[Daniel Park]

...and the value of nothing...?

Can’t help noticing the number of posts about how EXPENSIVE everything is out here… so I thought I’d add my two penn’orth - or should that be four penn’orth, because IT’S TRUE!

We have been here a month and already money is getting a bit tighter than we would like.

Cheap things have included:

Car insurance
The car itself, bought from friends of friends for $700, but then it IS a 1987 Mazda with 207K on the clock, the sort of thing that would have been crushed long ago in the UK, lovely bronze metallic and car-sickness-inducing velour seats, mmm…
House and contents insurance
The equivalent of council tax
Petrol (it’s the equivalent of about 50p a litre at the moment)
Cheaper-end clothes (from the Warehouse – a bit like ASDA)
Housing (if you’re buying one, including costs of sale and purchase)

Expensive things include

Wine. NZ wine is cheaper in Waitrose, for heaven’s sake
Dairy products (why oh why oh why?).
Food. Like, everything. You can do a $40 shop at Countdown and still only come away with a couple of shopping bags of basics. And that includes the equivalent of the Tesco’s blue-stripe stuff.
Electricity
White goods. You’re looking at well over 300 quid just for a basic fridge-freezer. And because they’re so expensive new, second-hand ones are very expensive too.
Computers. Buy yours before you get here. From Dell. No, I'm not on a commission.
Furniture. Except garden furniture, now that summer's over.
Housing (if you’re renting one). Godawful places with NO white goods at all or heating are fetching $350 a WEEK plus in Sumner, Christchurch. Now, Sumner is quite desirable, but that ought to mean a good standard of housing, not merely overpriced tat with swirly wallpaper and damp carpets.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I think NZ’s great so far and well worth giving a go. It’s really, really nice here. People are very friendly. And it’s great for kids. These are things with real value, hang the cost...

I’m just suggesting that you bear these expenses in mind. We are fortunate in that we are very well set up with family, including Kiwi family, and new friends here and even WE were surprised at how pricey things are. So do your homework and count those pennies before you come.

Happy shopping!

Dan

[Moorf]

Welcome back to the forum Dan :nice1

Housing (if you’re renting one). Godawful places with NO white goods at all or heating are fetching $350 a WEEK plus in Sumner, Christchurch. Now, Sumner is quite desirable, but that ought to mean a good standard of housing, not merely overpriced tat with swirly wallpaper and damp carpets.

You been peeking in our window?? :laugh :laugh

Good post - there's been quite a bit about the cost of living on here recently so it's nice to have another view onboard.

I wonder if the exchange rate is what is really affecting us immigrants as I certainly don't remember posts like this when I first joined this forum a year or so ago, and yet I'm one of those posting about how expensive it can be!?

[veronica]

Well written and accurate post. second everything there.

[ISan]

That was a good post. I have been looking at the prices of second hand cars on the internet and are surprised how expensive they are. Hopefully on my scouting mission in November I can get a better feel of what the general cost of living is.

Regards,
Ingrid

[Milliemoo]

Hi,

Just a thought and I would appreciate peoples opinions from NZ ......

Is the reason that some food products (eg: dairy) are more expensive in NZ because the farmers etc are getting a better deal from the supermarkets than the UK farmers do? By that I mean that they arn't being bled dry by supermarket chains who reduce their prices to an unsustainable level, the cost of which is met by the farmers.

I am more than happy to pay a bit extra if the system is more 'farmer friendly' (although I would prefer to buy from farm shops :P ) than here in the UK. Don't get me started on the 99p chicken debate :?

Thanks again for the honest post. I'm trying to set up our budgets at the moment so information like this is great.....keep it coming! :mrgreen:

Milliemoo ;)

[Diny]

By that I mean that they arn't being bled dry by supermarket chains who reduce their prices to an unsustainable level, the cost of which is met by the farmers.

I am more than happy to pay a bit extra if the system is more 'farmer friendly'

Being an agricultural girl myself, I second those comments :nice1

Diny

[Milliemoo]

Hi Jimmy,

As you know, there's such a vast range of products in the supermarkets these days you can pay anything between x & y. I'm a firm believer in 'you get what you pay for' . I'm all for value, buy produce which is in season, it's cheaper! :P I'm not saying that you have to spend a fortune on your shopping, I just think people should take the time to make themselves aware of the products they buy, how they were produced, what goes into them etc. Oh god, I'm getting back to those 99p chickens again......stop me before I go off on one! :laugh

Anyhoo, if you want to see what we're paying in the UK at the mo:

www.tesco.com

Milliemoo :nice1

[Diny]

Jimmy

From what I can remember, I don't think that NZ food is expensive at all. But there again, I've always bought it with the UK pound and in holiday mode.

I was agreeing with Millie about the supermarkets over here screwing the farmers. For instance, you know when you get those wonderful buy one get one free deals on such things as strawberries or new potatoes? Well the farmer has to supply them as in charge for one give one free. If they don't like it then they don't get their contract renewed. It's as simple as that.

I could rant on all day about this subject but I won't ............ thank God I hear you say.

