Cost of Living

Piling onto planes with extra bags full of meat and forgoing fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, residents of these isolated communities are doing what they can to save until a $64m grocery subsidy scheme takes effect. It might be costing their health.

Australian financial markets are now pointing to a close to zero chance of further rate rises — with a fair chance of a rate cut next year. That's thanks to the latest news from the US and UK, writes Peter Martin.

While NT residents face return airfares of up to $2,000 to fly interstate, the NT government has faced criticism for announcing cheap flights from the East Coast to Uluru from mid-next year.

A volunteer on a sleepbus dedicated to vulnerable Sunshine Coast women and children says a night of rest can help people make better decisions.

Enele Maafu uses his salon skills and his love of people to boost mental health, foster connections, and combat skyrocketing living costs in his community of Mount Isa.

More Australians are struggling under the weight of a cost of living and housing crisis and on Q+A a leading economist and the assistant treasurer agree a cap on foreign university students might be necessary to help curb that.

Why do I find the more absurd fashion trends so beguiling? I think it's their very absurdity, and the alternative reality they promise, when all else is grim, writes Virginia Trioli.

A supermarket chain in the UK has gone against the trend of self-service check-outs, saying they cannot provide great customer service "through a robot". So, could it happen in Australia? 

Economists are warning recent wages growth could fuel Australia's already sticky inflation — and put even more upwards pressure on interest rates, writes David Taylor.

Personal shopper and stylist Cate Massi says hiring an outfit for special occasions has become "very fashionable" — and it could help you save money, and the planet.

Stuck on the state's ever-growing public housing wait list, Geraldton mum Dena Comeagain says the sight of boarded up homes in the region leaves her deeply frustrated.

New data suggests many Australian shoppers are now treating snacks as luxury items, to combat rising grocery prices.

A scorching hot summer could see demand for electricity spike to a once-in-a-decade high, we're being warned, increasing the risk of blackouts, and forced power outages across the country.

What if the government kept the Stage 3 tax cuts, but reoriented them to Australians who actually need them, asks Peter Martin.

The Energy and Water Ombudsman negotiated more than $900,000 in outcomes for customers who made complaints.

Forget rising costs and endless waitlists, these parents can't get any access to child care at all. And it's fuelling calls for government intervention. 

The NSW pricing regulator has released a final report into its rate peg review. It comes as rising rates add to the cost of living crisis. 

After high-pressure visits to Washington, Beijing and Rarotonga, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returns to Australia next week to face domestic matters as Parliament resumes.

A union-backed probe hears Cape York residents are paying exorbitant prices for meat, and up to $2.87 a litre for diesel, while a retired nurse has been forced to go without insurance to make ends meet.

The Sunshine State's peak business group says the median regulatory compliance costs reported by businesses in 2023 was $50,000 — up from $25,000 in 2021.

While "some heat" could leave the market after the Reserve Bank lifted interest rates this week, for now, house prices have surpassed even the post-COVID records of early 2022.

Meat inspectors and vets are walking off the job today, with the industry saying the strike action will create backlogs that affect domestic and export sectors.

Lisa Mammone and her husband do all they can for their kids, but they are bracing to make even more sacrifices as interest rates hit a 12-year high.

The Reserve Bank raised the cash rate today for the first time in five months. a decision treasurer Jim Chalmers says will be "incredibly difficult” for struggling households.

As the next UN climate conference COP-28 draws closer, Germany's special envoy for climate diplomacy, Jennifer Morgan, is in Australia for meetings with key climate players.