[Shahriar]

Hi all
I am new to the forum.
We are married with two young kids (4 years and 18 months). We are both doctors (Consultant and G.P) and have a very good life in U.K but there are a few things in U.K which troubles us (had enough of rainy summers in Glasgow for start!) and we love out door life style and a safe easy going place to raise our kids and hence the reason for considering migration.

New Zealand looks like the ideal candidate and I have been researching it for a few months.

The only concern that I have is the salary and associated quality of life and for that I would appreciate any advice or enlightening experience.

Our current combined salary in .K (with my wife working only 2 days a week) is about 120-140£K which provides us with a very comfortable life and it means that we don't need to worry about everyday sort of things such as holidays and kids private school fees. We are not into luxury items and cars but don't need to compromise for foods/household items/holidays either.

I have been offered a permanent consultant post in Auckland and on my calculation we will have a combined salary of 200$K in New Zealand (based on I working 4 days a week with no private work and my wife continuing to work 2 days a week). I know that is a good salary to have in NZ and I have used the cost of living calculator but these tend to be generic.

What I like to know is if we would be able to continue with the same life style (financial aspect of it) in NZ with the aforementioned salary.

We have no other financial commitments and if we decide to sell our properties in U.K and Dubai could free up about 400£K which should leave us with only a minimal mortgage in NZ (I hope!)

I know that whatever we decide to do, we are in a very fortunate position and we are most grateful for it.

Any advice is most welcomed.

S.N

[Joolzr]

Hi Shahriar

My OH is a new consultant In Auckland. If you want to discuss our experince please PM me when you get the facility.

Julie

Hi all
I am new to the forum.
We are married with two young kids (4 years and 18 months). We are both doctors (Consultant and G.P) and have a very good life in U.K but there are a few things in U.K which troubles us (had enough of rainy summers in Glasgow for start!) and we love out door life style and a safe easy going place to raise our kids and hence the reason for considering migration.

New Zealand looks like the ideal candidate and I have been researching it for a few months.

The only concern that I have is the salary and associated quality of life and for that I would appreciate any advice or enlightening experience.

Our current combined salary in .K (with my wife working only 2 days a week) is about 120-140£K which provides us with a very comfortable life and it means that we don't need to worry about everyday sort of things such as holidays and kids private school fees. We are not into luxury items and cars but don't need to compromise for foods/household items/holidays either.

I have been offered a permanent consultant post in Auckland and on my calculation we will have a combined salary of 200$K in New Zealand (based on I working 4 days a week with no private work and my wife continuing to work 2 days a week). I know that is a good salary to have in NZ and I have used the cost of living calculator but these tend to be generic.

What I like to know is if we would be able to continue with the same life style (financial aspect of it) in NZ with the aforementioned salary.

We have no other financial commitments and if we decide to sell our properties in U.K and Dubai could free up about 400£K which should leave us with only a minimal mortgage in NZ (I hope!)

I know that whatever we decide to do, we are in a very fortunate position and we are most grateful for it.

Any advice is most welcomed.

S.N

[dusk]

hello and welcome to the forum :)

your estimated salay sounds pretty decent for NZ,
you should have a look at house prices on trademe in the areas you are likely to move to to get an idea of the local market, but £400K would buy quite a lot over there I reckon

there's also threads you might want to investigate about cost of living and so on, on here, or feel free to ask more detailed questions - as you know much is dependent on the individual circumstances in question :)

[Shahriar]

Dear Julie
Thank you.
How do you get the facility to PM?
What speciality is your OH (?other half)?

[icemaiden]

Hi Shahriar,

Reply to this post - just say Hi, then you should have the facility to PM.

[migratory birds]

My understanding from the physicians I've been in touch with from the US and Canada and Kiwi docs returning to NZ, is that while it is a SIGNIFICANT pay cut (hence the tremendous outflow of docs from NZ to countries like the UK and US) they move not for the pay or advancement in their professions but for the quality of life and slower pace for themselves and their kids. They move to NZ for what it offers families.

I'd suggest taking an extended holiday (6 wks or more) if possible to see what you think before moving.

[icemaiden]

sorry, should have said, once you reply to this you can then click on the person's user name and there will be a facility to send a private message.

[Shahriar]

Hi Shahriar,

Reply to this post - just say Hi, then you should have the facility to PM.

it does not seem to be working!
will try again

[Mrs Pony]

I think you have to have at lease 5 posts before you can PM.

