Do not come here thinking you can do ten years and make enough money money to go home. It won't happen. The years of making shed loads of cash in the tax free Middle East are well and truly over. Are you thinking of joining as a DEC or an FO? How many of the kids are at school?
If you are looking at joining as an FO, with a couple of kids at school, do not expect to be saving much. We have a bit over 100 aeroplanes now, and the papers are saying we will have around 154ish by 2012. So I guess that means that half the FOs in line before you will have their commands by 2012, (this is not including DECs and Captain resignations). So you may be having to live on the FO salary for some time.
Single FOs and FOs with really young kids seem to be doing OK. But once the school fees kick in, its another story.
Don