# Wages in New Zealand



## rageybug

Hi everyone! I'm excited to be joining the group here and hoping you won't get too tired of the millions of possibly ridiculous questions I have as we figure out if a move to New Zealand could be in our future!

My first question, and possibly the most important is regarding wages in New Zealand. We would be looking at a 50% pay cut and curious to know what everyone's views are on a family with 2 young children living on $50,000/year anywhere in the country?

I am self employed and would not be back in business right away so I'm not even going to count my income, only what my husband's would be if we moved. I would eventually be up and working but with small children I would be taking my time easing into work. We both don't want to work at the same time as to avoid daycare like we do currently. 

Here in Canada, a family could get by very well on that amount of money as an annual salary. I'm not looking to live extravagantly or spend like crazy, just get by with a modest rental home, basic utilities and food on the table!

Can't wait to hear the opinions!


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## Kimbella

Hi Ragey.

I would tell you upfront that $50k for a family of 3 or 4 may not get you far in NZ. The cost of living is quite high here. It's not the you can't get by, but that you might struggle more than you expect or are used to, which can be *especially* hard when you are in a foreign country without the same comfort and resources around you as in your home country. Depending on where you plan to live, your rental costs may be fairly extraordinary. I live in Christchurch with my kiwi husband and daughter. In California, where I am from, I rented a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home fully renovated, with an in-ground gunite pool, and yard/pool service for $1495 a month the last year I was there. We just unloaded our home in Christchurch and have moved into a lovely rental for $1800 a month. We looked at over 20 homes with cheaper rentals and they were all hot messes to say the least! The home we now live on is lovely in that it was built in the 1930's and has been mostly updated, but the kitchen is still 1930's, with about 3 meters of floor space to work with, single taps for hot/cold water, etc., *very* old. But, the rest of the house is nice. However, where I came from in the US, $1800 would have gotten me a McMansion, so, it really depends on what you are willing to accept compared to what you are used to. If I had lived in San Francisco, $1800 would have only gotten me a small but nice apartment--so perspective helps! Chch and Auckland are both notorious for their exorbitant rents. I always recommend people go on TradeMe or Harcourts websites to see what rentals are available at what price, and what you'll get for that price. For cost comparisons on groceries check out Countdown, Pak n Save, New World, and Fresh Choice websites...you will get an idea of what you will be budgeting for. Clothes, shoes, linens, etc can be *extremely* expensive. I tell people to add 25% to what their used to paying and that will probably be too low an estimate for the cost differences. I also highly recommend bringing as many clothes and shoes with you as you can. Check out prices at Farmers, The Warehouse, Briscoe's to get a sense of cost (these are the low end stores--mid range products for price and quality. The great part of NZ is that there is tons of stuff to do outdoors at little to no cost, so I think in the end it balances out, but initially finding your budget margins can be very, very tricky. Best of luck!


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## rageybug

Thank you so much for your reply! I'm going to check out the stores you've listed for some price comparing! It's been the biggest challenge so far to find resources for figuring out exactly how the cost of living compares to where we are now. I have found many comparisons such as "a gallon of milk costs $xxx, a loaf of bread costs $xxx" but those aren't the things that are going to break the bank like rent, utilities, insurance, health care etc. 
There seems to be so much research to do when considering a big move when it isn't really for any purpose other than a new experience (not a job transfer for example.)

There are so many areas in which we spend a lot of money every month that we would/could do with out I order to live on a budget - which would be necessary. I would hate to invest in such a cost move (we're not rich by any means) only to find that we really have a poor quality of life due to the jobs we are able to obtain in a different country.


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## escapedtonz

rageybug said:


> Hi everyone! I'm excited to be joining the group here and hoping you won't get too tired of the millions of possibly ridiculous questions I have as we figure out if a move to New Zealand could be in our future!
> 
> My first question, and possibly the most important is regarding wages in New Zealand. We would be looking at a 50% pay cut and curious to know what everyone's views are on a family with 2 young children living on $50,000/year anywhere in the country?
> 
> I am self employed and would not be back in business right away so I'm not even going to count my income, only what my husband's would be if we moved. I would eventually be up and working but with small children I would be taking my time easing into work. We both don't want to work at the same time as to avoid daycare like we do currently.
> 
> Here in Canada, a family could get by very well on that amount of money as an annual salary. I'm not looking to live extravagantly or spend like crazy, just get by with a modest rental home, basic utilities and food on the table!
> 
> Can't wait to hear the opinions!


Hi,

$50k NZ or CAN $50k which is NZ $60k ?
Anyway, whichever you mean in my opinion both low salaries for a family of 4.
You are really going to struggle.
I'd say at least $80k if you're living away from any city or at least $100k if you want to live within 1hr of a city.
Your talking at least NZ $450 a week in rent plus utilities, maybe a phoneline, mobiles, broadband, sky tv, a car, insurances etc etc.
Cost of living is high.
No experience of Canada but I have lots of experience of the UK. In my opinion the cost of living probably 15% more here but I do not calculate rent in that as doing so increases this significantly.
Everything (well almost everything) is more expensive. The only things I have found to be cheaper are fuel for driving, on the road charges for a car and car insurance, oh and playing golf is really cheap!!!
I took approx 35% drop in salary coming here. Never wanted for nothing in the UK, one few year old car and a new 4x4, newish motorbike, golf membership, gym membership, at least one big holiday overseas per year, many trips away in the UK, eating out, didnt care what we spent on shopping or energy bills, plenty savings, didn't owe a thing other than mortgage.....
Here we have to watch what we spend everywhere to somewhat maintain a similar lifestyle. You have to adapt to the changes or you will go under, BUT life here is so much better none of these issues seem to be an issue.

Regards,


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## rageybug

It's the quality of life and year round manageable weather that are the big drawing points. Were we are now, we have 3 months of the year without snow - and several months where the temperature is regularly in the -30 to -50 degree range. It would be nice being able to make the most of the outdoors all year round and enjoy some sunshine!

However, to enjoy that and have that high quality of life you also need to make enough to survive and not be stressing about how bills will get paid either. 

Off to see what other jobs we could work in nz.


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## rageybug

I just took a good look through lots of categories of homewares at Briscoes and a lot of different grocery categories at Pak n Save, Countdown and Fresh Choice. While many items are expensive - in many cases double the price here - it is the specialty/somewhat luxury items. For example some of the baby items we've recently purchased jumped out at me right away because the local prices are still fresh in my mind. These items were significantly higher in price in nz. The items that we purchase regularly are very very closely priced to what shopping in our "up scale" supermarket would be. 

Am I correct that there is a 15% sales tax on every purchase in nz? Is that applied on food items as well?

In Ontario food items are not charged tax but everything else is subject to 13% tax. (Previously 15%)


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## Song_Si

IMO NZ$50,000 would be a very difficult life of near poverty, certainly not one to change country for. 

NZ $50,000 with a family would put a NZ resident into a low-income-earner state/government-welfare dependent situation.

The 'living wage' campaign aims at an hourly rate of $18.40, approx $37,000 a year, for a single adult to survive. Not save, just exist. 

Tax and average rent alone would take about half that income. 

Some links - Working In NZ - Cost of Living 

Note: In New Zealand a Goods and Service Tax (GST) of 15% applies to everything except income and financial transactions.


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## Kimbella

rageybug said:


> I just took a good look through lots of categories of homewares at Briscoes and a lot of different grocery categories at Pak n Save, Countdown and Fresh Choice. While many items are expensive - in many cases double the price here - it is the specialty/somewhat luxury items. For example some of the baby items we've recently purchased jumped out at me right away because the local prices are still fresh in my mind. These items were significantly higher in price in nz. The items that we purchase regularly are very very closely priced to what shopping in our "up scale" supermarket would be.
> 
> Am I correct that there is a 15% sales tax on every purchase in nz? Is that applied on food items as well?
> 
> In Ontario food items are not charged tax but everything else is subject to 13% tax. (Previously 15%)



Yes, there is a 15% gst (goods and service tax), altho some places will include that in their advertised price (not foodstuff tho). Compared to the US I have found prices here to start at about 25% higher or more depending on the items.


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## lisamct

I think you'd seriously struggle to live off $50k. 
I'm single with no kids, the lowest I've earned here is about $65k and although that covered what I think are the basics (food, rent, utilities, internet, car, petrol, insurance) there wasnt much left over for anything else so I've don't know how anyone would manage with 4 people to support on that wage.


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## Joshua82

Ragebug I am curious about what part of Canada you live in. In Alberta (my current location) my wife and I (no children) are considered lower-middle class and I make ~$60k Canadian a year.


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## Vmorris22

Kimbella said:


> Clothes, shoes, linens, etc can be *extremely* expensive. I tell people to add 25% to what their used to paying and that will probably be too low an estimate for the cost differences. I also highly recommend bringing as many clothes and shoes with you as you can.


Kimbella, (-random question-)

Were you able to use some of your appliances (small or big) from the US with a converter, or did you have to buy appliances that fit the NZ voltage?


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## Kimbella

I brought appliances: kitchenaide mixer, rice cooker, ice cream maker, Wii, DVD player, battery recharger, etc. Those items are SUPER expensive here: an equivalent mixer would run about $600 to $800NZD, so I more than saved money by buying a 1000w voltage converter and bringing my high end stuff over via ocean freight.


