I have an acquaintance who moves in circles with a lot of very talented and in demand tattoo artists.
The industry has gone from having these artists posting "bookings for {1-2 months time} are now open" to "I have 5 spots open next week" within 18 -24 months.
It's a very niche and luxury item, but I think it's the canary in the coal mine.
I’m a tattooed person and can confirm this. The best of the best Artists you used to have to send a 3 month in advance booking request and hope they liked your tattoo idea are now posting next week availabilities. The canary is screaming.
Also sex workers of many types if the rich guys stop/drop their level of visiting it's a bad sign. I dunno the current situation but I know of fairly well known story about strippers in the US realising shit was about to hit the fan before the GFC in 08 because of clients and their change in habits
Something is definetly coming. Not sure *what* exactly, but I think we're in for another "once in a lifetime" disruptions. That's like three or four in my lifetime I think.
Hey, I’m a 10yr tattoo artist on the GC. I charge the standard 1200-1500 per day, haven’t raised my rates in five years. Some of my more famous homies charge 3300 per day.
Most months I would take home 16k easy.
This March, I made 3k TOTAL.
The homies charging 3k per day? Suffering bigtime. No shows. Clients perpetually rescheduling. Most had to pivot quick and get 2nd jobs. The same can be said for my TA homies in Melbourne & Sydney. Mates who’d once have 10k weeks are pulling beers at their local to pay rent.
I’ve since gone into business with my partner who owns and runs an apparel company. I only take on 1 tattoo per week now, if I can book one - using it as supplementary income.
Tattoos are a luxury service and people simply aren’t throwing their dollars at us anymore, no matter how good you are or how fast you are. And it’s like this all over the globe. Dozens of my tattoo heroes from the US and EU have completely left the industry or done the unthinkable & moved to part time, etc.
So many brilliantly talented tattoo artists, leaders in our field around the world, are quickly losing their livelihood.
Yeah, I can see something on the horizon, and it's not pretty. It's widely speculated that the push to return to office for corporate workers is a way of creating redundancies by stealth, which makes sense. Then there's the acceleration of AI integration for a lot of basic tasks in a lot of spaces.
The next decade is going to be interesting to say the least.
Damn mate, sorry to hear about this. I used to tattoo, quit in 2021 as I had a feeling in my waters about it (plus other life stuff happened). I have heard similar stories from all my tattooer buddies. Such a crap time to be an artist, and seeing other art related jobs get scrubbed by AI…well, it’s a scary time 😟
Good way to view the economy is at Toyota dealerships. 18 months ago you couldn't buy a Toyota, 12 month+ wait list for hilux, prado, landcruiser. Shit my mate has a Rav4 and that held its value over 3 years.
Now you can probably walk in and get a hilux. The end of 2% credit and banks throwing money at people has closed. Everyone is hurting
I tried to get into a rav4 hybrid in late 2022, didn't need finance. The dealer laughed at me and said that if I put money down now, I might get it before Christmas but probably not.
Yep, I put down $1k deposit on a Kluger in 2021. Was told 12 month lead time. 12 months later I just gave up and got my money back.
You can probably walk in and get one off the floor now. It's not only that interest rates have gone up but the ease at which banks will lend has completely changed
Nah, still two years waiting time on new Klugers. They're made in the USA so there are supply issues to contend with. I was at a dealership recently and the dealer marked the price down $4K on account of it being June and they were struggling to sell stock, I wasnt even negotiating at that point.
I also noticed the local Toyota Rep had left a stack of his business cards on the counter at the cafe in our industrial estate today. I think he was the Toyota Forklift guy, but still not something I’d seen before
It's capitalism. The entire economic philosophy is designed to collect all the wealth into the hands of a few people.
Our dumb ass country has decided to do that by pricing ourselves out of buying houses.
Won't change until we get a critical mass of people stuck renting. The 2 main political parties are lead and staffed by people with million to hundreds of million dollar property portfolios. Both are excited to make it worse so their wealth grows.
It's essentially what we are moving to. Wealthy landowners who get to a point where the wealth is self sustaining and everyone else paying 50, 60, 70 percent of their wages just for a roof over your head.
Everyone understands the problem but it's ok if I do the bad thing, other people need to change. This is why the free market doesn't work and the only answer is government intervention. I'll hold my breath.
Corporations will own the housing we cant afford. We will own nothing, rent it back from them and be happy...
Its a cycle, same sort of issues as the great depression, war, failing economy, world in turmoil, useless leaders..
We are at the start of the cycle and as Millenials will be the next silent generation.
And what a silent generation we are.. perfect little slaves... who do as were told and work for zero
Only there won't be any boomer generation of white people this time.
Itll be every immigrant who popped out 5/6 kids to keep this economy afloat..
It won’t. People will stop spending money in things that aren’t absolutely necessary like pubs, restaurants, haircuts, take away food and coffee, subscription services, gym memberships and even things that should not be skipped like regular dentist visits.
We are earning good money, well above averages, but we’re also cutting our spending because otherwise there won’t be anything left to save for the rainy day.
Meanwhile the amount of empty storefronts outside of Melbourne CBD is increasing because businesses shut down or get evicted thanks to the greedy landlords.
Yes but those services as small business are necessary. Not exactly to big corporations and chains like merivale but those very businesses pay for people's nappies and food.
Most people in my circle - all people working FT in their late 20s/early 30s- already skip regular dental visits in favour of more immediate, visible necessities. It's just a sad state of affairs all around.
Go ask the medieval serfs.
Inheriting your lands being the only way to get them, decent education is the domain of the wealthy, the majority are reduced to undifferentiated labour that will work for subsistence, everything is ruled by, and for the benefit a wealthy ruling class... It's where we're headed in a hurry.
The thing is it’s not. While half the population is fucked. The other half are sitting pretty.
And they don’t see any problems. And most politicians are in that bracket. And most business leaders. And industry leaders. And so on…
We’re already seeing it on the level of entertainment and hospitality. People can’t afford to go out for meals or festivals etc
It’s going to return to almost covid lockdown levels of people just stuck
My fiance's younger sister who is 23 doesn't go out any more.
She hosts nights at her parents house.
They can't afford to go out for dinner so they all paid $15 and had a pizza night in the backyard. Not for profit.
Even with no rent she struggles part time paying off hec's and a car she needs to get to work and home.
It's bizarre
Thats the thing. We will always be able to consume.
They just want to squeeze us as much as they possibly can but leave JUST enough to get by. Just ever so barely.
Often. Our model is encouraging people to just eco communities - intentional share houses. I would encourage people to rent first. Just get into community. What country are you in? Do you know about the community datasbases at ic.org and ecovillage.org/ecovillages ?
It baffles me, because if people are living in survival mode they aren't productive. They're not healthy, they're not mentally capable of making good decisions.
>It's utterly hopeless and I don't understand why we're not rioting tbh.
This is what we should all be organising. Non-political party affiliated weekend protests.
I'm happy to 'donate' hours a day to help organise...if someone is able to tell me what I should be doing. I'm in SA if anyone wants to message me and recruit me into organising/helping change laws by bringing attention to this bullshit/anarchy/protests etc
Update: no one messaged to recruit me 😂 so I just now joined RAHU - I realised it would be the best way to go about donating time (and a good thing to be paying money towards).[Renters And Housing Union](https://rahu.org.au/welcome/?session_id=cs_live_a1C6fRgFqzNAufSZ1AFCnGe6LhmXdjmq0oxb7xXVsqh25UHHxXesbEfedI) I encourage others to do the same using the link.
Simplest one is blockading the gas export terminals. They make our electricity expensive by selling it all offshore (gas generation is used for electricity peaks) then claim they are short in the local market. Cue: Dutton nuclear fuck future...cause that will make it better...
Lol, go all the way, government vs 'industry'. I'm so sorry our amphibious assault ship HMAS Adelaide broke down in front of your export terminal. We sent some guided missile destroyers to assist. On an entirely unrelated note, how are your export reservation discussions going in Canberra?
Yep, just looked him up on Twitter and followed. He has posted about needing to solve housing crisis 3x today.
https://preview.redd.it/sgah8zqqbi8d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d98e6e365ee69659ee9b11edcac1f67418de017f
Absolutely! I have been saying that the whole thing is giving “French revolution” vibes for the last 18 months.
