Something’s fundamentally broken in our economic system when getting a promotion feels like treading water. The other day, while reviewing my budget spreadsheet (a monthly ritual that’s becoming increasingly depressing), I noticed a disturbing pattern that seems all too common these days.

Despite earning what would have been considered an excellent salary just a decade ago, the numbers tell a different story. Every “victory” in career progression feels hollow. That promotion you fought hard for? Half of it disappeared into the Medicare levy and HECS repayments. That annual bonus? Swept away by insurance premium hikes and utility bill increases that somehow always outpace inflation.