How Do You Handle Cost of Living Pressure?

AmorPax on 09/04/2026 - 17:20
Last edited 09/04/2026 - 18:01

Hi All,

With everything going on right now, from the conflict in the Middle East to rising petrol prices and increasing cost-of-living pressures, it feels like we’re all being affected in one way or another.

Given that this situation may continue for some time, I’m really interested to hear how everyone is adapting and managing their day-to-day lives.

At the same time, I still see many people shopping, eating out, and generally spending as usual.
Restaurants seem packed, and shopping centres are busy, which makes me wonder if this situation is not impacting most people as much as expected, or are people just adapting in different ways?
For examples:
* If your kids are in private school, would you consider moving them to public school to save money?
* Cutting back on takeaways
* Using public transport or walking more!
* Skipping takeaway coffee
* Taking on a 2nd or 3rd job, or picking up extra shifts
* Cut down on entertainment (e.g. movies, massages, spas, having other funs)

If you can share your opinion, that would be great. Also, if you cast your vote in the poll, please tell us why 😊

Thanks!

Poll Options

  • 205
    Cutting back on non-essential spending
  • 9
    Increasing income (side jobs, overtime, freelancing)
  • 9
    Using savings or emergency funds
  • 161
    No impact at all, I am good!
Financial

Comments

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Search through all the comments in this post.
  • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 17:24
    +86

    I save spending my money on energy by using the free public park BBQ to cook and plugging into my neighbour's power points.

    • JIMB0 on 09/04/2026 - 17:49
      +10

      My park has toilets as well with hot running water. Got me one of those push on tap showers, it's much more convenient then heating water on the free bbq. Now all it needs is a phone box for free wifi.

      • Muppet Detector on 10/04/2026 - 01:53
        +1

        I was waiting for you to say the phone box was so that you had somewhere to change (into your superman outfit).

        These toilets with the hot running water, I bet that makes the bidet attachment much nicer to use in winter.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 09/04/2026 - 17:41
      +8

      When do we turn up for the shared risotto?

    • 30year old Camry on 09/04/2026 - 17:31
      +5

      free public park BBQ

      I upgraded my Gas Cooktop to an Unmetered Gas Cooktop.

      • mrvaluepack on 10/04/2026 - 06:38
        +1

        No way you can do that unless you are cahoots with some one from gas utilities who is able to isolate and blowdown the gas line on your street in order for you to remove the meter to your property.

        • 30year old Camry on 10/04/2026 - 09:44
          +6

          I got a plumber out last Sunday and he bypassed the meter for just $420

          • JIMB0 on 10/04/2026 - 10:23
            +8

            @30year old Camry: I bring water home from the park and pump it back through my meter.
            Got a $69 credit last month.

        • Muppet Detector on 10/04/2026 - 10:33
          +4

          There was a thread about a poster who received unmetered gas included in his rent — so free gas for him.

          He was asking the forum if he could leave his gas cooktop on for extended periods of time in order to heat up his apartment for free as this would mean that he would not need to use a heater/

          • mrvaluepack on 10/04/2026 - 10:55
            +5

            @Muppet Detector: Lol that was me but thread got removed by mods for being health hazard/dangerous.

            Its an apartment i own with free gas, not rented.

            • tenpercent on 10/04/2026 - 10:57

              @mrvaluepack: So how do you heat it nowadays?

              • mrvaluepack on 10/04/2026 - 11:39

                @tenpercent: it has a couple of split systems.

                • tenpercent on 10/04/2026 - 17:17
                  +3

                  @mrvaluepack: Missed opportunity.

                • SlickMick on 11/04/2026 - 17:06
                  +1

                  @mrvaluepack: That seems like such a waste: unlimited free gas but using electricty to heat house. I'm really sorry you didn't find a solution.

                • Muppet Detector on 11/04/2026 - 18:12
                  +1

                  @mrvaluepack: I hope that you're using extension cords to tap into your neighbour's or common property power sources then.