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## Joshua82

Kimbella said:


> I brought appliances: kitchenaide mixer, rice cooker, ice cream maker, Wii, DVD player, battery recharger, etc. Those items are SUPER expensive here: an equivalent mixer would run about $600 to $800NZD, so I more than saved money by buying a 1000w voltage converter and bringing my high end stuff over via ocean freight.


So are all electronics very expensive in NZ? Even considering the exchange rate?

So a $800 US computer would cost what roughly in NZ$?


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## Kimbella

No, not all electronics .... but, as you might have found reading differing opinions, it all depends on your perspective... some people will think *everything* is out of reach, others will say just things here and there...

I find niche items to be comparatively expensive, and once you are living here, you won't (generally) be living off of US funds (fully), so the exchange rate becomes mostly a moot point. Your first year you will thinking of things in terms of USD, then you will only be thinking of them in terms of value you are getting for your NZD. A kitchenaide mixer here, after a quick look on priceme.co.nz had 5 prices, the lowest was $962, excluding the 15% GST... so, yah, I find things like that to be expensive, even when taking the exchange rate into consideration. I can't really say about computers, since I haven't looked, but we did just pick up a basic tablet for the kids on sale for $199. Nothing flash, mostly like a glorified ipod, which they already have, but this has an accessory keyboard, so technically they could set it up anywhere for school work, and not lug a laptop around... 
Part of my consideration in bringing stuff here was also the US value I had already sunk into them. I had an extensive Wii game collection, and to replace those would have been exorbitant here, same with bringing a DVD player (movie collection). To replace my rice cooker would be about $70, versus maybe $20 in California... so, depending on how much stuff you *already* had, it may or may not be worth bringing. As I said, I had a decent lifestyle in the US, and wanted to bring what I could of it over at minimal outgoing cost... I think about the best way to use and save money, and perhaps that is part of my success, I dunno. I moved here touching 40, and its worked. Also, true story, most of the quality you will encounter over here is going to be pretty much crap compared to what we can get in the US. There are several reasons for this: 1) kiwis aren't as concerned as americans on how "perfect" something is... at first this *really* confused me, but then I finally "got it" ... even tho most people live in urban areas, the mentality and culture here is still farm based. When was the last time you stepped onto a farm and found the house and grounds to be immaculate, and for everything to be made to perfect specs? I will say that this aspect of kiwi life bugs me, because we americans always aspire to improve, do things better, etc., but this if, frankly, not the drive of kiwis. I'm on their land, the onus is on me to either understand this and accept it and navigate it to my satisfaction, or to incessantly ***** that "things are so much better in America." And, my comment is also a sweeping generalization as you will also find amazing pieces of craftmanship and quality, they just don't flood the market like in the US.. this is not a land of consumer competition, it is small, markets and industries are small, so, you either take what's offered or you don't. To remedy that, I shipped over my furniture from the US, which you could not even get here (cherry wood), the sort of dining table I sold over in the US, the equivalent samples I saw started at about $10k ... I also found here an ikea sideboard that I liked, the price tag was $1000NZD! On a return trip to California I picked the exact same sideboard up for $199 and had it shipped with my stuff ... so, you can see how even with the exchange rate, the cost for things is sky high. I do believe that it is a rip-off market for the most part, people are forced to pay what is asked... I don't believe for a minute that merchants are not making money off consumers, but how can I be angry, the same exact thing occurs in the US, the only difference being you have more choice of items, and do price comparison shopping.


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## Guest

I strongly recommend that you go online and check out the prices for yourself.. JB hifi, Dick Smith Electronics DSE etc.. I have heard different opinions on whether to use container space for bringing over electric goods. Also check out Trade Me for second hand goods.


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## Guest

I would say $50k is pretty baseline for a skilled role and below $1k a week before tax of say 15 pc is tight when your biggest cost will be rent of between $300-$550 a week which won't leave you much change for groceries, fuel / bus, electricity etc. I don't know what costs you incur now on education, medical and dental for kids though as they are (theoretically) free here. So it will prove difficult without some savings or capital to assist with your transition as you build your business and of course you need to do market research on those prospects too.


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## inhamilton

Joshua82 said:


> So are all electronics very expensive in NZ? Even considering the exchange rate?
> 
> So a $800 US computer would cost what roughly in NZ$?


Here are some prices for you at Dick Smith Electronics in $NZ, so halve the price to convert to $US

All-in-One PCs - Computers


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## inhamilton

Kimbella said:


> DVD player,


I actually thought DVD players were quite cheap. I've seen plenty selling for well under $NZ100 and I don't think the flash ones are much more than that.


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## inhamilton

inhamilton said:


> Here are some prices for you at Dick Smith Electronics in $NZ, so halve the price to convert to $US
> 
> All-in-One PCs - Computers


Sorry, it's not half is it? Was thinking UK exchange rate. Its more like multiply by 0.8 to convert to $US.


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## Kimbella

inhamilton said:


> I actually thought DVD players were quite cheap. I've seen plenty selling for well under $NZ100 and I don't think the flash ones are much more than that.


DVD player in the US is about $20, and the NZ format cannot play movies I (already) owned...

As I've mentioned before, at 40 y.o., I already had "all" the house stuff a person could need... it made sense to spend $5-6k to get my $15-18kkUSD worth of items here that would have cost me over $40kNZD to replace. To me, money well spent on the shipping.


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## inhamilton

Kimbella said:


> DVD player in the US is about $20, and the NZ format cannot play movies I (already) owned...
> 
> As I've mentioned before, at 40 y.o., I already had "all" the house stuff a person could need... it made sense to spend $5-6k to get my $15-18kkUSD worth of items here that would have cost me over $40kNZD to replace. To me, money well spent on the shipping.


Yes, I see your point. It certainly would be a good idea to bring it with you in that case.


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## cheeser

Kimbella said:


> DVD player in the US is about $20, and the NZ format cannot play movies I (already) owned....


Seriously? They still make region locked DVD players? I haven't seen one of those since the 90s.

But to re-iterate your point, electronics in NZ, especially high quality stuff, is far too expensive. High end home theater and pro audio equipment is shamelessly over-priced compared to what Americans pay. As soon as Amazon figures out how to ship that stuff internationally, every store in NZ will pretty much sink.

Computers aren't too bad, due to the huge amount of corner PC stores selling fairly good quality stuff (as long as you know what you're after).. ...well in Auckland anyway. Buying a PC from DSE, Noel Lemming or wherever is usually a good way to overpay for something.

I think maybe the NZ consumer has to work a little harder to get more value for their dollar than the average consumer elsewhere. But you just can't fight economies of scale right?


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## Joshua82

Kimbella said:


> No, not all electronics .... but, as you might have found reading differing opinions, it all depends on your perspective... some people will think *everything* is out of reach, others will say just things here and there...
> 
> I find niche items to be comparatively expensive, and once you are living here, you won't (generally) be living off of US funds (fully), so the exchange rate becomes mostly a moot point. Your first year you will thinking of things in terms of USD, then you will only be thinking of them in terms of value you are getting for your NZD. A kitchenaide mixer here, after a quick look on priceme.co.nz had 5 prices, the lowest was $962, excluding the 15% GST... so, yah, I find things like that to be expensive, even when taking the exchange rate into consideration. I can't really say about computers, since I haven't looked, but we did just pick up a basic tablet for the kids on sale for $199. Nothing flash, mostly like a glorified ipod, which they already have, but this has an accessory keyboard, so technically they could set it up anywhere for school work, and not lug a laptop around...
> Part of my consideration in bringing stuff here was also the US value I had already sunk into them. I had an extensive Wii game collection, and to replace those would have been exorbitant here, same with bringing a DVD player (movie collection). To replace my rice cooker would be about $70, versus maybe $20 in California... so, depending on how much stuff you *already* had, it may or may not be worth bringing. As I said, I had a decent lifestyle in the US, and wanted to bring what I could of it over at minimal outgoing cost... I think about the best way to use and save money, and perhaps that is part of my success, I dunno. I moved here touching 40, and its worked. Also, true story, most of the quality you will encounter over here is going to be pretty much crap compared to what we can get in the US. There are several reasons for this: 1) kiwis aren't as concerned as americans on how "perfect" something is... at first this *really* confused me, but then I finally "got it" ... even tho most people live in urban areas, the mentality and culture here is still farm based. When was the last time you stepped onto a farm and found the house and grounds to be immaculate, and for everything to be made to perfect specs? I will say that this aspect of kiwi life bugs me, because we americans always aspire to improve, do things better, etc., but this if, frankly, not the drive of kiwis. I'm on their land, the onus is on me to either understand this and accept it and navigate it to my satisfaction, or to incessantly ***** that "things are so much better in America." And, my comment is also a sweeping generalization as you will also find amazing pieces of craftmanship and quality, they just don't flood the market like in the US.. this is not a land of consumer competition, it is small, markets and industries are small, so, you either take what's offered or you don't. To remedy that, I shipped over my furniture from the US, which you could not even get here (cherry wood), the sort of dining table I sold over in the US, the equivalent samples I saw started at about $10k ... I also found here an ikea sideboard that I liked, the price tag was $1000NZD! On a return trip to California I picked the exact same sideboard up for $199 and had it shipped with my stuff ... so, you can see how even with the exchange rate, the cost for things is sky high. I do believe that it is a rip-off market for the most part, people are forced to pay what is asked... I don't believe for a minute that merchants are not making money off consumers, but how can I be angry, the same exact thing occurs in the US, the only difference being you have more choice of items, and do price comparison shopping.



