can we afford to live in Adelaide?

[Guest 1pinksky1]

Hi! Really struggling to figure out if we can afford to move to SA! Hope some of you can give valuable advice. I'm Jennie 31, staff nurse. Hub is Craig, 33 senior project/youth manager for local council. We are not sure of Craig's earning potential in oz, or even his employment opps. I think i would get approx $45,000 and perhaps slightly more for Craig. We have 3 kids (12,6 and 4) I have tried to gather info about living costs and see if we would manage to survive financially. We would rent and ideally a 4 bed house (just something basic) in a decent area and suspect we would need to run 2 cars(not too flash).

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks

[Guest Mark&Vikki]

If you're coming over as permanent residents you are entitled to family assistance, which you apply for through Centrelink and you are entitled from the day you land. For 3 kids you could be looking at $500 a fortnight. It really helps towards your living costs.

[Pommyspark]

Even if you are walking into work, you will need a buffer, dont let me put you off thats not my intention but you need about $40.000. cars are not cheap, even cheap ones, but seriously though they are going to cost $10.000 each for a 5 year old basic model. rent, bank on minimum $350- 400 a week + deposits. food if its just the two of you not eating out about $ 200 a week, eating out $500 easy. settling in costs ie buying the basic essentials $2-3000. we planned on losing £70.000 in the first year and we are running over budget at this point 8 weeks in we have spent including rent for the year and $20k vehicle, around £60k , but, and its a big one,,, we are not earning yet,. if you walk into work it will be very different. The cost of living is related to earnings!! thats why wages are higher here.

[Misplaced]

There was somewhere on here a thread which someone had done and there was an excel sheet that you can put in the costs for rent, gas, leccy etc. and it then gives you a total figure. I have done it and the cost to live OK worked out to approx $75K-$80K a year. I'll try and have a hunt round for the thread but I am at work at the mo and don't have much time. Know doubt someone will beat me to it.........Snifter?

[Guest R175]

Hi hin.

 

You wage will depend on how many years qualified in nursing and your hubby/partner needs to get his qualifications checked.

 

My wife is a 13 years nurse so is top of the top at nine years in...basic is around $65000.0 but she works all funny shifts and also gets salary sacrifice. I am a full time student and hoping to go back into community services with a potential of cert 4 getting me $45000.0

 

We have a 4 bed in south and we manage comfortably...far, far, far better than we did in the UK and my daughters are doing Ju Jitsu, karate and several dance classes.

 

Hope that helps... ;-)

[catherine.c]

what do you mean by staff nurse - are you an RN? How many years experience? Full time RN's will earn more than 45000

[catherine.c]

Incidentally we came over with about $8000 and managed! We did both come over into jobs though

[Guest SA Great]

As Catherine said you would earn far more than 45,000 if you are an RN. My wife is level 6 RN and (with her odd shifts) would get around 75,000 per year.

[Guest devon67]

hi, im a senior youth worker aswell and ive also been asking about youth worker jobs but no one has any idea on here

ive checked out alot of the job websites and there are some jobs but few and far between

im hoping to do something similar and earn around $50k, but my wife will be the main earner as she is a school teacher

but i reckon you'll need around $100k PA to have a good life

[Guest beckeithking]

Hi,

Can't answer for your hubby's work , but as a nurse you should get more than 45,000 for full time. As a midwife I was hoping to get >65,000.

BUT the nursing board told me I would have to prove I have worked as a nurse for the full 9 yrs, full time. This means a letter proving this so they can allocate your pay level.

 

This takes a lot of time ( unless you have worked in the same place). HR depts just don't work as quickly as I would like.!!

Yes cars are expensive, depending where you live you might cope with 1 car and public transport til you are sorted. Unless you want everything ( 5 bdrm, pool, near beach etc) your rent should be fine.

 

Good luck.

Bec x

 

 

Hi! Really struggling to figure out if we can afford to move to SA! Hope some of you can give valuable advice. I'm Jennie 31, staff nurse. Hub is Craig, 33 senior project/youth manager for local council. We are not sure of Craig's earning potential in oz, or even his employment opps. I think i would get approx $45,000 and perhaps slightly more for Craig. We have 3 kids (12,6 and 4) I have tried to gather info about living costs and see if we would manage to survive financially. We would rent and ideally a 4 bed house (just something basic) in a decent area and suspect we would need to run 2 cars(not too flash).

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks

[Guest The Dimmocks]

You dont need to earn $100k pa to have a good life.

[Guest devon67]

im also a member of PIO and most people on there have told me that $100k is needed esp if you have a family

[Guest The Dimmocks]

Well speaking from my own experience, we are a family of 5 (one child at school), have two cars, a mortgage and all the bills that go with it, and have a very good life on less than that.

Edited March 27, 2012 by The Dimmocks

[Guest Helchops]

Contrary to members on PIO and PIA, most people in Australia are NOT on 100K.

 

There have also been many members moving out with very little money and they make it work. The best advice I can give you is to do your own research and take everything else with a pinch of salt.

 

You can easily find rentals, utilities, insurances, phones/Internet, food shopping and even the costs of days out on the Internet.

