[jen1]

Help, we are having doubts on the money front, can anyone help.

We have a mortgage here in the UK of £1100 a month but combined we earn over £100k a year. We have a good lifestyle and want for not very much.

OH has been offered a job in Christchurch

We are really worried about moving over and the various threads about cost of living etc. I have done the cost of lving calculator and it came out at about $1000/week.

We have 2 children and I think OH's job will pay about $5000 per month. I work at the moment but wouldn't to start with out there.

We are worried about:

- saving any money
- pensions
- being able to afford things we do now (holidays, weekends away and importantly trips home)
- making our standard of living worse than it is now

What is the current position regarding interest rates, mortgages and the exchange rate?

The hardest thing is we like our life now and would we be 'cutting of our nose despite our face' Is the weather really any better? Are the houses cold (I hate the cold)? Is the jump 'good enough' :confused: ?

Any thoughts and help would be most welcome.

[willsken]

Well, you have done the cost of living calculator and at $1000 per week you won't have a huge amount left for all the things you talk about. It has to come down to "I can pay the bills and that's all that's really important and anything else is a bonus" or "I really need all those things to be happy".

You will be taking a huge pay cut. You earn more than we do in the UK and I have to say this is something that concerned me (the pay drop and not you earning more than me!! :D ) and we will both be working, therefore bringing quite a bit more than $5000 per month.

That being said, will you need to have a mortgage in NZ? This could swing things more the other way. :) Oh and is the $5000 before or after tax?

Sorry to sound negative but I was recently reading about someone who’s financial situation was similar to yours and they were back in the UK after 2 months. Just couldn't cope on the wages. :no

[clg]

Your situation sounds similar to ours in some ways. This is going to be fast becasue I have to run soon but here goes.

I will not touch weather but others I am sure will. For living costs, assume that you will probably use most of the 5k for day to day expenses and you will not have much left over for savings and international travel. However, that will be on one income. What sort of shape would you have been in on one income in the UK? We went from 2 to 1 incomes and went through a simmilar shift. When the second income comes back then things like travel and savings become affordable.

Fair to say your material standard of living will most likely drop here, you have to decide if the other things you gain are worth it. Outdoor actitivies, great kid environment, more friendly/relaxed people...

Some houses here are cold, some are not. It depends, it is quite possible to get a warm house here but you do need to know what to look for.

Good luck,

Chris