Skipping meals to pay the rent? Your spending habits aren’t to blame

November 1, 2026 — 5:01am

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One of the most pervasive and damaging money myths I’ve seen play out time and again over the years is people blaming themselves for financial circumstances, even when they are entirely outside their control.

While we might recognise inflation or higher mortgage rates as reasons for our depleted savings or an increase in debt, for example, studies consistently show that even when people know these factors are at play, they ultimately are still likely to blame their own spending habits for the fact that they are struggling to make ends meet.

But two studies released this week have highlighted how common it has become recently for Australians to be struggling right now, and just how little any one individual financial decision or habit is to blame for the pain being felt.

The first was the annual Foodbank Hunger Report, which showed that 3.6 million households (33 per cent) across Australia now suffer what is known as food insecurity. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, food insecurity is when a person doesn’t have regular access to enough nutrient-rich food to meet the needs of a healthy and balanced diet.

Though the vast majority of us have all felt or experienced financial strain or stagnation lately, the sheer number of people who reported either struggling to afford the food they need, or said they were skipping meals and going without food due to unaffordability,........

© The Sydney Morning Herald