[Tia Maria]

Having read many threads about what is and isn't an adequate wage, it becomes obvious that getting an answer is incredibly difficult.

So I thought maybe a poll where people, already in NZ, who know the reality of expenses for their situation could answer how comfortable they would feel living on a 50K wage (this is before taxes, and the total income coming in for that family unit - whether single, couple or family).

I'm not going to define what is adequate or comfortable, thats such a personal and variable thing, but obviously there will come a point where its not adequate and comfortable for the majority, (25K for instance), and where it will be adequate and comfortable for most, (200K for instance).

Please only answer if you are in NZ!

Happy voting...

Cheers

Tia

[Belmont Babes]

Can't suss out how to vote. My answer is no. Not with two kids and their healthy appetities. For the record we don't smoke or dring and are quite careful with money.

[Tia Maria]

If the answer is no with kids, then choose the family option - would struggle and not worth it. In other words you wouldn't be able to live in NZ on that wage or you wouldn't have come to NZ if offered that wage.... :nice1

Cheers

Tia

[nippa&pippa]

We are on approx 50K with three preschooler children. I can go back to work to bring home more money if I want to but we chosen that I stay at home with children because parent is really best educator for children and had been proved. For now, we are happy.

[Moorf]

I chose "Couple - would struggle but worth it", we're on over double that but still find we sometimes have to watch the cents at the end of the month if it's been a busy one (or if we've been to the dentist :roll ) - more so in the last few months though.

Having said that we don't yet budget so I know we could do much, much better if we were more stringent and perhaps up the savings, but we still impulse buy to a certain extent.

As a couple with no children it's much, much easier to cut the cloth accordingly and live in more remote/cheaper locations, imho.

[CJ22]

No way Jose.

[peebles16]

I have put no would struggle and not worth it. OH earns more than this and we do budget (although perhaps not as well as we could :) ). However, I'm just getting into paying huge dentist bills, DS lost another school sweatshirt and the wee one needs new trainers so do have expenses that we can't always budget for. So we can afford them on current salary but can't imagine we could on 50k :(

Also as we came from UK with little in the way of savings I would say I need to work for us to be able to save for trips back to the UK, holidays etc - I suppose it depends on what your priorities are and what is an acceptable lifestyle for you. Interesting thread and will be good to see how the vote goes :yes

Karenx

[dilanium]

Well we're going to have to live on less than that until my husband gets a job in NZ. I only get $14000NZ/year to live on from student aid.

I'll let you know how it goes when we get there and actually try it.

[urban78]

I voted "couple happily".

I'm the only wage earner and currently under $50K and we are managing fine at the moment.

We're renting, have a car but I walk to work (down the road) so petrol costs have not hit us. We're not extravagant at all, eat out a few times a month (however less than when we used to live in the UK) and we budget. We're lucky to have OH's family if anything should happen, and they keep us entertained as well :D Now I just need to get OH on the workforce :laugh

Jen :)

[KerryS]

I did for my first year here, and was more than happy. But, I was living a quite frugal single life. I was flatting with friends, and had virtually no expenses (no car, no debts to worry about), and over 75% of my income was disposable.
I don't think I'd manage on that level now, as my life has changed quite a lot in the last few years.

[Tia Maria]

Thanks Kerry, I suspect we don't have many singles on the forum, so its useful to know how circumstances change.

Cheers

Tia

[Georgebulldog]

Again I would hopefully be just somewhere cheaper than where we are & in a smaller house but still be here in NZ & maybe brewing our own beer & making our own wine :D

[kowhai]

Are the people happily living on 50k a year debt free with their retirement funds in order ? The overall perception I think by NZers is that Americans and Brits are here with loads of cash. Sorry if this is not the case - but it is what many think.

