[Danpoll]

seeing all these threads of cost's fincial strains, people returning home due to poor wages. This country people are in average 18K in debt, I would be interested to know that is new zealand harder because there is less oppurtunity to live off plastic. The question to all you guys over there is are you in more or less credit card/HP/0%Intrest debt in New Zealand than you were in the UK?

I myself is 9K in debt which means that I live 9k beyond my means, this could be an interesting thread.

i suspect that people are in less debt in NZ and that this country is able to be materilistic because we have what we want now and pay for it later.

Dan

[daventi]

Hi Dan. Me and my husband have used credit cards and its amazing how quickly the £££s mount up at the end of the month .Not only that, but lenders are bombarding you with easy to apply for credit.All our cards are now binned. :clap :clap We have decided not to apply for credit cards or take out credit, once over the pond(apart from a small mortgage of course). My new motto is, if you cant afford it, you cant have it. Bev.

[Moorf]

I can't remember where I heard this so can't provide source :oops: BUT I am sure the facts were indicating that lots of kiwi's are in debt and credit/interest free credt etc are all big here too.

I did find this though... not totally on topic but interesting!

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_business_story_skin/460291%3fformat=html

[Gran]

There was an article in the paper a few months which noted that 50% of credit card holders in NZ paid their card off each month, (As we do, you cannot afford to build up debt if you are retired) Thereby paying no interest and in some instances getting more than 50 days free credit. I think NZers main debt would be their house, although just recently with the good exchange rates we have been able to buy things a bit more cheaply and some may be making hay while the sun shines.

[wilson182]

We were heavily in debt in England, and a lot of that was just trying to live :wah However, We are DEBT FREE over here, and intend to stay that way. We will probably have to take a small mortgage, but I can live with that. I have just assumed that we would not be eligable for credit over here because we have no credit history, and thats the way I prefer it. There is no way I want to come all this way and be in the same position as I was in England.

They were hard lessons to learn, but learn them we did :nice1

I also remember reading that NZers have been taking advantage of the rise in house prices, and increasing their mortages to buy those little luxurys.

[Moorf]

Kiwi's are into budgeting BIG time.. Woz has been speaking to the people where he works and most of them do it on a monthly basis!

We've just been working out our outgoings and all in we're looking at c. $2800 - $3000 a month including mortgage, food, elec, net, dog, cars (x2) etc etc - no loans or c/cards or hp or anything, just a $220 mortgage!! So that's his salary spoken for :eek .. so you can see why I needed my p/time job!!

Glad we knew what we were in for before we came, otherwise I think we too would be on the plane home :?

[Soon2baKiwi]

I wish I had taken notice of this saying regarding credit cards :wah "remember it's a limit, not a target!" ;)

[kiwidebs]

I wish I had taken notice of this saying regarding credit cards :wah "remember it's a limit, not a target!" ;)

Ahha, so that's where I've been going wrong

:laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

[wilson182]

OMG me too :eek :eek