The cost-of-living crisis continues to pressure Aussie households, and consumers are feeling the crunch. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute Index of Consumer Sentiment reported a pessimist-favoured score of 79.7 in September, a vast departure from a neutral 100, and has been recording near recession lows for more than a year. It's no surprise consumers are re-evaluating their budgets in anticipation of ongoing financial pressures. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] Monthly Household Spending Indicator reported a marginal 0.

https://lens.monash.edu/@business-economy/2023/09/25/1386156/cost-of-living-shoplifting-surge-aussies-pushed-to-the-limit

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