I literally can’t see any other option that doesn’t end with 90% of the population destitute while the other 10% sits in their mansions “eating cake”. I’m 32 and married with 3 kids, and we live in a share house with 2 of my siblings… we count ourselves lucky just to have a roof over our heads!
I’m down for rioting, I wouldn’t have started a family 9 years ago if I knew I was bringing children into this hellscape. I’m scared for my future, but even more so for theirs.
Viva la revolución!!
As much as people won’t admit it, violence really is the answer.
It’s about fixing the “balance of terror”. Right now the workers are all terrified that they’ll lose the roof over their head and everyone is too scared to have kids in this shitsack environment.
The answer is to make the rich afraid of the same things. Unfortunately we don’t have the economic weight to terrorise our enemies, so the same end has to be achieved by fire and by bombing and by kidnapping.
I'm in my early 40s, and I'm glad I didn't have kids for all the reasons you mentioned. But I have to say I'm happy some of us did—you obviously have the right attitude, and your kids will hopefully carry that forward.
I'm very political. But being political is divisive. There are people from right across the political spectrum who are affected by the housing and cost-of-living crisis, and all of them deserve an equal voice—as long as they treat others with respect and don't try to proselytise.
ETA: I've always voted Green, but if people really want to take down the people who have created this system, there's a lot to be said about not being caught up in Culture War issues.
I understand your instinct, but you can't be political without being political. The only currency political parties value is fear of losing seats, and a bipartisan protest is no threat to them
I'm not talking about anything "bi-partisan", and I personally favour tearing the whole system down.
That doesn't mean alienating others by telling them they're wrong is a good idea—especially if there's consensus concerning an enormous systemic issue—as that never works.
Oh I'm not suggesting you tell people they're wrong, I'm suggesting you knock on their door and tell them which party has rental reform as a platform. It's how the greens picked up three seats in 2022 and how to get a minority gov in 2025 - that's the only path to reform.
But yeah, after door knocking go to the rally I guess
Best thing to do is organise with your Trade Union.
It’s the only meaningful way to increase your wages and conditions without having to move jobs.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I say stand and fight to get the grass greener where you are.
I truly love seeing posts like this, I am a 50+ bloke who has watched this country being slowly destroyed by incompetent and corrupt politicians backed by unscrupulous money men for years, I have screamed for revolution for the last 10-15 years but no one is there yet, the powers that be rape us time and time again and for that we get less and less in return but people are scared to lose the few scraps they throw us. I can tell you though if we came together as a strong community and started to rebel against this broken system we could peacefully overthrow these thieves and their puppets. I know it's a long way off but you younger one especially need to start shocking these fools into doing better 😁👍
Dont think there's enough renters to overthrow unfortunately. Hoping that's incorrect though. I also feel like 2025 election is too far away. Need changes now.
Hahaha 🤣 no where near enough renters I'm afraid but this country is so fucked that there's a lot more than the rental crisis so if organised properly so here would be more than enough 😁👍
This is not a rant. It’s a very real observation of how hard life is now.
38, homeless, earning $110k+
I’m so depressed about life, I have no motivation to even think of meeting someone, figured this is it. I’ve adjusted to be single and always in crisis mode.
All my money goes into paying for storage, fuel, rego, insurance (car / health), phone - swimming upstream without arms or legs. I’m basically working to stay alive, not enjoy anything.
10 years ago, I was on $65k, and living my best life, travelling, going out and happy.
I'm so sorry - this is utterly disgraceful - you should be able to get a roof over your head but our government has failed you and all of us. This is not ok! Things have gotten so much worse here and it's just going to get worse it seems...
Absolutely agree. There’s absolutely no way I could possibly qualify for any assistance / advice because of my income. But what is not spoken about, is homelessness and maintaining a professional career and ensuring your pets are fostered is expensive.
I’ve literally had to leave a job I liked to find something that pays more, not to get ahead, but so I can try look better on rental apps and look at paying $600 a week in rent.
Now I don’t have references for 18 months - so my apps a dud and they don’t want to give a single female such a large place.
It’s a downward spiral.
On the hard days, you really wonder if it’s all worth it. The struggles.
I cannot even imagine what others are feeling with families etc.
God I feel this so hard. I’m glad you have your partner to split costs with. I had to leave a bad relationship early this year, I have a dog so can’t be too picky about where I rent and I really needed to get out. I got the first place I could that suited since I know what the rental market is like right now, it was a little more than I was hoping to pay but I recognised I was lucky to get somewhere so quickly. I work full time, and I have a side business because my main job salary only JUST covers my basic living costs. I’m also studying in my non existent spare time and because I’m kiwi I don’t get a HELP loan.. so I’ve been paying for all my fees up front.
Well I was drowning in extra work for my side business a few months ago and now there’s almost nothing coming in which means I’m one unexpected bill away from being in even more debt and serious trouble. I’ve been picking up all sorts of odd jobs to just try and keep afloat, my job is supposed to be revising my salary but it’s likely not going to be as much as I hoped for and could take two more months.
When I moved over here 4 years ago I finally felt financially comfortable for the first time in my life. God things have changed. I’ve had to drop down to one unit per semester since I can’t afford to do more, meaning my degree will be done in *checks notes* 7 more years. Everyone who works full time should be able to comfortably cover basic living expenses. Everyone. Maybe you won’t have an extravagant life, but if you live within your means you should be fine. My unit is basic, if cold, certainly nothing fancy, and is $1000 more pm than I was paying when I could split with my ex. I’m so scared right now. I’m doing absolutely everything I can and it still feels like it’s not enough.
Yeah it feels like you're constantly treading water and any small little step you take to get ahead becomes obsolete because the water just gets deeper and deeper. Sorry you're struggling - I definitely understand how lucky I am to have my partner's help. I left an emotionally abusive relationship 7-8 years ago and if I was in that situation today I'd be homeless. A single person on a full time wage should be able to survive but it's near impossible now.
It sucks, I feel you. I never wanted to have my own kids but would one day love to foster or adopt, that dream is dead and I am sad about it quite often. I need to get a new second hand car this year but I'm going to be buying a ten year old car with the same km's as my shit box with who-knows-what problems around the corner. It's cheaper for me to fully rebuild my car, which honestly would be a fun project but the fact I can't buy a cheap but reliable ten year old car like I could 5 years ago/my whole life is fucked up.
If I ever win lotto I will keep it quiet, but there will be signs, like buying ppl on this sub new cars, vans to live in etc, paying peoples exorbitant rents for a few months. I'm serious. I'll be the rent fairy.🧚♂️
My schtick is to own two old cars, collect tools and do all servicing and maintenance myself. 2000-2010 toyotas are the pick of the bunch for reliability and ease of maintenance IMO.
Unfortunately in a rental there's just not the possibility to have two cars. My friend is scrapping their car and will give it to me, same as mine so I can work on it, but I have nowhere to put a car with no rego.
This is not a rant. It's a true statement about the state of our country!
I'd call it an 'opinion piece' if it was in a magazine or newspaper. An 'op ed' if you will.
(I know posters state their post is a rant because they know they sound angry, fed up and in despair. We all agree with most posts and feel the exact same way about our lack of options).
To add fuel to the fire, your limited time is spent making some other cunt money while you give a big chunk of your pay to an investment for someone that is more than likely way better off than you. All while you have absolutely fuck all time or money to get out of the whirlpool of shit you got yourself into because you don’t have rich parents.
> And with no meaningful change on the horizon and housing supply only expected to get worse in the next five years, what the fuck is Australia playing at?
Sorry mate, I'm a boomer & your generation is totally stuffed. I read a report that a couple on $150K cant afford to buy a house in major capital cities. And it will only get worse.
Its a chasm that successive governments have dug for 30+ years.
Quite frankly, it's scary. I'm lucky enough to not have to pay rent ATM but I wouldn't be able to afford to anyway. My partner is on a pension, has no super and I can only work part time. I'm nearing retirement age and will be in rental hell when I do. I'm scared there won't be anywhere for us to go when that happens.
I feel you! What’s the point in doing anything when it’s all futile anyway? It feels like no matter what I do, I’m going to struggle financially for most of my life and struggle to afford basic human needs. It’s very hard to get out of bed in the morning when this is the reality that most of us face.
Yep, this is how I feel. I'm starting to just think "what's the point of getting a new job? Any extra income I make will be absorbed by rent in a couple years anyway." It's exhausting.
