can't understand how people buy and rent out here - rental is by far cheaper! Had to put my camera in the pawn today as the kids start school on Monday and we havn't got uniform or books yet! The owner knows us well now, lol! But it's kept us ticking over - borrow from Peter to pay Paul. SOOO NOT looking for sympathy, just wanted to tell how it is for the other side of the coin. So many on here have finances to back up their move. Please don't bother with negitivity either - he made our choices and I do not regrett one minute of this beautiful place. We were in a housing estate in UK and have such a better standard of living here....with sun too! Yippeee
Truly, my whole family love it here to bits. Wouldn't dream of going back. I have a reoccuring dream that I go back to visit my parents and I can't get back to OZ and I awaken with such sadness, before I open the curtains and look at the parots and breath a huge sigh of relief! Just is hard is all! Harder than I had hoped!
#18
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Hi you and your family are a shining example what hard work and dedication can achieve. I take my hat off to you and yours and wish you all the best with what comes next. Australia is lucky to have you.
Donna & Neil
Donna & Neil
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Caloundra QLD
Posts: 52
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
OK. An honest view point of the not so rich and famous! We migrated to Gold Coast area almost 2 years ago. We came with 12 FULLY loaded suitcases and $11,000. 2 kids under 10 but with all the positive vibes in the world. We also brought camera equiptment with us to fall back on wedding videos if all else failed. (which we start in a few weeks!) We got down to our last 69 cents! Then hubby got a job in retail. He was a bouncer for 5 years in UK, a cameraman for 1 year and a full time dad for 2. As some of you know - I had 7 p/t jobs in UK, doing lecturing at Uni, youth work, tv work, teaching toddlers music, singing lessons and sold all we owned on e-bay 4 years prior to the move. 2 years down the line and we are still "just" surviving. Hubby has a full time job in retail, he pulls in only $520 a week and I work 3 days as a Media Co-ordinator/Back up Director for a Kindy and pull in $380 a week. $100 a month on mobile phone, $300 a month on food, $100 odds on elec, $100 on telephone bill and we had to get loans to buy cars $400 a month for loans. Trust me - little is left every single bloody week. Our rent is $290 a week for a 3 bedroom house up the mountain. No frills, but lucky for us the steepness of the drive was too high to use as a double garage - so we have a fabby large living room and a balcony. Not posh ...but feels like a home. And we just ADORE living up here. We would buy it tommorrow if we could. Worked on a famous TV show here 12 hour a day shifts - through hell every day - had a team of 12 underneath me and had some MAJOR responsibilities - I got $15 an hour for that job! The job I do now have training & meetings once a month, we don't get paid for that, Christmas dinner - we have to pay for, no bonuses, no frills. We are currenly in a rush period and are expected to work around an extra hour each day over what we are paid for. 1st job ever that we got our Christmas and new year pay late instead of early! I like the job, but there is no respect or loyalty here. They truly use and abuse here and that works both ways - the staff treat the job disrespectully too - but that seems to be common here. Hubby and I both had to start casual positions - which means you are on-call for shifts and if they don't want you, they don't call.....so you can never plan to do anything as as soon as you do you'll be called in. I have a small business too now, but trying to convice Aussies to give a new idea a go is hard. They generally think about things for a long time and are in no rush to make decisions - you need to badger them to remember who you are. Possibly only my area of business but I don't think so.
All I am trying to get over is that, it is friggin hard to come with no money. Hubby has applied for the police force - I pray he gets it. That would suit him to a tee. I really like my job, but just it is expected and taken for granted that you have to give so very much. Gold Coast working life if pretty hard going for those in unusual areas or not in easily transferrrable higher paid jobs. I was hopeing to buy a home here as we never owned one in UK. Hubby is 40, me 36 - unless we get a real good breakthrough soon, it's not going to happen - as we would have to pay at least double our rent on a mortgage. Not like in UK where it's cheaper to buy! I can't understand how people buy and rent out here - rental is by far cheaper! Had to put my camera in the pawn today as the kids start school on Monday and we havn't got uniform or books yet! The owner knows us well now, lol! But it's kept us ticking over - borrow from Peter to pay Paul. SOOO NOT looking for sympathy, just wanted to tell how it is for the other side of the coin. So many on here have finances to back up their move. Please don't bother with negitivity either - he made our choices and I do not regrett one minute of this beautiful place. We were in a housing estate in UK and have such a better standard of living here....with sun too! Yippeee
Truly, my whole family love it here to bits. Wouldn't dream of going back. I have a reoccuring dream that I go back to visit my parents and I can't get back to OZ and I awaken with such sadness, before I open the curtains and look at the parots and breath a huge sigh of relief! Just is hard is all! Harder than I had hoped!
