Help - is this enough for family of 5

[alexandkaren]

Hi

Needing some help. Husband has been offered job on a 457 with a wage of $58,240 overtime will be available. Company will pay super on top of this. We are a family of 5 (3 girls primary school age) & l will be looking for part time work. Will my husband's wage be enough to survive on until l get work. Really don't want to scrimp & scrap. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

[kelbert]

I think that might be a struggle if your children are school age as you will have to pay a lot for education.

[Lily Rainbow]

Where are you planning to live?How much are you expecting to spend on a weekly shop?Are you going to run two cars or one?

[alexandkaren]

Hi thanks for reply lv checked & we won't need to pay additional fees but will need to pay the start of term in January. With this in mind what do u think?

[alexandkaren]

Edwardstown or port nourlonga. We'll run one car to start with until on our feet. Not sure how much our groceries would b hoping for some advice here xxc

[Lily Rainbow]

It depends hon.Sorry to ask a few questions in my last post,but we can't really ascertain if its enough if we don't know a few facts.Example some people might say you need $300 a week to feed a family of 5 and others might say they only spend $150!Depends what your rent is,cars ect?It does'nt sound an awful lot to me.So your OH will be on approx $1,000 a week?Take out rent,utilities,car(petrol and up keep,rego ect)shopping,entertainment,and so on?

Do a virtual shop and see how you get on?

http://www.coles.com.au/

http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/webSite/Woolworths/

Edited October 27, 2014 by Lily Rainbow

[alexandkaren]

No lily l appreciate any advice. Think his weekly take home would b just under the 1k. Just don't want to struggle. At the moment l currently spend around £80 per week on groceries is there a calculation is times it by 3 & that's most likely what we'll spend? Just trying to gather as much info as possible before we commit to the job offer as really don't want to struggle. We're not extravagant people by nature. Thanks again

[NicF]

Hi

Needing some help. Husband has been offered job on a 457 with a wage of $58,240 overtime will be available. Company will pay super on top of this. We are a family of 5 (3 girls primary school age) & l will be looking for part time work. Will my husband's wage be enough to survive on until l get work. Really don't want to scrimp & scrap. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

 

That wage on a 457 will be tight. We managed on $54,500 ish for a while after we came over as my OH had to quit his job and that was what I was earning but we also got family tax benefits. It was a struggle and I wouldn't choose to live on that much. Having said that we were paying $420 a week on rent and about $300 a month on interest on a mortgage on a block of land. If you can rent for less that would free up more cash for everyday living. There are a few budget spreadsheets floating around the forum that might help you come up with some idea of what costs you would be facing. Have a look on realestate.com for ideas of the cost of rentals and look at Cole.com.au for an idea of what a weeks worth of groceries would cost you.

[alexandkaren]

Thanks NicF as suggest by lily lm doing a virtual shop at Coles. Think my gut feeling might b to come over on the 489 & find work (hopefully) when we come over. Has a look at the real estate and seen some ok ones for 320 but mostly around the 400 mark. I'll have a look for the spreadsheets. Thanks again x

[Rammygirl]

$320 for a four bed is very cheap unless further out or in a poor area or poor condition tbh. Pictures can be decades old. You must view before renting. Look at the prices for an area then go for just above the average for budgeting.

 

plenty of people manage on that wage BUT they mainly bought property years back and have a smaller mortgage.

[Blossom]

I must agree. You are looking at at least $400 per week for an ok house for your size family. Photos can be VERY misleading.

[alexandkaren]

Yeah l had read that to be careful when looking online & we've always thought we'd b looking at the $400 mark for rental. Just wish l had a crystal ball.....wonder how many on here wish that right enough. Thanks

[jim and adel]

In answer to your first question about your husband's wage being 'enough to survive on' until you get work, yes, you could survive on that; plenty of people do on that sort of money (or less). However, would you want five of you to move to the other end of the world to live on such an amount? Not for long, I’d suggest. So, the sooner you’re earning as well, the better. Also, even if overtime is available for your husband, you’ll obviously want to strike a balance between work and home life.

 

In other parts of your text you mention you 'really don't want to scrimp & scrap' and 'really don't want to struggle' and I think these points are more pertinent than whether you can survive. Be prepared that on that amount you will struggle. I don’t know what benefits you might receive, but take home pay (minus any overtime) will likely be close to $900 per week (after tax and Medicare levy) and there will be many outgoings eating into this. Regardless of how you cut it, with five of you that means some struggling. (Obviously, in some ways migrating is all about struggling; apart from financially there's massive disruption, a total dismantling of routine, no regular face-to-face contact with family and friends left behind, the worry of finding work and somewhere to live, new schools, being in a strange place etc. Those of us who undertake it without a damn good reason for doing so have at least one screw loose .)

 

I think you need to decide whether you're prepared to struggle financially, and for how long. If you really don't want to struggle, don't do it (at least, not with this job). Of course, when you're both working and there's overtime coming in, your situation will ease, although benefits might also drop accordingly – I'm not sure what's means tested and what isn't, and what the eligibility criteria are, and you'll want to be clear on all this.