Wow... sounds like quite a mixed bag of results. The cost of a lower end tablet sounds about right though; I just paid $180 Canadian (which is roughly on par with the USD currently), so $200 NZD sounds about right.


I am curious about how much you paid to ship your items and which company you went through (if you recommend them at least)? While my wife and I do not have a lot of stuff (new grads so we only just started making money) we do have some nice choice pieces of furniture etc that we want to bring with us.


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## Vmorris22

Kimbella said:


> As I've mentioned before, at 40 y.o., I already had "all" the house stuff a person could need... it made sense to spend $5-6k to get my $15-18kkUSD worth of items here that would have cost me over $40kNZD to replace. To me, money well spent on the shipping.


That being said... do you find yourself with *too much* stuff compared to the kiwis or is walking into a home full of clutter normal there too? I really don't want to look like the lady who collects everything in site... since ya know, that's sort of an American way of living. We love to shop! Even when we don't need the item. I'm trying to get away from that lifestyle. I've discovered I only need about 1/4 of the stuff I have (mostly things that were given to me when I first left the parent's) and my husband uses one item to do multiple things, so I'm hoping I can get away with getting rid of a ton of stuff. Obviously the laptops, movies, my kitchenaid mixer (I love to cook!), and maybe a TV would be going with us if I knew for sure I could use them without starting a massive fire or something.


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## Kimbella

inhamilton said:


> I actually thought DVD players were quite cheap. I've seen plenty selling for well under $NZ100 and I don't think the flash ones are much more than that.


It's not the price of the machine, but the price of replacing the movies/DVD's that I already owned that would have been incredibly expensive... unfortunately even the unlocked regional players don't always play international DVD's, and since I was already shipping an actual "load" of stuff, it definitely made sense to just pack my DVD player into the shipment. Now our study is the "American" tech room, with a dedicated set up with the American Wii, American DVD player, and American battery charger system, etc. The kids all know how to work the voltage converter, so we're able to have a nice library of electronic games and movies that would have cost several thousands of dollars to replace with NZ devices... the set up we have now was cost neutral since I had already paid for space to bring other bulky items over, and the small stuff just slipped into the extra space!


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## Kimbella

Joshua82 said:


> Wow... sounds like quite a mixed bag of results. The cost of a lower end tablet sounds about right though; I just paid $180 Canadian (which is roughly on par with the USD currently), so $200 NZD sounds about right.
> 
> 
> I am curious about how much you paid to ship your items and which company you went through (if you recommend them at least)? While my wife and I do not have a lot of stuff (new grads so we only just started making money) we do have some nice choice pieces of furniture etc that we want to bring with us.



I can't remember the exact price for shipment (the amount changed several times as the cubic volume was readjusted, as was the insurance premium for the shipment). Ballpark was about $3500 for the shipping company (this included the insurance premium); and another approx $1500NZD for port fees in Auckland. There were incidentals here and there, of about another $1000. So, about $5k-$6k total. I used a company called Prisma, who were frustrating, as they were TERRIBLE about communication once my file left the sales rep and went to the shipping coordinators... however, they *did* get the job done, it just felt like they barely had a handle on what was going on. I did my due diligence in checking out reviews, which were mostly good, but in retrospect, I would *not* use this company again. I was told in an email that if my actual cubic footage wound up being LESS than what was estimated and paid for, that my balance would be reduced to reflect this, of course, when it came time to refund me $400USD for this, I was notified by email that no refund was coming...so, yah, not a great customer service experience, but my items did all arrive, on time and unbroken. I would personally suggest using a different company.


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## Kimbella

Vmorris22 said:


> That being said... do you find yourself with *too much* stuff compared to the kiwis or is walking into a home full of clutter normal there too? I really don't want to look like the lady who collects everything in site... since ya know, that's sort of an American way of living. We love to shop! Even when we don't need the item. I'm trying to get away from that lifestyle. I've discovered I only need about 1/4 of the stuff I have (mostly things that were given to me when I first left the parent's) and my husband uses one item to do multiple things, so I'm hoping I can get away with getting rid of a ton of stuff. Obviously the laptops, movies, my kitchenaid mixer (I love to cook!), and maybe a TV would be going with us if I knew for sure I could use them without starting a massive fire or something.



LOL .... you are in for a sweet surprise when you arrive, if you do make it over... kiwis love junk and clutter!  Not all, or course, but, a great majority of them are DIY'ers, so they "collect" stuff that "might" be useful in the future... you will find kiwi friends with garages and sheds full of "useful" crap! 
It can be quite expensive to take stuff to the "tip" here (dump site)--you are charged by weight, not by car or truckload... so, you drive your filled vehicle onto a pad that weighs it, then you dump your stuff, on exit you drive back onto the scale pad, they calculate the charge based on the weight that has been lost... so, more often than not, stuff just gets stored away, instead of dumped out... also, because things are so expensive, people simply do not throw things away... you will find couches for sale on TradeMe that are decades old, selling for hundreds of dollars--stuff *really* gets re-purposed here! So, you won't be out of place having clutter in your home, in fact, you will probably be LESS cluttered than the average kiwi home, if you are a typical N American neat freak  When I moved, I pared my belongings down to just the expensive houseware stuff, heritage furniture, and personal items (photos, papers, clothing/shoes, etc); it is all perfectly suited for life here. I didn't like clutter in my US life, and don't like it here, either. So, of course, how it will be for you will be dependent on how you are now!


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## Vmorris22

Kimbella said:


> LOL .... you are in for a sweet surprise when you arrive, if you do make it over... kiwis love junk and clutter!  Not all, or course, but, a great majority of them are DIY'ers, so they "collect" stuff that "might" be useful in the future... you will find kiwi friends with garages and sheds full of "useful" crap!
> It can be quite expensive to take stuff to the "tip" here (dump site)--you are charged by weight, not by car or truckload... so, you drive your filled vehicle onto a pad that weighs it, then you dump your stuff, on exit you drive back onto the scale pad, they calculate the charge based on the weight that has been lost... so, more often than not, stuff just gets stored away, instead of dumped out... also, because things are so expensive, people simply do not throw things away... you will find couches for sale on TradeMe that are decades old, selling for hundreds of dollars--stuff *really* gets re-purposed here! So, you won't be out of place having clutter in your home, in fact, you will probably be LESS cluttered than the average kiwi home, if you are a typical N American neat freak  When I moved, I pared my belongings down to just the expensive houseware stuff, heritage furniture, and personal items (photos, papers, clothing/shoes, etc); it is all perfectly suited for life here. I didn't like clutter in my US life, and don't like it here, either. So, of course, how it will be for you will be dependent on how you are now!


That's reassuring! We will most likely sell the majority of our things that we are not using and probably replace some of our cheap furniture with some sturdy furniture that will last longer. My husband is an engineer so he loves making things from stuff that is lying around the house, and I am a DIYer myself. I refuse to pay full price, so if I can make it myself, then I will! I think we will fit right in. 

Thanks for the advice! I feel like our transition will be much easier with all this info!


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## Kimbella

Vmorris22 said:


> That's reassuring! We will most likely sell the majority of our things that we are not using and probably replace some of our cheap furniture with some sturdy furniture that will last longer. My husband is an engineer so he loves making things from stuff that is lying around the house, and I am a DIYer myself. I refuse to pay full price, so if I can make it myself, then I will! I think we will fit right in.
> 
> Thanks for the advice! I feel like our transition will be much easier with all this info!



Sounds like your transition could very well be on the easier side based on your current lifestyle. I'll give you some advice on how to make transitioning and living here easier, and it will mostly have to do with money... consider your move here as requiring "start up" money, which when spent upfront will allow you great comfort in the long term.

I would suggest starting to bank as much USD as possible by any means you can... if you ship stuff, use your clothes, linens, towels, etc. as wrapping for your delicates, fill drawers and every nook and cranny available with whatever you are bringing over. Pack your stuff as compactly as possible, and use every inch of space you have. Your entire shipment will be based on cubic footage (volume), and make sure you have it confirmed in writing that your ocean freight shipping is *only* CF (volume) NOT weight. Shipping by volume is standard, but when doing my research there were a few who also had a weight limit... you probably would never reach the weight limit, but why take any chance.

Make sure you have employment you are coming to, with wage information already clear and confirmed. What you don't want to do is come over needing to get a job paying "X" in order to survive, only to find out that you're last in a long line of people looking for work. I'm thinking that an engineer will probably not have trouble finding work, just be aware that by law, employers can only offer jobs to immigrants if they have only been unable to fill it with a kiwi native. I believe in being pro-active and have found it to be a very successful way to get myself ahead, even here in NZ... altho you're far away, I don't think there would be any harm when you are looking for jobs to ask potential employers about doing a Skype interview session with you. New Zealand is really just coming into its own regarding technology, and whereas marketing yourself used to be frowned on (tall poppy syndrome), I find kiwis are more and more impressed with people who put themselves out there to try and make things work. They can be pretty curious about Americans, so, getting them interested in speaking with you, might not be very hard...especially with good credentials.

