Interest rates

12-Jul-25 23:42pm
Cher
One has 2 choices here, 1) while interest rates are down one can adjust spending habits accordingly by make doing with less and being more creative or 2) keep up fancy spending habits and create more debt for the family. Interest rates are waves in life. They go up and down no matter what and the so called “good old days” are gone. The fact is we are no longer going to get more for our money. Adjust accordingly in your life.Edited 13-Jul-25 00:00am
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12-Jul-25 23:15pm
SizeOne7
I have no interest in interest. At least no positive interest. Agree 100% about making memories as a family without exsessive spending, the most important spending here should be the time the family spends together. Is it true the government are also considering increasing GST on certain things aswell? The increased cost of living in the past 2 years or so has made my head spin! The changes ive had to make in my basic lifestyle choices has left me stunned and caught off guard. My whole life Ive never had respect for money, quite the opposite really ive despised it and seen first hand how it can change people and take control of lives, that's not to say I've never had money, I have, i just refuse to give it power over anything in my life that I regard as priceless. Since the cost of living crisis though Ive been almost forced into thinking about money on a daily basis just so I can maintain the lifestyle standards ive always had in my life. And my living standards have never required me to budget or even give one thought to cost and priorities. Hate money so much more now and I'm angry that its been forced on all Australians but also that its even happened in our country at all! And the worst thing is, the people in power that have the responsibility to help fix the situation are all laughing their way to the bank!! And huge majority of the rich and the wealthy... in my experience, care not for the well-being of anyone but themselves.
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12-Jul-25 23:05pm
Terry 1685772
WHAT THE GOOD LORD GIVETH THE BANK AND THE GOVERNMENT IS SURE TO TAKE IT AWAY
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12-Jul-25 22:26pm
Rosemary E 383382
When a relative purchased a house in 1983 housing loan interest was 22% If you had money invested in a Term Deposit you received 18% When I was a kid we never went out for meals. A treat if we went out and got home late was fish & chips. Lunch was always packed unless we were invited to a relative's place by prior arrangement. Drinks were always packed too. The cost of petrol was taken into when deciding if / where we would go too. I reckon most of the short outings would have been to see elderly relatives who weren't able to drive. Sometimes some of them would come for a drive with us. Mum always packed enough food for all of us. We never had kids' birthday parties. We'd have birthday tea with relatives.
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- 12-Jul-25 23:32pm
  Rusty .. (vic)
  sounds like us...neither parents had cars, we always picked them up for special outings, picnics, kites at the beach, kids scout activities, etc. We did extra jobs at weekends, like delivering letter box pamphlets, just to put milk on the table
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12-Jul-25 21:16pm
Thomas Canada
As Christine commented, your view of interest rates depends upon whether you are saving or borrowing. I don't believe that interest rates are the big problem with the economy and with retirement. I believe that high taxes (whether income taxes, capital gains taxes, sales taxes like the GST/HST, and property taxes) are the big culprit against netting out a decent amount to live and eventually retire. If the government truly wanted people to save for retirement, it would cut taxes all around.
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- 12-Jul-25 22:55pm
  Isabelle 1570997
  It would be nice to put it politely if the government did not the temeritty to tax people's retirement funds also know as superannuation. That money should be sacrasanct a worker works for their wage and is taxed and then taxed again against the money he /she has put in their superannuation fund. It is double dipping and a big disincentive for people to save, hope , buy a house or have dreams. It is cruel and unconscaible especially when big industry and mining don't pay a desent amount of tax from selling the whole of our country's wealth.We are letting woodside mine gas in marine national parks and they don't even have to pay tax, outrageous. Then the poor little who earns less than $50,000 a year has his money , that he could be investing and making some income from taxed before he has made the next years income. They call this provisional tax. I would suggest that this is unfair and unreasonable more like provisional theft keeping you trapped like a rat on a wheel, never able to get ahead. Then they spend it on extravagant items like military spending or let local governments spend it on pulling down and sport stadium and rebuilding it or moving a Museum in Sydney over to Parramatta. Where is the fairness ,equity and hope in a System like that? The clued up guys get off shore companies and escape paying tax. What is our labor government here in Australia doing to help the little guy get ahead? Or how does the system help divorced or single women be able to buy a unit even and have enough money in their superannuation to survive.? Teaching ourselves and our kids financial literacy is really important, there are some good govt funded basic info packs available but we should teach financial literacy and planning at school as a core subject starting in high school once kids have the basics of maths. Our society has a long way to go. The Swedes and the Pirate party( I kid you not, it is not a joke party but a real ideal party) who are interested in ethical investments and ethical social justice that one cannot make a financial decision for a N ation with out the other being a part of the deal. They may have a better idea for making a more equitable society. In other words you cant make interest raises or cuts without considering the social implications. I think all housing loans should be at a set low rate, while investment accounts should be paid at a higher rate. Banks make millions at our expense and the little guy never benefits well he could if they paid us more of the profits.
