Anyone enjoying the move on a fairly low wage?

[Guest Frank44122]

Don't forget that you have to pay school fees (in state schools), although if you are on a really low income you can get help via a School Card http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/goldbook/pages/school_card/schoolcard/?reFlag=1

 

Fees do vary from school to school; Primary school fees are $300-$400 a year but high school costs more - we pay nearly a $1000 a year, which includes rental of a compulsory school laptop (about $350).

 

Is this per child?

[Guest Guest12727]

Is this per child?

 

Yes, it is per child. However, there is also a Govt rebate, called the School kids bonus. This is currently about $800 per year for secondary school and I think half that for primary. This is automatically paid if you get family benefit - so it pretty well covers the costs incurred.

Also primary uniform here is pretty relaxed at many schools, mix and match of official uniform pieces with basic school wear pieces available from stores like k-mart and Target which are pretty cheap.

 

The government sets a recommended rate for per child. If schools wish to charge more than this, they need to get a majority of the school community to agree.

 

This is what is on the school website our son went to (I was on governing council at one stage). It is a lot more for secondary school, but obviously the resources required are greater.

 

School Fees

Highbury Primary School uses a composite fee system which means that the same amount is charged for children in all levels Reception - Year 7. The charge covers printed and electronic material, stationery items, equipment, curriculum supplies, ICT and Resource Centre materials and resources that are related to the educational programs provided to students.

 

The school fees for 2014 are $280 per student for 4 terms.

 

Camps, excursions, incursions and swimming instruction fees are invoiced throughout the year and must be paid for before students can attend. Additional costs are also incurred by students wishing to be involved with choir, band, or extra curricular activities such as the School Musical or SAPSASA.

 

Payment Methods

Payments can be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card in the front office from 8.30am daily. American Express cards are not accepted by schools. Please make cheques payable to Highbury Primary School. The Materials and Services Charge can be paid in full, or by instalments once arrangements have been made with the Principal or Nominee.

 

School Card

Application forms for School Card are available from the school or from www.decd.sa.gov.au

 

Provision of the Centerlink Customer Reference Number for the primary cardholder will enable verification of eligibility unless your personal circumstances have changed or you are self employed. Approval for school card is dependent on family income from the previous financial year. School card funding must be applied for each school year.

[Diane]

Well I'm a senior tech with 14 years experience so hopefully will find something fairly quickly. Do you know if there are many dealerships commutable from the port noarlunga Area? They all seem to be north of the city and a few east. Hard to know how long it would take to commute to them without knowing what rush hour is like! Might be coming out on a reccie in sep so hopefully will have a chance to see for myself then. Thanks for the advice!

 

Why not consider living somewhere North, East or Northeast then if most of the work in your field is there?

[Guest Frank44122]

Yes, it is per child. However, there is also a Govt rebate, called the School kids bonus. This is currently about $800 per year for secondary school and I think half that for primary. This is automatically paid if you get family benefit - so it pretty well covers the costs incurred.

Also primary uniform here is pretty relaxed at many schools, mix and match of official uniform pieces with basic school wear pieces available from stores like k-mart and Target which are pretty cheap.

 

The government sets a recommended rate for per child. If schools wish to charge more than this, they need to get a majority of the school community to agree.

 

This is what is on the school website our son went to (I was on governing council at one stage). It is a lot more for secondary school, but obviously the resources required are greater.

 

School Fees

Highbury Primary School uses a composite fee system which means that the same amount is charged for children in all levels Reception - Year 7. The charge covers printed and electronic material, stationery items, equipment, curriculum supplies, ICT and Resource Centre materials and resources that are related to the educational programs provided to students.

 

The school fees for 2014 are $280 per student for 4 terms.

 

Camps, excursions, incursions and swimming instruction fees are invoiced throughout the year and must be paid for before students can attend. Additional costs are also incurred by students wishing to be involved with choir, band, or extra curricular activities such as the School Musical or SAPSASA.

