I continue to be shellshocked by the price of things in Perth. To give you an example, I bought a bottle of water, a ribena and some gum at a deli the other day which came to a grand total of $7.80. Now I'm all for supporting the local independent, but $7.80? That's around £4, so double what I'd pay at home. Another jaw-dropping exchange of cash was in a bar recently when, on handing over two half lagers, the barmaid requested $18. Granted it was a pretty cool bar in the heart of Mount Lawley but man alive that is expensive.
The mining boom has seeped into the very core of life in WA and as mining wages go up, so does the cost of living it seems. These days we're looking at around $800,000 for a modest sized 3 bed in our area of choice. No problemos if you're a miner, but for the rest of us mere mortals - forget it...it's crazy money. Sadly those with all the dough don't always know how to spend it wisely. There's lots of mining 'bogans' who are cashed up to the brim but a distinct lack of taste reveal their true colours as they bomb around town with their personalised number plates ('up4anything'....'pl8ytime'...you get the picture) gloss-finished utes and booming music.
According to recent figures the boom continues to drive Australia (and particularly WA) forward. Jobs are up, employment records are at an all time high and with a country that's so rich in natural resources, it looks unlikely to end anytime soon. In fact, some believe it could carry through to the 2020's. Big boom or what?
I'm thinking positively about the costs of living and if it continues as people predict, it can only be a good thing for the kids who will inherit more opportunity, better pay and more social benefits. Who knows maybe Fin will become a mining magnate and we can retire handsomely in a Cottesloe mansion with a dog, an army of cleaners and a yacht moored out the back :)
Until then we'll just have to work out how to get rich ourselves.
Lotto here we come...
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