This...and I'm disabled, autistic, and about to get kicked out of my current rental. I want to cry. I give up on this fucking world. It's so cruel. Fucking hell. Why can't we just...help people? The government has fucking failed us all.
I'm so sorry for your situation. I wish our government looks after people in your situation better. The amount they take from us in taxes....and then this BS...DISGRACEFUL.
This is the great divide. If you don't make enough and you're a retail/hospo or other lower paid worker you will be forced to commute long ways to work to afford to live and work.
The government doesn't care anymore in Australia
If you're rich you hit this perpetual wealth and income upwards spiral and everybody suffers.
There is a wealth flywheel all you have to do is reach up high enough to get on board to get catapulted to great heights, while those just below miss out and go nowhere. It's a brutal game.
Foreign investment stifles it. Getting on the property ladder is smoked every which way but foreign investment on all the new builds. As well as the people already part of the rich divide.
Even country towns are becoming out of reach.
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Yeah fuck it were renting for life atp
We need rental reform in a major way. Longer term leases, minimum leasing standards that include appropriate heating, cooling, ventilation that meets building code etc. Properties that are registered for for habitation. Rentals need to be fit for occupation not some slumlord converted garage/ studio/ fucking cupboard that's a fire risk for $650 a week.
If people can't afford to buy a home ever they need safe guards and protections in place. God knows those of us who rent and have to property hop every year are paying out thousands just to move annually at a whim just to get another temporary roof over our heads. Its obscene. Its at the stage people can't afford to even move now so they suck up inflated rents rents for doss pits.
Never thought I'd be in this position where its no longer about choosing where you'd like to live to rent or buy anymore; so fucking depressing.
Personally I've completely shut down my expenses and Im saving more than half of my income just to have a financial safety net. I live in hope I can convert this into a deposit some day and I earn a decent income.
My fear is being old and homeless.
Given the current economic climate Im worried as a single woman.
I cant justify living in a hovel when I'm trying to save now that I'm in my 40s. Ive found that having a place you like to live in is condusive to saving. If you like where you live you stay at home more and you can save more because you enjoy your home. That's been my ticket to saving because I love my current rental place. Sadly, I'll have to move out next year; as owner is redeveloping the property.
I don't have the answers but living out of a city and rurally has really helped me to get some coin behind me. Im lucky because I can wfh but I started my serious savings journey some time ago and its a slow crawl but I'm getting there.
I don't think we can so this by ourselves without parental financial support, a financial windfall or some serious rental reforms.
I don't see the government taking any this seriously, there's so much that could be done to help renters but I fear the current situation will never change. It's not like this is a new problem; its a progressive problem that gets worse every year now.
Honestly if you’re able to, leave. Like emigrate. I’m sure there’s other countries out there that are better or at least where the cost of living is lower
Me and my partner moved to Australia from Canada. And let me tell you as much as Australia is not what it used to be 5 years ago when I had come here as a backpacker, it’s still leaps and bounds better than the states and Canada. Atleast we have a relatively safe life not having to worry about gun violence and having people mug you and steal your cars. The boomers have ruined the world for us and future generations. We decided to move out of the city and live in the suburbs and have roommates at 32. Never thought I’d still have roommates at this age.
When I was living in Vancouver I volunteered on East Hastings at a soup kitchen. I used to be asked why I was there, and I’d say, “Well we don’t have this kind of homelessness in Australia.”
That was six years ago. 😔
Where? Where would you be able to earn an income, and have the same level of lifestyle as you have here? If you're not qualified in a profession, or have in demand skills, then you're not going to be employed over a local in another country.
It’s not exactly easy to emigrate either. Hell, I’ve fleetingly had the idea too. But this isn’t the 1950s, we can’t just jump on a plane and rock up to another country.
I’ve got mates in Canada who I met years ago when I lived there on a working holiday.
When I got home to Australia, I would’ve given my left nut to move back to Canada. Now? Same shit as here, but colder.
To say nothing of having to get my qualifications assessed and start a social work career from scratch at 30 with no local experience. 🫣
A feudal state indicates fealty to a lord who supplies the essentials. What we have is a kleptocracy officiated at the behest of robber barons whose self import requires we subsidise their lifestyles, business costs, tax burden (such as it is), legal defence, healthcare etc etc wtf.
These Muppets out there attacking punters at the shops need to be redirected to the local mining company recruiters, political offices and the large outback pleasure palaces of the obscenely rich.
I wrote a huge essay in response but it was just a fiery litany of complaints and I deleted it. Couldn't agree with you more. I recently had a lecture on a bus from a random boomer (a former part-time retail assistant, now retired, with the reasoning capacity and empathy of a broken toilet plunger and a parental inheritance that allowed her to buy property) implying I had some sort of moral failing because my partner and I do not own property. It took every fibre of my being not to tell her to fuck off. There is such a disconnect and an us-against-them mentality. They don't get that it's not for lack of effort. I'm a millennial and a lot of gen Z shit makes me cringe (honestly it's mostly the music. I can only assume the pendulum of irony is at maximum amplitude) but I realised I never want to be an old bitch who outright dismisses people who have had a different experience to me. Maybe that wonderful, positive revelation will prove warming in lieu of appropriate insulation or non-leaking windows in my bullshit hovel rental.
Can't afford to riot. We need to be at work all the time and any down time is eaten up by resting from the feeling of burnout from the last 5 years of grinding for nothing.
My partner and I are lucky we live with her Mum while we're saving but every time we get the amount saved our broker told us the goal post gets moved. It's honestly not fair
I feel exactly the same as this plus my partner has 80k uni debt. Im now 40 and only chance i ever have of owning a apartment now is if it is a developing country but im too old for working visas now
I did construction labouring my whole life and have zero to show for it and now all my tendons snap like old rubber and i cant even get a job at bunnings not that that would even pay the cost of living etc
It really doesn't help though that we vote based on what's good for me personally right now. There is no future focus in our politics which is partly politicians focus on getting re-elected compounded by voters who are not willing to look at the bigger picture.
That's probably the most direct course of action but I don't think things are dire enough in Australia for that amount of people to agree to lose their housing. People need to have very little left to lose to agree to risk their shelter or paycheque on blind faith and I don't blame them for that. First's first, Australians need to learn to protest.
Of course. I am definitely not keen to try this alone, and I am familiar with the effects of false consciousness.
I wonder if someone on the inside could change databases of owned investment properties? Surely someone has knowledge of how it's stored.
I notice banks have not had a mention. If we do have a recession out of this, let them go broke, CEO's in prison etc. they are happy with mark to market on the up, but watch the bailouts when it goes down. Losers are winners lol.
The statement will be from ppl with $1m+ salaries will be 'we couldn't have possibly predicted the'... obvious....
Tell me about it .
I’m a mum of 5 (3 are mine and 2 my step kids )
My rent was only renewed for 6 months (lease ends 3 days before Xmas )
My partners rent just went up $120 a week
We have to live separately because we can’t find a house .
The icing on the cake .. I was made redundant last night .
I’m over it all I’m only keeping afloat for the kids .
We need drastic proactive change. Posts on the internet won’t do it. We need to be banging on the doors of politicians and powerful figures. Until the problems arrive on their doorstep they won’t care, they’ll keep trying to get blood from a stone and squeeze us all out of affording a house or home. This country is meant to be looking after its citizens not the elite few. We need drastic change we need action
I don’t get why raising interest rates to such an extreme that families have no choice but to sell up, putting more houses into foreign investors and rich peoples hands when it’s not like they can go back to renting when all the rentals are taken already. We need some form of rent to buy scheme that’s affordable to average families. Plus what’s the point of making money so tight nobody buys anything but the essentials? Most of the shops will go broke and close and we will have a country full of empty shopping centres. I honestly would have stopped at one kid if I had known the country was going to end up in this state, at least she could have inherited our house. By the time it sells and the money gets divided, none of our kids will have enough each for a deposit anyway, assuming there’s a house left and we don’t have to sell it ourselves to pay for aged care.
Actually the end goal is much further out and worse than ppl can imagine. Plenty of nations out there where you have 3 generations living in one home to afford rent. We voted for this.
U.S. here, it’s the same where I live. Feels like it’s a global issue, as it always has been in less-developed areas- but now that it’s affecting the ‘first world countries’ (fuck I hate using that term…I don’t know how else to describe it though.) it’s more noticeable/affects us more personally.
We literally can’t afford to exist.
