Could you live on 110K in NZ?

[willsken]

re the teaching salary Nicola.... I was horrified to find that I was credited with half a year for each year I'd worked in the UK.
Add into the mix - a lower salary anyway - and I definitely felt like I was working for nothing.
So much so - after a year of full time teaching - I left.
Relieving was a better option for me at the time.

Coming here 12 years ago was definably a worse time for teachers. I think the rule re number of years you are credited for has only changed fairly recently and added to quite a large pay rise for teacher in the past few years, we are on a much better deal than you'd have been. (Didn't I hear somewhere that until the last few years primary teachers were paid less than secondary, making it even more unfair?)

[Carol]

Coming here 12 years ago was definably a worse time for teachers. I think the rule re number of years you are credited for has only changed fairly recently and added to quite a large pay rise for teacher in the past few years, we are on a much better deal than you'd have been. (Didn't I hear somewhere that until the last few years primary teachers were paid less than secondary, making it even more unfair?)

Yes that's right Nicola.
tbh - it has all had a huge impact on me personally. On my confidence, my optimism (which has been whittled away gradually....) - and definitely on my "perspective" of living here.... and why our own personal situation of 4/5 of us loving it here - and 1/5 of us just doesn't..... makes for a life not exactly as idyllic as I thought it was going to be...... to put it mildly.

I wasn't prepared for it. but I really don't think anyone could have been - given the same circumstances.

[marshanite]

Hubby was promised $61,000 for teaching IT. He got $27,000 for the first few weeks and then $46,000 so far shows no sign of increasing. He gets $1,300 every 2 weeks minus rent of $800 (for a flea pit) leaves £250 a week for a family of 4 to live on. We spend that on food! We came here to do lots of outdoor activities, some are free, but most cost money.

Fi.

[willsken]

Hubby was promised $61,000 for teaching IT. He got $27,000 for the first few weeks and then $46,000 so far shows no sign of increasing. He gets $1,300 every 2 weeks minus rent of $800 (for a flea pit) leaves £250 a week for a family of 4 to live on. We spend that on food! We came here to do lots of outdoor activities, some are free, but most cost money.

Fi.

I have sent you a PM.

[dilanium]

Given what we've lived on happily in the past, and what we live on currently very happily. I would say that we could do very well on 110k in NZ. Even with the difference in cost of living, I really can't see not being very happy on that salary.

But then we've lived as poor, poor, students for over 5 years now, so I think that changes my perspective. Heck, getting 50k to live off of a year seems like a lot to me, but we'll see how that changes when I actually live there.