Now that we've been in New Zealand for a year its probably time for an update... no complaints from the peanut gallery, I did warn that the blog wouldnt be updated often and in our defence its been a helluva year. The entire immigration process has been a whirlwind and if we expected things to quiet down once we were here - which we did - then we were delusional.
In the last year I've had 3 different jobs, Isabella has had 2 daycares and thankfully so far only 1 home. We've discovered that Aucklanders while friendly are not hospitable (our kiwi friends number, well, 0.5) and that out of sight really is out of mind when it comes to a lot of family and friends still in SA.
We dont regret making the move but in hindsight we could have been better prepared for the changes that come along with it!
The big positives for us all relate to the safety we feel here in comparison to when we lived in Johannesburg - there are no bars on our windows, no electric fences (hardly any fences at all really), no burglar alarms or any of the other paraphenalia that formed part of our daily life in Johannesburg. I no longer work myself into a panic deciding where to put Isabella's car seat so I can get her out if we are highjacked. Maybe I'm paranoid in comparison to friends and family who still live very happily in South Africa, but I am glad to be free of the fear that was invading every aspect of our life.
I dont know if we will be in New Zealand forever but I dont think we'd move back to South Africa now that we know what its like to live elsewhere.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monthly living costs V2
I thought I'd revisit our monthly living costs now that its been a year and we've got more of a grip on finances here. The exchange rate is now about R5/$1 which is also a lot better than when we moved over.
Rent: $1733 per month, but rent is paid weekly ($400 per week). Budget for 3 weeks rent when you start a rental contract (2 weeks deposit/bond and 1 week paid in advance). No change here as we are still in the same house but rental prices have dropped from when we first looked and we are considering downscaling to a smaller cheaper property.
Water: $70 for 6 months.
Power: $100 - $300 per month (summer/winter). There are a few different power companies here and you choose a provider and a package when you rent or buy a property.
Telephone & internet: $115 per month
Childcare: $1300 per month. This is for 1 child, under 3 years old and includes meals.
Petrol: $400 per month. This is based on 1 tank of petrol every week for 2 cars.
Parking: $200 per month. Unfortunately working in the city centre means paying for parking.
Food, cleaning materials and toiletries: $825 per month (R1235 per week)
Nappies: $60 per month (4 bags of nappies from a nappy wholesaler)
Car and home insurance: $180 per month (2 vehicles)
Mobile phone: $40 per month
Swimming classes for Belle: $60 per month
Medical insurance (basic cover for operations & hospital stays): $60 per month
Takeouts: $15 - $50 per meal ($15 will get fish and chips for 3, KFC is a bit pricier and pizzas pricier still)
This is a great site to create and manage a budget: http://www.sorted.org.nz/
Rent: $1733 per month, but rent is paid weekly ($400 per week). Budget for 3 weeks rent when you start a rental contract (2 weeks deposit/bond and 1 week paid in advance). No change here as we are still in the same house but rental prices have dropped from when we first looked and we are considering downscaling to a smaller cheaper property.
Water: $70 for 6 months.
Power: $100 - $300 per month (summer/winter). There are a few different power companies here and you choose a provider and a package when you rent or buy a property.
Telephone & internet: $115 per month
Childcare: $1300 per month. This is for 1 child, under 3 years old and includes meals.
Petrol: $400 per month. This is based on 1 tank of petrol every week for 2 cars.
Parking: $200 per month. Unfortunately working in the city centre means paying for parking.
Food, cleaning materials and toiletries: $825 per month (R1235 per week)
Nappies: $60 per month (4 bags of nappies from a nappy wholesaler)
Car and home insurance: $180 per month (2 vehicles)
Mobile phone: $40 per month
Swimming classes for Belle: $60 per month
Medical insurance (basic cover for operations & hospital stays): $60 per month
Takeouts: $15 - $50 per meal ($15 will get fish and chips for 3, KFC is a bit pricier and pizzas pricier still)
This is a great site to create and manage a budget: http://www.sorted.org.nz/
Friday, July 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Monthly living costs in Auckland V1
Here are our weekly/monthly costs which will be useful for anyone trying to find out how much they’d need to earn in order to live in Auckland.