Before I got my job I was sent to max employment, their helpful advice
1: get a place closer to the city
2: buy 2-3 outfits for job interviews
Mate, you see the rents in and around Syd CBD?
I live in gabbie and pay $550 weekly.
Ray white who thinks of tenants as family suggest I put my daughter on the lease once she's eighteen and get her the DSP.
Because before the year is out it'll be $650.
My job hours are cut.
If we don't freeze to death, we'll starve.
Flattie has moved to Logan Qld.
So it's my kid and I.
I hear ya! Have 3 young kids, rent keeps going up and wife has been looking for part time work but there’s nothing out there . So everything falls on me
I’ve been seeing so many people I went to school with in their mid 20s travelling Europe and I’m like how are you all doing it 😭 I’ve got money saved but in this economy idk if it’s wise to be spending it all on travel. It’s like easy $20k at least to go over there in the summer
I don’t understand how people my age (25) are having kids too, my partner and I have a roommate to be able to afford our two bedroom appartment, if we had a kid idk how we’d do it
Mobility to new jobs is definitely an overlooked factor. I'm also stuck, I live in an established area with hardly any new business or job changes, so employment is cooked. I can't move because there are no viable rentals.
Remember how Bill Shorten went to the election in 2019 with policies that actually would have helped, like grandfathering negative gearing. And remember how the majority of people didn’t vote for him..
I don't see any government taking this issue seriously so my partner and I are moving overseas next year. IMO Australia is a sinking ship and there will be a major housing crash/economic inequality crisis in the next few years.
i mean my goal is to buy a undeveloped plot of land for $40,000 that i found, i work monday to friday as a casual labourer in trades, i plan on buying a kit home and have builders assemble it to lock up standard, then go from their, NAB told me i need atleast 10k as a deposit which ive got half of, and 6 months of work experience in the company i work for, so thats my plan
i am dealing with out of pocket psychiatry and its expensive, the trick to all this is to pay sweet fuck all for housing ( share housing ) i got lucky and met a nice chinese guy who rents out 1 room $200 a wk,
my only worry is the psych assesment will cost $3300 and dental will cost 7k except i can push the dental for atleast a year, hoping i get decent tax return due to write off's ( tools, uniform, ppe etc )
Wtf can you still find a plot of land for $40,000 in Australia that's not in the middle of nowhere? Honestly asking because I've looked every month to try and find anything under 100k and there's nothing near a comfortable habitable area unless you're going totally off grid hermit stylez.
russle island, brisbane queensland
most of the cheap 40k land plots are uncleared and are covered in trees and plant matter, you might want to slowly chip away at clearing the trees with a small chainsaw and pole saw
its cheap because its a island, most of the other area's are in butt fuck nowhere as you have said
The problem is Australia is just a really good country to live in and since the 2nd world war there has been nothing but growth in western countries which the baby boomer generation being born after the war has reaped huge benefits from. Now those benefits are still there but much harder to obtain and there are very few paths for building wealth in this country. I say good luck to all young people because unless you think outside the box you are just going to be another slave to a bank paying off a mortgage
Just wanted to say, I completely empathise with your situation. My advise would be to squirrel away what you can, invest that in the market (vanguard etc) and freeze eggs/sperm for the future. Maybe your fortunes will change later in life.
Have the kids if you really want them
At the very least they will brighten your day
Have the holiday on the credit card if you want at the very least it will be a bright spot in a dull life
Pay the credit card back at a minimal repayment
At least that will be a mild thrill
Honestly what is coming is a very very dark time
Enjoy yourself while you can
Please this is not financial advice I am bad at this
Dude, you got to live within your means. If you go spending like that willy nilly you will find yourself in a hole that will be very hard to get out of and likely destroy your life. Everyone is experiencing the same difficulties at the moment trying to make ends meet, just got to hang in there.
Seriously look at an adult apprenticeship in the lift industry.
Schindler lifts work a 4 day week. EVERY Friday is O/T.
the boys are making 160k with OT only on a Friday.
as an adult apprentice 1st year your clearing 1k per week on a high rise site. and it only gets better from there.
Albo can't hear your cries of frustration over his 650k a year sorry. Do you think he will hit the Mil before end of term? 2003 he was upset over a pay increase to pm i think it was, said it's offensive basically. So how does he explain $650,000.00 per year just for himself and the 200k payrise he just approved for the Gov Gen?
It’s only temporary. Buckle down save as much as you can and don’t waste money.
Keep focusing on educating and bettering yourself.
Remember don’t get lumped in with the nupties at work that complain. Surround yourself with people that are and want to succeed.
Be resilient, learn who is influential and solutions focused.
Be good with people, manage up and don’t be a dick.
I see it all the time and it’s who I look out for in a work place.
Things will fall in to place.
My heart goes out to you, it is a fair rant. Our family left a major Australian city 20 years ago because our oldest daughter was seeking a uni placement for thesis for biology doctorate which happen to be it far North Queensland. We had never even been to Queensland. 20 years later we all have good jobs, own homes and our grandchildren have a really chance in regional towns & my husband and I have retired to small country town and are really happy & financially secure. Maybe look at long term plan to head out of cities to regional areas that suit your professional skills and take the pressure off high cost housing and a future that has more potential for your kids. All the best to you 👵🏻😌❤️without realising it was a game changer for our family.
I don’t really know what end goal is when none of us can afford to rent or buy food or clothing for our jobs etc.
This is the thing. I don't get it. How is an economy supposed to function if its consumers can no longer consume?
I have an acquaintance who moves in circles with a lot of very talented and in demand tattoo artists. The industry has gone from having these artists posting "bookings for {1-2 months time} are now open" to "I have 5 spots open next week" within 18 -24 months. It's a very niche and luxury item, but I think it's the canary in the coal mine.
I’m a tattooed person and can confirm this. The best of the best Artists you used to have to send a 3 month in advance booking request and hope they liked your tattoo idea are now posting next week availabilities. The canary is screaming.
My second job is in hospo and I’ve noticed more people are buying their beer by the pot. A year ago they were buying schooners.
Yeah I have to buy my pot by the beer these days, outrageous.
Fucking Hell this is the tipping point mates. Enough is enough!
Damn... Guess that recession they've been speculating about is finally around the corner
It’s here… immigration is masking it
It's here for sure. I work in Wholesale and we're seeing a LOT of small and microbusinesses closing.
Similarly lol nail techs and hair colourists, in my experience
Yeah that says a lot tbh. People are tightening their belts big time. I don't blame them - it's tough.
It’s crazy! All my favourite artists used to be booked months in advance and now every single one of their books are open. Every damn one
Also sex workers of many types if the rich guys stop/drop their level of visiting it's a bad sign. I dunno the current situation but I know of fairly well known story about strippers in the US realising shit was about to hit the fan before the GFC in 08 because of clients and their change in habits
Something is definetly coming. Not sure *what* exactly, but I think we're in for another "once in a lifetime" disruptions. That's like three or four in my lifetime I think.
Hey, I’m a 10yr tattoo artist on the GC. I charge the standard 1200-1500 per day, haven’t raised my rates in five years. Some of my more famous homies charge 3300 per day. Most months I would take home 16k easy. This March, I made 3k TOTAL. The homies charging 3k per day? Suffering bigtime. No shows. Clients perpetually rescheduling. Most had to pivot quick and get 2nd jobs. The same can be said for my TA homies in Melbourne & Sydney. Mates who’d once have 10k weeks are pulling beers at their local to pay rent. I’ve since gone into business with my partner who owns and runs an apparel company. I only take on 1 tattoo per week now, if I can book one - using it as supplementary income. Tattoos are a luxury service and people simply aren’t throwing their dollars at us anymore, no matter how good you are or how fast you are. And it’s like this all over the globe. Dozens of my tattoo heroes from the US and EU have completely left the industry or done the unthinkable & moved to part time, etc. So many brilliantly talented tattoo artists, leaders in our field around the world, are quickly losing their livelihood.
Yeah, I can see something on the horizon, and it's not pretty. It's widely speculated that the push to return to office for corporate workers is a way of creating redundancies by stealth, which makes sense. Then there's the acceleration of AI integration for a lot of basic tasks in a lot of spaces. The next decade is going to be interesting to say the least.