            • Muppet Detector on 10/04/2026 - 11:07

              @mrvaluepack: Well, this is awkward…

              I think that may have been what 30 year old Camry was referring to when he made his earlier comment.

            • JIMB0 on 10/04/2026 - 11:09

              @mrvaluepack: That thread was epic. Did you ever get the cooktop powered steam turbine running for free electricity? I remember you were having trouble with the apartment heating up too much and killing the exergy.

              • mrvaluepack on 10/04/2026 - 11:41

                @JIMB0: Lol, nah. After asking chatgpt, there weren't any safe low effort options or ideas to implement…

          • MrFrugalSpend on 10/04/2026 - 18:55

            @Muppet Detector: He would however potentially die of emphysema

    • salmon123 on 10/04/2026 - 14:46
      +4

      plugging into my neighbour's power points

      Amateur.

      I charge my car for free at the local shopping center and then sell energy back to the grid from the car. It's a tough life going to the shopping center 3x per day, but it pays the bills.

      • SlickMick on 11/04/2026 - 17:08

        do shopping centres have free charge stations? Do you have to book them? Or is it just first in gets the free charge?

        • salmon123 on 11/04/2026 - 18:48
          +1

          Or is it just first in gets the free charge?

          This.

          Only constrained by the free parking limit.

    • casho on 10/04/2026 - 15:00

      Use their WIFI also

    • frewer on 11/04/2026 - 17:55

      Stream it on onlyfan while doing it

      • salmon123 on 11/04/2026 - 18:47

        Stream it on onlyfan

        I run a slick fake taxi operation in my trips too and from the shopping centre.

        I should speak to my distribution (bangbros) about streaming on onlyfans too.

  • mskeggs on 09/04/2026 - 17:31
    +26

    Most people spend time with others in similar circumstances. If you are a young parent, you know lots of other young parents and a smattering of retirees and a few teenagers, but mainly people like yourself.
    If you are a retired person you know mainly older people.
    If your are at uni, most of your peers are other young adults.

    If you are in the part of the community highly exposed to housing costs, child care fees and fuel for your commute, it really is a challenge right now.
    And it can feel like it is the same for most people you know.

    If you are in the third of the community with a fully paid off house, not so much.
    The people on this site are disproportionately people interested is saving money, so many are cashflow constrained or similar.
    But most of the country isn't as constrained, and especially the people in positions of power, people in the media etc. are doing fine.

    So don't think the people buying new LandCruisers, eating out and holidaying abroad are all faking it. Plenty are doing well.

    • Dr Phil on 10/04/2026 - 13:39
      -3

      Exactly

      So in a nutshell

      Nothing new here - Same old whingers complaining about anything and everything

      • mskeggs on 10/04/2026 - 14:03
        +2

        I don't think that is very fair. By the RBA's own words, people at the stage of life that carries a high mortgage are copping the stick to control inflation more broadly.
        It's not whinging to complain that some parts of the community are disproportionately disadvantaged.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/04/2026 - 17:58
    +6

    Cutting back on takeaways

    I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)

    • Gunnar on 09/04/2026 - 19:01
      +5

      You took the words right out of my mouth

      • tubeidea on 09/04/2026 - 19:09

        But not the food, apparently

    • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 18:24
      +4

      Two out of three ain't bad.

    • Mikeer on 09/04/2026 - 21:20

      I bet you say that to all the boys

      • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 22:47
        +1

        Only on hot summer nights.

      • Gunnar on 09/04/2026 - 21:46

        It Worked on me … twice

  • sharkyoz on 09/04/2026 - 18:03
    +5

    Funnily enough my pot supply has not gone up in price for the last 10 yrs
    As long as that lasts i'll wear my D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F tshirt

    • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 18:26

      Bwahaha.