 

Good luck!

[zebedee]

We are also a family of 5 and I think it will be a tough call - not impossible, but you might have to really careful and I am not sure you will have much spare to enjoy the free time, which will be a shame as half the fun is exploring your new home. I think the cost of living equates to around double, so think of that salary cut in half and that gives you an idea of the pounds equivalent - could you afford to live on a salary of 26,000 pounds? Ours are all at school age, and that adds costs, even when they are at public school.

 

Cheaper rentals are out there - we found a basic, but clean 3 bed place in Lockleys (nice area) for $330 per week. You have to go and see them though and there were plenty of shockers.

Edited October 28, 2014 by zebedee

[alexandkaren]

Thanks Jim and Adel & Zebedee. The plan would b to bring enough money with us to pay the rent, ser uo costs that we need for the first month or so. Hopefully it'll not take long for me to find work. Don't think we would qualify for any benefits or tax credits as we would b on a 457 which is classed as a temp visa. However we would on the 489. My daughter has asthma so regular prescriptions are needed to be filled & she is also having orthodontic treatment so obviously these are going to b regular costs to us as well. Just so confused as to what to do think if we put it all to bed it would rear it's head in a few years (we had previously looked into make the move a good few years ago so costs have risen a good deal) & l dont want to regret not going but in the flip side it's a massive upheaval for a family of 5

[snifter]

If you can get a permanent visa I'd go that route over the temp one any day.

[alexandkaren]

Even with the job offer snifler? The company have said that after 2 years they'll sponsor us for a permanent visa but lm just conscious that a lot can change in 2 years!

[Diane]

Don't forget that if you manage to find a job then you will have to pay for out of hours child care - as finding a job to fit in with school hours can be very hard and there is obviously a lot of competition for the few that are around. On a temporary visa I presume you would not be entitled to any help with child care costs, and unless you have family or friends out here who will help out it may be a struggle. December/January we found was a very expensive time of year - not only is it school fees time (and even in state schools there are costs to pay - it's not free) but you will also be looking at buying three sets of new uniform, if your kids have hobbies or activities that they want to continue you will have club/membership fees to find (and this is something I think that is very good for kids to do, as they will make new friends through clubs/scouts/music etc which is a big step towards settling), plus you will need to find a rental that has good air conditioning, as it's the hottest time of the year, or spend time in shopping malls to keep cool which invariably will end up costing money!

[zebedee]

Thanks Jim and Adel & Zebedee. The plan would b to bring enough money with us to pay the rent, ser uo costs that we need for the first month or so. Hopefully it'll not take long for me to find work. Don't think we would qualify for any benefits or tax credits as we would b on a 457 which is classed as a temp visa. However we would on the 489. My daughter has asthma so regular prescriptions are needed to be filled & she is also having orthodontic treatment so obviously these are going to b regular costs to us as well. Just so confused as to what to do think if we put it all to bed it would rear it's head in a few years (we had previously looked into make the move a good few years ago so costs have risen a good deal) & l dont want to regret not going but in the flip side it's a massive upheaval for a family of 5

 

Regret - yeap, that's the big one. We came to Australia in 2003 on holiday for 4 weeks and just where blown away with what we experienced but it took us until 2011 before we realised that if we didn't give a shot, we would never know if life could be better out here - age of children and age of us was starting to close doors. In Feb 2012 we got our permanent Visa, almost couldn't believe it, house then sold and by July we were living in Adelaide. It wasn't easy - and yes, it was a massive upheaval - to see our entire life just thrown up in the air was, at times, so scary that we just felt numb. The thing is, you just don't know how things will be until you try it and everyone's experience will be different. All I can say is that after 2 years here, I feel we've achieved a higher standard of living than all the years of slogging it in the UK. We still have all the day to day stuff to deal with, but being some where different has been great for us. It's come at a cost though - leaving family is hard beyond words and being set back financially also took us by surprise. But, you dig in, work it out, explore, laugh, cry, get cross, get excited and to me, I feel like we are living our lives again. I don't underestimate the opportunity we have had and we've been very lucky. I believe we will be spending the rest of our lives here. I think what I am trying to say is that, if you really think it's an opportunity that you can't let go, go for it - you will work things out along the way.

 

On a more practical note again - I do think if you can cover off your rent with savings, the salary will be manageable I think - we survived on a comparison salary of about $63,000 if I take our rent away - though as PRs we do get family assistance. Just be prepared to be careful.

 

Good luck!

