Family Maidment
19th January 2007, 04:52 AM
Happy New Year!
I am sorry I have not been on-line for a while. We have been doing a lot of thought and deliberation over returning to NZ over the last month or so and with Christmas added into the equation - I just don't know where the time has gone.
Last time I communicated I think we had just been selected from the EIO pool and had booked the medicals (now cancelled).
Just after that we were deciding what is was that would be most different to living in NZ vs UK and the big change would be, that OH would have to be employed in NZ. So we decided to try employment in the UK (just to make sure / rule it out). He managed to get a job as an Industrial Plumber and would start 3rd January. They offered OH a few days working for them, prior to Christmas, so he could see their work and get to know the company. To cut a long story short he worked for them for 3 days, hated it and therefore did not start on the 3rd January. So he is back as being the local Plumber.
I have to say though OH has work, his phone is not ringing like it used to before we went ot NZ. He is bring in enough to live on, but that's about it at the moment. The big issue seams to be an influx of people from the new European Countries, who are undercutting everyone. (OH told me some one he knows wanted an extension and was quoted £30,000 by a UK company and £10,000 by a Latvian - as the man said if they do a bodge job then he still has £20,000 to put it right).
I have been working part-time to bring in our pocket money - though I got so fed up with the lady I was working for (very old school) I left last week, so I am now looking for work and being a Mummy at home.
We currently have our house on the market (10 days) and no interest at the moment. The Agents sold 2 houses just the same as ours just before Christmas both with-in 48 hours! I don't think the rise in interest rate last week helped matters. We are looking so see what we can afford here and everything we like is too expensive, so we would rather stay in this house, though if we do we are in the wrong catchement zone for 'Boy 2' to attend 'Boy 1's' school and I don't think we have a chance of getting him into 'Boy 1's' school if we stay where we are.
Which brings us back to NZ.
Our only fear is money.
I have been looking on the emigrate NZ forum and have read so many stories of people who are struggling - just like we did last time (or so we thought at the time, that we were struggling). I worried that if we do return we will struggle as we will have less money to start up with. This time we would come out to NZ with apx £100,000 and OH would earn $52,000ish a year, with the job offer he has. I would need to find a job to help with the finances, but have no idea how much I would bring into the kitty working part-time and covering additional child care costs.
Our hearts are in NZ, but our minds are just so worried about affording to live their. We know we would not be able to afford to return to the UK as regularly as we first thought. (For me that's not a problem as my family could afford to visit us. OH parents on the other hand don't even own a passport and would never visit).
In the long term, in the UK we can only see OH wages going down or staying the same and therefore never being able to afford the house we would want, or go on holiday to the places we dream of and the thought of retiring! well lets say we can't.
In NZ, OH wages will go up once he becomes a Craftsman Plumber and then we perhaps could live the life we dream of. However that seams along way off and in the mean time so much could go wrong. We know if we did go to NZ again and for what ever reason returned to the UK, their is no way we could afford to pick up the peaces like last time.
I need a mentor to advise us on what to do.
As far as the boys are concerned, as long as they have a happy Mummy and Daddy who can offer a stable home life, they won't notice what country we are in.
We are in such a hugh dilemma and just don't know what to do for the best!
I have got a few questions, you may be able to help with!
What sort of wages could I expect to earn working part time?
I have seen on the Tauranga Council website they often have Customer Services positions, but there is never a wage indication. I have worked in the Travel Industry about 15 years and have covered every thing from counter sales, call centre sales, management, trainer and customer services. My last job was as an administrator for a financial advisor.
Child care cost's?
Last time I did not work and so did not look into these costs. 'Boy 1' did attend Kindy and that as only a few $, though only for a few hours.
In your personal view - can we afford to live?
We would want to try and buy a house with a mortgage of $100,000 ish. We would ship my car back over (came from NZ in the first place!!). We have thought about putting our finds into an account with 7% interest and with this interest rent - will this work??
Is it worth OH popping (as you do) over to NZ to look again for himself?
This would work out to be just over £1,000, and I am not sure if it would resolve the issues we have of living in the country as we know we love the country and the life style it can offer.
Can we claim any benefits?
I know last time under the working visa if we could of claimed child benefit then that would have made a difference to us and perhaps we would not have felt the penny pinching.
Do you think were mad!!!?
I do, some times??
Thanks for listening (well reading)
Any views you have on us (having not met us) and our dilemma would be very appreciated.