Diny

[chips]

There seems to be a small theme that we have found over the past 10 weeks that we have been here...... If you want something ..NOW..... be prepared to pay though the nose.... but if you can wait and look.... things, and bargins can be found..
Of course somtimes you do have to get things sooner rahter than later.

chips

[Happy]

I have been looking at the prices of second hand cars on the internet and are surprised how expensive they are.

I've been here for 5 months now. My advice to you is not to get robed by car dealers. The are truly honest here, but they are there to make $$$ out of people's pockets. Cars on the net are over priced. I’ve seen a Japanese imported Mitsubishi Delica (really show room condition, only 32,200 k) selling in auction for less than 7k. Dealers would price it at say 12-15k! I would say that you could save 30-40% buying your vehicle from auctions (see http://www.turnersauction.co.nz ).

[wilson182]

There seems to be a small theme that we have found over the past 10 weeks that we have been here...... If you want something ..NOW..... be prepared to pay though the nose.... but if you can wait and look.... things, and bargins can be found..
Of course somtimes you do have to get things sooner rahter than later.

chips

I completely agree with these comments, and the trap that WE fell into in the UK was "I want it now" mindset. Hense, lots of debt and HP repayments (and I dont mean sauce :nice1 ). That something that we have been very carefull not to do over here. Our money is our own, and everything we have we have we own. We have become the Trade Me king and Queen. We have had plenty of near new deals, and nothing we have bought has been disappointing. We have just paid $600 for an eight month old $4000 lounge suite. This is after three weeks of looking and sitting on deck chairs :eek Hense waiting for the bargain. How wonderfull to be building a home again, but to know that we have paid for everything we have. Apart from my daughters bed, which we bought new, that $600 is the most we have paid for anything. And I promise we have not bought rubbish.

Computers - We bought a reconditioned computer, with modem cd writer and speakers for $399, that was how DH kept in contact with us while we were in the UK, even using the web cam.

Moorf -
I wonder if the exchange rate is what is really affecting us immigrants as I certainly don't remember posts like this when I first joined this forum a year or so ago, and yet I'm one of those posting about how expensive it can be!?

Do you think this is because there are more people on the ground overhere now than when we first joined the forum? I seem to remember lots of people wanting to go, but not many actually over here. Or maybe I have just regressed the memory :nice1

[veronica]

Come on guys in the UK. how much is a 1/2 lb of butter Tescos stripy value. and whats that in grams. and ditto say for Tescos mild cheese. I have a feeling from memory that butter was about the 85 to 90 p range. I know that our daughter who has to really watch the pennies over there shops at Aldi and they are cheaper than the main supermarkets.

[Moorf]

True Debs - there ARE more of us here now.... that must be it...

[jan]

Tesco - stripey butter - 58p 500g

Tesco red leicester -£1.48 500g


Jan xx

[veronica]

well that makes it about $1.50 for the butter against $1.99 here and the cheese works out about the same. thanks for posting those prices.

[jubjub]

Doh, posted on wrong thread :roll:

[Rimbo]

Here's a running list that i currently doing.
Remember that i'm only buying the basics, but i am starting from scratch whereas most of you will be bringing stuff like this in. most of the stuff i'm buying are in sales and on offer from the Wharehouse or Briscoe's.

Hope this helps :hopeso

One off expenditures Cost

Car (98 Toyota Celica Beams V Vti - mint 100k) 12200
Car Insurance 365
Rental deposit 922
Fridge 549
TV (Panasonic 29" flat screen) 799
Washing machine (second hand from DTR) 200
DVD / Hi-Fi (DSE) 268
Dryer (second hand from DTR) 110
Table & chairs (second hand from DTR) 150
Sofa (second hand from DTR) 200
Scotch Drawers (second hand from DTR) 250
Bed 749
Suit rack 30
Hoover (Second hand) 100
Saucepan set 50
Inner duvet (wool) (queen) 90
Glass Chop board 5
16 pce cutlery 15
Ornanment VW Bus 12.5
Dinner set & cups 20
Mop 10
Dustpan n brush 1.5
Tall Glasses 6
Broom 6
Golf bag 50
Golf balls & tees 13
Golf shoes 60
Knife 6
Spatular 5
Towel 8
clothes (smart shirt and trousers for work) 90
iron (really cheap crap) 12
Bedding & pillow cases 40
Bottom sheet 20
Pillows x 2 12
Tin opener 11
Sieve 6
Sandwich box 5
2 x Storage jars (that will not close!) 5
Ironing Board 45
3 x tea towels 5.5
Linin basket 12
Another bath Towel 10
Candles 2

TOTALS
NZ $ 17525.5

Rate 2.58
UK £'s 6792.829457


My opinion.

Same as UK with subtle differences here and there, my salary is half, but so are my repsonsibilities and there are not extras that my employers want from me. in time i will be mortgate free too. I'm still new here and my thoughts may change, i may pine to come back to the UK. so far though, :cheers
I'm having a ball!

John :cool

[Diny]

That shopping list is brilliant ... very informative.

Diny

[NW2NZ]

That's a great help. Thanks for the taking the time. Have to say that I'm curious about the candles though? :P