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- 12-Jul-25 23:21pm
  P FIsabelle 1570997
  Wow...if you anywhere near Ballarat...I would like to buy you a drink or 2.
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12-Jul-25 19:58pm
P F
My fondest memory of my childhood was when dad would take my 2 sister and I out to a nearby lake. Stay over night in a crappy tent. The only heat we had was the wood we could find. The only food we had was the fish we caught that day and some pancake batter he kept "Just in case." Dad died 30 years ago. And now I'm nearing the age my father was. Still go to the spot by myself, that's the impact it had on me. And it didn't cost a single cent. Last month it was my grand nephew's birthday. He had the works!!!...party, McDonald's, bowling. And it kept him entertained for about an hour before I could see he was bored and wanting more. Miss you dad.
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- View all 3 replies
- 12-Jul-25 21:34pm
  Debra D 624780
  My Dad would take us down to the river that joined our property. We would take some canned meat for food, we would wash the car in the river, Dad got a clean vehicle this way and the children all washed it. It was fun, we got to move rocks in the river and find all kinds of things under the rocks. It was shady, we enjoyed a free day out in the shade with sunshine and warmth around us, I will never ever forget these days, I still love that area of the river, when Mom and Dad passed away that is the part of the property I inherited and I passed it on to my Son and his family. Great Memories forever!!!
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- 12-Jul-25 22:06pm
  P FDebra D 624780
  Thank you for reply. Great Memories forever.
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- 13-Jul-25 20:52pm
  Debra D 624780P F
  Yes, will never forgot those wonderful memories.
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12-Jul-25 19:56pm
lynette 1678739
Not interested
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12-Jul-25 19:31pm
Agnes 1685216
What do you do if there is not enough money for that?
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12-Jul-25 19:28pm
PT
Like many economists have suggested, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your investments, shares on blue chip companies give you better returns than many banks. Shop around for term deposits (no loyalty needed when it comes to banking). Get a credit card that offers good rewards spending ratio (make sure to pay it off monthly). Interest rates was a very effective tool to leverage economy when the society was simpler (bank vs business vs individual) 25 years ago, where everyone goes to work in the factory and happy to pay 20% interest for a house (4-5 times of their annual income). Nowadays, people have to cough up 4-5 times of their annual income for deposit only. People are also working in a very different setting than factories, a friend of mine changed careers from legal to influencer, another one used crypto to make a small fortune to start a business. Besides, the media is always looking for a controversial headline to get noticed and increase ratings, surely some struggle to have a weekend lunch in cafes/restaurants. There are still plenty homeless or on the edge of it. The economy profile is very different from 30 years ago. Media has plenty of angles to show a facet of the situation. They have no obligations to choose the common one, just one brings the most attention (good/bad) and increase rating. Learn to be financially independent is a life journey, which I’m still learning everyday.
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12-Jul-25 19:18pm
Christine M 323842
Depends where you are on the spectrum of home ownership. If you’re saving, you want interest rates high, if you’ve got a mortgage you want em low, if you’ve paid off a home and are in the retirement stage you want high, if your never going to own a home and have some cash you want em high etc
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12-Jul-25 19:08pm
Ek M
My elderly point of view is so different to the younger points of view. I wonder if we didn’t teach the younger ones how yo appreciate money overll
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12-Jul-25 18:49pm
Dimitri T 100433
Declining interest rates are good with people who have mortgages
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12-Jul-25 18:47pm
Paula J 395266
The reason some people can't afford a house today is because they aren't prepared to do without anything and want everything. One of my daughters-in-law complained that she didn't have a dishwasher. I told her I had 3 children, was 30 and had the cash before I got a dishwasher. They built a house and added everything then complained that they couldn't manage on one income. We built our house which was the most important thing then added what we needed as we had the money. No-one wants to crawl today before they can walk, they all want to win the race without any training. Whose fault is this I ask myself.
