Oz move - best banks/cell phone provider/anything else?
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<p>With the new 40% deposit law scuppering my house purchasing plans I'm going to instead head across (potentially via a couple month holiday in London :good: ) and set up camp in the much greener tinder pastures of most likely Melbourne but possibly Sydney. I'm also going to gun for a slight career shift which may mean lower salary to begin with but a happier Rembrandt all round.</p>
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<p>So in the interests of minimal stress, surprise fees etc could I get some current or ex Oz based ferners opinions on who to go with and who to avoid at all costs!</p>
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<p>Cheers!</p> -
<p>Banks are much of a muchness IMHO. I go with the one who gives me the best home loan rates. But I'd rent in your case.</p>
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<p>In terms of phones, if you plan on staying near metropolitan areas, you can have your choice of pretty much anyone. There are a bunch of prepay players like Amaysim and Kogan who provide good value. </p>
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<p>If you're planning on moving around a lot, then Telstra and Optus are the only ones you should really look at. They have better coverage. Bargain hard with Telstra if you can.</p> -
Run out of tinder matches?
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="606682" data-time="1471577538">
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<p>Run out of tinder matches?</p>
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<p>Hang around the northeastern end of Melbourne and sugar-daddy some Uni students. There are bagloads of hotties, all legal.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="606682" data-time="1471577538"><p>
Run out of tinder matches?</p></blockquote>
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I Was thinking the same thing either that or he's nailed a bunny boiler and figured out the sex isn't worth the psychotic behaviour . -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="606682" data-time="1471577538">
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<p>Run out of tinder matches?</p>
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<p>Yep both of them, can't see Taranaki getting any more tourists till the summer!</p> -
<p>infochoice.com.au is handy for comparing aussie bank accounts.</p>
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<p>if you're intending to use an aussie card while travelling, then 28 degrees and citibank are the best for outside oz transactions.</p>
<p>rabodirect is good for online savings accounts.</p>
<p>you were talking about shares earlier too eh - westpac (and i think) commonwealth have relatively easy to use and low fee investment accounts.</p>
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<p>once you're earning and if you're planning to stay there a while then do take the time to look into your super fund options, as many are shithouse.</p>
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<p>as for sim cards depends what you're after / how much you use. in case you're not aware there are 3 physical networks - telstra, optus, vodafone - and all the other providers piggy-back on one of these networks. the 3rd party guys usually have better deals, but you want to check that the guys providing the actual network don't limit the speed. if you're in the city then any of the networks should be fine really, but if you're going to spend much rural time at all then telstra (or more likely someone piggy-backing on that) is usually best.</p>
<p>this site is handy (for most countries): <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Australia'>http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Australia</a></p>
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<p>none of this is super up to date info or anything bro, but hopefully it is some help.</p> -
<p>If you are in the city vodafone and virgin and overall cheaper for the phone and plan deal (GF just did a comparision between virgin optus telstra and vodafone. She was with virgin and stayed with them as wasn't any real difference between voda and virgin. Telstra is more expensive and had 2 big outages this year which gave lots of people the shits. Think virgin has a roll over of data for anything not used which is pretty sweet. </p>
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<p>Banks from a handiness of online banking and app I have a westpac and ANZ account and westpac gives me the shits. ANZ is no real issue for me. I wouldn't base it off the best mortgage rates as that doesn't mean the best mortgage and you are better to hunt a broker so yeah. </p>
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<p>Also just a FYI all the super rugby teams here suck....</p>
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<p>Long may it continue. </p> -
All the big 4 banks are much of a muchness, basically shit. Just moved from Telstra to Optus. Telstra was killing it on roaming charges, but only an issue if you are traveling overseas. <br><br>
From a career perspective, IT jobs tend to pay more in Sydney, but it's more expensive to live here. What is the career change? -
Cheers guys much appreciated, will try and sort an account this week.<br><br>
@dK Looking to move from IT support to IT asset/software licence management. Have had some experience touching on it in previous support roles and got a certification in software asset management recently. May need to get a foot in the door in a support role first but we'll see how we go. -
<p>As much as I don't like Telstra, when you want your phone to work somewhere, their's is the network that will have coverage.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rembrandt" data-cid="607790" data-time="1471768285"><p>Cheers guys much appreciated, will try and sort an account this week.<br>
@dK Looking to move from IT support to IT asset/software licence management. Have had some experience touching on it in previous support roles and got a certification in software asset management recently. May need to get a foot in the door in a support role first but we'll see how we go.</p></blockquote>
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I'll send you a message as SAM is my area of expertise. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="607834" data-time="1471787312"><p>As much as I don't like Telstra, when you want your phone to work somewhere, their's is the network that will have coverage.</p></blockquote>
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Except when someone switches off the network -
<p>Yes there is that, but I wasn't affected, so it didn't happen.</p>
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I've got accounts with CBA/ANZ/NAB, CBA is the better of that lot imo. Great online service and iphone app is excellent.<br><br>I use TPG who operates over the Vodafone network, cant complain for the price ($45 for 6Gb, unlimited Aus calls).<br>Qantas Freq Flyers is getting into mobile over the Vodafone network too, 8Gb per month at $45 so considering a switch myself...
