A young mother’s admission of feeling “sheer desperation” at living “paycheck to paycheck” has struck a chord with Australians who find themselves in similar bleak financial situations.
Jordana Mintz, 28, said in a viral TikTok that even though she and her partner ‘have good jobs’ and built up some savings before having their first child almost a year ago, they are struggling to make ends meet.
‘Is anyone else FIGHTING for LIFE financially right now???? “Raising children in this economy is not for the faint of heart,” the caption reads.
‘If it comes to the end of the fortnight and I think if I don’t get paid on time, if there is any delay in getting my payment this fortnight, we won’t buy food or I won’t be able to fill up my car,’ Mrs Mintz said.
‘I feel this sense of pure desperation and all I think is ‘what can I do to increase our income as a family?’
“I didn’t foresee how difficult it was going to be.”
Mintz said she is even considering giving up the house where she and her partner Tim live with their son Billy.
“I’m at the point where I think I don’t even want the house,” he said.
“I want to put it on the market, take the money and run.”
He said even living in a tent seemed attractive to get rid of the family’s “heavy financial strain.”
Mintz was also seriously considering moving back in with her parents, as she recently saw another mom do on TikTok.
In the comments section, Ms Mintz revealed the mortgage she and her partner pay on the house is $900 a week, which she told news.com.au is more than a third of their combined income of her and her partner.
Ms. Mintz said that although everyone knows what a blessing children are “What perhaps isn’t talked about as much is the economic and emotional stress of being primarily responsible for physical care if you are the mother.’
“Everyone is juggling a lot and yet I feel like we’re not getting the reward, I think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew,” he said.
Mintz said she had “a lot of empathy” for anyone who had a similar struggle.
He also asked for words of encouragement.because right now I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and this is going to be my life now.’
Jordana Mintz, 28, mother of one, has revealed the financial difficulties many young parents are having.
Ms Mintz (pictured left with her partner Tim) said she didn’t expect the financial stress of parenting to be so hard.
“I feel like I did all the right things to manage it, but we’re not getting there,” Ms. Mintz said.
Several of those who commented on the video, which had almost 64,000 views, said they were in the same boat.
“This is us,” said one.
‘And we are experiencing huge burnout. We want another baby, but financially we know it will be a strain. “It saddens me that we can’t give our babies the same freedoms and life that we were raised with.”
“It’s the daycare fees that are killing me,” another commented.
I can’t afford to stay home with them. I just manage it by working full time and sending them to nursery.’
‘I have to work 4 full days a week and my partner has to work full time and we earn well, nothing crazy! But we can’t save anything,” lamented a third person.
‘I’m only away for medical bills/costs. My car recently broke down and now we have to save up for a new car or get another loan. Which has been harder to do than we thought!
‘My partner is looking for a side job or casual night job and I’m starting university to get a better job. It’s very difficult, I don’t know how people buy houses! We have to rent.’
“Interest rates kill,” another person wrote.
‘I am a 6 year old SAHM for the last 13 years with a 6 month old baby and have had to get a night job to make ends meet. We also chase our tail. Food is a killer.
“We’re deciding whether to sell and downgrade to have a smaller mortgage and it’s not even a large mortgage by today’s standards.”
“It’s honestly exhausting, like we’re panicking about going back to school and the cost of uniforms and just the cost of living in general,” another person said.
“It’s crazy to try to give kids a life in this economy.”