We live on the North Shore where rents are slightly lower but travelling time into the CBD is higher and impacts travelling costs.
Rent: $400 per week. In NZ rent is paid weekly, we haven’t found any that do it differently. This is for a nice 3 bedroomed home in a suburb with good schools. Budget for 3 weeks rent when you start a rental contract (2 weeks deposit/bond and 1 week paid in advance).
Water: $? This is paid every 6 months and we have not yet received a bill. Will update when we do.
Power: $300 per month (R1650 per month) There are a few different power companies here and you choose a provider and a package when you rent or buy a property.
Telephone & internet: $65 per week (R422 per week)
Childcare: $70 per day (R455 per day), $270 per week (R1755 per week), $1080 per month (R7020 per month). This is for 1 child, under 3 years old and includes meals. Ratio is 1 caregiver to 4 children.
Bus: $210 per month for an all zones bus pass (R1365 per month)
Petrol: $150 per week (R975 per week). This is based on 1 tank of petrol every 1.5 weeks.
Food, cleaning materials and toiletries: $190 per week (R1235 per week)
Car and home insurance (1 car valued at $8500): $72 per month (R468 per month)
Other costs: cellphone, parking, takeouts/entertainment
We live on the North Shore where rents are slightly lower but travelling time into the CBD is higher and impacts travelling costs.
Rent: $400 per week. In NZ rent is paid weekly, we haven’t found any that do it differently. This is for a nice 3 bedroomed home in a suburb with good schools. Budget for 3 weeks rent when you start a rental contract (2 weeks deposit/bond and 1 week paid in advance).
Water: $? This is paid every 6 months and we have not yet received a bill. Will update when we do.
Power: $300 per month (R1650 per month) There are a few different power companies here and you choose a provider and a package when you rent or buy a property.
Telephone & internet: $65 per week (R422 per week)
Childcare: $70 per day (R455 per day), $270 per week (R1755 per week), $1080 per month (R7020 per month). This is for 1 child, under 3 years old and includes meals. Ratio is 1 caregiver to 4 children.
Bus: $210 per month for an all zones bus pass (R1365 per month)
Petrol: $150 per week (R975 per week). This is based on 1 tank of petrol every 1.5 weeks.
Food, cleaning materials and toiletries: $190 per week (R1235 per week)
Car and home insurance (1 car valued at $8500): $72 per month (R468 per month)
Other costs: cellphone, parking, takeouts/entertainment
Costs of immigrating
Apologies again for the intermittent blogging, but get used to it cause this will never be a daily blog (it might not even end up weekly).
We’ve been asked about the costs of immigration by a number of people so I’m going to give all the details here where it can be used by anyone. This is by no means a complete list – we got scared and stopped counting costs at one point.
One-way flights for 2 adults and 1 child: R24 844 - This is with an immigration concession for luggage where each adult is allowed 40kg and a child 10kg. You can only book these flights if you can show a work visa or permanent residence. There are cheaper options on Singapore Airlines and also Malaysian Airlines but we needed the shortest possible route knowing how well Isabella flies.
Container: 20 ft = R40 753 (40 ft = R72 703) as of 11 May 2008. There are additional costs when the container arrives in Auckland and I’ll add those when we get the bill in the next two weeks.
Medicals and x-rays to be done by a board-approved doctor: R3895
Work visa: R1320 (x2)
Long-term visitors visa: R715 (x 1)
Short-term furnished accommodation while you look for a rental: $85 per night (R552 per night) for 2 adults, 1 baby. This is a 2 bedroom cottage with fully equipped kitchen and broadband internet access
Hotel accommodation when short-term furnished is unavailable: R1810 per night (2 adults, 1 baby)
Car rental: R2832.40 per week (medium sized sedan)
To get permanent residence:
EOI (Expression of Interest)
Application fee - R1174
NZQA Pre-Assesment - R333
ITA (Invitation to apply)
Application fee - R8307
Full Birth Certificates - R150
Medicals - R3895
Police Clearances - R120
Photos - R315
Courier Fees - R806
Migrant levy - R4500
We’ve been asked about the costs of immigration by a number of people so I’m going to give all the details here where it can be used by anyone. This is by no means a complete list – we got scared and stopped counting costs at one point.