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12-Jul-25 18:29pm
Fay H 516126
My parents built their own house, then Dad got transferred for work and they sold that and moved interstate and bought another. When Dad retired, they sold that one moved back to their home State and bought another house. This was when interest rates where double figures and Dad sweated when he bought the second house because he had to get a mortgage as homes in the State he was transferred too where more expensive. As kids we went on picnics to the beach and the mountains played in the backyard, and friends came over. We went to the movies once on school holidays going out to lunch was a trat that happened once in a blue moon not as the norm. If you want to buy a home, you go with a budget that is realistic and maybe the kids share a room to start and if you're lucky you build up or out and add more room.Edited 12-Jul-25 18:29pm
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12-Jul-25 18:24pm
Shrey 1693389
So thats what inflation causes and to beat it the only thing is investments, invest in the things that give you more interest just keep enough money in the bank and rest in other wallets and accounts and bonds so that you have your inflation beated at all times. Thats what I do and guess what, I don’t do anything but still earn enough interests so that I don’t have to spend from my pocket and now I am free so I am starting these things its cool I will be saving now..
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12-Jul-25 18:01pm
Claire A 481130
yip
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12-Jul-25 17:58pm
Claire A 481130
yip
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12-Jul-25 17:42pm
Allan 1508898
She's been checked out by the CIB, Gladstone, qld. Eddie Rodgers. We don't do banks anymore, keep the money in a crypto wallet. I trade in ETH and Doge and in the past year it has made me over 200,000. I have to pay my tax before i get my money but it's going into a crypto wallet the banks don't pay enough interest.
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12-Jul-25 17:40pm
Angel A
You've just go to make the most of the situation of what is on offer. How much do you think you need for your retirement? Are you wanting to do things not available or have the time now? I'm spending my kids inheritance with their blessing.Life is too short and do whatever floats your boat.
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12-Jul-25 17:38pm
Joe B 288252
My darling and I worked like Trojans to scrape up a deposit for a plot and then pay it off. We built a house and had two mortgages on it and we paid them off in ten years. Now we have a freehold house and nobody can kick us out, we have cash in the bank and if we don’t go absolutely nuts the bank reckons we have enough to live in comfort till well into our 90’s
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12-Jul-25 17:30pm
Allan 1508898
For the past year I've been investing in crypto only $300 per week. I think it's only fair that i pay the trader for making extra funds, and I've scored myself a wife, now she's making funds for both of us. I was wary at first, but have her ABN it's all checked out, she's legit.
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12-Jul-25 16:54pm
writerrochelle
Since I rent my duplex, don't have any debt, pay off my credit card the next month, and only make small purchases just to keep my credit rating high, I have no problems with interest rates, thank God! ;-D
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- 12-Jul-25 17:24pm
  Maria B 89860
  Well done, you are quite an inspiration, a big pat on the back for you .. cheers, mb.
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- 12-Jul-25 17:35pm
  writerrochelleMaria B 89860
  Thank you, MB! I was raised in a poor, broken household, and learned at a very early age how to handle money. Bought my clothes at a thrift shop down by the beach for 10 or 15 cents each, took my wagon to the beach, picked up glass bottles and cashed them in for 1 cent each to buy penny candy! ;-D
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12-Jul-25 16:43pm
Kathleen C 1054815
The traditional economy is stacked against the normal working person/couple/family. The rich get richer, the middle class is squeezed, and the poor have no hope of getting a better life. That said, I pay my way in this world, do my best to save for retirement, and have little time for people who complain about why they can't spend more money. My accountant, for my small business, always comments on my accounts about how I live frugally. I enjoy the smaller things and the occasional holiday and most of all the company of family and friends
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12-Jul-25 16:11pm
Bugalugs
In Australia, now for almost as long as anyone can remember none of the Banks, ANZ, Bendigo-Adelaide, CBA, NAB, Westpac ir any of the other small ones, the Credit Uinions etc. have paid any Real Interest on Savings Accounts. Interest rates as low as 0.01percent are the norm, yet these same banks charge borrowers more than 2 or 3 times the Cash rates set by the Reserve bank of Australia (RBA), they charge their customers who have Credit Cards, such as Visa and Mastercard, Interest rates of 21 percent and more on what is owed. It is no wonder they can report Multi-Billion Dollar Profits every 6 Months. The RBA must also take a big part of the responsibility for the strife Home Borrowers are now in. The RBA kept telling us that the reason for those 22, or was it 25 Interest Rate Increases was in order to combat Inflation which was well outside their preferred rate of between 2 and 3 Per cent. Inflation came down from the 11 or 12 per cent to a more acceptable level and the RBA handed those with Home and other Loans a 0.25 per cent drop bringing the Cash Rate down to 3.85 per cent. This week, despite the Inflation Rate now being at just 2.1 Percent - well below the RBA's target of between 2 and 3 per cent, the RBA has refused to lower the Cash Rate and, just as most Public Servants and Politicians constantly do, they used weasel words as an excuse Not to reduce the Cash rate by another tiny 0.25 per cent. Of course when the RBA does reduce the Cash Rate the Banks etc. are not required by Law to pass those reductions on to their borrowers! Their Dishonesty and Greed is now a scandal.
