Quitting alcohol, moving home and returning to work at 70: how rising costs have changed Australians’ lives

theguardian.com:

R ecent polling from the Australian National University has found that Australians are, on average, facing more financial stress now than during any other time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, almost 28% of Australians said they were finding it difficult to get by on their current income. In November 2020, just 18% said the same thing.

These financial pressures are forcing people to change the way they live in significant and often unwelcome ways. We asked Guardian Australia readers to share stories of how they are getting by. While some of these changes have come with silver linings, others can feel themselves falling through the net.

Sometimes I take my morning shower at the gym to save on hot water costs. I have also gotten used to not using lights at home at night. I walk around with my phone torch so I’m not using power.Travis, Launceston, Tasmania

We were living in Brisbane two years ago and watched the housing prices far outstrip our ability to save for a deposit, even in the outer suburbs. We made the decision to invest our house deposit in a small business. We now live in my parents’ shed. They charge us minimal rent and we help with upkeep on their property. We are very, very lucky to have this option. We are unlikely to have a new deposit saved within three years, even in a small town where there are a few sub-$200k houses for sale. Anonymous, regional Queensland

We have spent most of our lives working in the community sector in both rural and urban areas – at 70, we are now going back to work. We purchased a smaller home with bridging finance and began to furnish it and prepare our other home of 23 years for sale. As interest rates began to rise, we started to liquidate assets to paint,