[Familyofmonkeys]

The question really depends so very much on how much money you bring over with you to NZ. If we had no morgage or rent we could very easily live on that salary. OH on very decent salary by NZ standards, but somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of it goes on rent so we still have to be careful and budget otherwise we would not be able to save anything at all. Recently within 6 weeks we had our washing machine suddenly blow up and then out tumble dryer stop working as motor burnt out, then our microwave also broke :(.....there is no way we could cover those kind of unexpected expenses on a much lower salary and they have totally wiped out a few months savings too. Like sophia we have also made the decision for me to stay at home with out 3 young children...I could get a reasonably paid job which would be an enormous help financially, but it would impact on our family life so I will never work full time again until children are high school age.

[dharder]

I could get a reasonably paid job which would be an enormous help financially, but it would impact on our family life so I will never work full time again until children are high school age.

We have one stay at home parent as well, and I’d like to think that is a choice. But to be honest, I wonder how much it really is one. After we’ve provided for childcare, afterschool care costs, holiday costs, etc. is having both of us working still really a viable option? I mean, I am certainly feeling better considering this a choice, and thinking ‘oh, we do this voluntarily, and always could both go out to work and then we’d have more money’, but I don’t think that it would actually work that way for us.

So the choice really isn’t between feeling that we are doing the best for the family and have less money, or doing less for the family (in a manner of speaking) and have more money. Realistically, for us, it will only be financially worth for both of us to work full time once the children don’t need childcare/after school care/holiday care anymore.

And when would that be, I wonder, when can you reasonably expect them to stay at home alone? 12? 14? 16? In any case, it’ll be a while…

Have to stop thinking about work/life/money balance now, too depressing.

Daniela

[twinkle]

I have voted as a 'couple & not worth it'. my partner is earning $45.000 and we are struggerling with this income alone. we are renting a cheap place($200 per month), run one car between us, but after we have paid our bills & bought the shopping we have about $50 spare a week, but something always crops up like a visit to a doctor, repairs to the car and then we have to dip into our savings.I'm waiting for my nursing registration to come through and then I will be starting work. I just hope it's very soon as we are really finding it hard to manage.

[Tia Maria]

If you haven't done already, please vote on the other two polls, I'll compare the results in a couple of days.

$70K poll:

www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18194

$90K poll:

www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18195

Cheers

Tia

[bartons]

Hugely depends if you're paying rent/mortgage or not. We're on 36K as a family of 4 living happily - definitely possible!

[Kate D]

No way Jose.

Ditto...

[Carol]

double ditto.
We were on that 12 years ago when we forst got here and struggled then!

[Moorf]

I think you'll find location plays a huge role in whether you can live on next to nowt...

[Familyofmonkeys]

I think you'll find location plays a huge role in whether you can live on next to nowt...

Very true...aside from the differences in housing costs, things like being able to grow alot of your own veg and trading favours can go a long way to saving money for some people. And in more rural areas you don't spend as much money on things like car parking or 'going out' and instead have to make your own entertainment a lot more....thinking about it makes me really miss living in a village and can't wait to get back countryside.

[willsken]

I couldn't do it with the mortgage we have now but once the rental sold and we pay a lot of it off, we may just do it. It would be a real struggle though as I'm not used to budgeting. Certainly couldn't live the lifestyle we do at the moment.

[Sam B]

No, we couldn't live on this, even though we are mortgage free, and it wouldn't be worth it. I know many many people do, but I am an utter spendthrift, and the thought of going without my daily takeaway cappucino gives me the shakes.

[Sam B]

Hugely depends if you're paying rent/mortgage or not. We're on 36K as a family of 4 living happily - definitely possible!

Oh flip's sake - what's wrong with me - if you can do it - why can't I? I've gotta cut the coffee habit .... and the breakfast out on Saturdays habit .... and the kid's clothes on ebay habit ..... and those lunches - ARRRGGGHHH.

[bartons]

Oh flip's sake - what's wrong with me - if you can do it - why can't I? I've gotta cut the coffee habit .... and the breakfast out on Saturdays habit .... and the kid's clothes on ebay habit ..... and those lunches - ARRRGGGHHH.

