Cost of Living

Food charities helping struggling families put food on the table can no longer rely on excess produce being available as farmers count their own cost of extreme weather events.

With mobile phone use on the rise, some people are turning to simpler devices to help them cut down on their screen time.

Brisbane artist Phoebe Paradise turns the tension between Queenslander houses and their environment into works of gothic, sci-fi art. 

The Queensland government has made several announcements in a bid to address growing concerns around housing affordability and supply. Here's a breakdown of some of the key changes in the works.

A report into soaring grocery prices, rising energy bills and steep airfares will be released on Wednesday. Its findings and recommendations will cause a headache for some of the country's biggest and most powerful companies, writes Adele Ferguson.

Statistics show a majority of Australians are prioritising travel despite the biting cost of living, even if that means tightening the belt in other areas. We ask experts what it would take for prices to fall and if there are ways to be a savvy traveller.

If you're buying a home that has been "substantially renovated" you may have to pay GST. The problem home buyers face is that what qualifies as a "substantial renovation" is uncertain, writes Christine Peacock.

About 4,000 kids from remote Australia rely on boarding schools to finish their education, but even at more affordable schools, fees are climbing. The federal government has offered a new scholarship to help, but only for a fraction of students from remote parts of the country.

Expensive school uniforms with logos and monograms do nothing to help kids learn, so why are we paying so much at the uniform shop?

Since Jacinta Allan took Victoria's top job four months ago, she's put her own stamp on the office. But the state's 49th premier faces the same challenges as her high-profile predecessor Daniel Andrews.

Australians are readying for the country's biggest-ever lotto jackpot, but the astronomical odds of winning have prompted experts to issue warnings to people dreaming of striking it rich.

After unveiling his re-jigged tax plan last week, Anthony Albanese has conducted five press conferences, eight radio interviews and two TV interviews — the kind of media blitz usually reserved for winning an election, writes David Speers. 

Allegra Spender came into parliament on the independent teal wave, identifying tax reform as one of her biggest priorities. She speaks to 7.30.

The Canberra Liberals announce a $65 million cost-of-living package in the form of school and sport vouchers and rebates for car registration and electricity.

A mother-of-four in the Northern Territory says it makes more sense for her to drive 150 kilometres to a larger town than shop for groceries locally.

Shoppers have seen the price of local fruit and veg skyrocket, but canned produce remains relatively cheap. One expert says there are several worrying reasons for this. 

In Queensland last year, fuel prices jumped 13.9 per cent and gas and other household fuels surged 12.9 per cent.

Some Australian producers turn their backs on the major supermarkets because of what they say are unfair prices at the farm gate.

Apollo Bay is a tourist mecca whose population explodes roughly 10 times in the peak visitor season. But locals and workers without deep pockets say they're struggling to stay, exacerbating the pressures on those who remain year-round.

Farmers say the current food supply chain model is a "broken system" that gives supermarkets too much power and long-term solutions are needed.

The ACCC can't change the prices supermarkets charge. But it can take them to court if they're breaking the laws in the Competition and Consumer Act. 

The government will halve the stage 3 tax cuts for the highest earners and use the money to deliver an extra $804 to most taxpayers.

A full year after pharmacy assistant Trang Nguyen moved to the remote community of Wilcannia with her husband and toddler son, the sight of her young family still stirs up curiosity.   

Woolworths has come under significant criticism after it was revealed last week it would stop selling Australia Day merchandise due to lack of sales.

With rent prices skyrocketing across the country, there are still some suburbs where Aussies can find a more affordable alternative.