Having a low income is like being a kid again – though now every expense comes with guilt | Deirdre Fidge

Do I spend hundreds of dollars on a specialist or leave health issues untreated? My choices often involve weighing up which flavour of guilt I'll feel

When I was a child, my sister and I would treat ourselves on school holidays. We'd walk to the shops and buy a cheap milk bar treat before heading to Video Ezy to rent a stack of movies. Decades later, Video Ezy and its later peers DVD Destination and Blockbuster are no longer high street staples, but this version of treat is still going strong for me. While I've matured beyond the need to rent Scream for a sixth time, a snack and film is my go-to for a night in (who can afford to go out?).

Sluggish wage growth, soaring rents and increases to the cost of living mean many adults feel like they're living as they did in their broke uni student days, existing off beans and rice and putting money aside for the occasional indulgence (having a drink at the pub). But I feel more like a little kid: counting each dollar like I once did my allowance or, once I turned 14, the meagre pay from an after-school job. While budgeting and saving felt exciting as a child, it now feels impossible. If I spend $4 at the milk bar, I mainly feel guilty.