An Australian mother’s video about struggling with the cost of living despite earning a decent wage has sparked heated debate.
Alicia, 31, a single mother of two, earns $77,000 a year as a project manager, but recently had to cancel one of her children’s extracurricular activities because she could no longer afford it.
But even canceling that came at a cost for the mother who lives on the NSW Central Coast, as she was told she had to give 30 days’ notice and pay $79 for an extra month.
Then it got even worse when her payment bounced because she didn’t have the money in her account, so she had to pay a $9 service fee on top of the $79.
‘Full time work. I work while I’m sick to make ends meet. I don’t have eyelashes. I don’t have my nails done. I try to fix things myself. “I don’t do my eyebrows, I do it myself to save money,” she said in the video she titled “The Lives of the Working Poor.”
He also said he had to pay a $900 electric bill, a cost that can skyrocket when he had no savings to pay it.
Alicia’s rent is $530 per week and childcare costs her $321 per week.
After that, you have about $400 left to spend on food, utilities, and other household expenses.
Despite earning more than the average Australian salary of $67,600 and being able to work from home, Alicia said she is struggling because inflation is driving prices “crazy”.
At your neighborhood supermarket you look for the cheapest version of everything you need.
“If I work full time, I don’t know how other people do it,” he said.
‘You know, I’m doing it very hard. I am classified as what they call a “working poor” and those luxuries must be reduced.
Cuts have meant he rarely gets takeout, often cancels memberships like streaming TV subscriptions, and Buy your children’s clothes in sizes larger than they need so they last longer.
Alicia said she feels like she can’t get ahead of the bills because so much of her money has to go toward rent and childcare.
“I recently had to spend money on hearing aids and set up a payment plan…just so I could hear and do my job,” he said. news.com.au.
“I feel like most families are struggling to meet basic needs and we are having to rely on Afterpay more than ever to get us from week to week.”
He said the struggle between payday and payday has taken a huge emotional toll on him.
Alicia considered moving to a more rural area for cheaper rent, but that would have meant no childcare options.
The Australians sympathized with the mother for the situation she was in.
Alicia is far from alone in her financial situation: comparison website Finder claims 45 per cent of Australians have less than $1,000 in their bank account. Australian banknotes pictured
“I can’t believe how bad things are getting,” one person wrote, while another said “it feels like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”
Alicia is far from alone in her financial situation: comparison website Finder claims 45 per cent of Australians have less than $1,000 in their bank account.