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12-Jul-25 15:39pm
Greg B 520364
Yes, living on your super with little interest ( I'm very interested) dose not help with the cost of living going up.
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12-Jul-25 15:26pm
Dom 1681336
Can't win in this current economy. Best chance is enjoy the small moments in life and appreciate the people we love.
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12-Jul-25 15:12pm
Simone S 316632
It's all about priorities. The Rolling Stones said it best - You Can't Always Get What You Want!
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12-Jul-25 14:58pm
Shelia C
Smh
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12-Jul-25 14:57pm
Maria B 89860
The have and the have nots are slowly merging into one big bundle of have nots because they have lost lots! Guess it can be put in the bracket of equality has been a great success!!!
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12-Jul-25 14:40pm
Shawn B 1061185
If you're that broke lrave the kids at home and make yourselves happy.
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12-Jul-25 13:59pm
Steve
Agree, What The problem is the Price Of Housing with The Median Price close to $1Million. I certainly couldn’t afford to Buy Now
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12-Jul-25 13:36pm
Sonya F 68771
I agree with you Joy we all have done it tough threw out the years
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12-Jul-25 13:36pm
Wendy Q
It's basically one step forwards and 2 steps back for many.
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12-Jul-25 13:18pm
Timmy 1669328
I am probably old school, but growing up, we would eat at home together, freshly cooked by our mum. Going out was for special occasions. I think focusing on brunch out by spending for most people is not achievable these days. I had to point out to my sister a few years ago that she could save the money from daily coffee buying for a holiday that she talked about but couldn’t afford to do so. Years since, she has thanked me several times as she realised that eating out every so often is so much more enjoyable AND she has saved a lot, coffee is now around $5, right? So that’s more than $1300, for one cup a day, mon to fri.
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- 12-Jul-25 13:31pm
  APB
  The two biggest rip-offs in a cafe?...the coffee and the soup
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12-Jul-25 12:58pm
TUBZY BOO
I HAVE NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER.
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12-Jul-25 12:55pm
Robert T 597718
Joy you are absolutely correct
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12-Jul-25 12:30pm
Cristina 1672579
I AGREE ON THE PART OF SPENDING TO GO OUT TO BRUNCH. CHILDREN CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME OUT ANYWHERE WHERE IT IS NOT THAT EXPENSIVE. I FEEL SAD THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MORTGAGES HAVE TO PAY HIGH INTEREST RATES. IT IS NOT ENCOURAGING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SAVE AND BUY A HOME.
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12-Jul-25 12:29pm
Amber 22
not good what about life for to day and helping out others
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12-Jul-25 12:17pm
Guy W 386119
Going to put a little lightness on the subject, by asking what's do interesting about "interest" rates?
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12-Jul-25 12:14pm
syed 1693303
Money is designed to make a society suffer. If it's not suffering enough interest rates go up. if it is suffering to much interest rates go down. If society is not scared enough of the police buigger jails are built so that more laws can be made to fill them up. however if society is to scared of the police and crimes go away, then laws must be reduced and some of the jails shut down or abbandoned. So do children hustle or bust. they may outright not know what hustling is so they bust until in their mid teens or older, Money does not make memmories then Children don't need it. Of course as I keep saying the system was not designed for a population explosion, so changing interest rates can no longer solve things. the only way around it is a collapse of money and a new system.