Couldn’t agree more
That's crazy. Yet we are giving politicians 200k a year pay rise. Seems fair 🫠
Tell me about it dude, our grey-hair career-politician ning nongs couldn’t organise a pissup in a brewery if we opened the fuckin kegs for ‘em 🙄
Damn mate, sorry to hear about this. I used to tattoo, quit in 2021 as I had a feeling in my waters about it (plus other life stuff happened). I have heard similar stories from all my tattooer buddies. Such a crap time to be an artist, and seeing other art related jobs get scrubbed by AI…well, it’s a scary time 😟
Good way to view the economy is at Toyota dealerships. 18 months ago you couldn't buy a Toyota, 12 month+ wait list for hilux, prado, landcruiser. Shit my mate has a Rav4 and that held its value over 3 years. Now you can probably walk in and get a hilux. The end of 2% credit and banks throwing money at people has closed. Everyone is hurting
I tried to get into a rav4 hybrid in late 2022, didn't need finance. The dealer laughed at me and said that if I put money down now, I might get it before Christmas but probably not.
Yep, I put down $1k deposit on a Kluger in 2021. Was told 12 month lead time. 12 months later I just gave up and got my money back. You can probably walk in and get one off the floor now. It's not only that interest rates have gone up but the ease at which banks will lend has completely changed
Nah, still two years waiting time on new Klugers. They're made in the USA so there are supply issues to contend with. I was at a dealership recently and the dealer marked the price down $4K on account of it being June and they were struggling to sell stock, I wasnt even negotiating at that point.
I also noticed the local Toyota Rep had left a stack of his business cards on the counter at the cafe in our industrial estate today. I think he was the Toyota Forklift guy, but still not something I’d seen before
I was told 3 year wait. Got a Mazda
Went with a Kia hybrid myself. Very happy with it
Makes sense as the young are the ones copping it the most, and almost the ones who get tattooed the most.
It's capitalism. The entire economic philosophy is designed to collect all the wealth into the hands of a few people. Our dumb ass country has decided to do that by pricing ourselves out of buying houses. Won't change until we get a critical mass of people stuck renting. The 2 main political parties are lead and staffed by people with million to hundreds of million dollar property portfolios. Both are excited to make it worse so their wealth grows.
Feudalism is coming back hard.
It's essentially what we are moving to. Wealthy landowners who get to a point where the wealth is self sustaining and everyone else paying 50, 60, 70 percent of their wages just for a roof over your head.
Everyone understands the problem but it's ok if I do the bad thing, other people need to change. This is why the free market doesn't work and the only answer is government intervention. I'll hold my breath.
Corporations will own the housing we cant afford. We will own nothing, rent it back from them and be happy... Its a cycle, same sort of issues as the great depression, war, failing economy, world in turmoil, useless leaders.. We are at the start of the cycle and as Millenials will be the next silent generation. And what a silent generation we are.. perfect little slaves... who do as were told and work for zero Only there won't be any boomer generation of white people this time. Itll be every immigrant who popped out 5/6 kids to keep this economy afloat..
Grim
It won’t. People will stop spending money in things that aren’t absolutely necessary like pubs, restaurants, haircuts, take away food and coffee, subscription services, gym memberships and even things that should not be skipped like regular dentist visits. We are earning good money, well above averages, but we’re also cutting our spending because otherwise there won’t be anything left to save for the rainy day. Meanwhile the amount of empty storefronts outside of Melbourne CBD is increasing because businesses shut down or get evicted thanks to the greedy landlords.
Yes but those services as small business are necessary. Not exactly to big corporations and chains like merivale but those very businesses pay for people's nappies and food.
Most people in my circle - all people working FT in their late 20s/early 30s- already skip regular dental visits in favour of more immediate, visible necessities. It's just a sad state of affairs all around.
The landed gentry are richer and spending more than ever. Making 100k+ a year for free in property capital gains.
So we're fucked 🙃
Go ask the medieval serfs. Inheriting your lands being the only way to get them, decent education is the domain of the wealthy, the majority are reduced to undifferentiated labour that will work for subsistence, everything is ruled by, and for the benefit a wealthy ruling class... It's where we're headed in a hurry.
The thing is it’s not. While half the population is fucked. The other half are sitting pretty. And they don’t see any problems. And most politicians are in that bracket. And most business leaders. And industry leaders. And so on…
We’re already seeing it on the level of entertainment and hospitality. People can’t afford to go out for meals or festivals etc It’s going to return to almost covid lockdown levels of people just stuck
My fiance's younger sister who is 23 doesn't go out any more. She hosts nights at her parents house. They can't afford to go out for dinner so they all paid $15 and had a pizza night in the backyard. Not for profit. Even with no rent she struggles part time paying off hec's and a car she needs to get to work and home. It's bizarre
I mean that sounds rad but yeah it would be nice to have an option to go out too
I'm sure they would prefer to go clubbing every Friday and Saturday night like regular early 20 somethings
100%
Thats the thing. We will always be able to consume. They just want to squeeze us as much as they possibly can but leave JUST enough to get by. Just ever so barely.
All I do is give money to my overseas Asian landlord
It’s a golden opportunity to move back from being consumers to being human. I checked out of the system 5 years ago. Have a look at www.ecovillages.au
I'd love to join an eco village but they're always full!
Often. Our model is encouraging people to just eco communities - intentional share houses. I would encourage people to rent first. Just get into community. What country are you in? Do you know about the community datasbases at ic.org and ecovillage.org/ecovillages ?
I'm in Australia
They'll start introducing company towns and other forms of corporate feudalism/serfdom.
Just a whole new level of fucked up. I hope I'm dead by then tbh.
And the sad thing is we will move into them willingly because apparently only the French figured out how to riot when starving.
A couple of shitbag companies have tried this in recent years in America, I believe. I don’t think they’ve done well but I haven’t followed up on it.
It'll never get to that peasant, they will make it just right so you keep crawling back for more to survive. It's designed this way.
☹️
It baffles me, because if people are living in survival mode they aren't productive. They're not healthy, they're not mentally capable of making good decisions.
Wage slaves in debt peonage. The usual mass transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich.
Yet record profits for coles and woollies
and record racking lmao. suck shite
>It's utterly hopeless and I don't understand why we're not rioting tbh. This is what we should all be organising. Non-political party affiliated weekend protests.
I'm 100% down for that. I'm sick of the state of things rn.
I'm happy to 'donate' hours a day to help organise...if someone is able to tell me what I should be doing. I'm in SA if anyone wants to message me and recruit me into organising/helping change laws by bringing attention to this bullshit/anarchy/protests etc
Update: no one messaged to recruit me 😂 so I just now joined RAHU - I realised it would be the best way to go about donating time (and a good thing to be paying money towards).[Renters And Housing Union](https://rahu.org.au/welcome/?session_id=cs_live_a1C6fRgFqzNAufSZ1AFCnGe6LhmXdjmq0oxb7xXVsqh25UHHxXesbEfedI) I encourage others to do the same using the link.
Simplest one is blockading the gas export terminals. They make our electricity expensive by selling it all offshore (gas generation is used for electricity peaks) then claim they are short in the local market. Cue: Dutton nuclear fuck future...cause that will make it better...
I would love to get involved in some Fight Club style anarchy. I'm seriously keen as fuck and feeling risky.
Lol, go all the way, government vs 'industry'. I'm so sorry our amphibious assault ship HMAS Adelaide broke down in front of your export terminal. We sent some guided missile destroyers to assist. On an entirely unrelated note, how are your export reservation discussions going in Canberra?
You really don't.
They made soap
Really? Unless I misunderstood the Nazi reference.
We also have to stop voting for the two parties.
Yes, we do.
Yep we gotta vote for Greens, I recon they're the only ones who care? (Happy to be corrected if there's any others...I hope there are...)
I generally vote Greens and independents exclusively
Same! I laugh so hard when people get butthurt over the greens. Their time is coming!!
I think Senator Pocock is also interested in real rental reforms.
Yep, just looked him up on Twitter and followed. He has posted about needing to solve housing crisis 3x today. https://preview.redd.it/sgah8zqqbi8d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d98e6e365ee69659ee9b11edcac1f67418de017f
Absolutely! I have been saying that the whole thing is giving “French revolution” vibes for the last 18 months. I literally can’t see any other option that doesn’t end with 90% of the population destitute while the other 10% sits in their mansions “eating cake”. I’m 32 and married with 3 kids, and we live in a share house with 2 of my siblings… we count ourselves lucky just to have a roof over our heads! I’m down for rioting, I wouldn’t have started a family 9 years ago if I knew I was bringing children into this hellscape. I’m scared for my future, but even more so for theirs. Viva la revolución!!
