# Decisions, decisions



## oliviadeard (Oct 18, 2013)

Very recently, my husband and I were discussing the possibility of moving to another country, and the idea of New Zealand has become very appealing to us. We are from Alabama in the US. What are some of the things we should consider further before deciding to move or to stay?


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

oliviadeard said:


> Very recently, my husband and I were discussing the possibility of moving to another country, and the idea of New Zealand has become very appealing to us. We are from Alabama in the US. What are some of the things we should consider further before deciding to move or to stay?


Hi there - welcome to the forum.

We've had a number of people from the US move over here recently, and no doubt they'll be able to tell you most about the differences between the US and NZ. And there are good and bad, and just plain different differences!

Food is always reported as being more expensive over here, but we've had a couple of Americans staying with us for a while, and they say that for the kind of food that they buy, it is not that much more, and in some cases cheaper. They tend to avoid processed foods. You also have to buy fruit & veges in season (asparagus season at the moment and strawberries coming - yum!). And although not 'organic' as such, meat is not pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. Our beef and dairy cattle, and sheep, live on green grass in generally large paddocks where they can roam all year round.

There is less of a selection of things such as electrical goods, furniture etc - we just haven't got the population to support a diverse number of options.

And another huge difference - the holidays you get from work! Our friends couldn't believe that he would get four whole weeks off - and paid! (for us from the UK, we were grumbling about the loss of holiday!)

The English Language - we're two countries divided by a common language. We had great fun teaching our friends 3 year old daughter New Zealand words such as 'lollies' instead of 'candy'.

Politics - it's no big thing over here! Certainly not the type of thing discussed at social gatherings. Generally people keep their politics to themselves. Our friends found that quite different!

And the culture is very different. I'd really recommend coming out for a holiday to tour round for a bit.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

> What are some of the things we should consider further before deciding to move or to stay?



Hard to answer...

Really depends on why you are moving, what you are looking for, the level of satisfaction you have in your current life...


I would say (as my opinion only, but I believe it to be valid and accurate).... if you are looking to "get ahead" in life, as in make more money, have an 'easier' life, NZ is not the country that is going to be easy to do in. If you are looking for a life that is simple, and LOVE the outdoors, NZ is probably going to be one of the most perfect places to be! If you are currently highly satisfied with your current US lifestyle, and it is based in a moderate to large metropolitan area, NZ might fall short of your expectations, and it could be a very expensive disappointment.

A huge part of how well you'll fit in NZ is going to be based on where you are from in the US, what your current lifestyle is like, what is a NEED, what is a WANT, and how crucial they are to making your life satisfying. 

Most of NZ (tho not all) does not have the sort of foodie and social culture that would be typical in a moderate to large American city... Auckland being the exception, I'm sure (altho I'd need for someone from there to confirm that).
So, if part of your current life that you love is going out every weekend and feasting on the latest innovative gastronomical delights that world renowned chefs have whipped up, and then later going to dance it off in a club, well, this probably isn't the place for you.
However, if you enjoy gardening, kayaking, hiking, fishing, camping, drinking beer or wine, going for glorious drives... then NZ offers that in surplus, and it's all really great!

It is very expensive here, so you'll really want to try and figure out some way to estimate what your current cost of living is (if you are satisfied with your US life), and translate that into NZ dollars then do some research on wages to figure out if your current careers are accepted here, and what the compensation is... then you'll want to start doing research on grocery prices, housing prices, etc.. to see if you can afford the change in the cost of living.

Wish I could be more specific.. you are welcome to ask questions if you like... and some of my other posts do have more specific info on what NZ is like for an American, the caveat being that I am from California, nowhere near the south US, so my perspective is going to be different as well.

Cheers!

Kim


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