Money’s tight, but food prices are up, write Lauren Ball and Emily Burch. Now the weekly food shop requires more planning, brand swaps and deciding whether to cut back on non-essentials. Another interest rate rise and a spike in fuel prices are placing increasing pressure on...
Do kids cost more now? Asks expert, Ben Phillips. Calculating the cost of raising kids is complicated. Australians are having fewer children than ever. At 1.5 babies per woman, the fertility rate is at a record low. Many attribute this to the cost of having and...
Nicholas Procter looks at why financial stress is on the rise in Australia. Stories about interest rates and cost-of-living often focus on Australians’ hip pockets. But what about the impact on our mental health? The National Mental Health Commission’s most recent “report card” shows financial stress...
Emma Rowe looks at how families can end up paying hundreds of dollars in voluntary fees. As Australian families prepare for term 1, many will receive letters from their public schools asking them to pay fees. While public schools are supposed to be “free”, parents are regularly...
No cash, no play? Vaughan Cruickshank, Brendon Hyndman and Tom Hartley dissect the costs and benefits of organised sport Many Australians have in recent years been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, but what about sports participation? While many Australians and their children enjoy participating in sports, it can...
New research by Dr Ana Gamarra Rondinel and Dr Anna MH Price finds that the birth of a first child reduces household income and increases the risk of disadvantage Australia is a high-income country with universal health, education and social services. But, like many countries around...
The better you prepare ahead of time, the smoother the journey once you welcome your baby, writes author Ana Kresina Whether your desire for kids has been a lifelong dream or a realisation that kicked in at age 30 when your ovaries went into overdrive, the...
Up to 3.7 million Australian households have been hit by food insecurity this year, writes Kate Neale. Many for the first time. Of these households, four in five say the reason is the rising cost of living, as interest rates rises and many other cost increases...