All I am trying to get over is that, it is friggin hard to come with no money. Hubby has applied for the police force - I pray he gets it. That would suit him to a tee. I really like my job, but just it is expected and taken for granted that you have to give so very much. Gold Coast working life if pretty hard going for those in unusual areas or not in easily transferrrable higher paid jobs. I was hopeing to buy a home here as we never owned one in UK. Hubby is 40, me 36 - unless we get a real good breakthrough soon, it's not going to happen - as we would have to pay at least double our rent on a mortgage. Not like in UK where it's cheaper to buy! I can't understand how people buy and rent out here - rental is by far cheaper! Had to put my camera in the pawn today as the kids start school on Monday and we havn't got uniform or books yet! The owner knows us well now, lol! But it's kept us ticking over - borrow from Peter to pay Paul. SOOO NOT looking for sympathy, just wanted to tell how it is for the other side of the coin. So many on here have finances to back up their move. Please don't bother with negitivity either - he made our choices and I do not regrett one minute of this beautiful place. We were in a housing estate in UK and have such a better standard of living here....with sun too! Yippeee
Truly, my whole family love it here to bits. Wouldn't dream of going back. I have a reoccuring dream that I go back to visit my parents and I can't get back to OZ and I awaken with such sadness, before I open the curtains and look at the parots and breath a huge sigh of relief! Just is hard is all! Harder than I had hoped!
#20
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,474
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
great great post - and I'm sure your kids will and do look up to you with great respect and admiration ..... money is nice - very nice ... but if you can get by in a place you love you're happier and more successful than many others!
good luck and let us know if he gets the Police force job
good luck and let us know if he gets the Police force job
#21
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Excellent post........full respect to you and yours.
We to came out here with not a lot after ping ponging, so I do know where you are coming from. Money is not everything.
LibbyX
We to came out here with not a lot after ping ponging, so I do know where you are coming from. Money is not everything.
LibbyX
#22
Ashley Banjo Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Edinburgh to Canungra - noice touch!
Posts: 748
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Cheers all of you , thanks for all your possitive words.
Libby, do pop in for a coffee one sunny day come see our balcony, lol x
Libby, do pop in for a coffee one sunny day come see our balcony, lol x
#23
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Darwin, NT
Posts: 380
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
OK. An honest view point of the not so rich and famous! We migrated to Gold Coast area almost 2 years ago. We came with 12 FULLY loaded suitcases and $11,000. 2 kids under 10 but with all the positive vibes in the world. We also brought camera equiptment with us to fall back on wedding videos if all else failed. (which we start in a few weeks!) We got down to our last 69 cents! Then hubby got a job in retail. He was a bouncer for 5 years in UK, a cameraman for 1 year and a full time dad for 2. As some of you know - I had 7 p/t jobs in UK, doing lecturing at Uni, youth work, tv work, teaching toddlers music, singing lessons and sold all we owned on e-bay 4 years prior to the move. 2 years down the line and we are still "just" surviving. Hubby has a full time job in retail, he pulls in only $520 a week and I work 3 days as a Media Co-ordinator/Back up Director for a Kindy and pull in $380 a week. $100 a month on mobile phone, $300 a month on food, $100 odds on elec, $100 on telephone bill and we had to get loans to buy cars $400 a month for loans. Trust me - little is left every single bloody week. Our rent is $290 a week for a 3 bedroom house up the mountain. No frills, but lucky for us the steepness of the drive was too high to use as a double garage - so we have a fabby large living room and a balcony. Not posh ...but feels like a home. And we just ADORE living up here. We would buy it tommorrow if we could. Worked on a famous TV show here 12 hour a day shifts - through hell every day - had a team of 12 underneath me and had some MAJOR responsibilities - I got $15 an hour for that job! The job I do now have training & meetings once a month, we don't get paid for that, Christmas dinner - we have to pay for, no bonuses, no frills. We are currenly in a rush period and are expected to work around an extra hour each day over what we are paid for. 1st job ever that we got our Christmas and new year pay late instead of early! I like the job, but there is no respect or loyalty here. They truly use and abuse here and that works both ways - the staff treat the job disrespectully too - but that seems to be common here. Hubby and I both had to start casual positions - which means you are on-call for shifts and if they don't want you, they don't call.....so you can never plan to do anything as as soon as you do you'll be called in. I have a small business too now, but trying to convice Aussies to give a new idea a go is hard. They generally think about things for a long time and are in no rush to make decisions - you need to badger them to remember who you are. Possibly only my area of business but I don't think so.
