zamunda Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 Bumped into a couple at the local pub that had just returned from a LSD trip to Melbourne and Perth. They loved what they saw and now starting the process.It was the usual praise and comparisons between here and there. But one statement was quite a very true fact. "In Oz you pay for just about everything, but the wonderful thing is, you see your money coming back to you". They were referring to the amazing service levels from Govt, Councils, private sector, etc.Couldn't agree more. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21yearsoutofrsa Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 You will get something back, whether you get value for money is another matter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 I understand what they are saying, that things work as they should here, but I certainly hope so as I feel I am being taxed to death - I don't object to what some of it goes to, but ........................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansaPlease Posted August 22, 2013 Report Share Posted August 22, 2013 The statement certainly rings true when it comes to anything requiring labour. You pay through the nose for having anything cleaned or built. And materials are expensive. An example. We recently asked for a quote to do a retaining wall on a steep slope on the front of our house. Two 1.6m high walls by 10 meters each. Because the lazy fart doesn't want to do a bit of work, the quote came back $15k for a wall made of treated pine or $30k for one made of concrete sleepers. I know where he can shove his quote... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zetman Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) Hi there,I guess in a way I understand what they're probably trying to say, that you get a sense of service in return for what you are paying in Aus. But In a way I wouldn't say I agree with a blanket statement like "you pay for everything in Australia". What is "everything", and what is "Australia"?. You don't pay TV licences, you don't pay for ADT/private security monitoring. You do pay for groceries, fuel, telephones, water, gas. It differs from state to state and city to city too. In Perth you don't pay for toll roads (but in many other capital cities you do). Some places charge parking at the beach, some don't.Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be picky or argumentative. I guess my point is modern day living costs money. So you can make the statement that you pay for "everything" about almost any and every place you go to. Its just the exact list of things making up the "everything", how much it costs and what that equates to as percentage of your income (and whether you feel you are getting a fair service in return) that really varies.It's always so interesting to hear different people's thoughts and perspectives when they've been over for a visit...z Edited August 23, 2013 by zetman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan83 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Well I guess you do pay for everything (even things that are 'free' like the barbeques in parks are funded through tax)... but I guess you do generally get something back for what you pay.I agree with the issue regarding value for money though. There's a poor value for money ratio here... you pay a lot more for things of a lower quality. A good example is eating out in Perth - it's overpriced, the service is relatively poor and the quality of the food isn't as good as what you could order (ignoring price) in Johannesburg.It's one of the things here that would be a negative thing about the place, the cost of everything and the cheerful arrogance that a coffee barrister will just say, "that'll be five dollars thanks" as they hand you a cup of barely average coffee.I think that overall though that you do get more back in return for your dollar here. In RSA they couldn't even keep the robots and roads working, here we have cycle paths that are maintained, painted and fixed (if there's a pothole) to a much higher standard to the freeways in RSA. It's just one example of the fact that yes, you do pay more tax here as a percentage of your income, but the difference is that I'd say most of it goes back to the community in the form of community services, rather than to Zuma's luxuries. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riekie Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Lots of free stuff in Oz too!.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac777 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Having read so many posts about life in OZ and the quality of life in particular, I can draw only one conclusion.No one actually cares enough about how expensive it is because you wouldn't trade back anyway.As a country that is ranked in the top 5 of most categories on most statistical sites I have found, I would hardly say the people are suffering and in need of financial aid, expensive as many things may be.I think we tend to compare it too much to what we had available to us in a system that's been a mess and unbalanced at the best of times anyway. We are used to certain "luxuries" that many people in developed countries would consider lavish and showy, but there is a whole host of services and goods that we don't have access to that they would consider standard and ranked much higher on a list of priorities. So what I'm trying to say is it's all relative really. It comes down to what you consider as a priority. If you want to have a nice house, relatively cheap food, beautiful scenery, but need and are willing to settle for high walls, electric fences, curfews, armed response and have to put up with poor healthcare, poor service delivery, etc, then SA is for you. Otherwise, best go somewhere else...which is what we're doing. I'd rather live in a smaller and more expensive house with open doors and fresh air... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansaPlease Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Spot on Mac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B007 Posted August 27, 2013 Report Share Posted August 27, 2013 I would also have to agree with Mac on this one. As taxes is farely cheap in SA but you have to pay for safety and stil sleep with one eye open. You can't buy safety in SA you just pay for peace of mind in order to be able to sleep at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac777 Posted August 29, 2013 Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 I don't know hey. I can't say that I really have peace of mind at any given point in time. I would rather say I've deluded myself into thinking that everything is generally ok.We live in a complex surrounded by a ten foot wall, electric fencing linked to armed response and we've still had two break in attempts in less than two years. Statistically we should be better off than a lot of free standing homes in the suburbs but two attempts already when the complex is not even three years old yet... not very good.I have to say that it looks like it was just petty criminals looking to make a quick buck and frankly they weren't the sharpest if you look at how they came in but still...what if the next one is a clever criminal with a vendetta??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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