CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Amidst an unsustainable spike in household groceries and ever-rising interest rates, Australians are starting to feel the pinch of financial insecurity at a scale not seen since the outbreak of the GFC.
Gold Coast FIFO bride Mercii Lou-Ellen Macrae (48) is not one of these people.
With a husband doing the 6 weeks on / 2 weeks off swings in the coal mines of North Queensland, Mercii says life goes on for blue collar families like hers – who dragged themselves out of middle class destitute and purchased their own heavily mortaged slice of the Australian Dream in the canals of Coomera.
“It’s not without sacrifice” she says.
“My hubby Rhys has only ever worked the big jobs”
While Mercii is a devout follower of the ‘live, laugh, love’ ethos, she also says the key to happiness is not necessarily dictated by the bank balance. It’s about what you do with it.
“These last few years have been tough without Bali” she says, gesturing towards their 5 bedroom rendered brick waterfront estate.
“I sometimes wonder how he does it, ya know, working 47 days straight only to come home to the bloody Gold Coast”
After 20 years underground, Mercii says she worries that that her family’s stoic provider doesn’t treat himself enough, and this selflessness is something she takes upon herself to address.
“I just look around this place and think, he really doesn’t ask for much”
“The jet ski is half fucked and hasn’t really had a spin since the lockdown.”
“Not to mention his Raptor in the driveway, I don’t drive manual, so that thing just sits there in the sun leaking oil”
As one of the lucky families still holding onto a resource sector salary with both hands, Mercii says it’s important to spend as much of this money while you can – or else what’s the point.
That’s why she’s ordered a secret fit out of the kitchen island.
“We already have those taps that can do boiling water and sparkling water” she says.
“But this new instalment will take the cake”
After spending weeks doing her own research, Mercii finally found a local business capable of fixing a permanent French onion dip fountain into the middle of their dining room.
“I’m going to keep an endless supply of cabanossi and pepper jatz on the table” she says.
“This is why he does the long hours underground”
“Haha uh oh… I think we just became the Christmas house haha”