[alexandkaren]

Yeah Diane the girls do a few clubs here and tbh I'd want that to continue so they can make friends. I had hoped to get work that fitted in around the girls school hours but do know these probably would b far between do yeah childcare would be a factor & l guess that would bebthe advantage of being on a PR visa as opossed to a temp visa. Zebedee you've totally hit the nail on the head.....feel like we need to take the risk or we'll regret it. Thanks again x

[alexandkaren]

Yeah Diane the girls do a few clubs here and tbh I'd want that to continue so they can make friends. I had hoped to get work that fitted in around the girls school hours but do know these probably would b far between do yeah childcare would be a factor & l guess that would bebthe advantage of being on a PR visa as opossed to a temp visa. Zebedee you've totally hit the nail on the head.....feel like we need to take the risk or we'll regret it. Thanks again x

[Guest Guest75]

Read and take in Jim's comments on this thread. He mirrors my own sentiments.

Unless you are cashed up or going to be immediately on a high income - DON'T DO IT!! - Moving to Oz is not for the faint hearted at this moment in time.

 

Sorry to be a doomsayer - but even if I made you think it is worth it.

 

I have seen large families come out with 5000UKP and no jobs - do very well, but that was in a better economic climate.

[snifter]

Even with the job offer snifler? The company have said that after 2 years they'll sponsor us for a permanent visa but lm just conscious that a lot can change in 2 years!

 

That's the thing, a lot can change. Being sponsored you'd get (some of) your costs to get over here and hopefully flights back to the UK if it all went sour, but not much else. And if the company has to let your OH go or cannot sponsor for PR in two years, you are a bit stuffed and will either need to find a new sponsor or visa route or return to the UK. Which is fine if you want to go back to the UK of course but if you want to be here longer term, not so good.

 

Also the things you will be eligible for on a PR visa can help a fair bit.

 

Cost wises, others have said similar to what I am thinking in your start up costs and so on. I think things would be tight and you'd defo want to be able to enjoy Adelaide/Aus from when you arrive rather than not, so having some other income asap would be good. I'd have hated moving here if we both had to slog our guts out each week and had little or no time for social stuff or funds to allow us to have days out, trips, weekends away and social/sports clubs etc for son. It can make all the difference in enjoying migrating and not. Sure there are plenty of free things to do, places, but there is still car, fuel, food etc needed to get to them and enjoy.

 

You can get 4 bed rentals cheap but they are usually cheap for a reason. Either the house is poor or the area isn't great. And then there is schooling. If you want to be in an area with good school choices, rentals tend to cost a bit more. I chucked in rentals in an area with 2-4 beds, covering Flagstaff Hill, Happy Valley, Aberfoyle Park and around there. If you are prepared to drop down to 3 bedrooms you can save a heap on the rental price each week. And therefore consider areas that might otherwise be out of your budget.

 

http://www.realestate.com.au/rent/property-house-with-3-bedrooms-in-aberfoyle+park%2c+sa+5159%3b/list-1?maxBeds=4

 

There is the odd cheap 4 bed house in some of these suburbs but I am not sure of what they would be like. Looking at the pics of one in Flagstaff Hill, its just off the main road and looks rather grotty and small. Garden on a hill and overgrown. But it has 4 beds. And its cheap. Personally though, I'd not like cheap just because, I'd rather a decent house with one less bedroom and have air con, a decent kitchen, bathroom and garden. There is a 3 bed one listed in Happy Valley for $310 a week, looks nicer in the pics but they could be years old, so impossible to know really. Based on the pics there I'd go the Happy Valley 3 bed over the Flaggy 4 bed even though there is only $30 in it. Or the $335 one in Happy Valley. But until you view them, you really don't know how they are going to be.

 

Rentals in general seem to be shorter on the ground atm.

 

I personally would not go for some of the suburbs that came up in that search return based on schools as I felt there were better ones and more choice in other suburbs. But that is only my preference and research, others will of course have different experiences.

 

And yes, part time work fitting in around school hours is not easy to come by. I went self employed to begin with and recently started a job down in Port Adelaide which is a good 40 mins commute in non rush hour. We have had to put our son into after school care on those days as I just can't be back in time for 3:10 to collect him. It costs about $19 per after school session, regardless of how long he attends each time. Before school is cheaper, $9 or $10 or so but I prefer to have longer at the end of the day and avoid rush hour traffic.

Edited October 29, 2014 by snifter
typo

[snifter]

Just looked back and checked your preferred areas Edwardstown seems pricier and has more units, sub divides and so on. Is there any particular reason you are focused on these two areas? Are you open to other suburbs depending on availibility, commute and schools etc?

 

http://www.realestate.com.au/rent/with-2-bedrooms-in-port+noarlunga+south%2c+sa+5167%3b/list-1?maxBeds=4

 

http://www.realestate.com.au/rent/with-2-bedrooms-in-edwardstown%2c+sa+5039%3b+/list-1?maxBeds=4&source=location-search

[zebedee]

One thing we did learn is to also check the area you are thinking of for the actual house prices if you were to buy there - whilst our rent in Lockleys was quite cheap, the actual house prices were crazy - so we ended up having to re-think once we decided to buy (might be that you don't have any intentions of buying but you never know). This meant another move for the kiddies but we all got through it. I also always think that tidy gardens are a good sign of a decent area, simple but seems to work, people who look after their places are generally okay to live near - Google street view is good for that. Though having said that, our front garden is a mess.........