      Seems like you have a better kitchen supply shop than mine :(

    • Some Random Guy on 11/04/2026 - 14:16

      Always was always will be… $10/gram (or less when bought in bulk)

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/04/2026 - 18:28
    +5

    massages

    Yeah I also need to DIY the extra services now

    • Gunnar on 10/04/2026 - 15:59
      +4

      And to make it worse with the changes to the ‘Hub I’m back to using the Victoria’s Secret catalogue

      lie detector buzzes

      Best N Less Catalogue

      lie detector dings

    • Clear on 09/04/2026 - 18:47
      +1

      I can recommend you an app.

    • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 20:12

      Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 11/04/2026 - 00:49

      Do it the other way around and diy the massage

  • welcomeUniverseWorld on 09/04/2026 - 19:46
    +5

    I have been trying hard to reduce our monthly family spending for a while. Below are some things that I have tried

    • Churning for electricity, gas, health insurance and internet. It has saved some money. However, it has also added extra headaches. Sometimes, I have to call the provider to fix my internet etc.
    • We have cut down takeaway. We also consolidated our groceries to as few times as possible over a week. I also hunt down coupons so that my weekly grocerry bill comes down. Example, my next weekly grocery bill is $152.35 and I will be getting around $270 worth of items.
    • I have actively hunting down any overtime etc at work so it gives me some buffer
    • I have categorized this financial year spending. I downloaded as csv of all my spending and then categorized. Then analysed trying to find ways to reduce cost.

    TBH, times are tough

    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 09/04/2026 - 20:03
      +4

      Let me share my last few weeks of grocery spending.
      - $319.40 item of grocery for $180.90 (tbh, I got $90 of those crappy coles pans or somethings using points)
      - $168.96 of item for $80.46
      - $327.55 of items for $209.05
      - $132 of items for $72

      You can see I was able to get coupons applied in each orders. Those coupons basically keeping my grocery alive. Churning keeping utilities alive. Otherwise, it might have burnt more.

      • tenpercent on 09/04/2026 - 20:48
        +9

        Where are you getting those juicy coupons?

        • admira on 10/04/2026 - 09:22

          Also interested in that info!

        • tenpercent on 10/04/2026 - 09:25
          • $168.96 of item for $80.46 —> 52% discount
          • $327.55 of items for $209.05 —> 36% discount
          • $132 of items for $72 —> 45.5% discount
    • welcomeUniverseWorld on 11/04/2026 - 19:05

      For example, our average monthly grocery and dining expenses last year ranged between 2800-3000. We have reduced this to approximately 1200-1400 per month. There remains some opportunity for further reduction. We have not reduced our food intake. In fact, we may be consuming more. The reduction has resulted from increased home cooking, more disciplined purchasing based on actual needs, and less frequent but larger grocery purchases, supported by the use of coupons. We continue to shop at local stores as well as Woolworths and Coles.

      However, several other expenses, such as fuel, have increased. As a result, this becomes a continuous trade off. Savings achieved in one category often offset rising costs in another. This situation remains frustrating.

      Last year, our average monthly expenses, excluding rent or mortgage, childcare, and tax, ranged between 5000-5300. In March this year, we reduced this to approximately 3200. As a family, we have achieved meaningful savings.

      However, these savings have required significant effort and sacrifice. The process has felt demanding and difficult to sustain. At the same time, it often feels as though financial pressures continue to increase, while broader economic conditions appear to favor those with greater resources. For middle income households, this can result in ongoing stress and fatigue, making the rising cost pressures challenging to manage.

  • freefall101 on 09/04/2026 - 21:06
    +4

    OnlyFans.

    Not because I have a lack of money, but if I'm going to be farting the national anthem in the shower anyway I might as well make some money off it.

  • USER DC on 09/04/2026 - 21:17
    +4

    Go out Less
    Eat more at home
    Buy cheap clearance stuff from supermarket more.
    Signup more often on new econnex deals for electricity/gas signups.
    Meet less with friends, and less frequent grocery shoppings.

  • tubeidea on 09/04/2026 - 23:46
    +4

    I stopped worrying about the future, it's rooted no matter what I do, so I'm just gonna enjoy myself in the here and now. It's a very freeing feeling, once you stop caring.

