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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?

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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.

kerry4sam

Thread moved to where it would be better suited.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

ChikiChiki

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

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.

More a correction I would say. The place is booming. Jobs everywhere and literally bullet proof. Western Sydney is growing at an enormous rate with new cities and airports effectively signed off. Sydney will have doubled in size in 100 years.

Seems to be an Irish thing that we take property as the only gauge of economic prosperity. I'm just going on what I see around me.

Noo

ChikiChiki wrote: »

More a correction I would say. The place is booming. Jobs everywhere and literally bullet proof. Western Sydney is growing at an enormous rate with new cities and airports effectively signed off. Sydney will have doubled in size in 100 years.

Seems to be an Irish thing that we take property as the only gauge of economic prosperity. I'm just going on what I see around me.

Agreed, when one area of the economy slows down they tend to refocus on another. The place is still booming. While they're pretty good recession dodgers, no one can predict the future....but I'd rather see out a recession in Australia than in Ireland.

con___manx1

There is serious money to be made in a short period in oz. When I did my regional work I saved 14000 euro in just over 3 months. I did long hours with few days off but still I could never do that in Ireland.

Wanderer78

ChikiChiki wrote:

Seems to be an Irish thing that we take property as the only gauge of economic prosperity. I'm just going on what I see around me.

'Soft landing' on the way? I suspect not, I'd say make hay, as the landing could be a little rough!

listermint

ChikiChiki wrote: »

More a correction I would say. The place is booming. Jobs everywhere and literally bullet proof. Western Sydney is growing at an enormous rate with new cities and airports effectively signed off. Sydney will have doubled in size in 100 years.

Seems to be an Irish thing that we take property as the only gauge of economic prosperity. I'm just going on what I see around me.

That is itself the exact same nonsense that came out of Ireland and Europe and America in 2007.

Take a deeper look at the Volume of property built versus sold. And the ever deepening credit problem.

Ireland was booming on all fronts if you looked around you. It's like staring at the past !

Wanderer78

listermint wrote:

That is itself the exact same nonsense that came out of Ireland and Europe and America in 2007.

Australian banks aren't looking too healthy either, I'd say a timmmbbber moment is on the way for them soon, encouraging property booms generally doesn't work out too well for the average Joe or joey in this case

PistolsAtDawn

con___manx1 wrote: »

There is serious money to be made in a short period in oz. When I did my regional work I saved 14000 euro in just over 3 months. I did long hours with few days off but still I could never do that in Ireland.

What were you working at?

Where?

What were the weekly wages?

What is the tax rate?

con___manx1

PistolsAtDawn wrote: »

What were you working at?

Where?

What were the weekly wages?

What is the tax rate?

I was working in a cotton gin in nsw. It was litreally in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town was 2 hours drive. It was called moore.The work was handy enough but 12 hour shifts. You either get nights or days. I got days luckily for 3 months.

[Deleted User]

ciaramcd227 wrote:

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....

If you work two jobs here in Ireland won't your wages be up there too?

AngryHippie

ChikiChiki wrote: »

literally bullet proof.

Seems to be an Irish thing that we take property as the only gauge of economic prosperity. I'm just going on what I see around me.

It's because the main source of misinformation about economic prosperity comes from realtors and real estate agents. Who of course have a massive vested interest in maintaining investor confidence.

Nothing is bullet proof. Don't believe their lies.

The only good news of late has been the bank stock rebound after the Banking RC Whitewash circle jerk.

Neon_Lights

AngryHippie wrote: »

The Banking RC Whitewash circle jerk.

Superb

AngryHippie

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

thedarksh1te

Tigerandahalf wrote:

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.

Completely the opposite it'll hopefully become a lot more affordable. A recession doesnt stop it from being a wonderful place to live. Providing you stay in employment.

vargoo

Everywhere is going into recession for the last 4/5 years, these people will be right eventually I guess.

WillieMason

vargoo wrote: »

Everywhere is going into recession for the last 4/5 years, these people will be right eventually I guess.

Lol true Australia keeps proving them wrong

ChikiChiki

Comparing Australia and Ireland is comparing apples and oranges. Australia has a vast amount of natural minerals and resources to share amongst a relatively small population. Much more recession proof. Its a correction. WA was going through a bad patch but seems to be on the up again.

listermint

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Comparing Australia and Ireland is comparing apples and oranges. Australia has a vast amount of natural minerals and resources to share amongst a relatively small population. Much more recession proof. Its a correction. WA was going through a bad patch but seems to be on the up again.

This is up there with the stupidest proclamations anywhere. Australia resources go to China pretty much solely. China is in for a sharp correction.

Earlier in the thread you said property in Australia was literally bullet proof. Your exact words.

Currently Melbourne has one in ten people in negative equity and has dropped up to around 20% in house prices.

Your waffle is transparent and easily disprovable. I don't think a single person argued Australia isn't a nice place . But there is no where recession proof you sir a spreading lies. Because you don't understand the subject matter.

And I haven't even got into the places thrown up that they can't sell. I don't mean to be smug but Christ you're throwing out some nonsense.

Wanderer78

ChikiChiki wrote:

Comparing Australia and Ireland is comparing apples and oranges. Australia has a vast amount of natural minerals and resources to share amongst a relatively small population. Much more recession proof. Its a correction. WA was going through a bad patch but seems to be on the up again.

Not really, when it comes to things such as property and banks, you ll actually find we ve a lot in common in fact, I.e. a government that has encouraged a property bubble, by increasing incentives to first time buyers, and a banking sector that has been printing credit like there's no tomorrow, to further inflate that market, what could possibly go wrong! I'm sure they'll be getting the ould favourites, 'we ve been living beyond or means', 'belt tightening', and all that nonsense soon. will the imf have to turn up, to bail out their banks? Who bloody knows, but immune from a property bubble, I think not. And other posters are also correct, chinas economy also doesn't look too healthy, I wonder does their credit fueled property bubble have anything to do with it?

yagan

I have zero regrets about leaving Oz. While the money was good I found that I was mostly using my leisure cash on return trips to europe and elsewhere. While I enjoyed the whole outdoor and beach lifestyle I actually got bored of it.

I was there for the mining boom and our sponsor wanted us to go for citizenship but I knew after about 2 years my heart just wasn't in it, I was happier to cash out my super. We really just couldn't justify the extra years hanging on for a citizenship that we probably would never avail of again, we just weren't cut out to be happy little vegimites.

There's a load of positives about Australia, there's plenty of Irish I know who went out the same time as us who've settled into very stable longterm lives, but even many of them have expressed a preference for returning to Ireland when kids reach school going age. I know some Irish who went to Perth to pay for mortgages on property in Ireland that was in negative equity only to find themselves in negative equity in Australia too!

A return to Ireland was not a factor in us giving up on Australia, actually we returned to Ireland for a year and left again for a career opportunity elsewhere.

I would be concerned about the Australian economy in the short to medium term though. Its dependency on Chinese demand has grown hugely in the last two decades and when you hear Australian colleagues cite a superior Australian management culture as the reason a recession was avoided in 08/09 you really do have question the value of their education system. Older wiser Australian colleagues who remember previous downturns were saving up their acorns during the Chinese driven commodities boom.

But looking back I remember things like lack of seasons being a real drag, I seriously missed wintry weather. I do miss seeing kangaroos and chats with aboriginals. Must stick on radio noongar on the internet for a top up.