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12-Jul-25 12:13pm
The ghost
Some interesting comments and concepts here, if interest rates rose to 10% now, there would be a lot of homeless people, banks would shite themselves, no more multi million dollar CEO’s, no fees, charges, inspections, rates to prop up, useless councils and state governments, no more swan trips over seas for any of the grubs that swing it, just total kaos, we need Siegfried and Maxwell back.
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12-Jul-25 11:55am
Julie K 348980
I make my own memories, stand on my own two feet, don’t expect handouts and consider the world is a very good place. Looking out the window and seeing the bright sunshine I feel lucky enough to live in a country where bo*mbs are not falling, the air is clean and food/water are readily available. There is a huge difference between a right, a want and a need. I am a 70 year old Australian woman and been working since I was 14. I am vision, hearing and mobility impaired but don’t think the world owes me a living. Ask someone who has been through war, starvation, brutality or never having a minute of being not in fear of their lives (not me) and then show the audacity of whingeing about not being able to afford going out for brunch. Edited 12-Jul-25 11:56am
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12-Jul-25 11:48am
Heather 1677190
It is a me me me society. Government won't be happy until the people are depended on them to live so they can use us as slaves.
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12-Jul-25 11:45am
Daniel A 2
Money is designed to make a society suffer. If it's not suffering enough interest rates go up. if it is suffering to much interest rates go down. If society is not scared enough of the police buigger jails are built so that more laws can be made to fill them up. however if society is to scared of the police and crimes go away, then laws must be reduced and some of the jails shut down or abbandoned. So do children hustle or bust. they may outright not know what hustling is so they bust until in their mid teens or older, Money does not make memmories then Children don't need it. Of course as I keep saying the system was not designed for a population explosion, so changing interest rates can no longer solve things. the only way around it is a collapse of money and a new system.
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12-Jul-25 11:45am
Glenys M
It’s all about priorities
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12-Jul-25 11:44am
Beverley S 383001
Joy you are so right. If couples start with a basic home without every accessory their mortgage would not be so large - the 21% was such a killer for many families and the current rate is so much lower. Moderation in everything should be the norm.
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12-Jul-25 11:21am
2025
I remb my childhood very well.. and money did not get in the way of having fun, nor was much needed too. Except if you wanted to go to the anual Show, or footy, or movies,. But even back then- they did not cost the earth to go to. Unlike today, even buying food at these places has gone up that much. Most fun was with my neighbours kids and family. We had no internet back then, no mobiles, we made our own fun-up.
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12-Jul-25 11:05am
Val 1394045
Right now interest rates are pretty decent if you have a mortgage, but for investments the rates are very poor.
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12-Jul-25 10:44am
pam rae
tyvm Joy L 68767
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12-Jul-25 10:27am
Carolyn K 714554
We worked hard for many years and are now getting the benefits. We didn't get to go out for breakfast very often but now that we can, we don't want to. We are taking a cruise and can pay cash for what we want, all because of our spending restrictions.
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12-Jul-25 10:15am
IdentifyAs
There is something sinister going on here. Boomers are the wealthiest of the generations and are now inheriting from their parents. The newer generations are lazy gits who are just waiting for their parents to die. The government is making a grab at the boomers assets because they cant run the country and increasing in debt. This is communism. If you are not longer giving to work and wages and just a burden being sick,need meds etc. The government is killing boomers via the aged care/doctors/hospitals. Just look at the GP's, all bloody foreigners! Im going to spend the lot. Screw the kids!!! Work for your own fortune greedy little morons
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12-Jul-25 10:02am
Paul B 522937
its all about balance
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12-Jul-25 09:56am
diana 1578758
Yes their to high
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- 12-Jul-25 11:19am
  Daniel A 2
  Compare 21% to 4% which ones higher. they have gotten so low these days it causes muliple problems because the banks don't want to go negative, and there is no where else to go. Money needs to change not interest rates.
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12-Jul-25 09:39am
Busyasabee NZ
Interestingly, my daughter was shocked to find her daughter now doesn't remember any of the fancy places she was taken to when she was smaller
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- 12-Jul-25 12:28pm
  Smiley
  That's exactly it. We've never done fancy meals out, "fancy" for us was some take away that we took to a park and turned it into a picnic. My grown kids favourite memories were sitting in the middle of a huge quarry fossicking for fossils (yes, we found lots and got to keep them) as well as other things we did or took them to that didn't actually cost much to do at the time.