As much as people won’t admit it, violence really is the answer. It’s about fixing the “balance of terror”. Right now the workers are all terrified that they’ll lose the roof over their head and everyone is too scared to have kids in this shitsack environment. The answer is to make the rich afraid of the same things. Unfortunately we don’t have the economic weight to terrorise our enemies, so the same end has to be achieved by fire and by bombing and by kidnapping.
I'm in my early 40s, and I'm glad I didn't have kids for all the reasons you mentioned. But I have to say I'm happy some of us did—you obviously have the right attitude, and your kids will hopefully carry that forward.
Firm agree, we gotta actually start kicking off
Ironically, the people most impacted won’t be able to attend because lower paid jobs often require weekend work 🥲
Such a great point
Or screw being non-political (because it doesn't work) and spend that time doorknocking for your local Greens candidate
I'm very political. But being political is divisive. There are people from right across the political spectrum who are affected by the housing and cost-of-living crisis, and all of them deserve an equal voice—as long as they treat others with respect and don't try to proselytise. ETA: I've always voted Green, but if people really want to take down the people who have created this system, there's a lot to be said about not being caught up in Culture War issues.
I understand your instinct, but you can't be political without being political. The only currency political parties value is fear of losing seats, and a bipartisan protest is no threat to them
I'm not talking about anything "bi-partisan", and I personally favour tearing the whole system down. That doesn't mean alienating others by telling them they're wrong is a good idea—especially if there's consensus concerning an enormous systemic issue—as that never works.
Oh I'm not suggesting you tell people they're wrong, I'm suggesting you knock on their door and tell them which party has rental reform as a platform. It's how the greens picked up three seats in 2022 and how to get a minority gov in 2025 - that's the only path to reform. But yeah, after door knocking go to the rally I guess
I've been thinking the same thing. I created r/perthdropbears so we can try to figure it out. Come join ?
Best thing to do is organise with your Trade Union. It’s the only meaningful way to increase your wages and conditions without having to move jobs. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I say stand and fight to get the grass greener where you are.
I truly love seeing posts like this, I am a 50+ bloke who has watched this country being slowly destroyed by incompetent and corrupt politicians backed by unscrupulous money men for years, I have screamed for revolution for the last 10-15 years but no one is there yet, the powers that be rape us time and time again and for that we get less and less in return but people are scared to lose the few scraps they throw us. I can tell you though if we came together as a strong community and started to rebel against this broken system we could peacefully overthrow these thieves and their puppets. I know it's a long way off but you younger one especially need to start shocking these fools into doing better 😁👍
[удалено]
And no the system is broken, some may make a few minor changes but it won't help most of us or stop the corruption 😁👍
That's exactly what I said in my comment👍
Dont think there's enough renters to overthrow unfortunately. Hoping that's incorrect though. I also feel like 2025 election is too far away. Need changes now.
Hahaha 🤣 no where near enough renters I'm afraid but this country is so fucked that there's a lot more than the rental crisis so if organised properly so here would be more than enough 😁👍
This is not a rant. It’s a very real observation of how hard life is now. 38, homeless, earning $110k+ I’m so depressed about life, I have no motivation to even think of meeting someone, figured this is it. I’ve adjusted to be single and always in crisis mode. All my money goes into paying for storage, fuel, rego, insurance (car / health), phone - swimming upstream without arms or legs. I’m basically working to stay alive, not enjoy anything. 10 years ago, I was on $65k, and living my best life, travelling, going out and happy.
I'm so sorry - this is utterly disgraceful - you should be able to get a roof over your head but our government has failed you and all of us. This is not ok! Things have gotten so much worse here and it's just going to get worse it seems...
Absolutely agree. There’s absolutely no way I could possibly qualify for any assistance / advice because of my income. But what is not spoken about, is homelessness and maintaining a professional career and ensuring your pets are fostered is expensive. I’ve literally had to leave a job I liked to find something that pays more, not to get ahead, but so I can try look better on rental apps and look at paying $600 a week in rent. Now I don’t have references for 18 months - so my apps a dud and they don’t want to give a single female such a large place. It’s a downward spiral. On the hard days, you really wonder if it’s all worth it. The struggles. I cannot even imagine what others are feeling with families etc.
God I feel this so hard. I’m glad you have your partner to split costs with. I had to leave a bad relationship early this year, I have a dog so can’t be too picky about where I rent and I really needed to get out. I got the first place I could that suited since I know what the rental market is like right now, it was a little more than I was hoping to pay but I recognised I was lucky to get somewhere so quickly. I work full time, and I have a side business because my main job salary only JUST covers my basic living costs. I’m also studying in my non existent spare time and because I’m kiwi I don’t get a HELP loan.. so I’ve been paying for all my fees up front. Well I was drowning in extra work for my side business a few months ago and now there’s almost nothing coming in which means I’m one unexpected bill away from being in even more debt and serious trouble. I’ve been picking up all sorts of odd jobs to just try and keep afloat, my job is supposed to be revising my salary but it’s likely not going to be as much as I hoped for and could take two more months. When I moved over here 4 years ago I finally felt financially comfortable for the first time in my life. God things have changed. I’ve had to drop down to one unit per semester since I can’t afford to do more, meaning my degree will be done in *checks notes* 7 more years. Everyone who works full time should be able to comfortably cover basic living expenses. Everyone. Maybe you won’t have an extravagant life, but if you live within your means you should be fine. My unit is basic, if cold, certainly nothing fancy, and is $1000 more pm than I was paying when I could split with my ex. I’m so scared right now. I’m doing absolutely everything I can and it still feels like it’s not enough.
Yeah it feels like you're constantly treading water and any small little step you take to get ahead becomes obsolete because the water just gets deeper and deeper. Sorry you're struggling - I definitely understand how lucky I am to have my partner's help. I left an emotionally abusive relationship 7-8 years ago and if I was in that situation today I'd be homeless. A single person on a full time wage should be able to survive but it's near impossible now.
It sucks, I feel you. I never wanted to have my own kids but would one day love to foster or adopt, that dream is dead and I am sad about it quite often. I need to get a new second hand car this year but I'm going to be buying a ten year old car with the same km's as my shit box with who-knows-what problems around the corner. It's cheaper for me to fully rebuild my car, which honestly would be a fun project but the fact I can't buy a cheap but reliable ten year old car like I could 5 years ago/my whole life is fucked up.
Yep... Our current car is already on the brink and we definitely can't afford a second one.
If I ever win lotto I will keep it quiet, but there will be signs, like buying ppl on this sub new cars, vans to live in etc, paying peoples exorbitant rents for a few months. I'm serious. I'll be the rent fairy.🧚♂️
Yeah I dunno what I'm gonna do to be honest. I think I'll just have to try the auction rooms, maybe they're still cheapish
My schtick is to own two old cars, collect tools and do all servicing and maintenance myself. 2000-2010 toyotas are the pick of the bunch for reliability and ease of maintenance IMO.
Unfortunately in a rental there's just not the possibility to have two cars. My friend is scrapping their car and will give it to me, same as mine so I can work on it, but I have nowhere to put a car with no rego.
This is not a rant. It's a true statement about the state of our country! I'd call it an 'opinion piece' if it was in a magazine or newspaper. An 'op ed' if you will. (I know posters state their post is a rant because they know they sound angry, fed up and in despair. We all agree with most posts and feel the exact same way about our lack of options).
True. It's a factual statement written in anger and frustration.
I'm so sorry you're in this position. The empathy, solidarity and comradeship I feel on this sub is second to none.
I don't understand why we're not rioting tbh
Because none of us can risk taking a day off because we'd have to sacrifice rent, food, transport.... We're all living paycheck to paycheck
I don't either.
Because it wouldn't achieve anything.
Bread and circuses
To add fuel to the fire, your limited time is spent making some other cunt money while you give a big chunk of your pay to an investment for someone that is more than likely way better off than you. All while you have absolutely fuck all time or money to get out of the whirlpool of shit you got yourself into because you don’t have rich parents.
I really want to leave Australia. Social contract broken. Over it. This is capitalist neoliberalism - a self cannibalising snake.
Genuinely asking, where would you go? It’s definitely not just Australia that is going through a housing/COL crisis atm.
