Inflation Through Everyday
The Cost of Living Alone
“Moving into my first apartment in Melbourne felt like a dream — a quiet street, a secondhand couch, and a sense of freedom I’d never known. It was my own space, and I was proud. But the excitement faded fast. Rent took up half my pay. Power bills crept in, each one higher than the last. Even groceries became a careful calculation. I thought I was just living alone — but really, I was learning what independence truly costs.”
Rent Pressure
# Slide: Rent Pressure – Data Preparation
library(readr)
library(dplyr)
library(tidyr)
library(ggplot2)
housing <- read_csv("New dwellings, quarterly and annual movement (%).csv",
col_names = FALSE, skip = 1)
colnames(housing) <- c("Quarter", "Quarterly_Change", "Annual_Change")
housing_clean <- housing %>%
mutate(
Quarterly_Change = as.numeric(gsub("[^0-9.-]", "", Quarterly_Change)),
Annual_Change = as.numeric(gsub("[^0-9.-]", "", Annual_Change))
) %>%
filter(!is.na(Annual_Change))Tracking: Annual Rent Increases
The Rising Cost of Shelter
“Rent quickly became my biggest financial pressure. Every few months, it crept up — not by much, but enough to feel. In a year, it had jumped 7%. I started to wonder: was it just me? That question led me to the Consumer Price Index — something I barely remembered from school. But digging into the data felt like lifting a veil. My rent story wasn’t unique. Housing costs were rising across the country. What I thought was personal turned out to be part of a much bigger trend.”
Electricity Impact
electricity <- read_csv("Electricity Index Australia (June 2023 quarter = 100.0).csv",
col_names = FALSE, skip = 1,
col_types = cols(.default = col_character()))
electricity_clean <- electricity[rowSums(!is.na(electricity)) == 3, ]
colnames(electricity_clean) <- c("Quarter", "Excluding_Rebates", "Including_Rebates")
electricity_clean <- electricity_clean %>%
mutate(
Excluding_Rebates = as.numeric(gsub("[^0-9.]", "", Excluding_Rebates)),
Including_Rebates = as.numeric(gsub("[^0-9.]", "", Including_Rebates)),
Quarter = factor(Quarter, levels = unique(Quarter))
)
electricity_long <- pivot_longer(electricity_clean,
cols = c("Excluding_Rebates", "Including_Rebates"),
names_to = "Type", values_to = "Index")Electricity Index: Excluding Rebates
“Electricity was the hardest part. Winter bills hit me hard — I’d wear layers indoors just to avoid turning the heater on. Then one day, my energy provider notified me that I was eligible for the Energy Bill Relief Fund. That month, the difference showed up not just in my account, but in the data too — the CPI for electricity had dipped, right alongside my bill. It was the first time I felt like the numbers and my reality were finally in sync.”
Comparison Table
| Quarter | Electricity..Inc..Rebates. | Electricity..Exc..Rebates. | New.Dwelling.Annual.Change…. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23-Jun | 100.0 | 100.0 | 4.8 |
| 23-Sep | 104.2 | 118.6 | 4.8 |
| 23-Dec | 105.6 | 117.5 | 4.3 |
| 24-Mar | 103.8 | 117.0 | 3.3 |
| 24-Jun | 106.0 | 114.6 | 2.5 |
| 24-Sep | 87.7 | 115.4 | 1.9 |
| 24-Dec | 79.0 | 115.6 | 1.6 |
| 25-Mar | 91.9 | 116.1 | 2.0 |
“Seeing housing and electricity costs side by side made it all click the pressure I felt wasn’t just mine, it was everywhere. But what struck me most was the support. Rebates and rent assistance weren’t just policies they showed up in the data. For once, the numbers didn’t just explain the problem they reflected it. And that felt validating.”
Rent Easing
“In 2025, for the first time in years, my rent didn’t go up. It felt like I could finally catch my breath. Later, I saw the CPI data rent inflation had eased across the country. What I experienced wasn’t just luck; it was part of a national shift.”
“And that electricity rebate? It wasn’t just another government policy — it was the reason I didn’t panic this winter. The CPI graph showed a clear drop in energy costs, and I understood it completely. That’s what good policy should feel like: real, timely, and personal.”
Personal Reflection
“I never imagined I’d connect with a statistic. But now, the Consumer Price Index feels like a mirror — reflecting not just prices, but emotions. It captured the stress of rising costs, and later, the quiet relief of policy support. It showed me that what I was going through wasn’t unique or personal it was part of a bigger story.”
“Understanding inflation didn’t just give me knowledge; it gave me peace of mind. I stopped blaming myself. I started planning better. And most importantly, I realized I wasn’t alone.”