Is a working holiday in Australia a good idea if you want to save money?

0verblood

The only reason I'd want to work there is to save a sh!tload of money. What kind of monthly incomes are we talking about?

Xavi6

To answer your title question, for me it's not. Why? Well two reasons -

1) There is just so much to see no matter where you are in Australia and doing stuff costs money. If you don't see the sights you might as well just be at home imo.

2) Chances are you'll piss a lot of money up against a wall. In a city you will be drawn to the nightlife. In a rural town you'll have nothing else to do.

Monthly income wise, the average salary in Australia I believe is just over $50k before tax so you could work it out on that.

There are many other factors though including your industry, cost of living etc. Very broad question overall to be honest.

mandrake04

If you only got a WHV you would be lucky to break even at the end of the year.

0verblood

mandrake04 wrote: »

If you only got a WHV you would be lucky to break even at the end of the year.

Why is that?

dublin15_2009

I was there on a WHV this year and saved over $6k while working in Sydney for 3 months so if you plan on sticking around for the year you'll be well able to save.

Zambia

0verblood wrote: »

The only reason I'd want to work there is to save a sh!tload of money. What kind of monthly incomes are we talking about?

About as much as your rent & other bills per month.

Define Sh1tload?

Mellor

Oz = -rent, -bills, -flights, -visa, -having a good time (can stay in alone if your a bit odd)

Ireland=none of the above if you live at home and work any sort of job

Simply put, its not feasible to travel around the world to save.
Yes its possible to save short term once here, personally I don't save a whole lot, its sort of varies. Between a social life, and just making the msot of the 17,000km away mean that i spend a lot and I don't really care.

dublin 15 wrote:

I was there on a WHV this year and saved over $6k while working in Sydney for 3 months

If you were saving 500 a week in sydney, you either had a very boring time, had little expenses etc, or where getting paid much higher than normal

Lu Tze

Only if you have sought after skills and dont mind working in isolation on gas pipelines etc.

Pipeline welders can get $100/hour, but you are 8 weeks at a time out in the middle of nowhere - working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day.

If thats what you intend doing, yeah its possible, just dont expect to have an enjoyable time doing it

mandrake04

0verblood wrote: »

Why is that?

It really depends on what industry you are in?

a WHV is often a bit restrictive most employers wont want to know that is a fact, but maybe you might get lucky and score a short term contract in something profitable or a gig in construction which pays good coin.

Really there is risk involved as you have big overheads to start with due to airfares and a few grand of startup money, then what if you cant get any work for the first month or 2? By this stage you are already 4-5k behind.

Father Damo

For a young single lad, definitely not unless you have good self control. The cost of rent, food, booze, clothes, pretty much anything is usually lower than back home (well, lower than when I left when we were already about 8 months into recession). Problem is that with bars that are open until the sun rises and good weather most people are on the lash from Tuesday to Sunday in their first year. Even myself, despite the fact that technically my booze is cheaper and Ive given up the weekkday sessions, I still wax more on cheaper booze at the weekend because we can drink for hours longer than back home and then get on it all day Sunday. Im still saving more here but only because Im on about 200 euro more per week than back home.

However, for unemployed family men back home its definitely advisable. Ive met a few older lads who came out on tourist visas looking for cash in hand, intending to stay illegally for x amount of time and keep sending home. As said if you are too old and responsible for going on the pull every night the ability to save money here is pretty good. Unskilled labour is reasonably paid- unskilled nightshift construction can be filthy money if you can get the work.

kdevitt

Father Damo wrote: »

The cost of rent, food, booze, clothes, pretty much anything is usually lower than back home

Not sure where you're living or if thats a typo, but am in Sydney 2 months and food, booze, clothes and rent are all well more expensive than back in Dublin - rent especially.

mandrake04

kdevitt wrote: »

Not sure where you're living or if thats a typo, but am in Sydney 2 months and food, booze, clothes and rent are all well more expensive than back in Dublin - rent especially.

It's not a typo.

I don't even think he's living in Australia at all, if you want a good laugh you should read back over some of his posts.

kdevitt

mandrake04 wrote: »

if you want a good laugh you should read back over some of his posts.

Thanks for the tip - was a good laugh alright

Doc

I have to say when I originally left Ireland about 2 years ago I had just come back from living in England and the Euro was very strong against sterling. It had been 75 pence sterling got you 1 euro but when I went home it was 1 pound for 1 euro (I left in Jan of 09). This made everything ridiculously expensive for me. I only stayed at home for a short time before going traveling and kept most of my money in sterling. Once I got to Australia the rate of exchange was about 2 dollars to every pound so I was really happy with how far my money went here and thought that Australia was very cheap compared to home.

Now any cash I have I earned here so it’s all relative really.

padrepio

To be honest, in terms of food I find the weekly shop in Coles more expensive than home alright. I dont think the food is as nice as home either. But eating out can be pretty cheap if your not going to fancy restaurants - the 10 dollar steaks and specials are decent enough. For a single lad, eating wouldnt be that expensive Id say. Beer is what $7/$8 a bottle bout 5euro back home. Not too bad. I also find a mad night here while it can go on a long time still wouldnt set you back the same as a night in Dublin.

