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Drover Jess
27th April 2008, 04:47 AM
Hi everyone

I wonder if you can help us?

I realise this is a very broad subject and there are as probably as many opinions as standards of living but if we start from the principle (when the markets are a bit more stable) that a house ( ideally 4 beds with an office) in NZ (perhaps small town in Waikato, or similar) can be brought outright ( with no mortgage) with proper planning and proceeds from a UK house then what salary/income would then deliver a comfortable standard of living for 2 adults. [with or without visiting supposedly independent offspring!]
We are not heavy spenders and do not seek a hectic lifestyle although we do eat well at home, would want sky (if the tv is so bad. although we do not have sky in UK), occasional meals out and a few beers.
We usually grow our own veg and would try to buy our meat from farming friends. We are practical down to earth country people.
We expect my hubby would get a car with his job and therefore the sale of my 4 y o ford focus here will get me something 2nd hand over there.

We are looking hard at every aspect of our lives as the work balance is all wrong here and it is currently all work (we even live on the job) and whilst trying to put it right here, by either staying and re-organising or moving to a different job, we are also looking at all options and have often considered NZ.
We know salaries are comparibly lower, but feel the advanatge of capital going further eg: for a house makes a big difference.
We have been to NZ before and have a lot of NZ friends already and we know we'd feel right at home... in a funny way perhaps more than we do where we are now.. if we had to choose in the UK where we'd go to it'be the SW.

anyway please excuse my ramblings and many thanks in advance for all your answers;)

AndyR
27th April 2008, 07:14 AM
hello

look further down this forum for cost of living calculators, i posted two websites that offer this and it will give you a rough idea.

IanW99
27th April 2008, 10:38 AM
...
I realise this is a very broad subject and there are as probably as many opinions as standards of living but if we start from the principle (when the markets are a bit more stable) that a house ( ideally 4 beds with an office) in NZ (perhaps small town in Waikato, or similar) can be brought outright ( with no mortgage) with proper planning and proceeds from a UK house then what salary/income would then deliver a comfortable standard of living for 2 adults. [with or without visiting supposedly independent offspring!]
...


What you are effectively asking is that if you don't have any loans or mortgage to pay, what salary would be reasonable to live comfortably in NZ.

For our circumstances, (Wellington region) then a salary of NZ$45K would be reasonable IMO (this is for a family of three). This wouldn't allow any savings though.

I'm sure that it could be done for less especially in cheaper areas, but this is a reasonable ball park figure.

Ian

willsken
27th April 2008, 11:33 AM
We are a family of 4, 2 teenage boys and they eat me out of house and home! My mortgage is almost half my take home pay and we almost manage on what is left. If I didn't have the cost of the boys or the mortgage then I'd agree with Ian, you could live well enough on $45000. (Not allowing for expensive trips aboard, savings etc)

Drover Jess
27th April 2008, 08:05 PM
thanks for the replies, they are most helpful

the problem I have with the cost of living indicators is that certain things - mobile phone contracts, health insurance etc are not quoted on the ENZ one and I don't know if the figures for the ENZ one with 3 different figures on every line is accurate?
What do you think?

as for the rising costs of living this problem is global.
food bills here have rocketed too in the last few months and I dont think they will ease either.
I already keep hens, make bread and grow veg... but we buy our clothes like everyone else just in case you are wondering!!

garyanimal
25th May 2008, 08:32 PM
cheese costs a fortune and tastes horrid

Belmont Babes
25th May 2008, 09:49 PM
Full agreement on the cheese :yes I too agree with $45000.

ourquest
26th May 2008, 04:39 PM
cheese costs a fortune and tastes horrid

So does petrol. Hic.

Tia Maria
26th May 2008, 04:55 PM
This thread has some useful costs:

www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16780

One thing worth noting is, even though you won't have a mortgage, make sure you allow money for house repairs in your budget, especially if you are likely to end up in a villa!

Villas can be quite expensive to maintain! Especially if they are due a repaint, or the roof needs sorting out.

Cheers

Tia

willsken
26th May 2008, 07:49 PM
So does petrol. Hic.

:laugh

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