[ateal]

Hello everybody,

I've been doing some research on the government statistics web site regarding the average monthly expenditure (excluding mortgage/rent payments) and have calculated that an average couple with one child spend approximately NZ$2,800/month.

To develop my research further and also make a judgment on the quality of lifestyle I could have in NZ, could I ask that anyone currently living in New Zealand put down the following information.

1) Size of family
2) Location in New Zealand
3) Approximate monthly expenditure (excluding mortgages/rent).
4) Whether they considered they lived frugally, comfortably or lavishly

Apart from myself, (who incidently is obsessed with figures), I think the above information will be quite useful to many prospective migrants.

Thank you in advance for any input you can make.

[kiwi]

I'll play.

7 in our family...2 big people pretending to be parents and 5 little people always crying!

We live in freezin raining christchurch (and looking at the gold coast!)

We spend all my hubbies wages of 39k!
He just got a job after 6 yrs of study...I know...relief! and he is now a primary school teacher. We have student loans a plenty and repaying mortgage but that is all...no hp's or credit cards.

Maybe what you want to know is how much is food..$180 a week,
rates $20 pw, insurance car reg etc $11pw, electric /phone $40

etc? maybe..or do you just want to know if people do really spend 2800 a month? we spend about 1900 a month...then mortgage

we live FRUGALLY...have had too. We are not 'rich' by any means, but we do live ok, not too many restaurant dinners..but it doesnt mean we dont eat out (just with friends etc but that makes restaurant treats really enjoyable places to be )

people dont care what you drive cos although we have number plate 'letters' all the imports get the new letter...even though the import is 15 yrs old...doesnt really matter if you drive a c reg (is at the moment) or a V reg..who cares.

If you want to pick my brains....just email.

Nic

[Dave & Sandra]

After nearly 3 months here I have a fair idea of what our expenses are. They are distorted a bit because we are spending loads every month on renovating the house and still buying bits and pieces of furniture for the house, so we are spending all of Dave's salary every month. He comes out with about $4,400 pm after tax. Salary $72,000. We don't have a mortgage.

But the basics are:-

Supermarket shopping $600 pm - includes wine
Car insurance - $70pm - MR2 and RAV 4 - both 10 years old, this should reduce when we get NZ driving licences
House insurance - buildings and contents $47 pm
Petrol $120 pm - this is a 32km return commute for Dave and not a lot of driving round for me and weekends driving around
Eating out - currently averaging $184 pm - maybe once a week
Electricity $95 per month - but 2 months are estimated
Telephone $87 per month - rental $50 (includes $40 internet connection) - calls $37. Don't use it for calls much. Mostly e-mail home and use IP Phone for calls to relatives on the internet.
Rates $167 pm - rateable value $255k
Bank charges :wah $22 pm

Also not included is the huge amounts spent on beer and cigarettes :cheers But as that is personal expenditure they can't really be figured in anyway.

We would be quite comfortable if it weren't for the spending on the house.

Hope this helps.

Sandra

[Junnifer USA]

Everyone who contributed, that is such useful information!

I have anouther question:
Do you think you expenses are higher or lower than they were in your home country? HOw does it compare?

We are moving from the US and trying to anticipate: Here are the basics in our US budget - and we are very fruegel right now:

US DOllars:
Mortgage 500
Health Insurance 880
Electric 180
Water 80
Auto payment (2001 ford) 500
2 cars house flood & property ins

[Junnifer USA]

all car property flood ins 495
kid school
we live in the worst area in us - so pay for private 600
Tel 35
Cable 49
satalite 59
cell 61

We think that these are very high rates. Multiply by 1.3 to est NZ value.

Total entertainment
1 round of golf 35
kid guitar lesson 20


We are hoping to see NZ rates much more reasonable!

[deebat]

Hi Junnifer -- Can't help you on the US-to-NZ expense conversion, but it sure is interesting to see how much a fellow American pays for various stuff. I sure hope utilities in NZ don't cost more than US$260 each month -- I only pay $30 total!

Good luck,
Dan

[karltsmith]

My 2 cents worth!

Monthly outfoings for a family of four...2 old parent types and 2 littlies!

about NZ$3000 per calender month, livng on Aucklands North Shore.

Food NZ$200/wk
Mortgage NZ$310/wk
Power NZ$40/wk
Rates NZ$25/wk
Water Rates nz$3/wk
Phone NZ$25/wk
Phone Cards NZ$10/wk
Mobiles NZ$5/wk
Sky NZ$12/wk
Car Ins 2 cars, Ford Laser + Renault Scenic NZ$20/week
Road Tax 2 cars NZ$8/wk
Petrol 2 cars, NZ$50/wk
Security system monitoring NZ10/wk

Total Approx NZ$720/wk

[ateal]

Thanks very much for the information guys, :nice1 as i said earlier I'm obsessed with budgeting and so this is very helpfull indeed.