One-way flights for 2 adults and 1 child: R24 844 - This is with an immigration concession for luggage where each adult is allowed 40kg and a child 10kg. You can only book these flights if you can show a work visa or permanent residence. There are cheaper options on Singapore Airlines and also Malaysian Airlines but we needed the shortest possible route knowing how well Isabella flies.
Container: 20 ft = R40 753 (40 ft = R72 703) as of 11 May 2008. There are additional costs when the container arrives in Auckland and I’ll add those when we get the bill in the next two weeks.
Medicals and x-rays to be done by a board-approved doctor: R3895
Work visa: R1320 (x2)
Long-term visitors visa: R715 (x 1)
Short-term furnished accommodation while you look for a rental: $85 per night (R552 per night) for 2 adults, 1 baby. This is a 2 bedroom cottage with fully equipped kitchen and broadband internet access
Hotel accommodation when short-term furnished is unavailable: R1810 per night (2 adults, 1 baby)
Car rental: R2832.40 per week (medium sized sedan)
To get permanent residence:
EOI (Expression of Interest)
Application fee - R1174
NZQA Pre-Assesment - R333
ITA (Invitation to apply)
Application fee - R8307
Full Birth Certificates - R150
Medicals - R3895
Police Clearances - R120
Photos - R315
Courier Fees - R806
Migrant levy - R4500
Sunday, June 22, 2008
3 weeks down
After 7 weeks of trouble from the NZ High Commission in SA we were finally able to fetch our visas and left the following day for Auckland. We're so glad that struggle is over and we're able to start settling in.
Its been busy from the day we landed - I started work immediately and Jay got working on finding us a home and a car.
We're renting a home in Glenfield on the North Shore and have bought a car so we're sorted on that front. Isabella is settling in beautifully and starts kindergarten twice a week on a half-day basis from Tuesday. Our furniture arrives in 3 weeks and until then we're renting a few things.
Auckland is fantastic and we are loving being here!
Its been busy from the day we landed - I started work immediately and Jay got working on finding us a home and a car.
We're renting a home in Glenfield on the North Shore and have bought a car so we're sorted on that front. Isabella is settling in beautifully and starts kindergarten twice a week on a half-day basis from Tuesday. Our furniture arrives in 3 weeks and until then we're renting a few things.
Auckland is fantastic and we are loving being here!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Long time no write
Sorry for leaving this hanging for so long...
We accepted a great job with a fantastic company in Auckland and are due to start work on 12 May. Great right?
Yeah, only if we hadnt been assigned the world's only living brain donor as a case officer to do our visas. As far as she is concerned a vitamin deficiency is a life-threatening, communicable disease that will be a drain on New Zealands welfare system... and apparently a 15 month old child is not proof of a 12 month or longer partnership. I'm guessing she subscribes to the wind pollination theory?
We've been fighting this battle for 3 weeks now and there is no end in sight.
On Thursday our furniture leaves and in 3 weeks we have to be out of our home.
Hold thumbs!!!
We accepted a great job with a fantastic company in Auckland and are due to start work on 12 May. Great right?
Yeah, only if we hadnt been assigned the world's only living brain donor as a case officer to do our visas. As far as she is concerned a vitamin deficiency is a life-threatening, communicable disease that will be a drain on New Zealands welfare system... and apparently a 15 month old child is not proof of a 12 month or longer partnership. I'm guessing she subscribes to the wind pollination theory?
We've been fighting this battle for 3 weeks now and there is no end in sight.
On Thursday our furniture leaves and in 3 weeks we have to be out of our home.
Hold thumbs!!!
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