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Staggering number of Aussies rely on credit cards to buy everyday essentials amid cost-of-living crisis

One in four Australians are finding the cost of living tougher than ever and struggling to pay for everyday essentials, new research has found.
A survey by the organisation Good360, which supplies unsold essential goods to charities, found the crisis was being felt most sharply in South Australia and Queensland, where 34 and 30 per cent of people respectively are likely to say they're "doing it tougher now than ever before".
The national average is 27 per cent.
More Australians are depending on credit cards to pay for essential items amid the cost-of-living crisis, new research has revealed. (Nine)
Amid straining household budgets, one in six people have depended on paying by credit for everyday expenses.
Another result of the survey revealed financial stress had caused 8.5 per cent of people to ask a charity for help, or are considering doing so.
Many Australians also believe governments and businesses should be doing more to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Nearly half (46 per cent) say governments could be doing more to ease the impact on people and communities, while a third (32 per cent) feel that businesses could play a bigger role.
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Good360 Australia managing director Alison Covington said closer cooperation between government, retailers and charities was needed to redistribute billions of dollars of unsold essentials to the disadvantaged.
"The cost-of-living crisis is placing increasing pressure on people already struggling, with more and more people finding it hard to get by and turning to charities for support.
"Meanwhile, we know that a staggering $2.5 billion of unsold household goods such as clothes, furniture and personal hygiene goods are unnecessarily going to waste each year.
The cost of living pinch is hitting households hard in the final week to Christmas. Charities across the country are reporting huge increases in demand at food relief centres from Aussies struggling to put food on the table.
The cost of living pinch is hitting households hard. Charities across the country are reporting huge increases in demand for everyday essentials. (Nine)
"These are essential, everyday items needed for a dignified life."
Covington said flattening retail sales had left major companies with a "mountain" of unwanted goods that should be redistributed in the community.
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