A young Australian woman's viral TikTok post detailing the essentials she has cut has laid bare the deepening generational divide in the country's cost-of-living crisis. Allyssa Ablon, 28, listed fresh food, medicines and even lunch as items she can no longer afford, prompting hundreds of comments from others sharing similar struggles. Chronically ill and unable to work, Ablon said she feels without hope, trapped in a 'vicious cycle'.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that while annual inflation eased to 4.9% in July, living costs remain high. Food prices rose 7.5% in the year to June, with dairy up 15.2% and bread and cereals up 11.6%. Rents increased 6.7%, insurance by 14.2%, and utilities by 12-14%. Young people are particularly vulnerable, balancing precarious housing, study and low-paid work.
Bailey Riley, president of the National Union of Students, said students are forgoing socialising to stay afloat. 'Paying over $10 for a drink is just out of reach,' she said, noting that rising rents have forced many to take extra shifts or cut subjects. The New South Wales Council of Social Services found 74% of people aged 25-34 reported housing stress, with nearly half struggling to pay bills.
Joanna Quilty, the council's chief executive, said home ownership is now 'simply unattainable' for many young people, leaving them without a buffer against rising costs. Finder's consumer sentiment tracker showed that about 90% of gen Zs and millennials have reduced spending, highlighting the intergenerational divide.
