Housing and finances are on everyone’s mind these days. Housing prices are increasing fast, and the scary thing is that there doesn’t seem to be any sign of them lowering or even levelling out. The dream that most people have as they’re growing up is that they’ll one day score the right job, meet the right person, settle down, and buy a home. Of course, this isn’t everyone’s dream, but it’s very common. However, the cost of a single-family home in Victoria is now averaging over $1 million.
As students, our dreams seem to have halted. It’s all about survival these days.
Unless we’re lucky enough to have been born into a lot of money, we’re in a constant struggle to make ends meet, to pay our rent, to pay our bills, to pay our tuition and school expenses. Trying to come up with rent these days is just as outrageous and scary as buying a house. Renting a one-bedroom in Victoria costs about $2,000 a month.
A logically minded person would say with the astronomically high rent prices, wages must be going up as well. However, a minimum wage job (the kind most students have) pays $16.75 an hour. This makes it impossible for a student to afford an apartment on their own. It’s not unusual today to find four or five students squeezing themselves into a one-bedroom apartment.
Housing is not the only financial issue. As you’ve undoubtedly noticed, food and gas prices have soared as well. I noticed recently that what used to be a $40 weekly grocery trip is now about $65. Filling up my car with regular gas is $75; because I live in a rural area, I don’t have a choice in my method of transportation.
Students and the working class are advised to put at least five percent of their pay into savings. With expenses being what they are, though, this is an absolutely laughable idea.
Students have very little power to do anything in these situations. Conspiracy theorists write about how this is the billionaire’s way to weed out the less fortunate. However, the economy depends on all people to make society function and thrive. A strong economy can be compared to a community of trees: everyone benefits from one another in order to survive. In other words, these skyrocketing prices need to shift, otherwise we’ll all be living outside.