A young Australian woman was left baffled after a banker asked her “out of touch” questions about her savings goals amid the country’s cost of living crisis.
Jess, 28, posted her story on Tik Tok about her encounter when she visited a bank branch to change her surname because she got married in the previous 12 months.
The banker offered to give her a financial health check while she was there, but she was stunned by the questioning.
‘And the first question was: what are your savings goals right now? Are you trying to buy a new car, investment property or home? she said.
Jess said she probably thought it was “rude” to the employee because he “literally made fun of her.”
Jess, 28 (pictured), said she probably found the clerk “rude” because she “literally scoffed” at questions she was asked at a bank branch.
‘I just thought, how do you ask someone in their twenties in this economy what my savings goals are?’ she said.
Jess shared that at the time she had “zero” savings goals and was trying to “keep my head above water.”
The young Australian, who lives in Melbourne, said news.com.au Despite earning $80,000 a year, the banker’s question seemed “out of place.”
‘It doesn’t take into account how difficult it is for people to live today. With the cost of food, rent and gasoline. Who has money to save for a house? she said.
In its Tik TokJess said she’s just trying to pay for the essentials in life, like rent and food, as well as trying to save a small amount with each payment.
“I’m not aiming to buy a house because I know it’s unattainable in this economy,” he said.
‘It just baffles me. I just want to have money to live, be happy and survive.’
Australians quickly agreed with her, with many confessing that they too were struggling and agreeing that banks “can’t read the room”.
The young Australian said she is just trying to keep her head above water and because of the high cost of necessities, such as food, she cannot save for a house.
An increasing number of Australians are living paycheck to paycheck, leaving them unable to have a cushion in case of emergencies or unexpected bills.
‘[The] The goal is to make it to the end of the week,” wrote one.
“We can barely live now let alone have a financial goal,” said another.
Jess, originally from Adelaide, said she couldn’t afford to buy a house in Melbourne or her hometown because the prices are “so expensive”.
The young Australian said that even with government incentives, home ownership “will probably still be a dream”, even for a small apartment near the city.
‘It’s sad to see myself and most of my friends starting to accept that this won’t happen. Especially when the cost of rent and groceries are rising: living away from home and saving for a house is not realistic,” he said.
Jess shared that most of her friends are barely getting by and she’s just trying to save money each paycheck to renovate an old camper.
The Tik Toker knows that even her dream of traveling around Australia by van is a privilege and out of reach for many people.
“We have to space out the renewals with each payment, since there is not enough to go around and the cost of everything increases,” he said.
Australians are feeling the impact of high inflation and interest rates, as well as rising food and housing costs, leaving many living paycheck to paycheck, leaving little to save each week.
Forty-five per cent of Australians who took part in a recent survey on comparison website Finder said they have less than $1,000 in their bank account, leaving them with little cushion against cost-of-living pressures.
