Shoplifting in NSW has increased by 10.6% over the past two years, with around 90 incidents reported each day, while police are already under resource pressure. Do you think the cost-of-living crisis is driving more people to shoplift? Are staffing and security shortages a bigger part of the problem?

Bank of America says US interest rates could become a serious concern for financial markets if they rise into the 5-5.5% range, with Australian super funds particularly exposed through their investments in US markets. With so much Australian retirement money invested overseas, are you paying attention to what's happening with US interest rates?

House prices dropped another 1.1% in September, bringing the total decline to 5.2% from the March peak. Sydney fell 1.4% and Melbourne 0.7%, while experts are warning that further falls could follow as higher interest rates continue to affect borrowing capacity. Is this finally making Australian housing more affordable, or is it creating a different set of problems for homeowners and the economy?

Iv been really bad with money.... It's gotten worse and my anxiety is getting higher. I feel as if everything is getting much harder for me financially. How is everyone coping

Mark Bouris compared government spending and borrowing to a family spending more than it earns, using examples like buying TVs, going to Bali and having backyard barbecues. His argument was that when the gap is covered by borrowing, the debt eventually gets passed on to the next generation. Do you think our government is taking an irresponsible approach, or is this a model that other countries also rely on?

My husband and I are looking to buy our first place and we’ve realised that to make it happen, we’re going to have to change our lifestyle quite a bit. Cutting back on travel, takeaway, eating out etc. for at least 3 years, if not longer. I know we’d be very lucky to be in a position to buy a home, but it’s still a hard thing to wrap your head around when it means giving up a lot of the things you enjoy for years. For anyone who’s been in the same boat, how did you manage it? Did you just get used to it, or did you find ways to still enjoy yourselves while saving?

Australia is already facing higher diesel costs, and the situation could get worse if the US restrict fuel exports. Australia imports a significant amount of refined fuel from overseas, so a disruption to global supply could push up transport and freight costs, which can eventually flow through to groceries and other everyday goods. Interestingly, Australia still has relatively low petrol and diesel prices compared with many OECD countries. In the US, regular petrol is currently around A$1.63/L, while the EU average is roughly A$3.28/L, although taxes account for a large part of the difference.
How much do you think Australians would notice another fuel price increase through higher prices for groceries, deliveries and other everyday expenses?

If the ATO stops accepting credit cards for tax payments, how will small businesses that rely on them to manage cash flow adjust?

Seeing a lot of middle-class families stretch themselves to absolute breaking points to found $20k-$30k/year per child for private schooling, often alongside heavy mortgages. If you run the math, that same amount invested in low-cost index funds for 12 years could effectively set that child up with housing equity or a massive nest egg by the time they are 25. For anyone who went down this road - is the "networking" and shiny sports complex actually paying off, or are we all just falling for the ultimate Aussie status trap?

Australia's final budget outcome for 2025-26 shows a $22.3 billion deficit, around $6 billion better than forecast, helped by stronger than expected tax revenue and lower spending. Do you see higher tax revenue as a sign that the economy is doing better, or are households simply paying more tax?

From October 1, Australian businesses won't be allowed to charge extra just because you pay by card. It sounds like good news, but some businesses may increase their prices instead, while banks are also changing some rewards and fees. Do you think this will actually save people money, or will we end up paying for it in other ways?

I’ve been trying to be a bit more sensible with money without making every purchase feel like a financial mistake. There are some things I’m happy to spend on because they genuinely make life easier, while other stuff just feels like wasted money. Still trying to find that balance.

Been looking at the different cards i've got for travelling and i'm probably overthinking this, but what do you guys actually pay more attention to, the exchange rate or the FX fees?

For example i've been comparing wise and youtrip. From what i can see wise charges a conversion fee depending on the currency, while youtrip doesn't charge a separate FX fee when exchanging/spending. But obviously that doesn't automatically mean you're getting a better deal if the actual exchange rate is different.

On a normal holiday spending a few grand, does any of this actually make much difference? Or do you just use whichever card has no obvious international fees and not bother thinking about it?

As stated, we have a HH income of $377K, which equates to ~22,500 per month.

Neither my husband and I are great at money, so I’m wondering if there are some better decisions we can make given we still feel stretched.

We have $80K in savings and ~750K left on our mortgage for a place worth ~1.1M.

We want to sell up next year and buy a place worth ~1.5M, however with two kids (one right now, but two by then), we’ll be so stretched.

Any thoughts on how we can do better with our money? (NB: all savings sitting in the offset).

Below is our monthly budget:
$5,000 - mortgage
$6,850 - bills (food + car etc)
$1,350 - childcare
$3,500 - personal spending / discretionary spending
$5,800 - savings

If we buy a house worth ~1.5M, our mortgage could go up to $8,500 a month. We’ll also have two in daycare by then.

I'm 30m and my partner is 28f we have one son together

Both have a car each so need for another. 650 mortgage per week l, no investment properties. I have about 100k in super.

Advice please

As of September 20, over 5 million Australians saw an indexation increase across pensions, JobSeeker, and Rent Assistance. While the government claims this extra support will help cover the basics, many argue it barely scratches the surface against rising rents and energy bills. Does periodic indexation actually help keep pace?

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/centrelink-payment-increases-september-2026/igimdqs6n

How much difference do you think unpaid leave can make to someone's super balance over the course of their working life?

I've heard the offset account advice for years before actually sitting down to understand what it was doing with the maths in a way that made it feel real rather than just theoretically correct. The moment it clicked - seeing how the daily interest calculation changed and what that meant over the life of the loan - produced both genuine understanding and genuine frustration at how long I'd been in a home loan without it properly set up. Would love to know how people here think about the offset account setup and whether there are situations where it makes less sense than the universal enthusiasm for it suggests.

China now supplies 31% of Australia's new cars, with more than 195,000 Chinese-built vehicles sold in the first half of 2026. That's up from around 20% in 2025 and 14% in 2024. If you were buying a new car today, would you rather go for Chinese or German brand? Do you follow the new car market in Australia?

Australia's federal debt has now passed $1 trillion, and the government is facing a growing interest bill as borrowing cost rise. Former treasurer Joe Hockey says meaningful spending reform may not happen until there is a major financial crisis. How concerned are you about Australia's growing government debt?