Kids' clothes?! What kids clothes?! We make them out of flax!

[Leccy-Lee]

Single and happily, as i just about do..! (ok a tad more but yeah)

[Silverwing86]

I chose "couple - would struggle and not worth it" but on the assumption that we would have the rather sizable mortgage that we have now. Perhaps if we were renting it might be possible, but I think it would be really difficult. It was excruciatingly hard to choose the "not worth it" option as we want nothing more than to be here, but have to be realistic about it.

We do budget now, although we have a very healthy income by NZ standards, but it's something we've always done so no real hardship for us. It's just really comforting to know where the money's actually going and how we're doing financially.

Cheers,
Silver

[JandM]

There will be a BIG difference because of what people expect out of life (quality of purchases, how often they renew, treats, etc), and then another huge variation in what they HAVE to pay out for (and here, the obvious one is a mortgage, and of what size).

[incredible hulse]

Sorry, no chance. Couldn't manage day to day let alone think about things like kids future, pensions, holidays, etc

[sizzlingbadger]

Like I said in the other polls our outgoings are very sizeable and $50k a year would not be an option for us, we'd sink very, very fast :exit

We're not out and out spenders and are being more and more careful with budgeting and OH does get a very good wage for here BUT we're still struggling. Think it does come down to visitors more than anything else, we've had up to 6 extra adult mouths to feed and that's a lot of extra money to find from somewhere. Along with higher electricity costs and telephone bills.

We'll just get ourselves back square in time for the next visitors due in November and then it'll be tight belts right through until April again. Think people have got to realise that even though they're on 'holiday' they still need to pay their ways, more so with increasing every day costs :o

[mgbridges]

I voted Single - Happily but we're not personally in that situation and there is no way we as a family of three could manage on $50K even without the mortgage and big (petrol hungry) car that we have.

However if I were here on my own I think I could live quite happily on $50K.

Anneliese

[migratory birds]

Great breakdown based on singles or couples...but how are you defining family? One adult and one child? Or two adults and three kids?

[irishliz]

No!!!!!! Couldn't imagine it unless you were a single.

[Tia Maria]

I voted Single - Happily

However if I were here on my own I think I could live quite happily on $50K.

Anneliese

Do you need to tell us something Anneliese?! :laugh

Cheers

Tia

[mgbridges]

LOL! :laugh

No, nothing to report at all Tia! Just thinking of hypothetical situations.

Anneliese

[Tia Maria]

Great breakdown based on singles or couples...but how are you defining family? One adult and one child? Or two adults and three kids?

I'll leave that up to voters to decide how they would define themselves for the poll. But I would suspect that on this forum the majority of family votes will consists of a household of 3 or more.

The idea is to build up a very general picture of when a wage becomes acceptable. So if a family overseas were offered a wage of 50K, they would see from this poll that the majority of families would struggle, many to the extent that NZ would not be worth it. Its then up to the individual to decide whether their situation would allow them to be one of the families that live happily, or whether they need a job that pays more to make it work.

So you might say, well we're a family with one child, going to live in village on the South Island and we love to grow our own veggies, so we have no worries.

Or you might say, we're a family with two 13 year olds, who like to do lots of activities and we'll be living in central Auckland and want to be able to fly home to see the family every two years, so it looks like 50K isn't enough.

Cheers

Tia

[Sam B]

Kids' clothes?! What kids clothes?! We make them out of flax!

giggle, that made me laugh. Hang on, you are joking aren't you....?

[marshanite]

[QUOTE=Tia Maria;209378]
The idea is to build up a very general picture of when a wage becomes acceptable... and we'll be living in central Auckland and want to be able to fly home to see the family every two years, so it looks like 50K isn't enough.


