What it costs you to work

I would question some of those costs in the article. Most would not be the norm apart from child care costs.

I work with people who choose to live 60km away, but that's a lifestyle choice and the cost of the commute is worth it to them (most lived close to work and later moved further out). Over half drive monster 4WD's as well :confused:.

A combined couple income of 100K paying 47K tax??

A woman/man who doesn't work has petrol expenses when they have children as well?? The social researcher should have subtracted a non work petrol expence of staying home from the work petrol figure).

Lunch and two chai lattes every day at a cost of $22 a day or $110 a week. That is NOT a work expence!

I could go on...

What does it cost me?

I use more petrol when not at work.

We have no childcare costs (it now goes to school fees :cool:).

Bring lunch every single day and drink Moccona. Go out for a couple of beers after work - anything from once a week to once a fortnight (would probably make this up somewhere if not working however :p)

Wear standard comfy shoes and semi formal clothing that i can claim whereas clothing I wear at home is more expensive and gets replaced more frequently.

I salary sacrifice.

Parking is free.

Don't use power, water and gas at home during work hours - heating and cooling costs being the most expensive.

Husband self employed.
 
No way this is correct... mega fail!!

"Their combined income is $100,000, meaning they have an after-tax income of about $53,000."

Incorrect starting premise.
 
You're missing the point... Sure, the author needs a few math lessons but the premise of the article is sound.

Most people never stop to realize just how much it really costs them to hold down a job. Many households have a 2nd car purely for his reason.... That cost alone is staggering. ;)
 
I worked out nearly thirty years ago that it costs as much to go to work and pay for childcare for a baby as the income received plus the cost of transport and the grooming demanded for the employer. Moral of the story - don't go to work when you have very young children.
Simple.

Seriously, I too think the tax figure is BS%%%. I earn $30K per annum and the tax is about $3k (not that i pay any, I have an ITWV. The tax on a $70k income would be about $20K but I haven't got the sheet in front of me.

As others said, the phone calls are all claimable and the employer would reimburse him if he put in the paperwork. I guess he has a phone plan with the latest gadgets and wants it for fashion value anyway, ie personal use. As for driving into Brisbane from the north coast, there are plenty of trains. Didn't Ben say he gets into the city then uses Public Transport to go to clients? If he starts work way too early to catch a train into the city from north of Caboolture, he can drive to a suburban station, park for free and catch a train from there.
 
The journalist is a moron

Reading further into the article:

Who here spends a hundred dollars a week on their lunch when they stay at home?

A loaf of bread is $2, plus about $15 to $20 for cheeses, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, ham etc. O wait on, I grow my own lettuce.

$8 worth of coffee grounds lasts me at least two weeks in my plunger, I have another plunger at work so I don't buy any coffees there either.
 
Their combined income is $100,000, meaning they have an after-tax income of about $53,000.
Click to expand...

Stopped reading right there.

So the research probably goes as far as the journo asking "how much tax you pay" and the husband has probably responded "dunno, I think I'm on the top rate", the journo goes looks up the tax tables adds 45c and the Medicare levy and, hey presto, these poor people pay 47% tax.

Everything else after that is just flawed and probably complete rubbish by the end of the article.
 
HotRod said:
Stopped reading right there.

So the research probably goes as far as the journo asking "how much tax you pay" and the husband has probably responded "dunno, I think I'm on the top rate", the journo goes looks up the tax tables adds 45c and the Medicare levy and, hey presto, these poor people pay 47% tax.

Everything else after that is just flawed and probably complete rubbish by the end of the article.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I did. Zero credibility when you can't get that key thing correct. By the time they get all their benefits of the middle class welfare system in Australia, this family pays very little or potentially even no tax!
 
mattnz said:
Exactly what I did. Zero credibility when you can't get that key thing correct. By the time they get all their benefits of the middle class welfare system in Australia, this family pays very little or potentially even no tax!
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Say there's a 70/30 split in the income they will be paying $17591pa with the LITO offset and medicare.

Add back the middle class welfare FTA of about $3713pa (FTA with supplement) and they are paying $13878pa tax.

Do they rent? They'd also get rent assistance if they did.

So, where's the other $35000 gone?
 
Agree. Very sloppy journalism and extremely biased to give the result he wanted.

This was my favourite:
'Half of his $100 phone bill is spent making work calls and sending work emails.'

So he added $50 a week to the cost of working. It was obviously a $100 a month plan, however wouldn't want reality to get in the way a good story.

Also, dont understand why someone needs a $100 a month plan, but that's another story.

I dont think it costs me much to work - I live within 10km and carpool with my husband. Park for free. I do buy lunch, but that is only about $35 a week.

I dont have a particular corporate wardrobe or drycleaning costs - most of the stuff I wear to work I wear on the weekend.

Agree with Weg, my gas and electricity bills would go through the roof if I was at home every day.
 
The rubbish which qualifies as journalism in Australia. Can't say it surprises me that there is little fact checking in journalism these days, I remember the young Journo wannabies doing the degrees when I was in university, every one I met was angling towards a career with a 'cool lifestyle' whilst getting smashed at the unibar, handed up half baked pieces 2 days past due date (I guess like everyone else at uni now. :))
 
Costs $1266 dollars a week for childcare in a 'franchised' group for my two kids (both under 4 years).
Childcare rebate is capped at $15000 so for full time care i would be out of pocket $508323 pa.

Think about it would-be-parents.

As someone stated earlier. its not worth working if you have young children.
Even if working means saving lives and making a difference.
 
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