living on a nurses wage in Australia

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Specializes in mental health.

Hi

Can anyone working in Australia enlighten me whether it is actually possible for a family ( 2 or more children) to live on a single salary nusing wage?

We are hopefully emigrating next year but are worried by what we hear about the cost of living. here we are just getting by ( in ireland), but Australia seems to have become seemingly unaffordable.

We will have a mortgage of $ 100.000 max, but we like to know about all the other costs and outgoings involved. ( for a very frugal family! 1 car, no private schools, cheap outdoor entertainment. )

If anyone can give us an idea, that would be great. Needless to say envouraging comments are most welcome, but also realistic ones.

Thanks

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Specializes in mental health, medical, emergency,commun.

:yawn: hi mate,

sure you can,I have 2 boys, have a mortgage, bills car, its poosible, step out bro, do it

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Specializes in Mental Health.

Hi, I work and live in Brisbane. I am in the same boat as you (a couple of kids and a wife who does not currently work). We find things affordable. We have only one car, the kids are in state school and have a reasonably big mortgage. Food can be expensive but that is dependent on what fruit/ vegies are in season. Petrol is relatively cheap. You can eat out reasonably cheaply. Most public parks have free bbq's you can use to cook your food. The lifestyle is relaxed, but the work is a bit backward in Brisbane. If you like medical model and not too much input into patient care, then this is for you. I would imagine every workplace is different. Just to say, I would not work in private, as I have had crap experiences of them, especially in Brisbane.

Hope your move goes well!

Cheer, Nick.

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Specializes in mental health.

Thanks for that!

have to say it makes a big difference having someone say that it can be done, especially after reading a lot of posts

to the contrary. ( ie ' you will be worse off'....everything is expensive...'...' my bills are sky high'...etc)

With reagrds to nursing, well, I am currently employed in Northern Ireland and it sounds like I will jump right back into

this kind of nursing. Oh well....

Brisbane is actually moving up on our list of places to move to....would save on heating costs !

Cheers

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Specializes in mental health.

hi there paddy, Allot of irish I have worked with in the past it depends where you want to work and where you want to play and where you want to drink at, is what you should ask yourself. You are frugal and you sound as if you want the best for your family and the wages are not bad and the penalties you get for working some afternoons, weekends and nights are reasonable, you have to share though and you can't have them all, like all of us they don't want to pay nurses a great deal and like oliver twist we want more.

I and my wife are nurses ( D.I.N.K'S) and we have got a reasonable modest house and another one we rent with a mortgage of $440,000 (AD) two cars, boat, dog and we seem to manage all the bills and the heating it depends where you live 3-4 months a year for heating 3-4 months a year for airconditionong or fans so it all comes into perspective don't be afraid come and be one with us I was born in scotland came over as a ten year old and haven't been back yet but I will soon on a holiday so get the guts and get moving there are allot of jobs if you have the skills and if you are open minded and can take a joke or two and remember try vegemite it's tastes like bad to begin with but you get the hunger for it in time,and get some aerogard and mortein spray for the flies, mozzies and some spiders which you guys don't have. seeya soon robails1

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