A hardworking father finds himself facing financial difficulties despite earning a yearly income of $81,000.
This incident highlights Don's situation and the ongoing cost of living crisis in Australia.
A father was facing financial difficulties even though his annual income was $81 thousand.
Don Parkes, a father with an income of $81,000 a year, shares about the difficult life of having to feed a family of eight amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Even though he is in the top 10% of earners in Australia, he still struggles to put food on the table every month.
Don worked as a factory manager hoping that this job would make him financially comfortable. However, he found himself having to cut costs everywhere to have enough money to buy food for his family.
Don and his family had to cut all expenses but still did not make the situation better
Despite making significant cuts to their expenses over the years, Don Parkes and his family continue to experience financial stress due to the ongoing cost of living crisis in Australia.
To meet their financial obligations, Don and his wife Kirsty have been forced to dip into their savings.
Furthermore, they have had to rely on their two teenage sons, Corey and Josh, aged 17 and 19 respectively, to contribute towards rent and food expenses.
In an interview on Nine's A Current Affair, Don expressed surprise that his $125,000 annual income was struggling, which he said was unreasonable.
Kirsty also said the family spends $780 on food every fortnight despite trying to cut spending in many areas, such as buying supermarket brands.
Not only that, the family has also to put their health aside because they cannot buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat due to rising prices. Instead, they have to replace quality with quantity, eating cheaper but less nutritious meals.
Buying health insurance cannot help his family's finances become better.
Don emphasizes that eating, shopping for clothes, and paying bills should take priority.
Don family's perspective on controversial tax cut changes
As a result of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's controversial changes to Stage Three tax cuts, the Parkes family will receive an additional $522 per year.
However, Kirsty believes that without significant measures, this increase will not bring about significant change for her family.
She emphasized the need to establish a limit or take drastic actions to address the ongoing financial struggles.