Rent in Sydney is expensive alright and the quality of accomodation is pretty poor. All in all I wouldnt say there is a whole pile in the cost of living though.

mandrake04

don't know about anyone else but I earn more in Australia than I did back home and England So it's all relative I guess especially when the lifestyle is factored in.

Mellor

kdevitt wrote: »

Not sure where you're living or if thats a typo, but am in Sydney 2 months and food, booze, clothes and rent are all well more expensive than back in Dublin - rent especially.

TBH, its very hard to compare the likes of rent and food between ireland and Oz.

Converting the currency is pointless.
When I got here first Sydney was prob slightly cheaper as it was $2 to 1 euro.
Now, as the euro is so weee, sydney seems more expensive by comparisment. Yet prices in neither country changed a whole lot.
If the GFC never happen, and the euro bomed to $3, then oz is ridic cheap. See my point.

Best thing to do is to jsut forget about convert back. It's a useless excercise.

Father Damo

mandrake04 wrote: »

It's not a typo.

I don't even think he's living in Australia at all, if you want a good laugh you should read back over some of his posts.

You cant just let go of being wrong about the student visas can you. Why does it bother you so much? Are you annoyed everyone else is more in the loop than you or something? Get over it, really.

Not long ago there was a thread on where was more costly. A few said Ireland, yet from memory the only reasonable comparison made was the cost of American beer in Ireland and Oz. And the only thing I could think of was branded sportswear (theres tons of reasonable quality counterfeit available here anyway). If you think Australia in the current is more expensive than Ireland was in the boom you are living in a fcuking dreamworld. Rent in the west, which is certainly liveable if you are here to save and not to party 24/7, is dirt cheap.

0verblood

How long does a WHV last? I will be going to Australia solely to save money, I don't expect to be partying too much, I've been partying non stop for the last year while backpacking around Africa. I just want to work and save up enough money (about 10,000euro) and head off traveling again.

I could even go to the states. Has anyone here done a stint in the states? Can you compare it to Australia in terms of how much money you can earn/save? I'm only 24, I have a degree in Geology but no real field experience.

By the way Africa is a great spot for the aul sessions, I don't know why the Irish are famous for drinking, we're babies compared to Kenyans and Ugandans...

kippy

What are you saving money for?
To come back to Ireland and spend it.
To spend it in australia.
If it is the former forget about it, the exchange rate wipes out a lot of the savings.

Father Damo

0verblood wrote: »

How long does a WHV last? I will be going to Australia solely to save money, I don't expect to be partying too much, I've been partying non stop for the last year while backpacking around Africa. I just want to work and save up enough money (about 10,000euro) and head off traveling again.

I could even go to the states. Has anyone here done a stint in the states? Can you compare it to Australia in terms of how much money you can earn/save? I'm only 24, I have a degree in Geology but no real field experience.

By the way Africa is a great spot for the aul sessions, I don't know why the Irish are famous for drinking, we're babies compared to Kenyans and Ugandans...

tbh if you are young single and adamant you are going to save you are living in the clouds Seriously, there is just too much to do here socialising wise (well, Sydney at least)

hollysf

Father Damo wrote: »

tbh if you are young single and adamant you are going to save you are living in the clouds Seriously, there is just too much to do here socialising wise (well, Sydney at least)

I don't really drink does that mean I'll save lots??

Martin Walker

0verblood wrote: »

The only reason I'd want to work there is to save a sh!tload of money. What kind of monthly incomes are we talking about?

Depends on how you go about it really.

Cost of living is high in Australia. Anyone who says it isnt is deluded.

You mentioned before that you want 10,000 Euro saved. This might be a bit ambitious.
Most WHV`s are for people who want to "supplement" the travels with work to keep them. These people have no worries. Money is just for Hostels, Food and Drink. Easy come easy go.
The best way for you to possibly get near that target would be to work rural or as said before in the Mines. These guys make alot of cash. Many get accommodation paid too so its savings all round.
There is a major flaw with this tho. Zero social life. Many ive met work 10 hour shifts on a two weeks on one week off basis. Some even as much as four weeks on site with one week off. If you can get work here or you have one of the highest needed skills you could be able to do it.

If not and you end up on the east coast working in a "normal" job you really dont have a hope in my opinion.

On a side note with the strength of the Auzzie Dollar against the US Dollar going form here to America would be worth while. Thats if the exchange rate stays the same for a year....;)

kdevitt

Father Damo wrote: »

If you think Australia in the current is more expensive than Ireland was in the boom you are living in a fcuking dreamworld.

If you decide not to slum it, its more expensive to live here full stop. It was even mentioned as a main reason why Australian ex-pats are staying away in one of our finance papers last week.