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12-Jul-25 09:26am
Rob G 106430
Society is in process of collapse. It is the 21st century abd instead of colonising the stars we are struggling to find enough money to afford basic necessities that 50 years ago were commonplace. The corporate mindest now sees consumers as a host to suck dry rather than a positive symbiote to nuture and preserve to ensure both species thrive. The end is coming around 2040, not biblical, but economic. If there are no consumers, there are no corporations.
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12-Jul-25 09:13am
Paul 1680016
The real issue with interest rates is the constant changing and the reactions that drives, including house prices and inflation. Constant changes of government and electoral short-termism are underlying contributors. We need to get back to a 20-30 year planning horizon and stick to it, irrespective of the colour of the government of the day!
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- 12-Jul-25 12:38pm
  otten m
  As long as it is not labor, greens or teals.
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12-Jul-25 09:04am
pam rae
TY JANN R
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12-Jul-25 09:00am
JANN R
I agree with you there are plenty of others ways to make memories for your kids that dont cost the earth
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12-Jul-25 08:28am
Chosen
Lower interest rates lead to a lower cost of living. One balances out the other. You may earn less from your monetary deposits but on the counter side prices will not increase so much.Edited 12-Jul-25 11:41am
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12-Jul-25 08:24am
Andrew C 287196
The continual mucking about with interest rates is because the so-called Government "experts" have no idea what they're doing and can't make up their tiny minds whether we should be saving or spending. Interest rates should be set at a point that makes both mortgage holders and savers equally as happy as can be achieved (probably somewhere around 6%), and then LEFT ALONE!! 😠 As for kids and memories, as others have said, money does not really make memories - time spent with the kids does. If the parents really want more money, they should stop wasting it: no shop-bought coffee everyday, no upgrading their mobile phone every year or two, no upgrading their car every few years, no over-priced cafe meals, etc.Edited 12-Jul-25 08:25am
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12-Jul-25 08:12am
Elizabeth T 396096
Interest rates are too low and need to rise.
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12-Jul-25 08:06am
Chris 1666957
I made memories with my kids by riding bikes to the park because interest rates were 9 or 10 % on a mortgage. They remember that a lot more than brunch. My daughter told me the other day that she remembers summers always being fun, and we never spent money doing it. I now take her son down to the creek to get dirty or to the park. Still not spending any money and we have lots of fun.
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12-Jul-25 08:00am
Lachelle B
It's the parents ideology that's wrong, put kids together and they'll happily have a picnic and frolic. As for interest rates, never had a mortgage. It's the council rates and bureaucracy I have issues with.
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12-Jul-25 07:51am
alison 1408255
buggar the kids, prepare meals at home as there are enough recipes and ideas out there for small parties or better still go to a picnic area along a river etc and let them loose for exercise and fresh air
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12-Jul-25 07:43am
Sheree T
Kids have fun all the time whether they are at home in a play ground or with friends. They don't need fancy restaurants, I am sure most children would be happy with a burger from McDonald's or snacks at home.
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12-Jul-25 07:32am
pam rae
TY AGAIN Lyn A
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12-Jul-25 07:28am
Lyn A.
Hmm, our first home interest rates started at 18% within 2 years they had gone to 23%. Yes still had to have 10 % deposit. Still had to do with out for many years to get deposit and to pay the mortgage. There are many low cost ways to make memories. A young couple [in their 30's] have recently gone without the bought coffees, new phones etc for all their time together to get deposit for a house and pay cash for some new furniture [first time they have had any new furniture, prior it was all 2nd hand] It can still be done people must stop thinking it's a "right' to own a house they must sacrifice to get it. However sometimes I wonder if it's worth is with the way councils charge for rates/tax. Yes the low interest rates do not help those that thort they were doing the correct thing by saving-not sure what the answer is. Many countries are saying the elderly can't continue to have a liveable income from the tax payer, but the interest rates don't help this
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12-Jul-25 07:21am
Vanessa R 1242223
Don't know
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12-Jul-25 06:49am
Grommie
the entitled generation. no surprises there
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12-Jul-25 06:48am
Miranda 1654284
no idea
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12-Jul-25 06:30am
Karlie 1327812
Kids have fun all the time at home on computers and phones but also need some outdoors activities
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12-Jul-25 05:29am
Cynthia 1521546
I agree on money does not make memories. Interest rates nah ill leave that to the people who can afford it!!
