Did you live in Australia? Would you return if you could?

ciaramcd227

So....After 6.5 years living abroad I have returned to the emerald isle! I spent 3 years in Toronto, saved a fair chunk of change and then blew it all on a 4.5 month backpacking trip around South East Asia before booking a one way flight to Australia where I spent the next 3.5 years living.

I came home to Ireland in September with about 8,000 euro saved from Australia. I could've come home with a lot more if my circumstances were different and that's now the reason for my post.

While I lived there, for my first 2 years, I did alot of travelling around and spent nearly 9 months working on regional farms so I could get my 2nd year visa and also to save money, although didn't save too much. After the 2 years, myself and my then boyfriend at the time, decided to try & stay in Australia and so we went on a student visa. I was the student and he was de facto. During the first year of the student visa, I worked in many many cafes and pubs to make ends meet, barely making $600/$700 per week. Then for my last 6 months in Australia I managed to find an office job which paid ABN and I was coming out with 1,000 per week plus I worked in a cafe 1 or 2 days on the weekend which would pay for my rent so I was able to save 700/750 per week. Hence how I came home with 8,000 euro in such a short time frame (6months)

The dilemma I face now is the stark reality that I won't be able to save that much money in 6 months working in Ireland, never mind in 12 months here. I'm going to be on a 30,000 euro annual salary, my rent is 650 while living in Dublin with all the additional expenses that come with it - phonebill, household bills, public transport etc etc....

I'm a 30 year old, single female and in 5 years time I would like to be able to comfortably afford to buy a house.

I'm lucky in a way, that I could go back to Australia if I want to as I have a 4 year visa but being around my friends and family is second to none.

If you had the option, would you stay in Ireland and bare the grunt of slowly building up your savings? or would you fast track it by moving back to Australia and being able to save double/triple in the same time frame?

damowill

ciaramcd227 wrote: »

If you had the option, would you stay in Ireland and bare the grunt of slowly building up your savings? or would you fast track it by moving back to Australia and being able to save double/triple in the same time frame?

not sure if 'Travel' is the best forum for your post

You have to look at your job situation like climbing a ladder. Most people go up/down the ladder. I know nothing of your qualifications or what you work at, but at your age you got to look to climb the ladder, be ambitious, believe in hard work and know that further opportunities will arise. You wont be on 30k forever, you should expect a salary increase every year. work towards a promotion or build on your experience to get a better paid job. where do you see your career going?

i lived in australia for a year, worked in 2 non-career jobs and came back to ireland and took the first job that came my way. very soon i saw another 1-2 years pass by where i felt i was going down the ladder, not up. i took certain decisions at that point to rectify my situation and things turned around.

You havent mentioned what type of job you have and whether you are from Dublin or not. Do you need to live in Dublin, are other parts of Ireland an option where salaries are similar but cost of living is far cheaper.

also there is no given, that if you went back to australia that you would land in a job that pays what you want.

mfceiling

Went there in 99 and came home in 01.
Would go back in a heartbeat.
Working to live in Ireland.

Tigerandahalf

Australia could be about to enter its 1st recession in about 20 years. Property prices are heading towards a 10% decline and things could keep falling.

No longer a good place to settle.

aido79

ciaramcd227 wrote: »

So....After 6.5 years living abroad I have returned to the emerald isle! I spent 3 years in Toronto, saved a fair chunk of change and then blew it all on a 4.5 month backpacking trip around South East Asia before booking a one way flight to Australia where I spent the next 3.5 years living.

I came home to Ireland in September with about 8,000 euro saved from Australia. I could've come home with a lot more if my circumstances were different and that's now the reason for my post.

While I lived there, for my first 2 years, I did alot of travelling around and spent nearly 9 months working on regional farms so I could get my 2nd year visa and also to save money, although didn't save too much. After the 2 years, myself and my then boyfriend at the time, decided to try & stay in Australia and so we went on a student visa. I was the student and he was de facto. During the first year of the student visa, I worked in many many cafes and pubs to make ends meet, barely making $600/$700 per week. Then for my last 6 months in Australia I managed to find an office job which paid ABN and I was coming out with 1,000 per week plus I worked in a cafe 1 or 2 days on the weekend which would pay for my rent so I was able to save 700/750 per week. Hence how I came home with 8,000 euro in such a short time frame (6months)

The dilemma I face now is the stark reality that I won't be able to save that much money in 6 months working in Ireland, never mind in 12 months here. I'm going to be on a 30,000 euro annual salary, my rent is 650 while living in Dublin with all the additional expenses that come with it - phonebill, household bills, public transport etc etc....

I'm a 30 year old, single female and in 5 years time I would like to be able to comfortably afford to buy a house.

I'm lucky in a way, that I could go back to Australia if I want to as I have a 4 year visa but being around my friends and family is second to none.

If you had the option, would you stay in Ireland and bare the grunt of slowly building up your savings? or would you fast track it by moving back to Australia and being able to save double/triple in the same time frame?

You better hope if you go back you don't get chased for the tax that you owe on your ABN earnings as I'm assuming you didn't put them in your tax return. This also seems to be the only reason you managed to save so much so bear that in mind if you are to return to Australia.

Ponster

damowill wrote: »

not sure if 'Travel' is the best forum for your post

Correct. We have a 'Coming Home' forum but it's pretty dead and not easy to find.

OP I'll duplicate this over in Coming Home and see how things go but we may pop this over to the Oz forum in the end.