[JandL]

And as your 5th post, you can now do it!

[Mrs Pony]

ok so... 140k in the UK... is about $268K in the US...which is about $383K in NZ...

First my bitter side would like to say... It must be nice... ;) We don't even make a fourth of that here...

The other half of me agrees with migratory birds .... it think people move to NZ more for the lifestyle.

[James 1077]

I've gone from a salary of £70k plus my wife's £30k to just me working at $100k (and having two new babies to bring up). While we can't afford any of the luxuries on this salary we don't have any major money worries and are pretty comfortable.

$200k would be very nice indeed; especially in NZ!

[irishliz]

Lucky you! You have the finances to make a good go here and if you don't like it the skills and financial backing to leave. Seems like a good situation to be in. And Auckland need not necessarily be your first choice either.

And whether $200,000 is enough. If we didn't have a mortgage and that amount of money we would live like kings. But your lifestyle might be different.

[Tia Maria]

$200K is a very good family salary in NZ, although a couple in IT could both be on $90K each and have different view on this, especially as their tax will be lower.

However, you will be taking a very big drop from your UK salary, therefore, I suspect you will experience a decrease in your standard of living, mainly because I don't think Auckland is that much cheaper than Glasgow.

Maybe some of these sites and links will help you work out whether you will be happy with this.

Your take home pay on $200k, assuming one income, is $130,730, divided by months equals: $10,894 (I'll let you work it out more accurately!)

www.ird.govt.nz/calculators/tool-name/tools-t/calculator-tax-rate.html

One of things that will make the difference is where you want to settle, your 400K will roughly convert to (using a rate of 2.75): $1.1 million, this is more than adequate in some areas but won't get you anything too spectacular in other areas. So worth doing a search on property sites to see if that buys you what you want, in the area you want.

http://www.realestate.co.nz/

Holidays from NZ are expensive due to the fact thats its quite far from anywhere! Check out this site to price up the kind of holidays you'd like:

www.airnewzealand.co.nz

Private School Fees aren't considered everyday here, and you can access some very good schools without paying, but here are some sample fees:

www.kristin.school.nz/images/Admissions/2008%20NZ%20Residents%20Schedule%20of%20Fees%20KR~ 1.RTF

Which I'm sure as you know are probably just the tip of the iceberg once you add on all the extras like school trips etc.

I think put together a budget and see whats left and then balance that with the advantages you will get from living in NZ.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Tia

[Philip10]

The only concern that I have is the salary and associated quality of life and for that I would appreciate any advice or enlightening experience.

I have been offered a permanent consultant post in Auckland and on my calculation we will have a combined salary of 200$K in New Zealand

What I like to know is if we would be able to continue with the same life style (financial aspect of it) in NZ with the aforementioned salary.

Any advice is most welcomed.

S.N



Most people in NZ especially nurses could only dream of that sort of salary. You will be fine mate.

Philip

[mylesdw]

I don't know if it's still true but a year of two ago $200k is more than the Prime Minister earned (and four times what she's worth :-)

[Joolzr]

But does she get to claim for lightbulbs and redecoration like they do in the UK? :D



I don't know if it's still true but a year of two ago $200k is more than the Prime Minister earned (and four times what she's worth :-)

[Shahriar]

I just thought best to clarify my post as not be in danger of being seen a greedy, materialistic person.
We have a good life in U.K and are financial secure. The life in NZ became very appealing once I started looking into real state websites and saw some of the life style properties with fantastic views and sunny days. The appeal of a quiet relaxed and safe place to live with the family. Reading the threads in the forum I am starting to think may be I have been a bit too idealistic!
Financial aspects are important. As mentioned previously our earning are very comfortable in U.K and we have no money worries and don't need to think hard before buying a toy for the kids or a new gadget for me!
It is interesting although most of the posts seem to predict a very comfortable life with 200K (joint earned) there are some private messages that are less than reassuring.
Anyhow I am most grateful for all the opinions and hope to get more input.
S.N

[Carol]

You are fortunate in that you can easily afford to take a "working" holiday to see if New Zealand is for you or not....
That would have been an ideal scenario for us....

[Tia Maria]

I don't think you come across as greedy, and I personally don't think it matters if people are materialistic, I don't feel its the swear word that its often made out to be.

I felt you asked a fair question, will our standard of living decrease financially?

