I've heard of families (2 adults, 2 children) who are managing on a salary of $50,000 but I've also come across some who are earning quite a bit more and say they aren't coping. ?It must surely come down to good budgeting and involves a certain degree of financial discipline, but not everyone can adapt to this or even wants to adapt. ?
I think you have to be quite honest with yourself and discover whether you would be prepared, at least initially, to be very careful with money until you see how things are going to pan out with all your outgoings. ?People have very different spending habits and some are more prepared to make sacrifices for the lifestyle than others. ?If you are someone who likes to have all the good things in life that money can bring, I don't think that NZ would be for you unless there was a fantastic salary coming in. ?On the other hand, if you crave a lifestyle that isn't governed by your finances, NZ could turn out to be a very good choice. ?
Whilst on the subject, for anyone who's interested in reading up on tips and tricks to manage your finances better, I'm currently reading a book by
Anita Bell which is written in a straight forward, down-to-earth manner and is specifically directed at folks living in NZ. I wouldn't like to say it's available in the UK but would probably be over the
Internet .