Jo and the boys
I am sorry I have not been on-line for a while. We have been doing a lot of thought and deliberation over returning to NZ over the last month or so and with Christmas added into the equation - I just don't know where the time has gone.
Last time I communicated I think we had just been selected from the EIO pool and had booked the medicals (now cancelled).
Just after that we were deciding what is was that would be most different to living in NZ vs UK and the big change would be, that OH would have to be employed in NZ. So we decided to try employment in the UK (just to make sure / rule it out). He managed to get a job as an Industrial Plumber and would start 3rd January. They offered OH a few days working for them, prior to Christmas, so he could see their work and get to know the company. To cut a long story short he worked for them for 3 days, hated it and therefore did not start on the 3rd January. So he is back as being the local Plumber.
I have to say though OH has work, his phone is not ringing like it used to before we went ot NZ. He is bring in enough to live on, but that's about it at the moment. The big issue seams to be an influx of people from the new European Countries, who are undercutting everyone. (OH told me some one he knows wanted an extension and was quoted £30,000 by a UK company and £10,000 by a Latvian - as the man said if they do a bodge job then he still has £20,000 to put it right).
I have been working part-time to bring in our pocket money - though I got so fed up with the lady I was working for (very old school) I left last week, so I am now looking for work and being a Mummy at home.
We currently have our house on the market (10 days) and no interest at the moment. The Agents sold 2 houses just the same as ours just before Christmas both with-in 48 hours! I don't think the rise in interest rate last week helped matters. We are looking so see what we can afford here and everything we like is too expensive, so we would rather stay in this house, though if we do we are in the wrong catchement zone for 'Boy 2' to attend 'Boy 1's' school and I don't think we have a chance of getting him into 'Boy 1's' school if we stay where we are.
Which brings us back to NZ.
Our only fear is money.
I have been looking on the emigrate NZ forum and have read so many stories of people who are struggling - just like we did last time (or so we thought at the time, that we were struggling). I worried that if we do return we will struggle as we will have less money to start up with. This time we would come out to NZ with apx £100,000 and OH would earn $52,000ish a year, with the job offer he has. I would need to find a job to help with the finances, but have no idea how much I would bring into the kitty working part-time and covering additional child care costs.
Our hearts are in NZ, but our minds are just so worried about affording to live their. We know we would not be able to afford to return to the UK as regularly as we first thought. (For me that's not a problem as my family could afford to visit us. OH parents on the other hand don't even own a passport and would never visit).
In the long term, in the UK we can only see OH wages going down or staying the same and therefore never being able to afford the house we would want, or go on holiday to the places we dream of and the thought of retiring! well lets say we can't.
In NZ, OH wages will go up once he becomes a Craftsman Plumber and then we perhaps could live the life we dream of. However that seams along way off and in the mean time so much could go wrong. We know if we did go to NZ again and for what ever reason returned to the UK, their is no way we could afford to pick up the peaces like last time.
I need a mentor to advise us on what to do.
As far as the boys are concerned, as long as they have a happy Mummy and Daddy who can offer a stable home life, they won't notice what country we are in.
We are in such a hugh dilemma and just don't know what to do for the best!
I have got a few questions, you may be able to help with!
What sort of wages could I expect to earn working part time?
I have seen on the Tauranga Council website they often have Customer Services positions, but there is never a wage indication. I have worked in the Travel Industry about 15 years and have covered every thing from counter sales, call centre sales, management, trainer and customer services. My last job was as an administrator for a financial advisor.
Child care cost's?
Last time I did not work and so did not look into these costs. 'Boy 1' did attend Kindy and that as only a few $, though only for a few hours.
In your personal view - can we afford to live?
We would want to try and buy a house with a mortgage of $100,000 ish. We would ship my car back over (came from NZ in the first place!!). We have thought about putting our finds into an account with 7% interest and with this interest rent - will this work??
Is it worth OH popping (as you do) over to NZ to look again for himself?
This would work out to be just over £1,000, and I am not sure if it would resolve the issues we have of living in the country as we know we love the country and the life style it can offer.
Can we claim any benefits?
I know last time under the working visa if we could of claimed child benefit then that would have made a difference to us and perhaps we would not have felt the penny pinching.
Do you think were mad!!!?
I do, some times??
Thanks for listening (well reading)
Any views you have on us (having not met us) and our dilemma would be very appreciated.
Jo and the boys