I think its fair to say if you take a percentage pay cut, we took 40%, and nothing else major changes like being mortgage free, the you will have to change your spending habits. But for many the advantages outweigh that and they then see it as a challenge to get themselves more comfortable financially. If the advantages of NZ aren't enough then it will become one of those life experiences! :)

The best thing is to avoid doing direct $ to GBP calculations and work out a budget based on your NZ wage and estimated NZ costs. I'll bump the Cost of Living Afternoon thread for you. With all the information on this forum now, its probably one of the best ways to prepare yourselves for any financial changes.

Cheers

Tia

[Moorf]

there are some private messages that are less than reassuring.

Shame they feel they can't share....

[incredible hulse]

200k for 2 part time jobs, 1.1 million deposit, and not into luxury items or cars - I think you'll be fine and have a bit left over for a few weeks in the islands each year

[Joolzr]

I know these numbers for doctors salarys sound good, but I have to say, IMHO, doctors salarys/careers are not all they are cracked up to be. Just as well I didn't marry OH for his money :laugh

For a start a 'full time' job consists of 55-60 hours a week, including on calls which often involve staying in grotty acommodation (we're talking fungus on the walls, filthy dirty, using sheets that haven't been changed for a few days/people). On calls now are more reasonable but when OH started they could be 1 in 4 nights, but those were the days of 144 hour a week working patterns.....

Then take off the costs of medical indemnity insurance (varies but in the region of a few thousand pounds a year at consultant level), professional exams (about £900 a go, most take the at least three, five or six is probably more common), membership of your college, membership of the General Medical Council, British Medical Association fees. All of which add up to be thousands of pounds a year. Then add in the cost of moving pretty regularly for your training, which we all know is a costly business.

Do I sound bitter? I honestly think that the medical career is hard work, with lots of responsibility and isn't paid that well in comparison to other jobs with this level of training (11 years postgraduate is average).

But, OH's job is fairly secure and has given him/us some fantastic opportunities, including the ability to move countries. And at the end of the day, most folk don't do it for the money.

OK, rant over.......

:exit

Julie

[sweetpea]

With that kind of pay cut, you'll certainly notice it. As others have said, the cost of living here is not low.

The other thing to take into account is that the fact that New Zealand is a laidback place can have a major downside for people who are high achievers; the culture of "she'll be right" generally does not value excellence. That may be desirable for you, but I'm not sure I'd want to raise children in an environment where mediocrity is A-OK.

I'd also bear in mind that building technology here is a bit behind that elsewhere, so something that looks absolutely beautiful can actually be quite cold, damp and made of poor-quality materials. This is hard to tell from pictures.

OK, enough of the downside from me...

[sweetpea]

Well, my last post came out sounding more offensive than I meant, and it's too late to edit. My apologies.

[Tia Maria]

Well, my last post came out sounding more offensive than I meant, and it's too late to edit. My apologies.

:laugh One of those days eh?

Don't worry it doesn't sound that bad, not to me anyway. :)

Cheers

Tia

[All Aboard]

No I think you are absolutely right Sweet pea. I know some should I say "professionals" become quite unhappy here due to the lack of professionalism and career prospects.

Another one of my gripes is how the property press make even the most awful place look fantastic!!.

[KerryS]

Another one of my gripes is how the property press make even the most awful place look fantastic!!.

I love Property Press - they can make a shed look like a palace! Amazing photography skills converted my bathroom that isn't actually big enough to turn around in, into a huge expanse of space with room to swing several cats if you so desired! Genius.

[jandals]

That may be desirable for you, but I'm not sure I'd want to raise children in an environment where mediocrity is A-OK.


According to international education stats, the USA is an ideal location for people looking to raise children in an environment where mediocrity is A-OK. Children in New Zealand's schools beat American children on all measured scores (http://www.pisa.oecd.org/document/2/0,3343,en_32252351_32236191_39718850_1_1_1_1,00.ht ml).

[Carol]

I'm not sure I'd want to raise children in an environment where mediocrity is A-OK.


Not experienced that so far!

Rounded? yes.
Whole picture thinking? yes.
Inquiry learning at its best? yes.
Problem solving? yes.
Striving to achieve personal goals? yes.
School league tables.... pressure to "pass" an exam at 7? no.

hmmmmmm

[sweetpea]

It's not the schools I'm talking about, it's general societal expectations.