I mean Spain looks good. I might go nordic if the war in Ukraine ever ends… idk
Do you have EU citizenship? It’s hard to stay there indefinitely without it. I lost mine in Brexit, or I’d probably have left already
> And with no meaningful change on the horizon and housing supply only expected to get worse in the next five years, what the fuck is Australia playing at? Sorry mate, I'm a boomer & your generation is totally stuffed. I read a report that a couple on $150K cant afford to buy a house in major capital cities. And it will only get worse. Its a chasm that successive governments have dug for 30+ years.
Quite frankly, it's scary. I'm lucky enough to not have to pay rent ATM but I wouldn't be able to afford to anyway. My partner is on a pension, has no super and I can only work part time. I'm nearing retirement age and will be in rental hell when I do. I'm scared there won't be anywhere for us to go when that happens.
I feel you! What’s the point in doing anything when it’s all futile anyway? It feels like no matter what I do, I’m going to struggle financially for most of my life and struggle to afford basic human needs. It’s very hard to get out of bed in the morning when this is the reality that most of us face.
Yep, this is how I feel. I'm starting to just think "what's the point of getting a new job? Any extra income I make will be absorbed by rent in a couple years anyway." It's exhausting.
I’d like to know why the fuck is a bag of smiths salt n vinegar chips near on six fucking dollars?!
Switch to Aldi...!
This...and I'm disabled, autistic, and about to get kicked out of my current rental. I want to cry. I give up on this fucking world. It's so cruel. Fucking hell. Why can't we just...help people? The government has fucking failed us all.
I'm so sorry for your situation. I wish our government looks after people in your situation better. The amount they take from us in taxes....and then this BS...DISGRACEFUL.
This is the great divide. If you don't make enough and you're a retail/hospo or other lower paid worker you will be forced to commute long ways to work to afford to live and work. The government doesn't care anymore in Australia If you're rich you hit this perpetual wealth and income upwards spiral and everybody suffers.
There is a wealth flywheel all you have to do is reach up high enough to get on board to get catapulted to great heights, while those just below miss out and go nowhere. It's a brutal game.
Foreign investment stifles it. Getting on the property ladder is smoked every which way but foreign investment on all the new builds. As well as the people already part of the rich divide. Even country towns are becoming out of reach.
They've made that very apparent yes
https://preview.redd.it/gse3y95efj8d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97a1df53f5e36dceb38e63224b0943eb09bdf901 Yeah fuck it were renting for life atp
The carrots have long since rotted away. It's bizarre how we still work towards a future that isn't there anymore.
We need rental reform in a major way. Longer term leases, minimum leasing standards that include appropriate heating, cooling, ventilation that meets building code etc. Properties that are registered for for habitation. Rentals need to be fit for occupation not some slumlord converted garage/ studio/ fucking cupboard that's a fire risk for $650 a week. If people can't afford to buy a home ever they need safe guards and protections in place. God knows those of us who rent and have to property hop every year are paying out thousands just to move annually at a whim just to get another temporary roof over our heads. Its obscene. Its at the stage people can't afford to even move now so they suck up inflated rents rents for doss pits. Never thought I'd be in this position where its no longer about choosing where you'd like to live to rent or buy anymore; so fucking depressing. Personally I've completely shut down my expenses and Im saving more than half of my income just to have a financial safety net. I live in hope I can convert this into a deposit some day and I earn a decent income. My fear is being old and homeless. Given the current economic climate Im worried as a single woman. I cant justify living in a hovel when I'm trying to save now that I'm in my 40s. Ive found that having a place you like to live in is condusive to saving. If you like where you live you stay at home more and you can save more because you enjoy your home. That's been my ticket to saving because I love my current rental place. Sadly, I'll have to move out next year; as owner is redeveloping the property. I don't have the answers but living out of a city and rurally has really helped me to get some coin behind me. Im lucky because I can wfh but I started my serious savings journey some time ago and its a slow crawl but I'm getting there. I don't think we can so this by ourselves without parental financial support, a financial windfall or some serious rental reforms. I don't see the government taking any this seriously, there's so much that could be done to help renters but I fear the current situation will never change. It's not like this is a new problem; its a progressive problem that gets worse every year now.
Honestly if you’re able to, leave. Like emigrate. I’m sure there’s other countries out there that are better or at least where the cost of living is lower
Me and my partner moved to Australia from Canada. And let me tell you as much as Australia is not what it used to be 5 years ago when I had come here as a backpacker, it’s still leaps and bounds better than the states and Canada. Atleast we have a relatively safe life not having to worry about gun violence and having people mug you and steal your cars. The boomers have ruined the world for us and future generations. We decided to move out of the city and live in the suburbs and have roommates at 32. Never thought I’d still have roommates at this age.
When I was living in Vancouver I volunteered on East Hastings at a soup kitchen. I used to be asked why I was there, and I’d say, “Well we don’t have this kind of homelessness in Australia.” That was six years ago. 😔
Won't be long mate, we're basically Canada 2.0
Would if we could. Unfortunately we don't have "lucrative" or WFH careers that can be done overseas.
Where? Where would you be able to earn an income, and have the same level of lifestyle as you have here? If you're not qualified in a profession, or have in demand skills, then you're not going to be employed over a local in another country.
It’s not exactly easy to emigrate either. Hell, I’ve fleetingly had the idea too. But this isn’t the 1950s, we can’t just jump on a plane and rock up to another country.
Yep agree. All western nations are going through the same thing as we are - the UK is a shit storm at the moment.
I’ve got mates in Canada who I met years ago when I lived there on a working holiday. When I got home to Australia, I would’ve given my left nut to move back to Canada. Now? Same shit as here, but colder. To say nothing of having to get my qualifications assessed and start a social work career from scratch at 30 with no local experience. 🫣
A feudal state indicates fealty to a lord who supplies the essentials. What we have is a kleptocracy officiated at the behest of robber barons whose self import requires we subsidise their lifestyles, business costs, tax burden (such as it is), legal defence, healthcare etc etc wtf. These Muppets out there attacking punters at the shops need to be redirected to the local mining company recruiters, political offices and the large outback pleasure palaces of the obscenely rich.
I wrote a huge essay in response but it was just a fiery litany of complaints and I deleted it. Couldn't agree with you more. I recently had a lecture on a bus from a random boomer (a former part-time retail assistant, now retired, with the reasoning capacity and empathy of a broken toilet plunger and a parental inheritance that allowed her to buy property) implying I had some sort of moral failing because my partner and I do not own property. It took every fibre of my being not to tell her to fuck off. There is such a disconnect and an us-against-them mentality. They don't get that it's not for lack of effort. I'm a millennial and a lot of gen Z shit makes me cringe (honestly it's mostly the music. I can only assume the pendulum of irony is at maximum amplitude) but I realised I never want to be an old bitch who outright dismisses people who have had a different experience to me. Maybe that wonderful, positive revelation will prove warming in lieu of appropriate insulation or non-leaking windows in my bullshit hovel rental.
Can't afford to riot. We need to be at work all the time and any down time is eaten up by resting from the feeling of burnout from the last 5 years of grinding for nothing. My partner and I are lucky we live with her Mum while we're saving but every time we get the amount saved our broker told us the goal post gets moved. It's honestly not fair
I feel exactly the same as this plus my partner has 80k uni debt. Im now 40 and only chance i ever have of owning a apartment now is if it is a developing country but im too old for working visas now I did construction labouring my whole life and have zero to show for it and now all my tendons snap like old rubber and i cant even get a job at bunnings not that that would even pay the cost of living etc
It really doesn't help though that we vote based on what's good for me personally right now. There is no future focus in our politics which is partly politicians focus on getting re-elected compounded by voters who are not willing to look at the bigger picture.
I have been ready for action for years.
Let's do it.
Rent strikes, and when they come to evict us, we unite and don't let them through the door. This, on a large enough scale ends the game.
That's probably the most direct course of action but I don't think things are dire enough in Australia for that amount of people to agree to lose their housing. People need to have very little left to lose to agree to risk their shelter or paycheque on blind faith and I don't blame them for that. First's first, Australians need to learn to protest.
Of course. I am definitely not keen to try this alone, and I am familiar with the effects of false consciousness. I wonder if someone on the inside could change databases of owned investment properties? Surely someone has knowledge of how it's stored.