Be aware that houses here are notoriously cold, and heating systems are nothing like what we are used to in the US. If you bring stuff, bring feather down comforters, heavy blankets, etc. I'd never even seen a hot water bottle in real life before I moved here, now I use one to stay warm in bed several months of the year.  They do have electric blankets here, but they go over the mattress (underneath), not over the top. They do a good job, but are usually about $200+ for a good queen sized one. 

Be picky when you start looking for a rental... when we finally resolved our house claim and could move, we elected to rent as the real estate market in Christchurch is just nuts right now. I looked for weeks at rentals on TradeMe and over 90% of the rentals were just junk... I just didn't give up. I composed a rental resume with info on our family and pets, hobbies, homeowner history, etc., and included a family photo and our contact information. I schmoozed on the phone with property agents, sent warm and friendly emailes, etc. I finally found 2 places worth going to actually see in person--we were offered tenancy at both places... my husband and I firmly believe our CV is what put us at the top of the list..despite both places being viewed by dozens of people. 

Bring what you can, if you can afford to, and instead of buying a car on payments here, I strongly suggest paying cash outright for a used car. Car status like we know it in the US is virtually non-existent. Spend $2-3k on a used car (look on auction sites like Turner's and TradeMe) and altho you've paid up front, you'll have saved on monthly payments, and interest in the long run. Cars here are required to have a Warrant Of Fitness done every 6 or 12 months, so most used cars are in pretty decent shape.

If you manage your finances so that you aren't paying payments on a bunch of financed stuff, you'll probably transition fine if you have a decent paying job. Imo, part of success is good planning, and rationing of money. Knowing that I was shipping stuff from the US meant that I kept just about anything I already owned that I thought would benefit the household here: board games/nice cutlery/high end cooking/bakeware/very good quality linens/clothes, clothes, clothes/eletronics/furniture, etc. My husband as a single guy didn't have much of the "homey" stuff, so merging our household made things complete, without paying full price for new stuff here, or even high price on used stuff that wasn't as good quality. 

Anyway, best of luck... it is *not* an impossible move if done right... just remember that expectations are not reality, and no amount of planning and saving is too much! It's an amazing country, and you can definitely have a nice and comfortable life with good, strong planning, and an understanding of what you will want and need once you are here; how much those wants and needs will be, and what your plan to get them is.


----------



## Vmorris22

Kimbella said:


> Sounds like your transition could very well be on the easier side based on your current lifestyle. I'll give you some advice on how to make transitioning and living here easier, and it will mostly have to do with money... consider your move here as requiring "start up" money, which when spent upfront will allow you great comfort in the long term.
> 
> I would suggest starting to bank as much USD as possible by any means you can... if you ship stuff, use your clothes, linens, towels, etc. as wrapping for your delicates, fill drawers and every nook and cranny available with whatever you are bringing over. Pack your stuff as compactly as possible, and use every inch of space you have. Your entire shipment will be based on cubic footage (volume), and make sure you have it confirmed in writing that your ocean freight shipping is *only* CF (volume) NOT weight. Shipping by volume is standard, but when doing my research there were a few who also had a weight limit... you probably would never reach the weight limit, but why take any chance.


This is GREAT advice, thank you! I normally do this when we move from apartment to apartment to save money on packing supplies, but to save space is just genius!



Kimbella said:


> Make sure you have employment you are coming to, with wage information already clear and confirmed. What you don't want to do is come over needing to get a job paying "X" in order to survive, only to find out that you're last in a long line of people looking for work. I'm thinking that an engineer will probably not have trouble finding work, just be aware that by law, employers can only offer jobs to immigrants if they have only been unable to fill it with a kiwi native. I believe in being pro-active and have found it to be a very successful way to get myself ahead, even here in NZ... altho you're far away, I don't think there would be any harm when you are looking for jobs to ask potential employers about doing a Skype interview session with you. New Zealand is really just coming into its own regarding technology, and whereas marketing yourself used to be frowned on (tall poppy syndrome), I find kiwis are more and more impressed with people who put themselves out there to try and make things work. They can be pretty curious about Americans, so, getting them interested in speaking with you, might not be very hard...especially with good credentials.


We actually did a lot of research prior to job searching here and made sure my husband found a job with a company (oil and gas) that is actually in NZ now, so we are hoping that we can get a transfer in a couple of years (just started the job). If not, we still made sure that he would get the experience that most the companies needed. I hope it works out! 



Kimbella said:


> Be aware that houses here are notoriously cold, and heating systems are nothing like what we are used to in the US. If you bring stuff, bring feather down comforters, heavy blankets, etc. I'd never even seen a hot water bottle in real life before I moved here, now I use one to stay warm in bed several months of the year.  They do have electric blankets here, but they go over the mattress (underneath), not over the top. They do a good job, but are usually about $200+ for a good queen sized one.
> 
> Be picky when you start looking for a rental... when we finally resolved our house claim and could move, we elected to rent as the real estate market in Christchurch is just nuts right now. I looked for weeks at rentals on TradeMe and over 90% of the rentals were just junk... I just didn't give up. I composed a rental resume with info on our family and pets, hobbies, homeowner history, etc., and included a family photo and our contact information. I schmoozed on the phone with property agents, sent warm and friendly emailes, etc. I finally found 2 places worth going to actually see in person--we were offered tenancy at both places... my husband and I firmly believe our CV is what put us at the top of the list..despite both places being viewed by dozens of people.


Hmm. I never heard of a rental resume. That's pretty cool. Do you think I should keep track of apartment manager infos here as references, or would they even bother to call to America for that? Also, I've heard about the cold issue. I'm hoping that we can solve that with a little ingenuity. I have a little architecture knowledge from my degree (interior design) and think I could pull off doing our insulation, but then again, I'm thinking from an American stand point... But my husband likes the house cold, even in the winter when it drops down to 30 degrees F and snow, so I'm pretty used to just throwing on more layers of clothes or baking some bread.



Kimbella said:


> Bring what you can, if you can afford to, and instead of buying a car on payments here, I strongly suggest paying cash outright for a used car. Car status like we know it in the US is virtually non-existent. Spend $2-3k on a used car (look on auction sites like Turner's and TradeMe) and altho you've paid up front, you'll have saved on monthly payments, and interest in the long run. Cars here are required to have a Warrant Of Fitness done every 6 or 12 months, so most used cars are in pretty decent shape.
> 
> If you manage your finances so that you aren't paying payments on a bunch of financed stuff, you'll probably transition fine if you have a decent paying job. Imo, part of success is good planning, and rationing of money. Knowing that I was shipping stuff from the US meant that I kept just about anything I already owned that I thought would benefit the household here: board games/nice cutlery/high end cooking/bakeware/very good quality linens/clothes, clothes, clothes/eletronics/furniture, etc. My husband as a single guy didn't have much of the "homey" stuff, so merging our household made things complete, without paying full price for new stuff here, or even high price on used stuff that wasn't as good quality.


Sounds like a sensible thing to do! We hate loans (mainly because my husband is math oriented and can figure out how much we would ACTUALLY pay for cars, appliances, etc. So that wouldn't be anything new for us! But, I plan on stocking up on the best quality items I can, ditching some useless things, and bringing the rest with us. I can't imagine having to pay double the price for something I had back in the states months before. 



Kimbella said:


> Anyway, best of luck... it is *not* an impossible move if done right... just remember that expectations are not reality, and no amount of planning and saving is too much! It's an amazing country, and you can definitely have a nice and comfortable life with good, strong planning, and an understanding of what you will want and need once you are here; how much those wants and needs will be, and what your plan to get them is.


Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your advice! Surely I'm not the only one benefiting from it. You've answered a lot of unanswered questions and headache in the future! I really like your PayPal idea... genius! I would have never thought of that! 

Cheers!


----------



## Kimbella

Yep, totally welcome! I like to be one step ahead, it makes life easier (to me). Put in the extra effort ahead of time, reap the benefits when you're on your last leg and things ease up sooner rather than later.  Feel free to private message me if you ever have any sensitive or private questions to ask/have answered. It's a great, great country, imperfect, but great... kinda like the dichotomy that is the USA.


----------



## Joshua82

Kimbella said:


> I can't remember the exact price for shipment (the amount changed several times as the cubic volume was readjusted, as was the insurance premium for the shipment). Ballpark was about $3500 for the shipping company (this included the insurance premium); and another approx $1500NZD for port fees in Auckland. There were incidentals here and there, of about another $1000. So, about $5k-$6k total. I used a company called Prisma, who were frustrating, as they were TERRIBLE about communication once my file left the sales rep and went to the shipping coordinators... however, they *did* get the job done, it just felt like they barely had a handle on what was going on. I did my due diligence in checking out reviews, which were mostly good, but in retrospect, I would *not* use this company again. I was told in an email that if my actual cubic footage wound up being LESS than what was estimated and paid for, that my balance would be reduced to reflect this, of course, when it came time to refund me $400USD for this, I was notified by email that no refund was coming...so, yah, not a great customer service experience, but my items did all arrive, on time and unbroken. I would personally suggest using a different company.


