Concerns about rent, mortgages and saving for a home made up more than half of all responses to the poll conducted via The Daily Aus' Instagram stories*, outweighing worries about groceries, bills and other everyday expenses.

But with cost-of-living remaining high, many people who took part said they were focused on covering the essentials first, often putting longer-term goals like saving for a home on hold.

Housing costs dominate money worries

Rent was the most commonly cited concern, making up 22.8 per cent of responses.

Mortgages followed closely at 19.9 per cent, reflecting the pressure many respondents said they feel as they take on home loans or try to keep up with repayments.

Saving for a house deposit was also a major concern, accounting for 7.3 per cent of responses. A further 5.4 per cent pointed to broader housing challenges, including affordability and the difficulty of finding a place to live.

This focus on housing concerns aligns with broader insights from The Future According to Us, a research report by The Daily Aus capturing the voices, attitudes and experiences of young Australians. The report found many young people still want to own a home but feel rising prices and slower progress toward deposits are delaying that goal.

CommBank Economist Harry Ottley said easing inflation and interest rates had begun to help during 2025, but cost pressures remained front of mind for many younger Australians.

“The rental market has become a little less intense but is still tight, with rents still more than 20% higher than in 2019. At the same time, everyday costs like groceries and utilities remain high.”

He said younger Australians had felt these pressures more strongly in recent years.

“Our internal spending data shows that over recent years younger Australians - who tend to have lower incomes and are more likely to rent or have recently bought a home - have had less money available to spend than older age groups, reflecting these pressures.”

“The good news is that this is now starting to improve, with younger households spending more again, including on non-essential items. This suggests that while cost-of-living pressures remain, they are not as severe as they were a couple of years ago.”

Everyday essentials are stretching budgets

Beyond housing, the poll shows everyday expenses are still putting pressure on respondents’ budgets.

Groceries and food costs accounted for 15.2 per cent of responses, while bills — including utilities and electricity — made up 9.2 per cent.

A further 4.7 per cent cited the general cost of living as their top concern, suggesting pressure is being felt across many parts of day-to-day spending.

Seasonal costs also played a role. Christmas and holiday spending accounted for 8.2 per cent of responses, highlighting how one-off expenses can be difficult to manage when budgets are already tight.

Debt and protection costs remain in focus

HECS debt was identified as the main concern by 3.2 per cent of respondents, while insurance costs across all types accounted for 4.1 per cent.

While these ranked lower than housing and food, they still point to the challenge of juggling longer-term commitments alongside everyday expenses.

Prioritising is key

Taken together, the results suggest many people in the poll are concentrating on managing immediate costs first. With housing and essentials taking up a large share of income, saving and planning ahead can be harder to prioritise, even as longer-term aspirations remain.

That balance between ambition and affordability is a recurring theme in The Future According to Us, which highlights how young Australians are often working more and earning more than previous generations did at the same age, but are facing a far higher cost of living. 

*Results are based on between 1,400 and 1,500 individual responses to a poll carried out via The Daily Aus Instagram stories.