From avocado toast runs to weekend road trips, Aussies are feeling the squeeze as essential costs skyrocket 🚨. Amid COVID-19 aftershocks, climate-driven disasters, and ripple effects from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Australia’s consumer prices have hit their steepest climb in 20 years – and millennials are bearing the brunt.
Reuters reports grocery bills, fuel pumps, and construction materials now cost 5.1% more than last year – a wake-up call for young professionals already juggling rent and student loans 💸. CGTN’s Melbourne street interviews revealed raw nerves: \"My paycheck’s stagnant, but my grocery cart’s shrinking,\" shared one shopper holding half-empty bags 🛍️.
Behind the numbers? A perfect storm 🌪️: Floods devastated farms (hello, $10 lettuce), global oil shocks hiked transportation costs, and supply chains still recovering from pandemic disruptions. For gig workers and low-income families, it’s a high-stakes game of ‘choose which bill to delay’ 💔.
With wage growth lagging and experts predicting more turbulence, many young Australians are rethinking major life plans – from homeownership to starting families. As one Gen Z barista put it: \"How do you future-proof when the goalposts keep moving?\" 🎯