 

Payment Methods

Payments can be made by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card in the front office from 8.30am daily. American Express cards are not accepted by schools. Please make cheques payable to Highbury Primary School. The Materials and Services Charge can be paid in full, or by instalments once arrangements have been made with the Principal or Nominee.

 

School Card

Application forms for School Card are available from the school or from www.decd.sa.gov.au

 

Provision of the Centerlink Customer Reference Number for the primary cardholder will enable verification of eligibility unless your personal circumstances have changed or you are self employed. Approval for school card is dependent on family income from the previous financial year. School card funding must be applied for each school year.

 

Thanks for this info Howde, really appreciate it!

[guspjmh]

Why not consider living somewhere North, East or Northeast then if most of the work in your field is there?

 

Diane has raised a good point here. As much as I love the southern beach suburbs (especially port noarlunga), employers will look at your location and may rule you out if the job is north and you are based south.

[Guest Frank44122]

Why not consider living somewhere North, East or Northeast then if most of the work in your field is there?

Yes it's something that we are considering. Using this forum to do research on areas and most people seem to focus on the coastal suburbs so that's the only info we have got at the mo. If anyone can give info on any decent areas that would be great. I know it's all quite subjective, everyone's likes or dislikes on areas but any opinions would be good!

[Guest Frank44122]

Diane has raised a good point here. As much as I love the southern beach suburbs (especially port noarlunga), employers will look at your location and may rule you out if the job is north and you are based south.

Good point!

[Diane]

There are some great suburbs over in the North East - very family-friendly, lots of great parks (such as Linear Park along the Torrens with cycle tracks and play areas), great schools, great transport links to the city, the hills and the beaches (about 30 minutes drive to the nearest beach from Highbury where I am) and plenty of housing to suit all budgets. http://www.northeast.net.au is a good site to get some idea of stuff around this area.

[Guest Guest12727]

Yes it's something that we are considering. Using this forum to do research on areas and most people seem to focus on the coastal suburbs so that's the only info we have got at the mo. If anyone can give info on any decent areas that would be great. I know it's all quite subjective, everyone's likes or dislikes on areas but any opinions would be good!

 

We live in Highbury which is a North Eastern suburb. Search the forum for this and other areas in the area, Rostrevor, Golden Grove etc.

There are plenty on here who don't live anywhere near Pt Noarlunga.

[Anne B]

Is this per child?

 

Yes it is per child. I paid $1075 for one child at High School and $430 for the other at primary. There is the School Kids Bonus but I was under the impression that Tony Abbot was going to scrap it next financial year (ie after June).

 

The worst thing about school fees is that you get the bill at the start of the school year (late Jan/early Feb) which is far too soon after Christmas. Plus January is when you take you summer holiday so it can be a very expensive time of year!

Edited March 21, 2014 by Anne B

[NicF]

Yes it's something that we are considering. Using this forum to do research on areas and most people seem to focus on the coastal suburbs so that's the only info we have got at the mo. If anyone can give info on any decent areas that would be great. I know it's all quite subjective, everyone's likes or dislikes on areas but any opinions would be good!

 

Most people focus on the coastal areas as a lot of people want to live near the beach - it's part of the whole living the dream/moving to Oz thing. It's also why a lot of people move to the southern coastal regions as they are more affordable and people can buy a decent sized house close to the beach. If you are not completely tied to the idea of being walking distance to the beach there are plenty of lovely suburbs to choose from. East of the city is really nice with excellent schools but suffers from that lack of affordability thing. As you go further north the suburbs become more affordable but if you stay east they ares still really nice with good schools. I'd highly recommend having a good drive round the suburbs from Burnside up to Banksia Park and see what you think before deciding on where to live long term.

[Guest Guest12727]

Yes it is per child. I paid $1075 for one child at High School and $430 for the other at primary. There is the School Kids Bonus but I was under the impression that Tony Abbot was going to scrap it next financial year (ie after June).

 

The worst thing about school fees is that you get the bill at the start of the school year (late Jan/early Feb) which is far too soon after Christmas. Plus January is when you take you summer holiday so it can be a very expensive time of year!

