Staring down a likely Melbourne Cup Day interest rate rise, the rising cost of living is sitting front of mind for residents across regional Western Australia.
asserted
cost → star → Australia
The Reserve Bank is expected to raise rates for the fifth time this year when it meets later today.
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it → expect → time
In Geraldton, 420 kilometres north of Perth, 27-year-old Liam Bristow bought a house six months ago and said his mortgage had already increased by $90 a fortnight.
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mortgage → buy → 90
He says the added pressure has forced him to search for a housemate.
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pressure → say → housemate
"I was excited to live alone," he said.
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he → live → ?
Mr Bristow said he would be cutting some of the "fun stuff" from his spending, such as four-wheel driving and working on his car.
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he → say → car
"I can get by, but it is pay cheque to pay cheque," he said.
"
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he → get → cheque
Since I've got the house, I haven't been able to put any savings away."
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I → get → savings
"It's very hard," he said.
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he → say → ?
"Fifty dollars is gone like that.
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dollars → go → that
You go and do some grocery shopping, you only get down half an isle and it's gone.
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it → go → shopping
You just can't survive.
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You → survive → ?
You've got a car, you've got to pay for petrol, and that's gone up.
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that → get → petrol
Everything's just gone up."
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Everything → go → ?
But the rate rises drew a different view from Laura and Gavin Anderson, who hope to move to Perth by the end of next year.
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who → draw → year
"We don't own a house, so for us, we're actually quite happy that the interest rates are rising for now, but conscious that it's obviously not tenable," they said.
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they → own → us
"We're also hoping that this interest rates actually pushes the price of property down, so that that puts us in a better position."
Day to day spending has still been impacted for the couple who said they do not eat out at all and only go out for a coffee once a week.
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they → hop → coffee
"When we first moved here two years ago, we'd come out for a coffee three times a week maybe," they said.
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they → move → coffee
The further north in WA you go, the cost of everything rises, making any cost increase harder for locals to deal with.
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locals → go → everything
Connie and Aaron Curtis moved from Sydney with their young family to Wickham, about 1,550km north of Perth, two years ago.
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Curtis → move → Perth
Ms Curtis said they already felt the pressure of prices going up.
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prices → say → pressure
"We feel as though we can't physically cut back on much else," she said.
"
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she → feel → much
We cut our own hair, we cook everything from home."
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we → cut → home
Ms Curtis said she does not expect the cost of living to improve any time soon.
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cost → say → living
"I track our groceries every week and I notice when things go up even 50 cents an item, a dollar an item," she said.
"
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she → track → groceries
I don't see any reprieve."
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I → see → reprieve
Karratha retail worker Annie Duffy said she had a mortgage, so another rate rise was "scary".
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rise → say → mortgage
"It's not just the first time it's happened this year, it just keeps happening and happening."
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it → happen → ?
Ms Duffy moved to the mining town from Tasmania earlier this year, and said the difference in cost between the two places was "astronomical".
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difference → move → places
"They call it the Pilbara tax … everything is so much more expensive here."
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everything → call → it
Halimah Barnes works as a ranger in Broome, 2,000km north of Perth and has just turned 18.
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Barnes → work → Perth
She hopes to buy her own house in the future, but said affordable options in the tourist town were limited, and she was currently living with her parents to make ends meet.
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ends → hop → parents
"I'm trying to work really hard just to save up, to be able to afford one," she said.
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she → try → one
"I don't go out much anymore.
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I → go → ?
"There's no way I'm going to be able to rent a house by myself."
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I → be → myself
Hard to make ends meet
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ends → make → ?
At the opposite end of the state, Narrikup business owners Hayley and Dale Wyland said it felt like the goal of retirement keeps moving further away.
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goal → say → retirement
"We've just started a business three years ago and it's just harder and harder to make a living," Mr Wyland said.
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Wyland → start → living
"We aren't paying ourselves a wage because it's not doable.
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it → pay → wage
Getting a house, it's completely off the market for us.
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it → get → us
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
