Simply can't afford to live in NZ

[ShellBda]

Considering that my annual rent is 50% of my salary here in Bermuda....I am used to paying out of my for housing. I am just going to think positively and deal with whatever comes my way. I am certainly not moving to NZ to become rich! As long as Bermygirl and our sons are happy with life, then I am happy.

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by Debd

One of my friends here said that she and her other friends would never consider tipping for any service given!

Perhaps kiwis are wary of people tipping in case it gets to be expected and they don?t feel they can afford it. There was an issue with tipping when we lived in Syria (which is quite a poor country if you?re not one of the wealthy) and some of the more well-off expat wives were giving taxi drivers (and no doubt others) really big tips, thinking they were helping them. It came to pass that the taxi drivers then expected it of everyone they carried and ended up more or less threatening to beat passengers up if they didn?t tip the same amounts. It got that we were afraid to get into a taxi then, due to the horror stories. I know that's more about tipping too much rather than not tipping at all, but you get the gist.

[kokopeli]

MB's story reminds me of our stay in Singapore last year. There were HUGE signs all over the hotel saying that hotel staff were well paid and didn't expect to be tipped. The only problem was that no-one had told the concierge...

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by ShellBda

I am just going to think positively and deal with whatever comes my way. I am certainly not moving to NZ to become rich! As long as Bermygirl and our sons are happy with life, then I am happy.

Now here's a girl after my own heart But don't you go being unselfish and generous with your time and spirit now Shell, you don't get paid for it you know (she says sarcastically).
I'm of the mind that when I'm dead and gone my contribution to the world will not be measured by how much money I have managed to accumulate and it's a bloody good job coz it won't be a lot

[ShellBda]

Amen Sister!

[johnty]

on the tipping thing when we went to Goa a lad from bombay who worked at his uncles beach bar was telling us that some of the big hotels and eateries had stopped paying there waiters and still they had people clambering for the jobs because of the tips.he pointed out that the wage was about ?16 a month and the tipping was far greater.

[Debd]

Yes kokpeli and welshgirl, it's quite strange indeed not to tip, I think I've always been a bit too generous in the past anyway so time to sloooow down, ha!

[ExPat]

Patience......

New Zealand Rate Rise Shocks Investors - Forbes.com

New Zealand?s central bank shocked investors on Thursday with an unexpected increase to its already-sky-high interest rates.

....

The central bank is seeking to fight inflationary pressures arising from strong domestic demand, a robust property market, low unemployment and rising government spending. The Reserve Bank said it was raising rates in order to keep inflation at roughly 1% to 3% over the medium term.

New Zealand is walking a tightrope with its monetary policy. The country is suffering from inflation because its high rates are attracting investment, much of which finds its way into local assets, notably housing. Investors are borrowing at low rates in Japan -- where overnight money goes for 0.5% -- and reinvesting in the high-yielding kiwi. The high rates have succeeded in slowing parts of the economy, but rising asset prices remain a concern. (See ? New Zealand Builds A Bubble?)

[kokopeli]

There was a good article from an economist in The Press last Saturday. I'll see if I can dig it out of our recycling bin, but the message was what goes up, must come down. The chap said it would be unwise to invest in property at the moment because the market is at its peak and suggested that the Kiwi will come down with a decent bump, but not a big crash. While I'm sure that many people on the forum will welcome that in the long run, the fact that the Bank of England left UK interest rates alone yesterday means that the Kiwi will keep gaining against the Pound.

John Key (leader of the National Party, former currency broker) was on the radio this morning. He reckons the Kiwi will top out against the US dollar at over 80c before the end of July. Great news if you want to buy something cheap from the States........

[KiwiHopeful]

Originally Posted by kokopeli

John Key (leader of the National Party, former currency broker) was on the radio this morning. He reckons the Kiwi will top out against the US dollar at over 80c before the end of July. Great news if you want to buy something cheap from the States........

I'll let you all know the exact day this will happen ... the day I have to trade my USD for NZD. The next day ... *CRASH*