 

This highlights the importance of looking at detail. These figures are higher than the Govt set fees, and probably reflects the SES of the region the schools are in.

 

Some schools (as in the example I gave above) now allow payment by instalments over the year - which makes it far easier than paying that lump sum in one go.

 

I am sure you are right re Abbott scrapping the school kids bonus - as he is determined to remove everything Labor put in out of spite. But the school kids bonus replaced being able to claim against tax for school expenses. Labor did this to reduce red tape and make it fair for everyone as many people didn't claim school expenses on their tax returns. One would hope that if Abbott scraps the School kids bonus that we will once again be able to claim expenses through the tax return system - but this is a delayed rebate of course and you can only claim if you keep the receipts.

[al and meez]

Hi Frank,

 

We lived in Adelaide for a year (2012-2013) and actually found the cost of living very reasonable. We are now back in our hometown Brighton, Sussex and if you want expensive you can always come here I guess it's all relative to where you come from. We have two children and between us earned around $70,000 in that year and took on a nice rental of $815 a month. We got paid around $700 a month child support (the less you earn the more you get) so you should do alright there! My advice would be to contact as many potential employers as possible before you go....I did this and although couldn't secure a job before I went had a couple of companies who agreed to talk to me, one who did employ me a couple of months after arrival. My actual experience was that most migrants I knew found work within a few months so don't stress too much.....work in the building sector seemed a bit trickier though with people in and out of jobs. Back here in the UK one of our biggest expenses (aside from our mortgage) is petrol/diesel - it's around half the cost in Oz. And although migrants say food is expensive we found it to be around the same. There is so much to do recreationally for free that we found it very economical, just make sure you take enough money to see you through the first few months and I'm sure you'll be fine. Remember also those with bad experiences tend to post on here to get it off their chest, those doing ok are getting on with their lives and enjoying themselves. Most migrants I know are doing well though obviously the first few months are hard work. Once we get a few things sorted here we are heading back as we think our children will have a better life with better opportunities as they get older. Take it easy and enjoy the ride!

[Guest Frank44122]

We live in Highbury which is a North Eastern suburb. Search the forum for this and other areas in the area, Rostrevor, Golden Grove etc.

There are plenty on here who don't live anywhere near Pt Noarlunga.

Thanks for this Howde, will def get on with some research into these areas. As great as it would be to live near the beach, as long as it's a drive away that's fine!

[Guest Frank44122]

Most people focus on the coastal areas as a lot of people want to live near the beach - it's part of the whole living the dream/moving to Oz thing. It's also why a lot of people move to the southern coastal regions as they are more affordable and people can buy a decent sized house close to the beach. If you are not completely tied to the idea of being walking distance to the beach there are plenty of lovely suburbs to choose from. East of the city is really nice with excellent schools but suffers from that lack of affordability thing. As you go further north the suburbs become more affordable but if you stay east they ares still really nice with good schools. I'd highly recommend having a good drive round the suburbs from Burnside up to Banksia Park and see what you think before deciding on where to live long term.

Do you find that the coastal suburbs are by far the cheaper option for houses? Or is it just swings and roundabouts? Not overly bothered about being right next to the beach as long as we can get to it fairly easily. A decent area with a "nice" community feel is probably more important to us.

[Guest Frank44122]

Hi Frank,

 

