can we live on these wages

[shalamyna]

I have just got my residence visa and have been offered a job at $45.500
PA and we are not sure if this is enough to live on.
we are going to rent to start with until our capitol is transfered from the UK.
There are 2 adults and 2 children and we are going to rent in sumner on the south island just outside christchurch.
We are concerned that this is not going to be enough after taxs rent.
Could anyone please let us know if it is a wage we can live on.
The job also comes with a company car and we think that we will also incur fringe benefit tax.
After all of this is that a liveable wage.
Thanks....
Tony & Sue

[zardell]

Like many people have said in previous threads - what is enough for some is not for others........

$45k per annum seems to be the going rate for a trades person and if you were to transfer your funds over from the UK you would receive very favourable interest rates on it (7% ish before tax) and some people find that their interest actually pays their rent.

Have a look at Avalons Money Thread for a breakdown of costs of utilities...it will give you a good idea of how much they cost..............it all depends on your individual lifestyle.

Not much help I know, but there are many Kiwis that survive on less........

Julie

xx

[nippa&pippa]

My husband's wage is less than $42,000, we live in christchurch and there is 2 adult and 2 children of us..not easy but with very very careful budget, we managed so far...just waiting for our house in UK to be sold so we can buy house outright in NZ to free more money from paying rent. It is depend on what your budget and outgoing will be...are you prepare to limit what you can do to save money? As now my husband been working for 3months now, so hopefully we will get family benefit to bring in more money. Also if you earning low wages you can get community service card, this give you discount at doctors, chemist, leisure centre etc.
Other things for you to think about saving money, i did went to sumner to look for place to rent, we decide not to as will cost us lots of money on rent and petrol. We picked areas that it is not too far from my husband's job but still lovely areas, Burnside. Took him just 10mins to get to work compare 45mins from sumner....save lots on petrol
hth

[marcia]

As now my husband been working for 3months now, so hopefully we will get family benefit to bring in more money.

You don't have to wait 3 months to get family assistance - Apply for it straight away if you have PR!

[ElizabethD]

We have been in NZ for 2 months now. Is 45,000 enough for a family of four? NO WAY. And from what I can tell $45,000 is a good wage for NZ. i honestly don't know how these people are going it....unless they carry a lot of debt. The only reason I'm okay is that I brought a considerable savings which I am burning through as we speak and hardly "living large" as they say.

You will be hit with charges at every turn--they don't tell you that when you read all the glossy materials they send. EVERYTHING costs more here--a lot more. In my opinion, in order for a family of four to eat healthy food (not $1 meat pies from Pak and Save, attend public schools, live in a decent area and not drive your car too often and NOT save for your retirement you need a minimum of $65,000 per year. Both parents have to work--there is no way around that.

I challenge someone to tell me this isn't so. For land's sake you get charged 25 cents to check the voice mail on your cell phone--you pay 49 cents a minute to use your cell phone. You are charged a dollar for putting a book on hold at the library. I'm sorry--this is my impression of New Zealand--everything is for sale.

I don't think I can make it here.....

[stu70]

We have been in NZ for 2 months now. Is 45,000 enough for a family of four? NO WAY. And from what I can tell $45,000 is a good wage for NZ. i honestly don't know how these people are going it....unless they carry a lot of debt. The only reason I'm okay is that I brought a considerable savings which I am burning through as we speak and hardly "living large" as they say.

You will be hit with charges at every turn--they don't tell you that when you read all the glossy materials they send. EVERYTHING costs more here--a lot more. In my opinion, in order for a family of four to eat healthy food (not $1 meat pies from Pak and Save, attend public schools, live in a decent area and not drive your car too often and NOT save for your retirement you need a minimum of $65,000 per year. Both parents have to work--there is no way around that.

I challenge someone to tell me this isn't so. For land's sake you get charged 25 cents to check the voice mail on your cell phone--you pay 49 cents a minute to use your cell phone. You are charged a dollar for putting a book on hold at the library. I'm sorry--this is my impression of New Zealand--everything is for sale.

I don't think I can make it here.....

I sympathize with you. Your candid comments will definitely serve as an eyeopener for all those wanting to move. It is best to budget for worst case scenario to avoid falling into financial hole. Great post. All the best to you and your family. Regards,

[K&CS]

The amount of capital you're bringing from the UK will also make a huge difference. Are you going to be the sole provider or is your OH going to be getting a job too?

I personally haven't found things to be more expensive than in the UK and, as you're local to me, I can point you in the right direction for the best places to shop etc.

Kate

[Hannah]

At $45000 you are looking at about $650 a week take home pay after tax deducted. Our rent is $310 at the moment, shopping about $300 - that gives you a good idea of how far $650 goes.

Just to follow up on the family assistance thing - i looked into this an apparently you have to be resident here for a year. Marcia, can you clarify? have you applied for family assistance? The FA website suggests this is not possible.....but i'd be interested to know if anyone out there has applied and got it before being resident for a year

[spudulike]

We have been in NZ for 2 months now. Is 45,000 enough for a family of four? NO WAY. And from what I can tell $45,000 is a good wage for NZ. i honestly don't know how these people are going it....unless they carry a lot of debt. The only reason I'm okay is that I brought a considerable savings which I am burning through as we speak and hardly "living large" as they say.

You will be hit with charges at every turn--they don't tell you that when you read all the glossy materials they send. EVERYTHING costs more here--a lot more. In my opinion, in order for a family of four to eat healthy food (not $1 meat pies from Pak and Save, attend public schools, live in a decent area and not drive your car too often and NOT save for your retirement you need a minimum of $65,000 per year. Both parents have to work--there is no way around that.

I challenge someone to tell me this isn't so. For land's sake you get charged 25 cents to check the voice mail on your cell phone--you pay 49 cents a minute to use your cell phone. You are charged a dollar for putting a book on hold at the library. I'm sorry--this is my impression of New Zealand--everything is for sale.

I don't think I can make it here.....

Agree 100000%!! We have been here a year (tomorrow) and are going back to the UK in May for precisely this reason.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

At $45000 you are looking at about $650 a week take home pay after tax deducted. Our rent is $310 at the moment, shopping about $300 - that gives you a good idea of how far $650 goes.

Just to follow up on the family assistance thing - i looked into this an apparently you have to be resident here for a year. Marcia, can you clarify? have you applied for family assistance? The FA website suggests this is not possible.....but i'd be interested to know if anyone out there has applied and got it before being resident for a year

Hannah, you can apply straight away. We thought it was a year too but thanks to ENZ who kindly offered his advice and worked out that we were entitled to it, I applied several months ago and was awarded it immediately.
We applied online and I just followed up with a phone call about a week later - it was really straightforward.

Good luck.

L

[marcia]

Just to follow up on the family assistance thing - i looked into this an apparently you have to be resident here for a year. Marcia, can you clarify? have you applied for family assistance? The FA website suggests this is not possible.....but i'd be interested to know if anyone out there has applied and got it before being resident for a year

We have only been here 3 months and we have been granted it - yes we have PR but still with section 18 condition on it too - filled the forms in sent them back no problems - they have now offered us a community card too!!! So the forms are currently in my 'processing' file to get all the copies of passports etc to complete that!

Apply straight away - it won't do any harm, they can only say no!