Mellor

0verblood wrote: »

How long does a WHV last? I will be going to Australia solely to save money, I don't expect to be partying too much, I've been partying non stop for the last year while backpacking around Africa. I just want to work and save up enough money (about 10,000euro) and head off traveling again.

Can you not see the irony here?

0verblood

No, please explain...

Are you trying to say that being in Australia is traveling? Don't mean to be snobby but Australia is not the type of traveling I'm after. I'm going to abuse Australia polish-style and use it just for money.

kippy

0verblood wrote: »

No, please explain...

Are you trying to say that being in Australia is traveling? Don't mean to be snobby but Australia is not the type of traveling I'm after. I'm going to abuse Australia polish-style and use it just for money.

If you are "saving" the money just to travel in Australia, you'll probably be sound but it is a very difficult thing to do.
If you are saving the money to come home with it, for get about it. The exchange rate wipes out a lot of it.

CiaranC

0verblood wrote: »

No, please explain...

Are you trying to say that being in Australia is traveling? Don't mean to be snobby but Australia is not the type of traveling I'm after. I'm going to abuse Australia polish-style and use it just for money.

Polish people can work within the EU full time, permanently, with no restrictions. Nothing like a WHV.

Unless you have some specialised trade in which there is some labour shortage in the arse end of WA you arent going to be doing anything "Polish style"

mandrake04

0verblood wrote: »

I'm going to abuse Australia polish-style and use it just for money.

What you mean you are going come and suck the country dry by sending every Rusak home? we already have the Indians doing that down here.

0verblood

Ok this thread has gone to shyte, bye bye. Thanks to those who gave me the info.

Xavi6

CiaranC wrote: »

Polish people can work within the EU full time, permanently, with no restrictions. Nothing like a WHV.

Unless you have some specialised trade in which there is some labour shortage in the arse end of WA you arent going to be doing anything "Polish style"

^^^ This

The OP hasn't a breeze what he's on about imo. In for a shock to the sytem and I hope he comes back and lets us know how it goes :pac:

Zambia

0verblood wrote: »

Ok this thread has gone to shyte, bye bye. Thanks to those who gave me the info.

Cheers its been enlightening

Father Damo

CiaranC wrote: »

Polish people can work within the EU full time, permanently, with no restrictions. Nothing like a WHV.

Unless you have some specialised trade in which there is some labour shortage in the arse end of WA you arent going to be doing anything "Polish style"

What planet are yis on? The Polish came to Ireland and primarily worked as unskilled construction workers. In the last year I havent met more than two Irish lads who dont work in construction and, like myself, many of them had little to no experience of working it back home.

I don't really drink does that mean I'll save lots?

Certainly. Depends what you are working at obviously, but most girls office temping take home at least 600 dollars a week. Fcuk, if I didnt drink Id easily get by on under 250- 300 bucks a week food and rent.

kdevitt wrote: »

If you decide not to slum it, its more expensive to live here full stop. It was even mentioned as a main reason why Australian ex-pats are staying away in one of our finance papers last week.

Only because it is currently a crap time to come to Australia with euro and convert them to dollars. When I first arrived it was nearly 2 bucks to a euro. Anyway, if you want proof that Aussies are the worst moaners about the cheap cost of living ever, watch ACA or that other trash tabloid news show, their stories are about little else bar pennypinching (they had a story one night about a guy who discovered present day Big Macs are smaller but more expensive than those from the 80s, I sh1t you not)

kdevitt

Father Damo wrote: »

Only because it is currently a crap time to come to Australia with euro and convert them to dollars. When I first arrived it was nearly 2 bucks to a euro.

I was seconded here 3 years back - it was still expensive. The €/$ rate only impacts tourists, and those sending cash home and is really of little interest to me at the moment - I'm on a 457 and won't be home anytime soon.

My $825 per week for rent is expensive full stop, as is buying a car worth €4500 in Ireland for $18k here.

And finally - just because something is affordable on your current salary, that doesn't imply its inexpensive.

mandrake04

kdevitt wrote: »

My $825 per week for rent is expensive full stop.

That's savage rent hope you are sharing that, I bought me own place and my repayments are only $550 pw and it's a great property as I like my comforts.

kdevitt

mandrake04 wrote: »

That's savage rent hope you are sharing that, I bought me own place and my repayments are only $550 pw and it's a great property as I like my comforts.

Haha no - I'm a bit old in the tooth to be sharing accommodation! I've moved here with my wife, so we wanted somewhere decent.

Zambia

Thats still savage rent per week?

kdevitt

Zambia232 wrote: »

Thats still savage rent per week?

Yeah its expensive alright. I need a 3 bed, pet friendly house - they're not overly abundant in the nicer areas.

Zambia

Well after paying that any mortgage will be plain sailing.

watna

0verblood wrote: »

Ok this thread has gone to shyte, bye bye. Thanks to those who gave me the info.

Indeed. It's only going to go down from here. Some of the comments are getting a bit dodgy.Locked.