Mum exposes why many Aussies are stuffed – even though she earns a decent salary

An Australian mother’s video of struggling with the cost of living despite earning a decent salary has sparked a heated debate.

Single mother of two Alicia, 31, earns $77,000 a year as a project worker, but recently had to cancel one of her children’s extracurricular activities because she could no longer afford it.

But even canceling it came at a cost to the mother who lives on the NSW central coast, as she was told she had to give 30 days’ notice and pay $79 for another month.

Things got worse when her payment was refunded because she didn’t have the money in her account, so she had to pay a $9 service fee in addition to the $79.

‘I work full time. I work while sick to make ends meet. I have no eyelashes. I didn’t get my nails done. I try to fix things myself. I don’t get my eyebrows done, I do it myself to save money,” she said in the video titled “Life of working poor.”

She also said she had to pay a $900 electric bill, an expense that could add up if she doesn’t have savings to pay it.

Alicia’s rent is $530 per week and childcare costs her $321 per week.

After that, she has about $400 left to spend on food, utilities and other household expenses.

Despite earning more than the Australian average wage of $67,600 and being able to work from home, Alicia says she is struggling because inflation is making prices “insane”.

She searches her local supermarket for the cheapest version of everything she needs.

“Working full-time, I don’t know how other people do it,” she said.

‘You know, I’m doing it really hard. I am classified as what they call a ‘working poor’, and you have to cut back on that luxury.’

Cutting back means she rarely gets takeout and often cancels memberships, such as subscriptions to television streaming and buys her children’s clothes in larger sizes than they need so they last longer.

Alicia said she feels like she can’t get ahead of the bills because a lot of her money goes to rent and child care.

“I recently had to spend money on hearing aids and put myself on a payment plan… just so I can hear and do my job,” she shared news.com.au.

“I feel like most families are struggling to meet just the basics, and we are more reliant than ever on Afterpay to make the payments from week to week.”

She said the struggle from payday to payday has taken a huge emotional toll on her.

Alicia considered moving to a more rural area for cheaper rent, but that would have meant no childcare options.

Aussies sympathized with the mother over the situation she found herself in.

“I can’t believe how bad things are getting,” one wrote, while another said: “There doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.”

Alicia is far from alone in her financial situation. Comparison website Finder says 45 percent of Australians have less than $1,000 in their bank account.