We lived in Adelaide for a year (2012-2013) and actually found the cost of living very reasonable. We are now back in our hometown Brighton, Sussex and if you want expensive you can always come here I guess it's all relative to where you come from. We have two children and between us earned around $70,000 in that year and took on a nice rental of $815 a month. We got paid around $700 a month child support (the less you earn the more you get) so you should do alright there! My advice would be to contact as many potential employers as possible before you go....I did this and although couldn't secure a job before I went had a couple of companies who agreed to talk to me, one who did employ me a couple of months after arrival. My actual experience was that most migrants I knew found work within a few months so don't stress too much.....work in the building sector seemed a bit trickier though with people in and out of jobs. Back here in the UK one of our biggest expenses (aside from our mortgage) is petrol/diesel - it's around half the cost in Oz. And although migrants say food is expensive we found it to be around the same. There is so much to do recreationally for free that we found it very economical, just make sure you take enough money to see you through the first few months and I'm sure you'll be fine. Remember also those with bad experiences tend to post on here to get it off their chest, those doing ok are getting on with their lives and enjoying themselves. Most migrants I know are doing well though obviously the first few months are hard work. Once we get a few things sorted here we are heading back as we think our children will have a better life with better opportunities as they get older. Take it easy and enjoy the ride!

That's a good point about people wanting to get things off their chest,I suppose those enjoying life might sometimes might not be too bothered about going on forums to talk about it! But glad some of them do!! Can is ask why you only stayed for one year? It's certainly a bit of a roller coaster, emigrating and we haven't even got there yet!

[Guest Guest12727]

Do you find that the coastal suburbs are by far the cheaper option for houses? Or is it just swings and roundabouts? Not overly bothered about being right next to the beach as long as we can get to it fairly easily. A decent area with a "nice" community feel is probably more important to us.

 

Although there is the odd exception, it is generally due to distance from the city. Adelaide is spread very far North and South, the further out you are the lower housing prices tend to be. There isn't far to go West, so land is at a premium and in the East before you get to the hills it is a similar scenario. Many native Adelaideans like to live in the foothills, North East around to South of the City, these areas are pretty pricey, with the 'leafy' Eastern suburbs among the highest. As you go further into the hills the prices drop (again distance).

 

Our place of choice to live when we arrived was Stonyfell. However, we settled on Highbury as the foot hill terrain is similar but you get a lot more for your money. I think most places in Adelaide have an expensive option, or a more affordable option not too far away with similar housing styles and facilities.

[NicF]

Do you find that the coastal suburbs are by far the cheaper option for houses? Or is it just swings and roundabouts? Not overly bothered about being right next to the beach as long as we can get to it fairly easily. A decent area with a "nice" community feel is probably more important to us.

 

No, the coastal suburbs are not the cheaper option for houses. The coastal areas that are a short(ish) drive to the CBD are very expensive, especially close to the beach. The southern suburbs that many people on here settle in are further from the CBD and the house prices reduce accordingly. The further you go away from the CBD generally the lower house prices get. Check out realestate.com.au for an idea of house prices in some different areas.

[al and meez]

Hi Frank,

 

We returned as my father's health deteriorated and very difficult to deal with on the other side of the world......however for our children we feel we must return....and that's the challenge for us (emotionally dealing with things in the UK whilst living in Oz). People's migration experiences are all different but you can give yourself the best chance possible by thorough research and keeping an open mind.

[Guest Frank44122]

Hi Frank,

 

We returned as my father's health deteriorated and very difficult to deal with on the other side of the world......however for our children we feel we must return....and that's the challenge for us (emotionally dealing with things in the UK whilst living in Oz). People's migration experiences are all different but you can give yourself the best chance possible by thorough research and keeping an open mind.

Sorry to hear that, hope things go ok once you go back.

[Guest Frank44122]

Hoping that things will work out despite being on a lower income then what we would like. Just trying to think that it will be tight for a few years but hopefully not forever as my wife can work full time once the kids are at school. Thanks for all,the replies everyone!

[Guest Ollie2011]

Have you tried any spreadsheets to help budget?

[Guest Frank44122]

Have tried to open one that I found on here but it was a zip file and wouldn't open on my computer.

[SWMBO]

Have tried to open one that I found on here but it was a zip file and wouldn't open on my computer.

 

 

https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/calculators-and-tools

 

This is a website that I have found useful with various calculators.

Edited March 31, 2014 by SWMBO

[Guest Frank44122]

https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/calculators-and-tools

 

This is a website that I have found useful with various calculators.

 

Excellent link, thanks SWMBO.