‘There’s no hope for the working poor’: Mum despairs over cost of living

“I’m drowning in debt… I have to cut my kids' activities and I feel so guilty,” the single mum says in a viral video.

Through-the-roof rent costs forcing families into homelessness, grocery prices forcing people to give up whole food groups, kids desperate to do all the activities when you can barely afford the household basics. 

People across income brackets are feeling the squeeze; it’s tough out there.

Single mum Alicia who posts on TikTok as @missalinator recently posted a video despairing being one of the working poor.

She said she makes a decent salary, she’s university-educated and in her chosen career, and yet somehow she’s in debt to the electricity company and having to cut her children’s extra-curricular activities.

“I work full time,” she said in a video that has been viewed almost 60,000 times.

“I’m work from home today, I’m working while sick just to make ends meet.”

Small luxuries are out of the question.

“I don’t have eyelashes I don’t have my nails done, I try to repair things to save on costs, I don’t get my eyebrows done, I do that myself I don’t have the best moisturisers or cleansers, I use what I need,” she said.

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Mum despairs being one of working poor

But it wasn’t that Alicia had to give up things for herself that was so hard, it was that she had to deprive her kids, not even able to buy special washing powder for her child’s sensitive skin.

“I’ve had to cancel my kids’ membership for extra-curricular activities,” she said.

“My bank account bounced the childcare payment, I’ll have to do some after hours deliveries with the kids in the car… something to make sure I can pay daycare back.”

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The commenters were sympathetic, with most facing their own struggles.

“I feel you,” one woman said. “It’s hard not to be bitter when I see other women I know having a partner who pays the rent and bills while I struggle as a single mum paying for everything.”

“You want to be happy for them but you wonder why you’re left having to do it all on your own,” Alicia replied.

“Oh mate I feel for you,” said another. “I’ve been a single mum for 14 years. It’s never been this tough. I used to do Aldi then Coles. Now it’s Reject Shop then Aldi and no Coles.”

“Girl I feel this… the next thing is kids’ extra-curricular activities and the guilt for that is so hard,” said a third mum.

Originally published as ‘There’s no hope for the working poor’: Mum despairs over cost of living