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12-Jul-25 04:33am
bryden 1693216
intrest rates are insane right now and a complete scam
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12-Jul-25 04:23am
Judy 1514577
Not sure
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12-Jul-25 02:42am
NotFriedLikeMost
Most do not even realize the banking fraud they are trapped within, lol. Interest rates dont matter...what does matter is INFLATION. When governments are NO LONGER backed by a gold standard, it becomes fractional reserve banking at that point, printing FIAT DEBT PAPER...BACKED BY NOTHING...and loaned out at interest so THEY get paid off the top, lol. Then, when WE get the PAPER FIAT DEBT...and WE spend it back INTO the e-CON-omy...WE devalue our dollar at that time because ONLY at that time...when WE spend it...does it become "MONEY". This is why the ones at the top of the pyramid scam have to keep going...because THEIR money is devalued just the same, it's just that when you're a multi billionaire banking family, your "buying power" doesn't matter as much compared to someone like us. But, they NEED to keep going because their "dollar" doesn't buy "what it used to", lol. This is the trap. The MORE paper fiat debt notes a society has in circulation in the world...THE LONGER it takes for their value and buying power to erode. This is why the banking elites set up the Federal Reserve and adopted the USD as the "worlds preferred currency" for. This is why inflation is hitting the US last, due to the fact the USD currency is the paper fiat that is in highest circulation in the world.This is why it is better to ADAPT and CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE, to manage this as opposed to fleeing to another country, like many do. Sure, your "dollar" is WORTH more when there, however, the MORE people who populate the place you fled too, you SOONER the inflation comes because with more e-CON-omy, comes MORE inflation. You CANNOT "outrun" inflation as all countries in the world...minus 2 (Iran and North Korea) are enslaved to the Rothschild central banking scam. Awake yet?! I hope so. IT IS ALL A FRAUD and a SCAM on society to ENSLAVE you and have "money" as your God. This is Satan's playground on God's creation.
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12-Jul-25 02:41am
pam rae
agree 100 %- just being with one's children is the most important of all...
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12-Jul-25 02:16am
Sylvia 1658380
That is true, kids does not need to be taken to the fancy restaurent to make memories. Love and care is what is needed to keep and hold your family together. Eventually that leave them to decide what they want to do when they are on their feet.
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12-Jul-25 02:15am
Jack M 393074
I was forced to retire at age 59 in 2008 on the same day I was given my only raise ($7.47 an hour) in almost 30 years. Try living on SS and a tiny pension of $217 a month. My SS is less than $100 a month which is why I do online surveys from 8 AM ET to 4 AM ET almost 24-7 w/ o time off for anything. I turned 76 this past Tuesday 8 July 1949. I had to waste my savings trying to save my house from greedy mtge vultures but I lost the only home I will ever own in 2012.
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- 12-Jul-25 02:43am
  Leisa J
  Your comment makes me so sad. I'm just a year away of retiring and I'm truly scared even though I have a little stashed away in a 401k. Here you are, worked all those years just to have a small pension and SSI and scraping by. Yep. I'm scared .Good luck to you.
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12-Jul-25 01:53am
2025
Very true, you don't always need much money to have a good time. Not everything costs money. Take the kids to the local park, kick a ball, or have a barbecue some where. Not every parent needs to spend at mcdonalds with family. Go hiking, or hire bikes to ride on. Bank rates are a joke, same as house prices.Edited 12-Jul-25 01:53am
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12-Jul-25 01:48am
Jania S
Too each their own. not my business, but curious, what memories do you make at fancy restaurants the improves life?
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- 12-Jul-25 02:42am
  NotFriedLikeMost
  waste of time, money and resources. People do it TO BE SEEN, and, then TO SHOW others they did it, lol. The narcissist effect, made exponentially worse with the infusion of "social media".
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12-Jul-25 00:53am
travel4ever
if people work hard everyday, then why shouldn't they occasionally go out to a "fancy" restaurant, if that's what makes them happy? I would MUCH prefer that to a picnic! Do kids "need" this? Of course not, no one really does, but what's the point for working & than having no enjoyment. Sadly, restaurant outings are becoming more & more unaffordable & less enjoyable when an average bill without drinks is $60.-$70.
