Economic Suicide

economic suicide

New Zealand could mean the death of your financial security

Continuing in our series of Migrant Tales – first hand accounts of the migrant experience take from places around the net.

Today’s tale is taken from a British expats forum, it’s a very familiar story of low wages and struggling to make ends meet, resulting in economic suicide for one family:

This wasn’t supposed to happen…now we are POOR
“We’ve been here for almost 18 months now.
We have a similar sized mortgage to the one we left in the uk (very small)
We are now both back in the jobs we were doing before we left the uk.
We have no expensive hobbies or extravigant toys.
We both run a car each (not gas guzzlers)
We now have NO spare money at all once the bills are paid and essentials (food) are payed for.
In the uk we had a disposable income at the end of every month that allowed
us to enjoy the occasional tirip out with the family, or a short holiday break at bank hioliday times, we could eat out every now and again,
on top of the cars i also ran 2 motorbikes, We bought new clothes when we needed to or when we saw something nice.
None of the above were done to excessive levels just occasionally.
We now count every penny…..”

“NZ is NOT a bed of roses and nice scenery doesnt pay the bills. There are lots of lovely places in NZ but at the moment i cant afford the petrol to go and see them. You WILL earn a LOT LESS down here and the cost of living is equal if not higher than that of the uk.”

“Coming to New Zealand has been economic suicide for us. I have asked before, but still don’t understand how Kiwi’s manage to run the toys you see on the beach and on the roads.I simply don’t understand how they do it on the average NZ income.”

6 thoughts on “Economic Suicide”

  1. It was economic suicide for us too (Yanks!).

    I have found that Kiwis are very excited about the potential economic demise of the U.S., believing they will be unaffected by it.. It is the same kind of mean-spirited, envious small man’s thrill they derived from 9/11, because it backs up their delusion that New Zealand is some kind of safe house from the rest of the world, as miserably poor and precarious a place as it is to live.

    Just keep believing that, Kiwis.You may just be re-patching those Warehouse pant seats sooner than you think.

    http://blog.samjfung.com/1999/06/archive-great-depression-in-new-zealand.html

    Due to the old surplus of goods that already exists in the U.S., and the industrial capacity, Americans may well make it through better than the Kiwis, who already live too close to the bone – even if they are better at it historically. That post on here about that smell of an oily rag site was funny – let’s see how much funnier it is when they don’t have fumes to huff. This smug and breathless anticipation of the annoying loud T-Rex’s death would be funny if it weren’t coming from an endangered flightless bird surrounded by possums!

  2. And when you do manage to make it, local councillors accuse you, especially if you’re Asian, of having illegal workers:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4611460/Food-shop-protest-racist
    I guess it’s all good if you come to NZ not intending to stay and be competition to the locals.
    Problem is that Immigration New Zealand doesn’t tell you the complete truth (about being welcome in New Zealand), and the locals with vested interests have good reason to lie to you or diminish your capabilities (One good statement that I kept hearing was: Your English is so good, where did you learn it – er, I come from a British colony, same as you, Mr./Ms./Mrs. Kiwi!)

  4. They only want we British immigrants for our pounds Sterling!! It’s always been like it.
    I well recall many locals coming aboard our ship very soon after we had docked in Auckland in 1967 (no such thing as security screening back then!) hassling the handful of we British passengers trying to get their hands on our pounds and pence. They completely ignored the Dutch and Germans onboard.

  5. Even when you manage to get out of New Zealand, it’s hard to get back on your feet again after your savings have dwindled, the money it costs just to get out of there, then reestablishing your home, job, contacts, etc.. I lost my good credit while in New Zealand due to the high expenses and having to put things on credit cards. I had no disposable income and no way to get to the interesting places, it was too expensive, I was surviving and trying to keep my head above water. I visited more places and did more activities as a tourist. Most New Zealanders do not get to enjoy the so-called “lifestyle” either because of the high cost of living and long hours at work. NZ needs to seriously reconsider the scamming and oversell because many people’s lives are being ruined.

  6. the people you see with all the toys are often babyboomers who bought their homes before house prices rocketed OR some of the many kiwis who are maxed out on credit.
    many people not yet on the property ladder cannot afford a house and all their money goes on rent and bills.

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