It seems that my personal budget figure of $2500 per month, exclusive of mortgage/rental may well be enough to support my wife and our little son. :P

All i have to hope for now is a return to a favourable exchange rate, and a drop in mortgage interest rates. :hopeso

Cheers to all and hope you have a very merry Xmas. :cheers

Adrian

[Dave & Sandra]

Hi Adrian

Whereabouts are you in HK? Dave and I used to live in Discovery Bay

Sandra

[karltsmith]

Hi Ateal,

My company offices used to be in Hung Hom...know it? :nice1

[ateal]

Hi Karl,

Yes i do know that area, but i haven't been over that way for a long time. How long were you in Hong Kong for and did you like it? I was only meant to be here for 12 months, that was 7 years ago! :laugh

Adrian

[ateal]

Hi Sandra,

After living in many different areas of Hong Kong, my wife and i decided to settle in the area known as the Gold Coast. It's quiet and in easy reach of Central (25 minutes by car).

When did you live in DB and who did you know, are they still there. I have had a lot of freinds live in DB, we may even know some of the same people. Funny enough we were in DB on Saturday for a Xmas Dinner Party.

Adrian

[Dave & Sandra]

Adrian

You've got a car in HK - you must be rich :laugh It was taxi, tram, ferry and MTR for Dave and I while we were there.

We left there in 1995 so things are a little bit hazy now. We knew a couple called Libby and John in DB, but can't remember which apartment block they lived in. We were in Cherish Court. We were members of the DB residents club. They had a gym, pool and restaurant. Was the dinner party at the residents club or sombody's apartment?

The Gold Coast rings bells, but can't remember where it was. We had some friends living on Lamma - the hippy island. I can also remember spending lazy Sundays at Peng Chau where there was a great restaurant. I miss the HK climate, even if it was humid and it was good to get time off work when it was typhoon season. Although the queues at the ferry for DB were always very long. :roll:

They were happy days.

Sandra

[Danpoll]

I had a thought the other day my uk monthly expenditure is 2k a month that would equate to $5100 nz a month so with figures of 3k a month being quoted I am a little more relaxed.



Dan

[Milliemoo]

Great thread guys! Really helpful :P :mrgreen: :P

Thanks

Milliemoo :nice1

[Moorf]

Here's a shocker...

Rent $1400
Petrol $150 (1 car)
Ciggies $195
Tobacco $150
Food & Drink $600
Telecom $100 (inc internet)
Car Tax etc $10
Insurance i.e content/car/medical/pet $120
Mobile Calls/Txts $40
Dog $100

Total $2865

Monthly Income after Tax approx $3208 ($55k Software Developer)

Disposable Income = $ 343 !!!

That's with one income and without income from rental property in UK and from software sales. Plus, when I start bringing in the $ that will be our pocket money too. Plus Woz gets a 10k rise in Feb :nice1 and any mortgage we have will be WAY cheaper than current rent.

And we WILL give up smoking... :oops:

We haven't actually managed to exist on that disposable yet (funny that eh?) due to Xmas and family visit and have pulled in £ from UK (at a crappy exchange rate unfortunately) and Feb will be our first attempt at a new start on a Kiwi budget!! :uhoh If it wasn't for the extra income earned from software and property we'd be up the creek without even a cheap plastic paddle!

Moorf

[Terry&Sophie]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this, it's very useful to those of us who haven't got there yet! :nice1

We're in the position of not knowing how much we'll be earning, so this gives us some idea of how much we'll need to ask for!

When we get there (3 weeks) and have spent a few months earning and spending NZ dollars we'll let you know our spending habits..

Thanks again

Sophie & Terry

[Juniper]

our US budget - and we are very fruegel right now:

US DOllars:
Mortgage 500
Health Insurance 880


isn't it great when health insurance costs more than your mortgage? love this country...

as for our santa cruz expenses, for two people, it's just about a whopping $7000 USD (incl. $3000 mortgage for a 3-bed house in the boonies). did i mention our area is horrendously expensive? i guess we live pretty comfortably, but -come on-....

just got laid off, so time to get frugal (and get a kick-ass job, since i was the meal ticket until now)

we'd hoped to keep our house in SC as a fall-back plan (maybe a cheaper one tho) when we went to NZ. houses in santa cruz are a gold mine, so if we can manage it, hello retirement savings... :hopeso but in order to pay that mortgage -and- rent in NZ... ouchie ouchie! my hubby's new business better be doing -real- well by then.