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- 12-Jul-25 02:43am
  NotFriedLikeMost
  whats the point of working. FULL STOP. So, to JUSTIFY being a workslave, you then think "I DESERVE this" lol. You "deserve" nothing except to figure out THAT YOU ARE ENSLAVED. lol.
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12-Jul-25 00:31am
Teri 1282723
You're right about making memories without spending a lot of money. Kids remember the times they did something special that not every other family is doing. Riding bikes out to the lake and swimming. Driving out to the pier and eating ice cream cones. Picnic in your nearby park. Not expensive, but worth so much emotionally.
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12-Jul-25 00:30am
BLACK LIVES MATTER
The rich continuously get (income) tax cuts. Corporations continuously get (income) tax cuts. These tax cuts contributed SIGNIFICANTLY to rising income inequality! FYI: It has NEVER been about interest rates (a myth). It has ALWAYS been about WHO gets ongoing (income) tax cuts (reality)! Edited 12-Jul-25 10:07am
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- View all 4 replies
- 12-Jul-25 01:56am
  2025
  Most kids could not care less abt fancy eating places. Lol Its only the pretense of parents, and often the stupid mums who seem to care the most. Wanting to be seen!
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- 12-Jul-25 02:44am
  NotFriedLikeMost
  ...the top of the pyramid in the scam are the ones who create the laws, then the order fall-lowers enforce said laws. lol. Big corporations "donate" money to then have it written off in their taxes so they end up NOT owing a thing...and, some donate so much they just get money BACK!! It's the racket they've created to enslave us.
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- 12-Jul-25 12:25pm
  George S 394943
  Boo hoo, cry baby about just about everything. Whinge, whinge....
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- 12-Jul-25 19:23pm
  Karen S 841350
  Sadly it's only the crown of the pyramid that benefits through economic policy that favours them. The only thing that can be done is to live as sustainably/frugally as possibly and not support those greedy corporations and shout at the injustices of inequality. Interest rates have impact when struggling with a mortgage but the big picture is the greed of the corporations and the very wealthy who need to pay equitable tax like the rest of us.
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12-Jul-25 00:13am
Linda C
I am a pensioner and still have a mortgage and all ongoing costs plus strata fees. It is tough. I do not have super. Long story but that is my lot. I find it tough with the interest rates yes and as you say we used to have them as high as 21% albeit our home loans were a lot less than what the young have today and yes they have higher wages as well. However, we did not have 2 cars, 2 large TV's, holidays, coffee out, meals out except for special occasions. We did not have cable TV, all the tech equipment everyone has ie. phones, PC's, laptops, GPS, and the list goes on. Our kids walked or if lucky had a push bike not one of these $1500 plus electric bikes because they are too lazy to peddle. We did have bbq's at the beach and played cricket there also. Simple but lots of fun and the cost was minimal. The kids have become more entitled with each generation. It is sad as the simple things in life are usually the best. Instead of them having eyes down on their phones they were actually interacting with us and their friends.
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- 12-Jul-25 19:26pm
  Karen S 841350
  full of wisdom Linda C
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12-Jul-25 00:06am
Zena 1539369
One of my fondest childhood memories was flying a kite on the beach. Going to the park encourages children to appreciate nature. Get outside and touch the grass.
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- 12-Jul-25 02:46am
  NotFriedLikeMost
  Preach! The BEST things in this life truly are free...however, most folks minds are NOWHERE near "free", so they cannot comprehend this. lol. p.s. Just got in from barefoot walking on the grass for 20 minutes. There is NOTHING like it!! What a recharging!!!
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12-Jul-25 00:02am
Dsmiles2U
money money money
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- 12-Jul-25 00:34am
  Teri 1282723
  I know. The more people have the more they spend and then they want more for the next toy. I was usually at the other end of that with struggling to provide my kids with the basics without many extras. No yacht or second home for us.
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- 12-Jul-25 02:46am
  NotFriedLikeMostTeri 1282723
  mo money mo problems. lol. The key is to find the "sweet spot"...to live BUT NOT live like most everyone else does. Gratitude is lost on most...how much do we TRULY need?! Answer...hardly anything. ;)
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