That is a fair bit and yet it works as it is quite a distance. So you do not recommend them, I will remember that. How big of a house worth of stuff did you move? We are just two 'minimalists' living in a 2 bedroom 1000sq ft condo. We may have a vehicle to move but are not sure at this point.


----------



## Kimbella

Joshua82 said:


> That is a fair bit and yet it works as it is quite a distance. So you do not recommend them, I will remember that. How big of a house worth of stuff did you move? We are just two 'minimalists' living in a 2 bedroom 1000sq ft condo. We may have a vehicle to move but are not sure at this point.



Up front it seems expensive, but when thinking in terms of what it would have cost to replace my things with equivalent here, it was definitely worth it.

That price was for door to door shipping of 250cf of stuff, including packing and unloading at both pick up and destination address. I had pared my belongings down to just things that were valuable and/or fully functional: cherry wood bedroom set (headboard/footboard/rails; tallboy dresser; nightstands); huge bombay chest; double size wrought iron bed frame; sideboard table; 2 disassembled large wood bookcases; larger wicker baskets, disassembled bar stools; large authentic persian rug, mountain bike...6 large plastic bins filled with linens, clothes, etc. About 20 or so medium and large boxes with kitchen items, crystal pieces, clothes, etc. etc. 
I actually had enough room left to bring my leather couch, but didn't realize that at the time so I didn't--If I could have a redo, that would have come over as well. The value for me was in already having things that would have been 3 and 4x's as expensive to replace here, some items of which there was no similar replacement. Cherry-wood furniture is non-existent here, or at least rare enough that it is incredibly uncommon--I've never seen a single advertisement for it. I did my best at cost comparing using a list of what I was bringing, and internet searches, to determine how much it would cost to replace my stuff here w/equivalent items of similar quality. I basically paid for shipping what a brand new full bedroom set would have cost here. 

So, to me, I saved money, but that might not be the case for everyone. My case was one where I was coming from a comfortable and established lifestyle and had lots of "homey" stuff from doing all the hostess work during holidays and lots of professional "networking" get togethers. 

The less you have, the less it will cost to get it here, for sure!


----------



## Joshua82

Wow, thank you for posting all of that. That kind of information is great. From the sounds of it we could move most of our stuff with that big of a crate. How long did it take from pickup to drop off?


----------



## Kimbella

Joshua82 said:


> Wow, thank you for posting all of that. That kind of information is great. From the sounds of it we could move most of our stuff with that big of a crate. How long did it take from pickup to drop off?



My stuff was picked up in mid June and delivered in mid Aug (2012). The actual ocean freight time was just 30 days, but the items did wait at the docks in Long Beach for a week or two waiting for space on a ship coming this way, then customs/MAF over here took almost 3 weeks to check the shipment and sign it off. I had already been in NZ for over a year, so the extra wait was nothing. 

My experience with shipping might be different than others because I had pared my belongings WAY down before moving here, but instead of bringing it then, I moved here first (put my stuff in storage), and lived here for almost a full year before I arranged shipping. I returned to California for 6 weeks with the sole intent of organizing shipping and topping up what I was bringing, now full well knowing after actually having lived here what was essential and what wasn't. I was pretty spot on with what I had already kept (except my couch! lol) ... and then just added stuff here and there ... extra down comforter, linens, warmer clothes, rubber boots (called gum boots here), snow boots, clothes for me and the family, etc. I taped out the shipping dimensions on a spot on the garage floor of my mom's and then marked the height on the wall to give me the full 250CF size, and just built my shipping pile within those parameters. I was diligent with the use of space: one thing I couldn't leave behind were my books, many thousands of dollars worth, so I used the bombay chest, wicker baskets, and dresser as book storage, then everything else went into crates or boxes, I outlined the stacking of the dimensions with the bed rails, and loaded all the squared off items from the outline inward, and left a space on top for awkward shapes. It probably sounds a bit obsessive, but it was like solving a puzzle, if you can believe it, and pretty mentally engaging--it also allowed me to double, triple, quadruple check my measurements. This is only because the company I used depended on the customer providing the CF, there are plenty of companies who will send a person out to measure for you. Many of them actually include packing of your things as well, but I just wasn't comfortable with that, knowing that not all sub contractors are good, and knowing my stuff would be at sea for many weeks... 
Anyway, hope this helps!


----------



## cooldash87

Hi,

I am currently in the middle of the recruitment process with one of the prospects at New Zealand. 

My role is Security Architect/Security Lead reporting into a Manager who inturn reports into the National Manager. (this is to give a gist of my level within the organisation). My job location would be at Customhouse quay, Wellington and I am planning to move there with my Family (Self, Wife, 1 year old child). 

The salary range provided to me is between 130-140K p.a with simple benefits like 4 weeks paid vacation, subsidized insurance and an annual trip back home for family (still have to negotiate on this one).

My question is considering the taxation and other living expenses, is this salary sufficient for us ? Our style of living is not very high, we plan to rent a 2 bed room apartment near office, cook at home most of the time with occasional outings (once a week), not much of a shoppers or a clubbing person too, we prefer buying what is required (TV, Laptop, cell phone and a car). We also plan to put my child at day care so that my wife can do her Diploma in Early Childhood Education (she plans to be a pre-primary teacher post the course). 

Look forward for your responses.


----------



## Angou

cooldash87 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am currently in the middle of the recruitment process with one of the prospects at New Zealand.
> 
> My role is Security Architect/Security Lead reporting into a Manager who inturn reports into the National Manager. (this is to give a gist of my level within the organisation). My job location would be at Customhouse quay, Wellington and I am planning to move there with my Family (Self, Wife, 1 year old child).
> 
> The salary range provided to me is between 130-140K p.a with simple benefits like 4 weeks paid vacation, subsidized insurance and an annual trip back home for family (still have to negotiate on this one).
> 
> My question is considering the taxation and other living expenses, is this salary sufficient for us ? Our style of living is not very high, we plan to rent a 2 bed room apartment near office, cook at home most of the time with occasional outings (once a week), not much of a shoppers or a clubbing person too, we prefer buying what is required (TV, Laptop, cell phone and a car). We also plan to put my child at day care so that my wife can do her Diploma in Early Childhood Education (she plans to be a pre-primary teacher post the course).
> 
> Look forward for your responses.


This sounds like a great job although at that level I would expect at least 5 weeks annual vacation leave. However, about the salary - the median household income in NZ (latest figures, 2012) is $62,853, so your salary range is around double the median. 

Living and renting in Wellington is less expensive than many other parts of the country so you should have a very comfortable lifestyle on that salary. 

Best of luck with your new job and life in New Zealand.


----------



## topcat83

cooldash87 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am currently in the middle of the recruitment process with one of the prospects at New Zealand.
> 
> My role is Security Architect/Security Lead reporting into a Manager who inturn reports into the National Manager. (this is to give a gist of my level within the organisation). My job location would be at Customhouse quay, Wellington and I am planning to move there with my Family (Self, Wife, 1 year old child).
> 
> The salary range provided to me is between 130-140K p.a with simple benefits like 4 weeks paid vacation, subsidized insurance and an annual trip back home for family (still have to negotiate on this one).
> 
> My question is considering the taxation and other living expenses, is this salary sufficient for us ? Our style of living is not very high, we plan to rent a 2 bed room apartment near office, cook at home most of the time with occasional outings (once a week), not much of a shoppers or a clubbing person too, we prefer buying what is required (TV, Laptop, cell phone and a car). We also plan to put my child at day care so that my wife can do her Diploma in Early Childhood Education (she plans to be a pre-primary teacher post the course).
> 
> Look forward for your responses.


What can I say? There will be very few people in New Zealand who are on that type of salary. I'd grab it with both hands!


----------



## Guest

This salary range would be in the senior level. You can confirm this on Seek that this is senior GM level. After this range comes top GM and director. In my opinion anyway. 

4 weeks is the law and 5 weeks is a perk usually for executive management but the trip home is priceless as even if you planned to do it yourself you often find alternative uses for the cash and the it slowly becomes 2years or more before visiting family. With an 80 year old mom in SA I would seriously value that perk. 

If your wife worked as well then your household income would really be in the top kiwi percentile. 

Also depends on whether you are buying (ie what mortgage) or renting as to disposable income as that would probably be your biggest single outgoing apart from maybe private schooling if that is your preference. 

You can research most budget item online quite easily, even rentals on Trade Me and compare them to your local prices. I want to prepare an average kiwi budget soon as a project for migrants as it is such a common concern on forums.


