More Australians are adopting creative side hustles like upcycling furniture and mystery shopping on top of their full-time jobs as a way of combating mounting cost-of-living pressures.<\/p>\n
The 2026 budget was delivered on Tuesday, with tax cuts and new housing development funds being allocated to help ease the pressures people are facing in their daily lives.<\/p>\n
However, for some, the current economic state of Australia has meant they have had to find new ways to save money. <\/p>\n
One Sydney resident, Kirsty Nauth, has adopted a variety of methods, like renting out her car space and participating in clinical trials, as a way to save money for bigger expenses in the future. <\/p>\n
\u201cI have quite a lot of side hustles that I do as well as having a full-time job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely think it makes me think more strategically about how and when I purchase things, and also stretching the budget.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Nauth, a health care worker from Randwick, moved to Randwick in 2020 and said that the rent for her two-bedroom apartment has increased by almost $200 a week in the last six years. <\/p>\n
\u201cI made a conscientious choice in Covid to put myself in a financial lockdown,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201dJust to see as an experiment how much I can save.\u201d<\/p>\n
She now uses her downtime as a way of saving money, including babysitting and providing support to NDIS patients after her normal nine-to-five. <\/p>\n
\u201cAny cash I get from these sorts of things pretty much goes towards paying for groceries,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else I get is kind of a bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some other strategies she has implemented include donating blood, completing online surveys and participating in clinical trials and market research groups. <\/p>\n
She discussed how many of these strategies are helping contribute to her long-term saving goals, but also admitted they were inconsistent and don\u2019t provide a regular flow of income. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to buy a place at some point, and also have a nice amount of money in my savings for when I retire,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see it as I\u2019m missing out on things, more that I\u2019m investing in my future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Nauth has also made changes to her purchase habits to align with growing expenses, choosing to opt for cheaper and non-perishable products with a high shelf life. <\/p>\n
\u201cI make conscious decisions of buying things like pulses, beans and legumes that will give fibre and protein, but also are more cost-effective than things like meat.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also works as mystery shopper in supermarkets to earn extra income, and encourages her friends to get involved as a way of providing a low-cost way to socialise during a busy week. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s that sense of dopamine of feeling good that you\u2019re helping give back as well, but encouraging friends to do it with you,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Kirsty said that her recent side hustle, upcycling used items to sell on online marketplaces, has shown that community projects are helping ease pressures in unexpected ways. <\/p>\n
\u201cSydney\u2019s got a very big kerb culture. If I find decent furniture on the curb, I tend to take it home and up cycle it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think since Covid, it\u2019s kind of brought the community together in a way of \u2018what can we offer with our services. What can we barter and trade to support each other in this economy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kirsty also hopes to use her savings to one day buy a home of her own and to visit her family overseas, which she says is worth the sacrifice she experiences to save at extreme lengths.<\/p>\n