Aussies feeling stressed this Christmas after three years of crippling cost of living pressures
New research finds almost 90 per cent of Aussies are feeling stressed this Christmas
New research has found a majority of Australians are feeling stressed this Christmas after facing three years of crippling cost of living pressures.
Soaring inflation has driven up the cost of food, housing, and energy since 2022, piling pressure on household budgets.
New research commissioned by IGA found 87 per cent of Australians were worried about costs this festive season.
IGA spokesman Heather Howell said 68 per cent of Australians were looking at ways to save on groceries as their electricity and petrol expenses went up.
“Christmas is really just a continuation of that and really looking at what you can cut back,” she said.
“You had a beautiful festive spread. You want to impress your guests. You want to entertain, but the big thing is people are just being smarter about how they do it because Christmas doesn’t have to cost the earth.
You can have bougie on a budget, it’s just about shopping smarter and really making sure you have that amazing festive spread without feeling even more stressed about cloaking the baby.”
Ms Howell said savvy shoppers were switching to home brands to help manage household costs, shopping catalogues at various supermarkets and spreading out the cost of Christmas over five weeks.
“Home brand products are a really great way to save on all of your staples,” she said.
“If you’re buying flour and sugar and mixed fruit for Christmas, there isn’t any real reason to buy more expensive products for those sorts of things when you’re baking.
People are also actively comparing prices, shopping around, and looking to find the best value at multiple supermarkets.
“We are also seeing people simplifying for Christmas and choosing ingredients that can be used across multiple dishes is a really great way to save.
They are also buying a frozen cheesecake or a pavlova base, so it’s about spending less but also spending less time baking, so they’re saving time and money.”
Ms Howell said it was always helpful to plan Christmas menus early to avoid last-minute overspending.
“Coming together is really important … people are making smarter choices to help keep costs down without losing the joy of the festive season,” she said.
“You don’t have to spend the earth to have an amazing Christmas.”
Originally published as Aussies feeling stressed this Christmas after three years of crippling cost of living pressures