----------



## escapedtonz

cooldash87 said:


> Hi, I am currently in the middle of the recruitment process with one of the prospects at New Zealand. My role is Security Architect/Security Lead reporting into a Manager who inturn reports into the National Manager. (this is to give a gist of my level within the organisation). My job location would be at Customhouse quay, Wellington and I am planning to move there with my Family (Self, Wife, 1 year old child). The salary range provided to me is between 130-140K p.a with simple benefits like 4 weeks paid vacation, subsidized insurance and an annual trip back home for family (still have to negotiate on this one). My question is considering the taxation and other living expenses, is this salary sufficient for us ? Our style of living is not very high, we plan to rent a 2 bed room apartment near office, cook at home most of the time with occasional outings (once a week), not much of a shoppers or a clubbing person too, we prefer buying what is required (TV, Laptop, cell phone and a car). We also plan to put my child at day care so that my wife can do her Diploma in Early Childhood Education (she plans to be a pre-primary teacher post the course). Look forward for your responses.


Hi,

Excellent salary for sure but not necessarily just found at the senior manager level.
4 weeks vacation is the national standard. I manage 5 weeks as I get an extra week for working shifts.
I also get free Southern Cross Regular Care Health Insurance that covers the family. I can upgrade this cover if I want to which then becomes subsidized insurance. I would just have to pay the difference in the schemes out of salary.
Negotiating an annual trip home is a massive benefit. 
Return flights for us (me, wife and near 3 year old) back to the UK would be $5000 so you having that benefit would save you a fortune and give you the satisfaction that you can always go home every year.
So taxation etc.......This is what you will pay :-

Your Salary: $135000.00

Tax Rate Taxable Income Tax Element  Remaining
Bottom (10.5%) $14000.00 $1470.00 $12530.00
Low (17.5%) $34000.00 $5950.00 $28050.00
Mid (30%) $22000.00 $6600.00 $15400.00
High (33%) $65000.00 $21450.00 $43550.00
Totals: $135000.00 $35470.00 $99530.00

ACC Levy (1.70%) on $113768 (Maximum Chargeable Level): $1934.06 

Total available to spend: $97595.94
Monthly: $8133.00
4 - Weekly: $7507.38
Fortnightly: $3753.69
Weekly: $1876.85

These figures include payment of income tax and ACC levy out of your salary. On top of this and if you have a resident visa you can pay in to a savings scheme for retirement. This is called Kiwisaver and deductions range from 2%, 4% or 8% of basic salary.
Good employers will match your chosen deduction up to 4%.
If you are the holder of a resident visa and elect to opt in to this scheme you will need to deduct this % off the Total Available To Spend figures above.
Also, salaries in Wellington (and probably NZ in general) are paid fortnightly. Pretty good really as you are never that far away from pay day.

Your salary is definitely sufficient for your family and living in Wellington. You will have a very good standard of living so long as you don't go mad with the weekly rental costs.
Child day care costs - for a private kindergarten for a full day 0730 - 1730 you'll be paying around $85 for one day, $190 for 3 days or $275 for 5 days.
Assuming you have residency, all children receive 20hrs per week off the government which allows free child care at some kindergartens or reduced fees at private kindergartens.
If I were you I'd go for private kindergartens. They are much better and provide a much more structured day for your child.
With the 20hrs subsidized you will get around $100 off the weekly full time cost.
We send our boy to a private kindergarten in Wellington which is a chain. There are a few of them dotted around called Kindercare. Absolutely fantastic.

Personally, I'd jump at it. Excellent opportunity.

Regards,

Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


----------



## cooldash87

Thank you all for the kind words. I have the 2nd round of interview tomorrow and lets see how things go on from there.




gbimmigration said:


> This salary range would be in the senior level.
> 
> 4 weeks is the law and 5 weeks is a perk usually for executive management but the trip home is priceless
> 
> Also depends on whether you are buying (ie what mortgage) or renting as to disposable income as that would probably be your biggest single outgoing apart from maybe private schooling if that is your preference.


Thank you gbimmigration for the revert. I have over 11 years of work ex and my role is designated as a Technical Lead/Architect. 

I will try to negotiate the yearly trip home as you right mentioned its quite priceless. 

I would want to rent out an apartment to start with. Would want to save a bit and send it back home coz I already have a mortaged property here in India.




escapedtonz said:


> Hi,
> 
> Excellent salary for sure but not necessarily just found at the senior manager level.
> 
> 
> Return flights for us (me, wife and near 3 year old) back to the UK would be $5000 so you having that benefit would save you a fortune and give you the satisfaction that you can always go home every year.
> 
> 
> So taxation etc.......This is what you will pay :-
> 
> Your Salary: $135000.00
> 
> CC Levy (1.70%) on $113768 (Maximum Chargeable Level): $1934.06
> 
> Total available to spend: $97595.94
> 
> Monthly: $8133.00
> 4 - Weekly: $7507.38
> Fortnightly: $3753.69
> Weekly: $1876.85
> 
> Your salary is definitely sufficient for your family and living in Wellington. You will have a very good standard of living so long as you don't go mad with the weekly rental costs.
> 
> Child day care costs - for a private kindergarten for a full day 0730 - 1730 you'll be paying around $85 for one day, $190 for 3 days or $275 for 5 days.
> 
> With the 20hrs subsidized you will get around $100 off the weekly full time cost.
> We send our boy to a private kindergarten in Wellington which is a chain. There are a few of them dotted around called Kindercare. Absolutely fantastic.
> 
> Personally, I'd jump at it. Excellent opportunity.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Sent from my iPad using ExpatForum


Special thanks to you for those detailed numbers and insight. It has really helped me a lot to have a gist of what i would be ending up in hand and can actually plan accordingly. 

So with the 135K p.a and my wife not working, it seems I will be left with around 8K per month. Of which I am assuminng 
1500 - house rent
1000 - other (bills - light, water, phone, internet, Insurance, etc)
800 - food and groceries
1000 - recreation, outings, etc
500 - day care
200 - other (just in case)

so roughly 3000 in hand. I would want to send 1500 every month back home to support my mortage, local bills and parents.

So in hand would be 1500 per month which would be at my savings. 

Is my calculation correct ? Anything else that I should consider ?


I am really hoping things do work out in the interview :fingerscrossed:


----------



## escapedtonz

cooldash87 said:


> Special thanks to you for those detailed numbers and insight. It has really helped me a lot to have a gist of what i would be ending up in hand and can actually plan accordingly. So with the 135K p.a and my wife not working, it seems I will be left with around 8K per month. Of which I am assuminng 1500 - house rent 1000 - other (bills - light, water, phone, internet, Insurance, etc) 800 - food and groceries 1000 - recreation, outings, etc 500 - day care 200 - other (just in case) so roughly 3000 in hand. I would want to send 1500 every month back home to support my mortage, local bills and parents. So in hand would be 1500 per month which would be at my savings. Is my calculation correct ? Anything else that I should consider ? I am really hoping things do work out in the interview :fingerscrossed:


Yes $8000 per month approx.

Your assumption of $1500 in my opinion is low. For a 2 bed city centre apartment I'd expect you to be paying more. I assume you will require furnished and not unfurnished ?
Furnished will cost more obviously.

Rent is charged in $'s per week and $346 per week/$1500 per month in my opinion is cheap for city centre.
To find a decent place and furnished your talking minimum $500-$600 per week/$2160-$2600 per month. 
If you are budgeting you need to research this and get it right as it will be your biggest cost.

Water should be free unless the apartment has a water meter. There's no way to on charge water to the tenant without a meter, however the landlord could ask for a fixed fee to cover water & waste water I suppose.
There may be other hidden costs to pay for collection of refuse, building upkeep, elevator maintenance and a car park etc ?
You new to be sure of this before signing up.

$1000 a month for "other" is a lot when considering utilities, a phone line, broadband, Sky TV, insurance etc. You may only need half of this.
Don't forget ongoing charges for a vehicle - routine maintenance, vehicle license of $300 per year, a warrant of fitness $50 per year plus insurance approx $500 per year.

$800 budget for food and groceries is also low for a month. I'd say $300 per week so $1300 per month. This is a high expense here and shopping in a city centre supermarket is more expensive than an out of city supermarket.

$1000 a month on recreation and outings ha ha - don't know what your gonna spend that on ?
Maybe if you golf or do motorised sports etc then the budget will be used but generally going to the beach, museum is all free. There is a charge for the zoo etc but I doubt you'll use this much in a month so I think you'll save some here!!!

You will need $275 per week full time daycare for one child so $1200 a month.

Few unknowns there so difficult to total.