 

Seek.com.au has jobs so you can look at incomes.

 

In short, everyone's standard of living is different. I could turn up, with no money, live on the beach, get work and start that way. Other people need a short term rental, others still are happy in a hostel. We're getting the cheapest car we can ($ 3000 - $5,000) but for some nothing less than what they've got in the UK would be good enough.

 

So, while you'll find some making the move with 10k, there will be others with 100k and some with nothing at all. Life is what you make of it.

[Guest Helchops]

Incidentally, we're going with around 15K, accommodation mostly paid for for six months with no jobs...what an adventure!!! Oh, did I mention we have a toddler! Aghrrhhrhhh!

[Guest teamV]

You dont need to earn $100k pa to have a good life.

 

 

No but wouldn't do any harm would it:biglaugh:

[soo_the_panda]

Devon, if you're looking for youth work around Adelaide I suggest you call Bedford and ask to speak to Val Corfield re any youth worker vacancies in the training team.

[Scousemouse]

Nope, a 100k wouldnt hurt at all;

In answer to your questions...........

I have been the only wage earner for almost 2 years ( if one doesnt count the cash in hand jobs for neighbours).

As a full time RN, with 2 kids in school, a mortgage, and all the usual bills, we have done fairly well on on my $65k plus. I have salary sacrifice, which helps, and most nurses can get this additional help.

We do get child allowance, but no other concessions or asssistance.

We dont eat out much, and buy lots of thing on offer, like loo rolls, washing powder etc.

 

 

what you must do is RESEARCH; its been the mantra for most posters here...........everything that can affect your life, almost certainly will, from your work, to your social habits, from school fees to running a car...medical and dental insurance; it all adds up; however, in contrast to the gloom of the mundane, you learn to cope with whatever the move throws at you, because you you have to, or want to, whatever the situation requires.

 

it isnt easy, no one would say that, even those fortunate few who have 100k coming in, property to rent out, a huge social network and all the good things one would like to have; but if you work at it, respect it, and even sit back and laugh about it now and then, you can do alright.

 

good Luck with the move

Jane

[minty]

You spend what you earn but you can easily manage on 100k.

 

A lot of people manage on much less.

[tina&steve]

we dont earn 100k when we 1st came out its was more like 45k. and we never go without, we have holidays, eat out spend most of our wages on diy lol. 45k was hard to live on but would be nice to have the 100k but we manage on what we earn be nice to earn more

[Guest Guest5035]

so expensive here to the UK food shopping wise.

 

stevo

[Guest devon67]

Devon, if you're looking for youth work around Adelaide I suggest you call Bedford and ask to speak to Val Corfield re any youth worker vacancies in the training team.

 

Hi, do you by any chance have a tel number or email address, ive tried to search for info but nothing has come up

[Guest Watkinsfamily]

Hi, I am in a similar position coming with my husband and my 1 year old son in July next year. I am a primary school teacher (hold assistant head teacher position at present but think I will need to go back to Classroom teacher when I move to get to know the curriculum etc) so I will be the main earner. Husband can do all sorts of things including HGV driver, construction, secondary school D&T technition, heavy plant operator to scuba diving instructor. How much will we need to bring with us to get started? What would I be looking at if I was lucky enough to secure a full time teaching position? Would we be able to live happily - neither of us drink or smoke and don't go out that much happy to walk on the beach and BBQ in the garden? Any advice gratefully received. Coming over for a visit in August this year for 5 weeks and hope to do my 1st aid and child protection courses so that I am registered to teach in South Australia before we arrive. Don't think I will be lucky enough to secure a position befor I arrive but you never know. Thanks in advance. X

[Northern Mick]

Bit off topic but when I first arrived over here 6 years ago when the exchange rate was at a 'normal' level almost every single person on this forum commented / complained about how low the wages were in SA! It took me a while to accept that yeah, people who are emigrating now will think that the wages are really good here! This is obviously due to the ridiculously skewed exchange rate. When I convert my salary back in to pounds sterling I'm earning a wage that I could only ever dream of earning in the UK.

 

In reality, the wages haven't changed at all and the cost of living has gone up somewhat. When I first arrived, I thought the wages were bad and the cost of living was a bit more expensive than in England. I can only imagine what it must feel like to be charged 5 pounds sterling ($7.50) for a small pint of beer now!

 

My advice to anyone coming over here now is start earning aussie dollars as soon as you can, once you start earning dollars don't convert back into pounds (you will get upset) and don't necessarily think you are earning a fantastic wage just because the exchange says you are. It wouldn't surprise me if some employers try and pay some immigrants a bit less because they think a pom will be grateful to be earning such a wage! If you are any good at your job eventually you will be rewarded accordingly.

 

The only people who should be converting back into pounds are people on holiday who are in effect spending their English wages. Good luck to everyone who is making the move nowadays and from reading the various posts on here there are lots of families who are coming with next to nothing and still making a damn good go of it.

 

Mick

[cliffy]

Hi, do you by any chance have a tel number or email address, ive tried to search for info but nothing has come up

 

Bedford Industries http://www.bedfordgroup.com.au/