All I am trying to get over is that, it is friggin hard to come with no money. Hubby has applied for the police force - I pray he gets it. That would suit him to a tee. I really like my job, but just it is expected and taken for granted that you have to give so very much. Gold Coast working life if pretty hard going for those in unusual areas or not in easily transferrrable higher paid jobs. I was hopeing to buy a home here as we never owned one in UK. Hubby is 40, me 36 - unless we get a real good breakthrough soon, it's not going to happen - as we would have to pay at least double our rent on a mortgage. Not like in UK where it's cheaper to buy! I can't understand how people buy and rent out here - rental is by far cheaper! Had to put my camera in the pawn today as the kids start school on Monday and we havn't got uniform or books yet! The owner knows us well now, lol! But it's kept us ticking over - borrow from Peter to pay Paul. SOOO NOT looking for sympathy, just wanted to tell how it is for the other side of the coin. So many on here have finances to back up their move. Please don't bother with negitivity either - he made our choices and I do not regrett one minute of this beautiful place. We were in a housing estate in UK and have such a better standard of living here....with sun too! Yippeee
Truly, my whole family love it here to bits. Wouldn't dream of going back. I have a reoccuring dream that I go back to visit my parents and I can't get back to OZ and I awaken with such sadness, before I open the curtains and look at the parots and breath a huge sigh of relief! Just is hard is all! Harder than I had hoped!
All I am trying to get over is that, it is friggin hard to come with no money. Hubby has applied for the police force - I pray he gets it. That would suit him to a tee. I really like my job, but just it is expected and taken for granted that you have to give so very much. Gold Coast working life if pretty hard going for those in unusual areas or not in easily transferrrable higher paid jobs. I was hopeing to buy a home here as we never owned one in UK. Hubby is 40, me 36 - unless we get a real good breakthrough soon, it's not going to happen - as we would have to pay at least double our rent on a mortgage. Not like in UK where it's cheaper to buy! I can't understand how people buy and rent out here - rental is by far cheaper! Had to put my camera in the pawn today as the kids start school on Monday and we havn't got uniform or books yet! The owner knows us well now, lol! But it's kept us ticking over - borrow from Peter to pay Paul. SOOO NOT looking for sympathy, just wanted to tell how it is for the other side of the coin. So many on here have finances to back up their move. Please don't bother with negitivity either - he made our choices and I do not regrett one minute of this beautiful place. We were in a housing estate in UK and have such a better standard of living here....with sun too! Yippeee
Truly, my whole family love it here to bits. Wouldn't dream of going back. I have a reoccuring dream that I go back to visit my parents and I can't get back to OZ and I awaken with such sadness, before I open the curtains and look at the parots and breath a huge sigh of relief! Just is hard is all! Harder than I had hoped!
You guys are GREAT. Thanks for the honest and inspiring post. Best of luck with your new life.
Sue
#24
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Hello..
i'm intrigued about your TV work... Where was your hubby a cameraman? In the UK? And you say you got paid $15 an hour, can I ask what you were doing? i assume the Famous prog was shot at Dreamworld?!
I've worked in TV in UK for 15 years.. and am still trying to secure something over here... not as easy as I thought!
Cheers
Sonic x
i'm intrigued about your TV work... Where was your hubby a cameraman? In the UK? And you say you got paid $15 an hour, can I ask what you were doing? i assume the Famous prog was shot at Dreamworld?!
I've worked in TV in UK for 15 years.. and am still trying to secure something over here... not as easy as I thought!
Cheers
Sonic x
#25
Ashley Banjo Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: Edinburgh to Canungra - noice touch!
Posts: 748
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Hello..
i'm intrigued about your TV work... Where was your hubby a cameraman? In the UK? And you say you got paid $15 an hour, can I ask what you were doing? i assume the Famous prog was shot at Dreamworld?!
I've worked in TV in UK for 15 years.. and am still trying to secure something over here... not as easy as I thought!
Cheers
Sonic x
i'm intrigued about your TV work... Where was your hubby a cameraman? In the UK? And you say you got paid $15 an hour, can I ask what you were doing? i assume the Famous prog was shot at Dreamworld?!
I've worked in TV in UK for 15 years.. and am still trying to secure something over here... not as easy as I thought!
Cheers
Sonic x
#26
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Great post hon - when I read some posts from people complaining about this and that, I always think of you and yours and know that what someone takes from this country is totally down to attitude! Really hope the Police recognise a good guy when they see one.
#27
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Like those have said before me - Fab thread.
Total respect to you and yours - the very best of luck to you - you deserve it.
Hoops
Total respect to you and yours - the very best of luck to you - you deserve it.
Hoops
#28
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
Just read your post. I hope all works out for you and your family, you have come this far - you can only go on...............
Best of luck with the jobs
Lynn
Best of luck with the jobs
Lynn
#29
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
You've really put things into perspective.
I wish you and your family all the look in the world because you deserve it.
Good luck to you all
I wish you and your family all the look in the world because you deserve it.
Good luck to you all
#30
Re: POV of migration to Gold Coast for those with VERY little money! 2 years down
I've got real respect for people like yourselves who whole-heartedly follow their dreams, and keep going even when it gets tough. Best of luck.