We are a two adults and a 2.5yr old family.
We rent a large 4 bed new build house, water is free, we pay electricity and gas, we pay for contents insurance, we pay for a fixed phone line, broadband and Sky TV, we pay for refuse collection.
We have 2 cars and a motorbike, golf membership, child in kindy twice per week for 6hrs a day.
We eat out probably twice a week usually for a family lunch and we have a take out every couple of weeks. We go out to sample nightlife with friends maybe once each every couple months.
We save into 3 Kiwisaver schemes.
Generally we have a couple hundred $'s left in credit each fortnight before payday and I take home $3k a fortnight.
We budget $500 a week for rent.
We actually pay more but the extra comes out of savings from back home in the UK although we could probably afford the full amount now.
So we spend around e as you right mentioned its quite priceless. I would want to rent out an apartment to start with. Would want to save a bit and send it back home coz I already have a mortaged property here in India. Special thanks to you for those detailed numbers and insight. It has really helped me a lot to have a gist of what i would be ending up in hand and can actually plan accordingly. So with the 135K p.a and my wife not working, it seems I will be left with around 8K per month. Of which I am assuminng 1500 - house rent 1000 - other (bills - light, water, phone, internet, Insurance, etc) 800 - food and groceries 1000 - recreation, outings, etc 500 - day care 200 - other (just in case) so roughly 3000 in hand. I would want to send 1500 every month back home to support my mortage, local bills and parents. So in hand would be 1500 per month which would be at my savings. Is my calculation correct ? Anything else that I should consider ? I am really hoping things do work out in the interview :fingerscrossed:[/quote] Yes $8000 per month approx. Your assumption of $1500 in my opinion is low. For a 2 bed city centre apartment I'd expect you to be paying more. I assume you will require furnished and not unfurnished ? Furnished will cost more obviously. Rent is charged in $'s per week and $346 per week/$1500 per month in my opinion is cheap for city centre. To find a decent place and furnished your talking minimum $500-$600 per week/$2160-$2600 per month. If you are budgeting you need to research this and get it right as it will be your biggest cost. Water should be free unless the apartment has a water meter. There's no way to on charge water to the tenant without a meter, however the landlord could ask for a fixed fee to cover water & waste water I suppose. There may be other hidden costs to pay for collection of refuse, building upkeep, elevator maintenance and a car park etc ? You new to be sure of this before signing up. $1000 a month for "other" is a lot when considering utilities, a phone line, broadband, Sky TV, insurance etc. You may only need half of this. Don't forget ongoing charges for a vehicle - routine maintenance, vehicle license of $300 per year, a warrant of fitness $50 per year plus insurance approx $500 per year. $800 budget for food and groceries is also low for a month. I'd say $300 per week so $1300 per month. This is a high expense here and shopping in a city centre supermarket is more expensive than an out of city supermarket. $1000 a month on recreation and outings ha ha - don't know what your gonna spend that on ? Maybe if you golf or do motorised sports etc then the budget will be used but generally going to the beach, museum is all free. There is a charge for the zoo etc but I doubt you'll use this much in a month so I think you'll save some here!!! You will need $275 per week full time daycare for one child so $1200 a month. Few unknowns there so difficult to total. We are a two adults and a 2.5yr old family. We rent a large 4 bed new build house, water is free, we pay electricity and gas, we pay for contents insurance, we pay for a fixed phone line, broadband and Sky TV, we pay for refuse collection. We have 2 cars and a motorbike, golf membership, child in kindy twice per week for 6hrs a day. We eat out probably twice a week usually for a family lunch and we have a take out every couple of weeks. We go out to sample nightlife with friends maybe once each every couple months. We save into 3 Kiwisaver schemes. Generally we have a couple hundred $'s left in credit each fortnight before payday and I take home $3k a fortnight. We budget $500 a week for rent. We actually pay more but the extra comes out of savings from back home in the UK although we could probably afford the full amount now. So we spend around $6000 per month as a comparison. If you then send $1500 back to India plus transfer fees and losing on the exchange rate your not gonna have as much as you think left over for savings bit you should have at least $500 which is far better than nothing.


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## cooldash87

Yes, that does make a lot of sense !! I think I can save something  

Thank you very much for your help and I am just hoping the interviews go well and I get the PR. You my friend are sure to have a dinner invite from me once I am there


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## cooldash87

Hello Guys,

The earlier job did not go thru 

However, I have been trying hard and finally am on the verge of making it with another organization :thumb:

They are to do my reference check post which they will release the offer.

The new job however is at Christchruch, New Zealand 

I understand cost of living is less than that in Auckland or Wellington. Could you guys help me with the package I can expect (Sr. Management) and the approx cost of living for a family (self + wife + 2 year old son)

I tried looking around for cost of living but they all seem to be before the earth quake, but was unable to find any post that.

Look forward for your response and help.


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## cooldash87

Hi Guys,

The company has finally offered me the base salary as NZD 96000 p.a.
The benefits offered are not much: Health care for family, relocation package (family tickets to chch, moving my stuff, etc), 1 week hotel accommodation, a smart phone and a tablet. 

Min 3% bonus a year, 4 weeks annual leaves + national holidays.


Is this a good offer ? I am moving from India and have a home loan here plus would have to send some amount for my parents whom I will leave back. 

Can any one help me ?


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## escapedtonz

cooldash87 said:


> Hi Guys, The company has finally offered me the base salary as NZD 96000 p.a. The benefits offered are not much: Health care for family, relocation package (family tickets to chch, moving my stuff, etc), 1 week hotel accommodation, a smart phone and a tablet. Min 3% bonus a year, 4 weeks annual leaves + national holidays. Is this a good offer ? I am moving from India and have a home loan here plus would have to send some amount for my parents whom I will leave back. Can any one help me ?


That works out as follows (may have to reformat for a larger screen) :-


Tax Rate	Taxable Income	Tax Element	Remaining
Bottom (10.5%)	$14000.00	$1470.00	$12530.00
Low (17.5%)	$34000.00	$5950.00	$28050.00
Mid (30%)	$22000.00	$6600.00	$15400.00
High (33%)	$26000.00	$8580.00	$17420.00
Totals:	$96000.00	$22600.00	$73400.00

ACC Levy (1.70%) on $96000.00: $1632.00 

Total available to spend: $71768.00
Monthly:	$5980.67
4 - Weekly:	$5520.62
Fortnightly:	$2760.31
Weekly:	$1380.15

This does not include any deductions for Kiwisaver (if you gain residency and opt in).
If you pay this also you need to take off another 2, 4 or 8% depending on the rate you wish to contribute.

Renting property in Christchurch is difficult since there's a lack of housing for the demand.
This pushes prices up so be prepared to be surprised.
Many properties for rent are now going to auction instead of a fixed price - sealed bids for the weekly amount you are prepared to pay. Basically the highest bid wins but the landlord does take into account families with pets and/or children.....meaning if a family with 2 children offer, say $600 a week and another couple without children offer $550 a week there's a high chance the landlord will opt for less money per week so there's no risk of children causing damage.
I hear landlords in Christchurch just want as much as they can get for the least risk.

So $1380 a week in salary less rent of say $600 a week leaves you with $780.
How much to send home for parents and loan ?
What have you got left ?
Transport to work, groceries, utilities plus other bills ?

correct as of April 2012 - March 2013 tax year but are subject to change. This should only be used as a guide.


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## cooldash87

Thanks Escapetonz,

Round 1500 a month is what I plan to send back home for loan and family. 

I am actually surprised by the rent reaching upto $600 pw. 

Would you know how much would be the approx figures for bills like electricity, transport, food (we plan to cook most of the time but will go out occasional basis). I also have son who is 1.5 years old. So plans are if my wife can get a job too we can send him to day care or kindergarden. Since we have already received the ITA under SMC, i am guessing We should easily get the PR based on this offer letter. 

Would you know how much would be cost of kindergarden or day care ?


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## escapedtonz

cooldash87 said:


> Thanks Escapetonz, Round 1500 a month is what I plan to send back home for loan and family. I am actually surprised by the rent reaching upto $600 pw. Would you know how much would be the approx figures for bills like electricity, transport, food (we plan to cook most of the time but will go out occasional basis). I also have son who is 1.5 years old. So plans are if my wife can get a job too we can send him to day care or kindergarden. Since we have already received the ITA under SMC, i am guessing We should easily get the PR based on this offer letter. Would you know how much would be cost of kindergarden or day care ?


Ok will assume you will have a Residency Visa.

Standard weekly take home (net) pay $1380. 
Less 4% Kiwisaver leaves you with $1325 per week.
Assuming you are intending to stay permanently in NZ you would be insane not opting in to Kiwisaver as you receive contributions from the government plus most employers match your contributions - free money!
You can also open a Kiwisaver account for your wife and children and so long as you contribute the minimum $20 per week the government will also pay in the agreed bonuses.
Having a Kiwisaver for your other family members will cost you another $60 a week, but won't consider this as I don't think you can afford it.

I'm guessing at rent payments. All depends where you want to live and the size of the property ?
Say $600 for rent, leaves you with $725
You want to send home $350 per week ($1500 per month) leaves you with $375 left over for everything else.
Food, bills, transport, eating out every now and then, clothes, insurances, dentist, GP visits etc etc.

Personally I think you'll struggle.

Transport costs - all depends where you live in relation to the job.
15km on a bus in Wellington costs around $5.50 if you just rock up and pay cash to the driver.
You can get cheaper tickets if you pay up front but in all honesty it's still gonna cost you $35/$40 a week in transport unless you live further away, then it'll be higher.
Utility bills probably $140 - $300 a month depending on the season and if you have just electric or electric/gas.
You may have a log burner for heat so just have to pay for the wood, around $200 a scoop if you buy on a deal. Probably get through a few over winter.
You may be on bottled gas as I don't think there's mains gas in ChCh - unsure the cost of a bottle - it's $30 for a tiny BBQ one in Wellington so I'd expect a big bottle gonna cost you at least $100.

You could save on the rent but it's a lottery really. Have you had a look online at available rental property - big enough for a family. Minimum 3 bedrooms ?

