Can we cope financially?

magpie · #1 (**permalink**) 23-05-2008, 07:57 PM

This is my 1st post so bear with me.

DH and i are planning to move to NZ DH is a teacher, teaching college students, I however have no official qualifications i am currently a SAHM I look after my children 3 and 6 months.

Well my question is thou my husband and i are wondering if we could cope financially with just his wage.

Those of you from the uk will know they now pay tax credits to families and i have to be honest this has enabled me to stay at home and look after my children full time, we dont have any other beneifts so are no strangers to having to watch our pennies, so we are wondering if there are other families that do the same or is it not possible?

ebianca · #2 (**permalink**) 23-05-2008, 08:12 PM

Hi again.

I am similar to you with 2 young kids- 4 and 2. I was a stay at home mum in the UK (not much help from tax credits but OH had decent job and we had very small mortgae). we have been in NZ 8 weeks now and hoping on a formal job offer for OH next week, i will still be a stay at home mum until the youngest starts school in about 2 and a half years.I'm hoping to use the time to do some studying so I can start on a carreer when both kids are at school.

Not sure what wage teachers earn here but my OH is in IT and will be looking at a good wage of about $90 and pretty sure we can manage on that.

Will also depend on your lifestyle but there is a lot more to do here in NZ that doesn't cost money (not like UK where everything seems to cost).

Beth

magpie · #3 (**permalink**) 23-05-2008, 08:23 PM

I am hoping to do some studying myself if i can, as i was planning to here in the uk anyway.

I am really glad that its doable thou i can let the husband know now i am very excited, and sooooo happy that my kids may get to grow up in a beautiful country

Ginabridget · #4 (**permalink**) 24-05-2008, 06:42 AM

I'm a SAHM too, and I'll be in NZ in about 6 weeks, we'll be on one wage too, so I'm not too sure really how that going to go, but we'll adjust our budget accordingly. I'm also hoping to do some studying before I go back to work, my littles ones are 3 and 2 so I've got a little while before going back part time....but have no idea what I want to study.

Sorry I'm not much help in survival on one wage - so this is just a message really to welcome you to the forum and let you know that there are a few of us that are going to be in a similar situation.

Hope it all goes well for you.

Gina

MotherBear · #5 (**permalink**) 24-05-2008, 03:07 PM

My advice would be to start off slowly and cautiously with your spending. Some make the mistake of rushing out and buying up a storm when they first arrive in NZ. Everything is new and exciting and you feel you want to have the best start possible, but that can sometimes lead to difficulties when the money runs out faster than it's coming in. Test the waters first and see how you're going, then you can edge forward when you know how well you're coping. It'll give you time to get used to the cost of living and what you can and can't afford.