About NZ (low income, home, buy)

[tuberose]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Depends what you view as negatives.

If you like New York City or Los Angeles lifestyles with all the latest consumer goods and electronics and flashy clothes and other trendy stuff, then a place like NZ isn't for you.

All depends what you like or don't like. The reality is that it is one of the most isolated and far away countries in the world. Some people really dig that and others it would drive insane.

Agree.... though there are some people in Auckland with very nice homes, who dress well etc, who wouldn't be out of place in LA or NYC ....however these people are concentrated in places like Takapuna, Remuera, Parnell. Wealthy areas mainly and you won't see them in middle class suburbs.

To the young chap .... would you move to the boonies in the US? A small city in North Dakota ?? Alaska ??? If it doesn't interest you then probably not a good idea to plan to settle in much of NZ. You will be bored and get tired of parochial thinking

[steveb112]

Yeah, that's my lifestyle. In latest electronics and clothes and L.A. has loads of amazing shops to shop at! I'm not considering in moving primarily to NZ anyways. It was my maybe plan B.

There's this one nice area south of the Auckland CBD. I forgot it's name. Oh, Newmarket. Isn't it an alright neighborhood with nice shops?

[tuberose]

Originally Posted by Geenie

Why is that I wonder?

If NZ was such a great place how come it isn't full of Australians? They are the nearest neighbours.

Based on the population of the two countries you'd expect the number of Aussies living in NZ to be greater than the number of Kiwis living in Australia, but it's the other way round.

Quite a few occupations pay a substantial amount more in Australia ....particularly trades and lower skill work. A checkout operator earns about $20 /hr in Australia vs minimum wage in NZ. Professions tend to be paid a bit more ....exception medical doctors who can double their salary.
The mining boom has been paying well too... relatively unskilled people can do well there.
Parents and, in particular single parents, have financial incentive to live in Australia .... NZ is generous but Australia even more.
I am in healthcare and wouldn't earn that much more in Australia. I would only net about Aust $300 per week more ... I don't perceive that as a lot of money so I stay here.
I have a good quality of life here ..... I like Auckland. Personally I wouldn't live anywhere else in NZ as I don't like the boonies

[tuberose]

Originally Posted by steveb112

Yeah, that's my lifestyle. In latest electronics and clothes and L.A. has loads of amazing shops to shop at! I'm not considering in moving primarily to NZ anyways. It was my maybe plan B.

There's this one nice area south of the Auckland CBD. I forgot it's name. Oh, Newmarket. Isn't it an alright neighborhood with nice shops?

Yes Newmarket is nice ...lots of trendy people there.
Have you researched our hiphop scene? There are some artists from Auckland who are known in the US. I am not into hiphop but people tell me they are doing pretty well.
Don't forget, most of us with nice stuff buy it from the US anyway. We travel and go shopping over there ...the US is a popular place for us to visit.
We also use Amazon etc a lot .... I never buy books from NZ ...always order from Amazon. I buy my clothes, shoes ...pretty much everything from the US

[steveb112]

I know that NZ people like to shop in malls and stuff. I'm not into hip-hip either.
How do you buy stuff from the US there in NZ? Oh, Amazon xD. But I mean clothes, do you mean by that?

[tuberose]

Originally Posted by steveb112

I know that NZ people like to shop in malls and stuff. I'm not into hip-hip either.
How do you buy stuff from the US there in NZ? Oh, Amazon xD. But I mean clothes, do you mean by that?

We internet shop ....most US internet retailers ship internationally. Some don't though, like Walmart.
Heck, some Kiwis even buy off Ebay as some of the sellers will ship internationally.
Sometimes the shipping is too expensive and we would choose not to do it ...eg furniture.
However, most stuff ships at reasonable cost.
For example, buying a years supply of contact lenses from the US costs about $20 to ship express.
Clothing is easy to buy as the US sites have good size charts ... you can order online and feel confident that it's going to fit

[steveb112]

Oh I never knew that. That's really cool!
how are NZ brands? Like is Farmers a good stores? Or what about The Warehouse...

[Djuna]

Originally Posted by steveb112

Oh I never knew that. That's really cool!
how are NZ brands? Like is Farmers a good stores? Or what about The Warehouse...

Farmers is a smaller version Sears and the Warehouse sells chap junk from China, kind of like Walmart.

There is almost nothing manufactured in New Zealand anymore, it's all imported.

[steveb112]

Are there at least good stores to shop at?

[tuberose]

Originally Posted by steveb112

Are there at least good stores to shop at?

Yes,some ....but it's not like the US.
There is a shortage of quality middle range clothing and footwear ....think Gap/Talbots/Nine West etc
There is not so much nice stuff in between the Warehouse and the designers.
Farmers is in between but it's not nice.
Also we don't have the nice high-end department store sales that you all have.
Also regarding personal care stuff .... if Walgreens could open here they would really kick butt.
There are some Outlet malls but they don't sell quality stuff .... just junky things.
NZ made clothing does exist (and it's often really nice) but it's way over-priced