You'll also need to pay a bond of 3 or 4 weeks rent up front if successful on a property which is held in trust.
If through an agent you will have to pay a letting fee usually equivalent to 1 weeks rent plus GST of 15%.
You will also have to pay rent one or two weeks in advance.
Signing for a rental property at the start is expensive. Usually around 6 weeks up front (4 for the bond and 2 weeks advance rent) then the letting fee plus GST. Could be $4k plus!!!

You may also have to pay for water in ChCh ?
bedrooms.


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## cooldash87

Oh dear, I think this is trouble even before I start :-( 

you think it worth negotiating to say NZD $ 100,000 as base salary with the prospect company?? 

As for size of the house, I am thinking 2 Bedroom house or apartment (2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen & bathroom) 

I searched a few in trademe and found some houses at round 400-500 unfurnished and 750+ for furnished.

Btw, My office would be on Wairakei rd, Burnside area. Would you know which location would be recommended for living so that there is less travelling ?


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## escapedtonz

cooldash87 said:


> Oh dear, I think this is trouble even before I start :-( you think it worth negotiating to say NZD $ 100,000 as base salary with the prospect company?? As for size of the house, I am thinking 2 Bedroom house or apartment (2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen & bathroom) I searched a few in trademe and found some houses at round 400-500 unfurnished and 750+ for furnished. Btw, My office would be on Wairakei rd, Burnside area. Would you know which location would be recommended for living so that there is less travelling ?


I think your issue is sending the $350 per week back for the loan and family. It's 50% of a furnished rental that you are paying out every week.
Reduces your take home pay and usable NZ income somewhat!
Trying to increase the salary will obviously help but I'm guessing your not going to be able to negotiate much more as the company doesn't know you or your skills.
You may have to settle for the promise of a decent pay rise once you've got through the 12 weeks / 3 months probationary period and have proved yourself somewhat! 
No harm being honest with them and telling them your fears.
Maybe you can negotiate more relocation allowance or the company pays for more of an initial property rental period (the period that you need fully furnished).

Ok if you want a 2 bed house or apartment initially. Will certainly keep the costs of rent down, but do you intend shipping over all your belongings ?
We could get away with a 2 or 3 bed house to live in, but need a 4 bed house over 200 sq metres just to take all our stuff!!!

Burnside area is out towards the airport. Sorry I'm nowhere near qualified to say where are good places to live nearby. Only visited Christchurch twice so not really sure.
I know Rolleston, Riccarton, Upper Riccarton and Merivale are nice areas. Also Rangiora, but that is way out and not good due to traffic in and out of the city at peak times.

I started on $95k when I arrived in Wellington 21 months ago and survived ok.
We budgeted $500 a week in rent and managed to live within our means without going in to the red but it was a struggle initially.
No way of having any dollars over at the end of the fortnight (pay is usually fortnightly here) so no chance of any savings, but......I've not been sending $350 a week home to the UK!!!
Although we were also running 2 cars, a motorbike, golf club membership, gym membership, sky tv, boy in kindergarden twice a week etc. and spending every cent I earned.
Have since had a few pay rises and my wife now works part time.
Also we used lots of savings that we brought with us to set ourselves up - i.e. we bought two cars and the motorbike cash, we paid for the golf and gym memberships cash etc so we owe nothing.


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## Kimbella

You are going to have a real and serious issue finding a decent 2 bedroom place. Anything and everything that is liveable in the up-to-$350 market is beyond rare. We moved from our own home that was badly damaged (sold it to get out) into a rental. I was initially looking at the up to $350 range and found nothing but absolute garbage (in my opinion, others will probably say I was being picky--and I was!). I bumped up our budget and found a very lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath on `1/4 acre in Opawa. Living in the south side of the city was the best move we made--mostly not as hard hit as other residential areas, and a gem of a neighborhood. You won't go too wrong looking in St. Martin's, Cashmere, Opawa, parts of Woolston, parts of St. Albans. Merivale and Fendalton are also nice, but are probably going to be too expensive with you sending such a chunk of money home. As escaptetonz noted, Riccarton, Upper Riccarton are also nice areas... you just need to know up front that there is definitely a very serious housing shortage here... the good places are expensive and don't last on the market long. Our house is decently large but not massive, one story, we have a gas fireplace and a heat pump, plus endless hot water. Our highest power bill was about $125 in winter, gas in Chch is *only* bottled, we have 2 large bottles on the side of the house that are about $100 to fill--each, and we get over 3 months of use out of each--they provide all the hot water heating, plus the gas fireplace. Petrol is about $2.16 a litre here, and you can get 10c off coupons at both Pak N Save and some Countdown markets when you shop there. I wouldn't suggest the bus regularly because of all the detours from the roadworks underway, but you could cheaply get around on a scooter or motorcycle--or even the bus if you left early to account for the bus being late. I can't really comment on groceries because, tbh, I don't really have a budget I have to stick to. But, I think we (I) spend around $200 a week on groceries for 4 (2 adults/2 kids) and we eat gourmet (I love to cook). You could probably squeeze more off that price than I do. We also have a huge garden that I supplement our meals with... We own all of our big and little things freehold: 4 vehicles, 2 jet skis, 1 jet boat, quad bike, etc., so only pay insurance... around $300 a quarter *I think*.. I can't really remember exactly.


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## cooldash87

Thanks Guys, this is quite a lot of help. 

The folks at the prospect company has not rolled out the official appointment letter yet but the consultant say post my negotiation that they might freeze want to make the last offer of $110,000/- per year. Its then on me to either take the offer or walk out. . :fingerscrossed: 

My heart say to take it and club it with my existing Residency under SMC application for which I have already received the ITA. Probably once I get the PR, and will give a year or so. If the above money doesnt seem to work out for us, I can look out for a change. 

My mind however says to wait for a better offer


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## euvochlo

Goodluck!


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## kjazz30

Just wanted to add my 2p to this convo! My wife and I moved to sunny Tauranga from grey Hampshire in September and absoulutely love it! She already had a job lined up and I found one within 2 weeks of being here. Both of us earn more here in New Zealand and find living costs on the whole cheaper. Some things are more expensive but its a far cry from rip off England  Make sure you do your research but having done the whole move we can confirm the grass is definitely greener on the other side! Any questions give me a shout  Chur!


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## escapedtonz

kjazz30 said:


> Just wanted to add my 2p to this convo! My wife and I moved to sunny Tauranga from grey Hampshire in September and absoulutely love it! She already had a job lined up and I found one within 2 weeks of being here. Both of us earn more here in New Zealand and find living costs on the whole cheaper. Some things are more expensive but its a far cry from rip off England  Make sure you do your research but having done the whole move we can confirm the grass is definitely greener on the other side! Any questions give me a shout  Chur!


Hi,

Moving up to Tauranga ourselves in November but torn between Bethlehem and Papamoa at the moment. Pros and Cons around the same for different reasons. Head is saying Papamoa but the snobby heart in us is saying Bethlehem!!!

Understandable that the cost of living is cheaper. We've noticed on our many visits that you get way more for your money in terms of rent and equivalent properties to buy are much less. Also noticed that fuel is considerably cheaper and a household doesn't need to hammer the power useage as much since it's at least 3-5 degrees warmer.
So looking forward to being up there permanently soon.


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## kjazz30

Both of those areas are really nice, we are in Papamoa and love the beach on our doorstep. It reminds me of a small Californian town here (without Americans  ).


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## Kimbella

kjazz30 said:


> Both of those areas are really nice, we are in Papamoa and love the beach on our doorstep. It reminds me of a small Californian town here (without Americans  ).


Ouch!


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## energise

rageybug said:


> We would be looking at a 50% pay cut and curious to know what everyone's views are on a family with 2 young children living on $50,000/year anywhere in the country?


NZ$50K a year is not going to be a lot anywhere in NZ. But that does depend on how much debt you have and how expensive your tastes are. NZ wages are not high. Few people move here for the money! I suggest that if you want to have a great lifestyle, start another business and you can live well here.


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## Coachgirl

Hey

Our first grocery shop was a real shock to us!

Since being in NZ, we've started to buy fruit and veg at famers markets, it's cheaper than the supermarkets and better quality. It took us a while to get our heads round that when we first got here, because back in England a farmers market is an excuse to inflate the prices. Also takes some menu planning our part, so food isn't wasted. 

I find toiletries expensive, as we were spoilt in the UK with stores like Wilkinsons and Savers, that always had special offers going on. 

In terms of eating out and leisure activities, Treat Me ; GrabOne and Groupon always have some great deals, so we try to buy these and use them as a treat. 

Hope this helps.

We've been in Christchurch since Feb this year. 




rageybug said:


> I just took a good look through lots of categories of homewares at Briscoes and a lot of different grocery categories at Pak n Save, Countdown and Fresh Choice. While many items are expensive - in many cases double the price here - it is the specialty/somewhat luxury items. For example some of the baby items we've recently purchased jumped out at me right away because the local prices are still fresh in my mind. These items were significantly higher in price in nz. The items that we purchase regularly are very very closely priced to what shopping in our "up scale" supermarket would be.
> 
> Am I correct that there is a 15% sales tax on every purchase in nz? Is that applied on food items as well?
> 
> In Ontario food items are not charged tax but everything else is subject to 13% tax. (Previously 15%)


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