Christmas is a wonderful time for most but it can also be stressful

Christmas is a time that is touted as "merry" and "joyous" - a time for family, and fun and food comas and a present or two under the tree. This makes the burgeoning panic that swells in the breast of many an Australian at this time of year feel extra hard to bear.

The Salvation Army published a report last week that indicated significant growth in the number of Australians - 60 per cent or 14 million to be precise - struggling to put Christmas dinner on the table this year. That represents a 7 per cent increase on last year.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that main the reason for this increase in those struggling stems from the cost-of-living crisis we currently find ourselves in.

Our power bills have skyrocketed by as much as 25 per cent in parts of our country, the housing crisis pushed up rents, and fuel rose to over $2 per litre. Don't even get me started on the grocery bill, it's no wonder so many of us are doing it tough.

Alarmingly, the ABS has reported that Australian families' savings ratio (i.e. how much they can save from each pay they receive) has plummeted from 12.6 per cent to just 4.3 per cent this year alone. And that's not counting those who have no savings at all.

As these thoughts have churned in my mind, I have found myself worrying further about the mental health of our fellow Aussies. The holidays are often a triggering pocket of time in the year on its own, without the added burden of finding yourself struggling to make ends meet. The impact of the crisis we are living through every day has the potential for disastrous consequences - and this worry is keeping me up at night.

It is especially concerning given the scaling back of accessible mental health support in the past year. And I'm not alone in worrying about this.

In September of this year, Mental Health Australia released their independently produced report (by Ipsos). This report concluded that the mental health of Australians in general was declining and they cited cost of living pressures as a significant factor in this downwards trend.

In Parliament last week, Dr Monique Ryan, Independent MP for Kooyong, drew a staggering comparison between the everyday Australians struggling to buy staples like cereal, and the major corporations in the grocery retail industry who were betting massive profits that surpassed the billion-dollar benchmark.

Dr Ryan levelled the accusation at both Woolworths' and Coles' doors that they were "price gouging". With the average Christmas costing Australian families $1864, the holiday certainly represents an opportunity for supermarkets and other retail giants to cash in. Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that 1.6m Australians have been forced to scrap their holiday plans altogether due to the crisis hitting us where it hurts.

The duopoly these two retail giants enjoy has seemingly gifted them the opportunity to take advantage of their position to return record profits. While this no doubt keeps their shareholders happy, the real cost of this alleged price gouging is the ongoing effects on the mental and physical health of the people they claim are their customers.

While I was not surprised to read via the ABC about there being a price difference between the $10 family meals Coles regularly advertised as part of their 2017 marketing strategy to target families, and the 2023 cost of the same items to make those recipes in 2023, I was staggered to see that the cost of those basic staples had more than doubled in six short years. This is despite the fact that many suppliers are reportedly selling their products at record low prices. Just ask the farmers.

It just doesn't add up. And just like everything else, the little guy is left with the bare Christmas tree, and the responsibility of having to try to explain to his kids why Santa brought Johnny up the road a shiny new bike for Christmas, but couldn't afford to visit them at all.

If you are struggling, help is accessible if you need to talk to someone. Please reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.