  • Nads2407 on 10/04/2026 - 10:22
    +4

    There shouldn't be any cost of living pressures on ozbargain. If I've learnt anything from here everyone has 250k annual salaries and high yield investment vehicles

    • SarcasticEmu on 10/04/2026 - 16:52

      Don't forget those making 250k+ is because of their hard work, dedication and little to do with them taking over their family business. I mean the reason you're not a millionaire is because you're not working hard enough you slacker.

  • Nitrollparty on 10/04/2026 - 09:02
    +3

    150km return trip for work a day, fuels gone from $240 to $440 a month, something had to make to cut, so cut my insurance to third party and then cut my health insurance to cover the fuel costs. And a few sacrifices with food shopping

    • ForkSnorter on 10/04/2026 - 09:20

      Sounds like you have a diesel car. Do you need that for work? A hybrid would cost a quarter of that to do the same trip.

      • Nitrollparty on 10/04/2026 - 10:02

        No sir, Kia k4. My Nissan patrol sits in the shed which costs $400+ for a tank

        • supersabroso on 10/04/2026 - 23:24

          Interesting, you need a new car. If you're driving 36,000km/year then it's time to switch to an EV on a self managed novated lease. Dirt cheap compared to buying a new car outright.

  • sandman20104159 on 10/04/2026 - 08:33
    +2

    im on my own but rent is starting to kill me and so is fuel ohh and power. those three are my proiority to pay, whatever is left is on food. i buy enough food to cook or make to late a few meals but coffee and going out has been cut from doing. i even now charge my lawn mower battery at work now.i used to buy ice cream and chocolate and can drinks, cant afford that now.and i dont ever vote for the two major partys.

    • Grunntt on 10/04/2026 - 10:04
      +1

      i even now charge my lawn mower battery at work now.

      Any chance you've calculated your massive savings from doing this?

      • supersabroso on 10/04/2026 - 23:03

        100%, it sounds nice but you gotta weigh up the benefits. Charging your 36V 5Ah battery at work will save you about 7c. If you live with a house mate or move to cheaper accommodation you'll save $140/week on rent or 104,000x charges/year.

        • OzzyOzbourne on 11/04/2026 - 00:53

          And will cost 10c in extra fuel to carry it to work

  • sheebies on 10/04/2026 - 10:11
    +2

    I've bulk purchased all my essential baking products (flour, sugar, brown sugar, spices, white and milk chocolate, yeast, baking powder, cornflour.)

    It was expensive to buy upfront however it will be cheaper in the long run.

    We've cut back on a lot of snacks and I make things from scratch now. We're also adding to our pre existing veggie garden and growing more of our own food.

    We're not making massive changes other than not driving anywhere that's non essential.

  • Oztx on 10/04/2026 - 16:08
    +2

    I keep reading about cost of living pressure but whenever I am in the CBD I always find 20-30 people queuing for a $20 Boba tea and $30+ labubus and popmart figurines.

    I am sorry if you are feeling the pressure now but I think the worst is yet to come as most people aren't "feeling" the pressure yet (judging but the poll as well).

    • tenpercent on 10/04/2026 - 17:24
      +1

      A third of the population doesn't pay rent or mortgage.
      18% of our population are already retired.
      There's heaps of people with heaps of cash to splash about.

      • Oztx on 10/04/2026 - 18:39

        That would make sense if people who are queuing aren't under 30

        • tenpercent on 10/04/2026 - 18:59

          Living at home?
          Gave up on the dream of ever owning their own house and spending the difference between rent and mortgage payments on discretionary purchases?

    • SarcasticEmu on 10/04/2026 - 16:47

      Easily explained by the 20-30 being the elite or maybe it's their first Boba tea in over a month. I mean just because you see 20-30 people buying a Porsche doesn't mean you can afford one or that they can.

  • ForkSnorter on 09/04/2026 - 17:50
    +1

    Suggestions to save money: bake your own bread, grow your own veges, don’t drink alcohol, cut back on meat, go to supermarket less often

    • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 18:14

      Grow your own rice.