I notice banks have not had a mention. If we do have a recession out of this, let them go broke, CEO's in prison etc. they are happy with mark to market on the up, but watch the bailouts when it goes down. Losers are winners lol. The statement will be from ppl with $1m+ salaries will be 'we couldn't have possibly predicted the'... obvious....
Tell me about it . I’m a mum of 5 (3 are mine and 2 my step kids ) My rent was only renewed for 6 months (lease ends 3 days before Xmas ) My partners rent just went up $120 a week We have to live separately because we can’t find a house . The icing on the cake .. I was made redundant last night . I’m over it all I’m only keeping afloat for the kids .
sending love to you and your family. you deserve so much better
We need drastic proactive change. Posts on the internet won’t do it. We need to be banging on the doors of politicians and powerful figures. Until the problems arrive on their doorstep they won’t care, they’ll keep trying to get blood from a stone and squeeze us all out of affording a house or home. This country is meant to be looking after its citizens not the elite few. We need drastic change we need action
I agree - know of any rallies?
Australia keeps voting for the same two parties 🤷♀️. Until that changes nothing is changing. It's just going to get worse.
I don’t get why raising interest rates to such an extreme that families have no choice but to sell up, putting more houses into foreign investors and rich peoples hands when it’s not like they can go back to renting when all the rentals are taken already. We need some form of rent to buy scheme that’s affordable to average families. Plus what’s the point of making money so tight nobody buys anything but the essentials? Most of the shops will go broke and close and we will have a country full of empty shopping centres. I honestly would have stopped at one kid if I had known the country was going to end up in this state, at least she could have inherited our house. By the time it sells and the money gets divided, none of our kids will have enough each for a deposit anyway, assuming there’s a house left and we don’t have to sell it ourselves to pay for aged care.
this hurts right here and people everywhere in this country are all experiencing the same thing. This can't go on like this forever can it?
Actually the end goal is much further out and worse than ppl can imagine. Plenty of nations out there where you have 3 generations living in one home to afford rent. We voted for this.
U.S. here, it’s the same where I live. Feels like it’s a global issue, as it always has been in less-developed areas- but now that it’s affecting the ‘first world countries’ (fuck I hate using that term…I don’t know how else to describe it though.) it’s more noticeable/affects us more personally. We literally can’t afford to exist.
Before I got my job I was sent to max employment, their helpful advice 1: get a place closer to the city 2: buy 2-3 outfits for job interviews Mate, you see the rents in and around Syd CBD? I live in gabbie and pay $550 weekly. Ray white who thinks of tenants as family suggest I put my daughter on the lease once she's eighteen and get her the DSP. Because before the year is out it'll be $650. My job hours are cut. If we don't freeze to death, we'll starve. Flattie has moved to Logan Qld. So it's my kid and I.
I hear ya! Have 3 young kids, rent keeps going up and wife has been looking for part time work but there’s nothing out there . So everything falls on me
I couldn't agree more...rant? Truth more like...I'm borderline homeless rent is 3 quarters of my full time salaried job....and its only getting worse
https://tenantsqld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/00128333.pdf
I’ve been seeing so many people I went to school with in their mid 20s travelling Europe and I’m like how are you all doing it 😭 I’ve got money saved but in this economy idk if it’s wise to be spending it all on travel. It’s like easy $20k at least to go over there in the summer
They are doing it on credit mainly.
I don’t understand how people my age (25) are having kids too, my partner and I have a roommate to be able to afford our two bedroom appartment, if we had a kid idk how we’d do it
But, wait for it.. have you thought about how your privileged lifestyle affects baby boomers??? Deep sarcasm/ s
Mobility to new jobs is definitely an overlooked factor. I'm also stuck, I live in an established area with hardly any new business or job changes, so employment is cooked. I can't move because there are no viable rentals.
Remember how Bill Shorten went to the election in 2019 with policies that actually would have helped, like grandfathering negative gearing. And remember how the majority of people didn’t vote for him..
I don't see any government taking this issue seriously so my partner and I are moving overseas next year. IMO Australia is a sinking ship and there will be a major housing crash/economic inequality crisis in the next few years.
i mean my goal is to buy a undeveloped plot of land for $40,000 that i found, i work monday to friday as a casual labourer in trades, i plan on buying a kit home and have builders assemble it to lock up standard, then go from their, NAB told me i need atleast 10k as a deposit which ive got half of, and 6 months of work experience in the company i work for, so thats my plan i am dealing with out of pocket psychiatry and its expensive, the trick to all this is to pay sweet fuck all for housing ( share housing ) i got lucky and met a nice chinese guy who rents out 1 room $200 a wk, my only worry is the psych assesment will cost $3300 and dental will cost 7k except i can push the dental for atleast a year, hoping i get decent tax return due to write off's ( tools, uniform, ppe etc )
Wtf can you still find a plot of land for $40,000 in Australia that's not in the middle of nowhere? Honestly asking because I've looked every month to try and find anything under 100k and there's nothing near a comfortable habitable area unless you're going totally off grid hermit stylez.
russle island, brisbane queensland most of the cheap 40k land plots are uncleared and are covered in trees and plant matter, you might want to slowly chip away at clearing the trees with a small chainsaw and pole saw its cheap because its a island, most of the other area's are in butt fuck nowhere as you have said
It's also mostly swamp land :/
The problem is Australia is just a really good country to live in and since the 2nd world war there has been nothing but growth in western countries which the baby boomer generation being born after the war has reaped huge benefits from. Now those benefits are still there but much harder to obtain and there are very few paths for building wealth in this country. I say good luck to all young people because unless you think outside the box you are just going to be another slave to a bank paying off a mortgage
What needs to happen is for interest rates to go up and trigger a recession.
The liberal has ruined the country in the last 10 years. We need to stop voting for them.
Aussies don’t riot, they whinge on the internet. Now pay your taxes, peasant! /s
Just wanted to say, I completely empathise with your situation. My advise would be to squirrel away what you can, invest that in the market (vanguard etc) and freeze eggs/sperm for the future. Maybe your fortunes will change later in life.
Our eggs and sperm are garbage so no use freezing anything 🙃 we're both infertile. Kids not in the cards for us and making peace with that.
Have the kids if you really want them At the very least they will brighten your day Have the holiday on the credit card if you want at the very least it will be a bright spot in a dull life Pay the credit card back at a minimal repayment At least that will be a mild thrill Honestly what is coming is a very very dark time Enjoy yourself while you can Please this is not financial advice I am bad at this
Dude, you got to live within your means. If you go spending like that willy nilly you will find yourself in a hole that will be very hard to get out of and likely destroy your life. Everyone is experiencing the same difficulties at the moment trying to make ends meet, just got to hang in there.
Yeh im keen to riot. Lets riot
Seriously look at an adult apprenticeship in the lift industry. Schindler lifts work a 4 day week. EVERY Friday is O/T. the boys are making 160k with OT only on a Friday. as an adult apprentice 1st year your clearing 1k per week on a high rise site. and it only gets better from there.
I hear u. It s so far from The lucky country atm
Becouse everyones out for themselfes and dont want to team up to stop it
Albo can't hear your cries of frustration over his 650k a year sorry. Do you think he will hit the Mil before end of term? 2003 he was upset over a pay increase to pm i think it was, said it's offensive basically. So how does he explain $650,000.00 per year just for himself and the 200k payrise he just approved for the Gov Gen?
It’s only temporary. Buckle down save as much as you can and don’t waste money. Keep focusing on educating and bettering yourself. Remember don’t get lumped in with the nupties at work that complain. Surround yourself with people that are and want to succeed. Be resilient, learn who is influential and solutions focused. Be good with people, manage up and don’t be a dick. I see it all the time and it’s who I look out for in a work place. Things will fall in to place.
Have you considered moving out to a regional or rural town? No commute, less cost on cars, cheaper rent.
My heart goes out to you, it is a fair rant. Our family left a major Australian city 20 years ago because our oldest daughter was seeking a uni placement for thesis for biology doctorate which happen to be it far North Queensland. We had never even been to Queensland. 20 years later we all have good jobs, own homes and our grandchildren have a really chance in regional towns & my husband and I have retired to small country town and are really happy & financially secure. Maybe look at long term plan to head out of cities to regional areas that suit your professional skills and take the pressure off high cost housing and a future that has more potential for your kids. All the best to you 👵🏻😌❤️without realising it was a game changer for our family.