The cost of living crisis means Australian fathers on six-figure salaries are struggling to support their families and are asking their teenagers for help with rent and food.
Don Parkes earns an above-average salary of $125,000 a year as a factory supervisor, but he and his wife Kirsty can't even afford healthy food or health insurance for their family of 10.
Corey, 17, and Josh, 19, both working after quitting school, have biweekly grocery and gas bills of $1,200 and $200, respectively, and are seeking help with the mounting expenses. It is being
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“I don't mind tipping in, but it's ridiculous how much everything costs now,” Josh said. .
Corey echoed his brother's sentiments, saying what he donates is “much more affordable than doing it yourself.”
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Teenagers did not say how much they tipped, but a recent survey by Compare the Market found that most Australians tip their adult children $150 a week or more to help with living expenses. It turns out he thinks he should be charged $7,800 a year.
Although they are still quite young, this reflects older children who increasingly realize they have no choice but to live with or continue to live with their parents to combat rising costs. ing.
A “decent wage” is no longer enough
Don and Kirsty said their budget was maxed out and they had run out of savings. Dong, 48, said she has always considered her six-figure salary to be “decent,” but that with her cost of living rising, she “doesn't seem to be making as much progress as it used to.” said.
“It's hard to imagine that $125,000 a year is a lot of money. It just doesn't make sense,” he said.
Expenses that are prioritized within a household are the family's bills, such as food, clothing, utilities, and rent. Kirsty described health insurance as a “luxury” they couldn't afford.
Kirsty said healthy eating was off the menu because fresh fruit and vegetables had become so expensive. She has switched to her home-branded groceries to cut costs, and she says it's cheaper to buy McDonald's family packs than to buy meat, vegetables and other ingredients and cook them at home. He says he sometimes feels it.
“It's very American,” she said.
The couple called on the government to do more to tackle the rising cost of living.
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