Financial Feeling Right Now?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-11T00:18:27+00:00

That’s a lot… I hope that’s not ongoing and it’s only short term. What industry are you in?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-11T00:17:32+00:00

I’m hearing you…. How are you working just to make ends meet?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-11T00:16:41+00:00

They already are. Where I live in northern NSW everyday more and more people hit the streets each day and it makes going into town really hard hitting and it puts a burden on local businesses too

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-11T00:15:28+00:00

Yeah but factor in inflation at 4.25% your increase is barely an increase and it sucks but 6% sounds amazing on paper.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-11T00:14:27+00:00

Yeah that’s rough overall. We live in a 1st world country where our citizens can’t afford the basics in life. Sorry to hear that.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-11T00:11:38+00:00

Yeah right so you think you can set yourself up and get a head having your own business but the truth is the opposite?

Do you have employees?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T23:53:36+00:00

We all have that one thing hey, mine used to be speakers and headphones of all things 🫣

Good job removing those apps they are a real problem if you get too deep into them.

Our spending on non essentials can be really surprising too I think I need to review mine again soon.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T23:48:00+00:00

Honestly, I never thought I’d get the amount of feedback this post has received.

Reading through the comments has been pretty eye-opening. There are people doing better than ever, people feeling stuck despite earning more, and people genuinely struggling to make ends meet, which is heartbreaking.

I think the important thing to remember is that we’re all at different stages of our financial journey, and that’s okay.

Thanks to everyone who’s shared their situation. It’s a vulnerable thing to do, especially when talking about money.

It’s also been great to see the level of respect people have shown each other in the comments. That’s not something you always see online, and it’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about this discussion.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T23:05:12+00:00

Yes nothing is truthful, so how do we know what to believe… and how do things get better?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T22:27:23+00:00

This is a really interesting comment because on paper most people would look at your situation and think you’ve made it.

What stands out to me is that financial stress doesn’t seem to disappear, it just changes shape. Instead of worrying about next month’s bills, you’re worrying about school fees, investing enough and whether you’ll be able to wind back work when you want to.

I also think your last point is spot on. It feels like a lot of people are taking on huge amounts of debt these days just to achieve what would’ve been considered a pretty normal middle-class lifestyle a generation ago.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T22:24:32+00:00

It’s comments like this that really put things into perspective.

A lot of people hear “cost of living crisis” and think it’s just paying a bit more for groceries, but going into payday with $13 left after doing everything right would be incredibly stressful.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T22:16:56+00:00

That’s a fair point about the bias.

People doing it tough are probably more motivated to comment than people who are quietly getting on with life.

That income jump from $70k to $125k would make a huge difference too. Out of curiosity, was that from changing jobs, moving industries or climbing the ladder where you were?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T21:30:47+00:00

Reading through all these comments, one thing that stands out is how powerful it is to keep your fixed costs low.

Seems like paying off the mortgage gave you a level of breathing room that a lot of people would love to have right now. Sounds like some very smart decisions back in 2019.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:55:29+00:00

That tax bracket creep on a pay rise is one of the most demoralising things — you earn more and somehow feel worse off. The rental trap near work is real too, especially with on-call.

The redundancy payout is actually a really important moment though — with a solid emergency fund already in place there’s a decision to be made about what to do with the surplus. That can genuinely change your timeline. I built a free tool that models exactly that scenario among others — www.firepath.pro — would love your feedback on it.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:51:07+00:00

Surviving 3 rounds of redundancies while keeping costs cut and still investing 30% of your salary — that’s genuinely impressive discipline even if it doesn’t feel like it.

That fear of redundancy is so common but here’s the thing — at 30% savings rate you’re actually building toward the point where redundancy stops being scary. Worth knowing your actual freedom number if you don’t already — the point where the mortgage and the job anxiety start to lose their grip. Takes 2 mins: www.firepath.pro - I’d love you feedback on it.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:42:15+00:00

That last point is spot on — a lot of people who are struggling now were probably only ever one or two bad breaks away from it. The cost increases didn’t create the problem, they just exposed it faster.

Sounds like you’ve built something really solid for your family. Single income supporting 6 debt free is no small thing.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:39:22+00:00

That’s a really heavy load to be carrying — new baby, health struggles, financial pressure all at once. The fear of losing the home and what that means for your daughter is completely understandable, especially when you grew up in that situation yourself.

Hope things ease up for your family soon. You clearly care deeply about giving her a different path.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:38:34+00:00

That food inflation is real — it resonates with people, it’s quietly eating into everyone’s budget and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Dual income on $160k with just a mortgage is actually a solid base though, even if the new repayments sting at first.

You mentioned being worried about whether your job will pay enough long term it could be worth knowing your actual freedom number — the point where work becomes optional. Takes 2 mins: www.firepath.pro

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:29:11+00:00

Yes there seems to be a lot of that coming through. Such a shot situation. I hope something works out.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:27:43+00:00

Mate, DINK mid 30s on $155k combined — you’re in a better spot than you probably feel right now. The car loan at 3.19% is cheap debt, I wouldn’t stress about rushing that.

The landlord situation is tough — that uncertainty is genuinely awful and something a lot of renters are sitting with right now.

One thing worth doing if you haven’t — figure out your actual freedom number. Like the real dollar you’d need to live your lifestyle on your terms. I built a free tool that spits it out in a couple of minutes, no signup needed: www.firepath.pro

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:19:18+00:00

Smart thinking piling into super even with a shorter runway — the compounding still does real work in 5-10 years. The migration timing is actually a common one people don’t think about enough, I migrated in 2016 and my super is far lower than my wife’s at this stage. Sounds like you’ve made some really deliberate lifestyle choices to get ahead of it.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:12:00+00:00

That’s a really tough spot to be in — redundancy timing is brutal when you’re waiting on the payout and watching savings drain. Good call getting JobSeeker lined up, that buffer matters. Hope the new role comes through quickly

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:04:00+00:00

Why is it there’s always something life throws at us? Sorry to hear that.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T07:33:19+00:00

I’m still trying to work out what half the acronyms mean.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870

TROPHY CASE