Thoughts about my move to New Zealand

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Average in the US is $0.16/kWh, so that fact is wrong. I accept most of the others though, unless someone wants to bring evidence to make me doubt it.

I didn't spend a terrible amount of time scrutinizing the individual sources, so some may be off. The way they're collected may also not be apples to apples.

As an example, let's say I order an item on a menu here for "$20" NZ, and one in the US for "$10" USD. When I get to the register in NZ, I hand them a crisp 20 and there's no change. In the US, I'd leave $2 on the table and pay $10.60 for the meal. Plus you have a floating exchange rate, and there's never an exact equivalency. Between the NZ meal and the US meal, which one cost more?

The NZ tax system also does not generally measure household income, and there's no such thing as being taxed jointly - what you make is taxed solely on your own circumstances, regardless of whom you live with. Meanwhile, household is the easiest figure to find for US stuff.

I couldn't tell you if the quoted US or NZ electricity rates were the flat kwh cost, or with taxes and fees averaged in at each location that are actually paid. When I needed to do conversions in that list, I used today's exchange rate, for which a US dollar gives 5 nz cents less than it did last month, and 5 cents more than 4 months ago.

What I can say is that I pay $480nz per week (290US) for a 2 bedroom flat with parking and a panoramic harbor view in the heart of the capital city, I spend an average of $70nz per week (42.50US) on food between myself and my partner, and our utilities (2x cell, gigabit fiber, electricity, gas) run around $170nz (103US) per month. There's a low KM ND MX-5 for sale in town right now for under 20k NZ (12US) and I could pick up a running and inspectable car for less than 1500 dollars (900US).

EDIT: Hopped on Facebook Marketplace to check what I could find for under a grand US. $665usd buys you a freshly inspected 1998 Accent, $800US buys a 2002 Corolla with 200k miles, $1200 buys a Mitsubishi L200 5 speed pickup.

[oil pan 4]

The whole country is a gigantic gun free zone now.

[Piotrsko]

How about comparing prices to labor hours?

Rough napkin calcs say you are paying more or less equivalent prices and taxes there in labor hours, adjusting for currencies, only I suspect the quality would be better judging by my Spain trip last week.

When the whole country is a scenic paradise, a view house is common unlike USA

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Average in the US is $0.16/kWh, so that fact is wrong.

What, the fact that I had just checked? Do you just like to argue? I just opened my current bill to confirm. 532kWh at $0.0604. That's up from $0.051717/kWh.

It's half what 'big' city across the river pays. which is still less than the national average. The miracle of hydro-power.

https://findenergy.com › or › lane-county-electricity
Lane County, OR: Electric Rates, Bills & Providers - FindEnergy
Nov 9, 2023 At an average residential rate of 11.58 cents per kilowatt hour in the county compared to the national average 15.90 cents per kilowatt hour, customers in Lane County benefit from a 27.17% discount from the national average price.

_____________________

The whole country is a gigantic gun free zone now

Oregon just vacated Measure 114. It's like it's 1857 all over again. We can has standard-capacity magazines and everything.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

What, the fact that I had just checked? Do you just like to argue?

No, the fact originally presented by Ecky. I'm agreeing with your insinuation.

Also, I do just like to argue.

[Piotrsko]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Also, I do just like to argue.

You're kidding, no? Haven't really noticed. NOT.

[freebeard]

I invite you to visit Permalink #20 to understand my confusion.

Ecky -- Back on topic, how is NZ on standard-capacity magazines?

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I invite you to visit Permalink #20 to understand my confusion.

Ecky -- Back on topic, how is NZ on standard-capacity magazines?

Couldn't tell you. New Zealand gun laws are more relaxed than Australia's, and people have them, but mostly it's farmers who have them for shooting pests. Australia is the big gun-free zone.

A quick search reveals that if I wanted one, I'd need a license. They'd do a background check and make sure I have a safe storage facility, and then if I wanted a semi-automatic, it would be limited to a 10 round magazine.

However, I've seen no need for a gun. The police don't carry, for instance, and outside of West Auckland, I feel a young woman could probably walk just about anywhere at night alone and have good reason to feel safe.

There are no bears, no wolves. The country allows a very small deer population because hunters like them, but they're imported and I've never seen one. No wild predators - the worst you're likely to ever see is a goat jumping a fence to eat your vegetable garden. There's simply nothing that needs shooting.

[Ecky]

One rather surprising thing to me was a lack of standardization here. For example, I wanted to put up a wall and an interior door for a friend. I picked up the framing and drywall, but when I went hunting for the door, I found that broadly speaking, hung doors don't exist here. Someone buys a slab of wood, and a joiner will build a frame to the size, router out for the hinges, chip/cut out for the door handle you want, where you want it, plus any other locks or accessories. There's no such thing as a standard door handle size, shape, or location.

This applies broadly here, and I have no doubt it causes a loss in efficiency. There are lots of individual artisans making one-off solutions for things that could be mass produced and standardized.

[freebeard]

There are no bears, no wolves... There's simply nothing that needs shooting.

My friends who live upriver want it to be that way. But they can wish in one hand....

Hereabouts we're teetering on the edge of a dystopia. We can hear the Cavalry's trumpets but they haven't come around the bend. A much better situation than your Oztralian neighbors. How's that new Prime Minister working out?