      • ForkSnorter on 09/04/2026 - 18:44
        +1

        Don’t think that will save you money.

        • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 18:52
          +3

          No, it won't.

          But, I was taking the piss out of myself. A while ago somebody made some comment about growing your own rice. Gullible me thought they were serious, thought that sounded like it could be cool, so had a bit of a Google, asked a heap of questions, only to be told "I was just shitposting, but thanks for asking" :I

          • ihbh on 09/04/2026 - 19:04
            +1

            @Muppet Detector: I was part of the thread (not suggester). My kids have grown different strains of wheat provided by Sydney University. I mentioned corn, but on reflection best bang for buck for a backyard scale would be sweet potatoes (which I am growing, but forgot to mention in that other thread).

            • Muppet Detector on 09/04/2026 - 20:17
              +1

              @ihbh: The boxed mushrooms went off like a frog in a sock.

            • freefall101 on 09/04/2026 - 21:02

              @ihbh: I grew corn once, my neighbours stole it 🥲

              • Muppet Detector on 10/04/2026 - 13:25
                +2

                @freefall101: awwww shucks, that's a cereal offence. You must be sow angry at those incornsiderate grifters, hay?

                Truly amaizeing what some people will do. Next time you will have to plant them incobnito.

                When you called the crops, were they all ears?

          • MS Paint on 09/04/2026 - 20:58

            @Muppet Detector: Lol..that was me.

    • dukeGR4 on 09/04/2026 - 21:18

      pls hand in your ozbargain license

    • DoctorCalculon on 09/04/2026 - 22:09

      Why don't you just live in a hut in a jungle somewhere, and grow everything?

      • ForkSnorter on 10/04/2026 - 06:35

        I do.

      • salmon123 on 10/04/2026 - 14:50

        grow

        I only grow hydro.

        Growing other stuff is for chumps. Real men hunt.

  • Fredfloresjr on 09/04/2026 - 17:55
    +1

    Onlyfans

    • onetwothreefour on 09/04/2026 - 18:16
      +7

      Yeah it's cheaper than running your aircon I guess.

      • Yummy on 09/04/2026 - 18:29
        +1

        Sweating hard

  • dimes on 09/04/2026 - 21:16
    +1

    I've stopped buying lunch at work. I either bring my own lunch I make from home or skip (need to lose weight anyway).

    • AmorPax on 09/04/2026 - 21:22
      +1

      Don’t compromise your help. It can cost you even more 😁

    • Muppet Detector on 10/04/2026 - 19:09

      I either bring my own lunch I make from home or skip

      Has anybody ever caught you doing that?

  • Dreamcast on 10/04/2026 - 07:12
    +1

    Staying single/no kids

    • whyisave on 10/04/2026 - 11:26

      That's the objective of this economic design,
      ie.
      engage all adults to work (widen the tax base)
      and not have children (population management).

      • Dreamcast on 10/04/2026 - 13:08
        +1

        Pretty much. Then they realise there is an ageing population with lower birth rates.

        • whyisave on 10/04/2026 - 13:56

          ageing population with lower birth rates.

          Enter the multi-tribal workforce to care / replace this population.

  • Danstar on 10/04/2026 - 08:22
    +1

    Funny how the majority here claim they’re not impacted by cost of living… yet every second post is about how Trump has ruined everything economically.

    At some point you’ve got to decide whether you’re reacting to real life or just repeating what you’re told and being a follower to gain some “likes”

    • Parentheses on 10/04/2026 - 09:24
      +1

      It is possible to recognise the impact to others while being buffered against it yourself.

      I am not impacted by cost of living issues, because the gap between my income+savings and how I live is sufficient that it has not impacted me at all. However, I have family and friends at different stages in life who are doing it much tougher. And as much as I would like to buy everybody a house, my buffer is not quite so nice as that.

      It's called empathy, you should try it.

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