[MotherBear]

Having just spent the best part of 3 weeks in NZ, living the life rather than doing the tourist thing, I must admit to being somewhat puzzled about this whole cost of living topic. Shopping for everyday foodstuffs never failed to make my heart flip every time I was presented with a till receipt that showed a 3-figure total (dollars, that is). Converting it back into ?s made it look a bit healthier but, nevertheless, I wouldn?t say it was cheap there. No doubt my mistake was grabbing things that either we can?t get in the Middle East or that are much better quality. If we were already living in NZ and the novelty of those things had worn off, I?m sure it would be easier to budget and have the time to research items that are cheaper and better value for money.

Going back to the ?puzzled? bit, I found it strange to see MANY nail bars around Hamilton when kiwis are supposedly so hard up. Just how many people can afford to regularly have their nails done? In all my travels I?ve never seen so many places that deal exclusively with nails and their upkeep. It just doesn?t add up if, as has been stated on here, kiwis are living on the breadline. Another thing was going out one evening for a meal and finding the restaurants and cafes pretty busy. It wasn?t a weekend either, more middle of the week. The place we went to, an average main meal cost roughly $28 without starters or desert and, by the time we were leaving, it was doing a roaring trade. Going out for meals just isn?t something you do when you don?t have 2 cents to rub together. People were riding round in pretty decent cars most of the time so, there again, I was encouraged to see some evidence of a decent standard of living. I have no doubt that there are still many people who haven?t got the knack of handling their finances for one reason or another or are genuinely poor but, at the same time, NZ doesn?t appear to be totally lacking in at least some degree of affluence.

Starting a new life in NZ is like taking a giant leap of faith where you leave your safety net behind you. Some people are prepared to do it, others aren?t because they fear the cost would be too much to bear. It?s horses for courses and neither is the wrong way to go if you?ve done your research thoroughly beforehand. It?s a personal choice - some people can happily budget and thrive on ?making do?, whereas others prefer not to go down this path and cling onto what they feel are the good things in life that only money (i.e. a good salary) can buy. For me, the good things in life come under the heading of quality of life rather than material possessions (not that I am opposed to them, of course [smiley=Blush.gif]) and, although I know we?ll have to be very careful with our money when we live in NZ on a UK pension that isn't index-linked, we are mentally prepared for this as we feel there will be other benefits to enjoy, like the smiling faces of shop assistants who often like to chat or at least greet us with a cheery comment or two (something we?re not used to here) and the helpfulness of people when we need advice or assistance. I?ll talk more about my impressions of NZ following my second visit in another thread tomorrow, when my head has recovered from the droning and vibration of 4 flights and hours hanging around airports [smiley=119.gif] .