Cost of living for families jumps 10 percent: NRMA Blue survey

Almost half of Australian families (48%) have seen cost of living pressures jump by more than 10 percent in the last year and it’s hurting their chances of enjoying a typical Australian holiday, according to the inaugural NRMA Blue survey.

The NRMA survey of 1000 families with children – released today to coincide with school holidays - found that 71 percent of families sacrifice leisure activities and dining out just to afford a family holiday and this is even starker in regional areas.

The survey results coincides with the launch of the new membership program NRMA Blue to the broader community, which offers a raft of fuel, insurance, travel and entertainment benefits that could conservatively save the average family $806 a year.

The program was made available to NRMA Members in May and is now being extended to those who might not need roadside assist, but would like to take advantage of the NRMA Blue benefits. Membership is available for $60 a year or $5 a month. It includes the NRMA partnership offer at participating Ampol stores of up to five cents per litre discount for fuel.

Almost three quarters of families (72%) said cost of living pain was particularly prevalent during the school holidays and they regularly blew the family budget altogether.

Alarmingly, 60 per cent of Australian families only took holidays once a year or less, with almost a quarter of rural families taking a holiday every two years or less.

Nationally the average cost of transport as a percentage of income has increased to 13.4%. Rising fuel costs alone have added $5.42 to weekly expenses in metropolitan areas, with a $7 per week increase in for Sydney residents. Families in Sydney now spend 17 percent of their weekly budget on transport costs.

NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund said that the rising cost of living was a concern for many NRMA Members, and that transport related costs can be the single largest weekly cost for many Australians.

“The NRMA has looked for tangible ways to help Members. That’s why we’ve launched NRMA Blue, to provide families with a way to save on day to day costs like fuel, insurance and transport while also making a holiday more affordable,” Mr Lund said.

“In May, fuel, insurance and lifestyle discounts became available to 2.4 million NRMA Members, and today we want to extend that help to everyone. The NRMA is strategically focused on keeping people moving and connecting people to the amazing destinations on offer around Australia.

The survey also found:

• 71 per cent said they made sacrifices to be able to afford to go on holidays, with most cutting down on entertainment, leisure activities and take away.

• Over half of Australian families (52%) spend between one and three years saving up for a family holiday.