Is 53,000 pound enough for family of 5 (rent, schools, utilities)

[Tuffnz]

Hi husband has accepted a job for 53000 in Devon. We are leaving a very good job and comfortable life in néw Zealand behind. This is a great career move in the long run for my husband and also for us to loom around and travel with children. But is this going to be enough?

[Jezer]

Define enough.

Enough for what?

I'm not trying to be perverse.

[Mac15]

Originally Posted by Tuffnz

Hi husband has accepted a job for 53000 in Devon. We are leaving a very good job and comfortable life in néw Zealand behind. This is a great career move in the long run for my husband and also for us to loom around and travel with children. But is this going to be enough?

Well here that would be good if that is his salary and your salary also.

Now i'm not sure about Devon but it would support you easily in the middle class bracket and you could probably fit 2 holidays a year.

[irish_bob]

Originally Posted by Tuffnz

Hi husband has accepted a job for 53000 in Devon. We are leaving a very good job and comfortable life in néw Zealand behind. This is a great career move in the long run for my husband and also for us to loom around and travel with children. But is this going to be enough?

its well above double the average industrial wage , depends what kind of lifestyle you want however

[dba07]

Most live on much less here. Salaries in Devon are very very low so 53k is a lot. However, some things here like water for instance, are a lot more expensive than the rest of the UK. It's a very pretty part of the UK, but it is a bit isolated, and I think that is reflected in the prices of some things. To be honest, I'd expect a pretty significant drop in standard of living (in strictly financial terms), as I experienced moving from the US. I'm not familiar with NZ, so the costs of living there may be more similar to the UK unlike my experience.

[nickie74]

Go for it, its a good enough salary based on sole income, but you might be living tight depending on the location you want and the rent you pay. Decide what you feel comfortable paying in rent and then go on sites to show what you can get first, don't make a move like this to put your kids in crap schools though, they have enough to deal with the cultural change and don't need extra stress, and of course you don't want your kids having a bad education. I don't know what your husband does for a living, but no doubt with the excitement, new chapter and pressure he will no doubt want to prove himself and get a pay rise within the first year. Obviously you need to know about the cost of utilities, if someone from from Devon could give an idea of what they pay..also when I lived in the UK I had to pay my own property tax when renting…it's always been included in the rent over here in California.

[dunno what to put here]

Originally Posted by dba07

Most live on much less here. Salaries in Devon are very very low so 53k is a lot. However, some things here like water for instance, are a lot more expensive than the rest of the UK. It's a very pretty part of the UK, but it is a bit isolated, and I think that is reflected in the prices of some things. To be honest, I'd expect a pretty significant drop in standard of living (in strictly financial terms), as I experienced moving from the US. I'm not familiar with NZ, so the costs of living there may be more similar to the UK unlike my experience.

NZ is very expensive but wages are way lower than in the UK, so I doubt he'd experience a drop in financial living standards.

[MeteoMan]

It depends on your lifestyle, but I'd say it's easily enough. I grew up in a family of 5, my parents were making £20,000 a year, but that is 12 years ago. We were able to have holidays every summer, so it was not too bad at all.

[bigpaul]

I live in Devon, this is a county of high priced housing but low wages, and £53K is a lot more than most people get.

[Jezer]

I think the OP has gone AWOL.