This is a really important point for us as a family of 4 (2 4yr olds) and is why we are returning to the UK. We have been trying to live in Auckland on $46,000 (27,000 for the first few weeks) and have been eating into savings, despite living very frugally (by my standards). Once our house sale in the UK goes through we could probably just about manage (not doing ALL of the myriad childrens' activities that we did at home), but our concern is that even when I can work & boost the family income, we don't feel like we could afford regular trips to the UK or to pay for grandparents to come out to visit. We have several close elderly relatives that we would not want to be completely cut off from (one being a father with Parkinsons.)

I think that we would need at least twice our current income to acheive our quality of life in the UK (of course the scenery & weather is much nicer here) and then extra for trips to the UK.

I naively thought that we could live on much less than we (happily) can. I have never been much into money, but I have a newfound respect for the stuff :laugh.

Fi.

[Moorf]

It would be really interesting if we could pose the same questions to Kiwis!! I know my neighbour would be living the life of riley if she had $90k.. I'm off round to hers now.. I'll ask!! :nice1

[Tia Maria]

I think locals would find it easier. They have access to family & friends for babysitting/childcare, for borrowing things, driving lessons (:D), local knowledge of where is cheap and where is not etc etc.

I think any new migrant to any new country is going to have bigger outgoings than the locals.

Cheers

Tia

[nippa&pippa]

I think locals would find it easier. They have access to family & friends for babysitting/childcare, for borrowing things, driving lessons (:D), local knowledge of where is cheap and where is not etc etc.

I think any new migrant to any new country is going to have bigger outgoings than the locals.

Cheers

Tia

:yes. Just ask your kiwis friends for information on where to buy cheap stuff etc and any tip how they manage it! They happy to help you.

[Tia Maria]

Nippa& Pippa, most of my Kiwi friends are not locals themselves. I live in a very transient area, with people working & living here for only a few years and then often moving on. There are some longstanding Devonport families, but many sold up years ago when the house prices shot up!

Also Devonport is a strange mix of very wealthy, people mortgaged up to the hilt and people living in rented to be in the school zone. So whereas one person may never buy books and always use the library, the other might own the block the bookshop is on.

Although Devonport has a great sense of community, I suspect its very different to where you live.

Average 3 bed villa - $775,000
Average 4 bed villa - $1 million plus

I'm sure someone told me the average mortgage in Devonport is about $330K. :eek:

Cheers

Tia

[Tia Maria]

:yes. Just ask your kiwis friends for information on where to buy cheap stuff etc and any tip how they manage it! They happy to help you.

I think also, if you are new to an area, it can take a while before you can make friends and ask them about finances. I know with many people it is a taboo subject no matter how friendly you are!

Cheers

Tia

[Familyofmonkeys]

I live in a very transient area, with people working & living here for only a few years and then often moving on.

It is a lot like that where we live too and there are a lot of extended family groups who socialise among themselves and are not all that interested in making close friendships with others and merely do the polite chit-chat stuff. Most of the people we are slowly gertting to know in our area are either Brits or South Africans and the odd person from other European country. Seems we have more in common in terms of sense of humour....not something I had directly been touched by until my daughter started school, but I notice most days now that alot of the kiwi mums seem to have blank looks to alot of conversations and don't seem to get the dry sense of humour at all :p

[urban78]

I think locals would find it easier. They have access to family & friends for babysitting/childcare, for borrowing things, driving lessons (:D), local knowledge of where is cheap and where is not etc etc.


Totally agree 100%. I often see myself asking kiwi workmates or even OH's family of their experience in buying stuff here and if they would find that price reasonable or not.

OH's best friend's aunt works for Sleepmaker (the bed company) and when she found out we needed a bed, she told us to come round at their stock take sale in Henderson last month...we managed to score a great queen bed with base at $470...the best deal we'd seen at normal shops was over $1100 :eek:

I guess that's one of the reasons why OH and I manage fine on a single salary under $50K, we have invaluable support :o

Jen :)