Aussies feeling stressed this Christmas after three years of crippling cost of living pressures
New research has found the majority of Australians are feeling stressed this Christmas after facing three years of cost-of-living pressure.
Rising inflation has increased food, housing and energy costs since 2022, putting pressure on household budgets.
New research commissioned by the IGA has found 87 per cent of Australians are worried about costs this festive season.
IGA spokeswoman Heather Howell said 68 per cent of Australians were looking for ways to save money on shopping as electricity and petrol costs rise.
“Christmas is actually a continuation of that and looking at what you can cut back on,” he said.
“You’ve had a lovely festive feast. You want to impress your guests. You want to entertain, but the important thing is for people to be smarter about how they do it because Christmas doesn’t have to cost the earth.”
You can have bougie on a tight budget, it’s just a matter of shopping smarter and making sure you have that perfect holiday treat without feeling even more stressed about hiding the baby.
Ms Howell said savvy shoppers were turning to household brands, shopping catalogs from various supermarkets and spreading their Christmas expenses over five weeks to help manage household expenses.
“House brand products are a really great way to save money on all your essentials,” she said.
“If you’re buying flour, sugar and mixed fruit for Christmas, there’s no real reason to buy more expensive items for these things when you’re cooking.
People are also actively comparing prices, shopping around and trying to find the best value across multiple supermarkets.
“We are also finding that people are simplifying for Christmas and choosing ingredients that can be used in more than one dish is a great way to really save money.
“They also buy frozen cheesecake or pavlova base, so not only do they spend less but they also spend less time baking, saving time and money.”
Ms Howell said it was always helpful to plan Christmas menus early to avoid last-minute overspending.
“It’s really important to come together… people are making smarter choices to help keep costs down without losing the joy of the festive season,” he said.
“You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a wonderful Christmas.”
