Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

Do you have your eye on a new toaster, a TV, a lap-top, a vacuum... or an outfit for the office Christmas party?Maybe you've already clicked "add to cart" a few times over the last couple of weeks?It's sales season ... Black Friday takes place on the last Friday of every November... this year it's the 28th.... but who are we kidding: It's no longer just a day. It's more like a month-long retail extravaganza.This year, Australians are expected to spend $6.8 billion over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday period.And the nation's consumer watchdog says it's conducting a sweep of retailers' claims. Already the ACCC has fined three major retailers for making false and misleading representations about last year's Black Friday sales.So, how did Black Friday evolve from a US phenomenon... to our biggest sales event?And what impact is this having on our year-round spending?

In My Two Cents, we ask those questions you'd rather not answer about money.Today hear how actor, artist and author Ione Skye makes and spends her money.

If you've got adult kids in 2025, you'll know that reaching independence looks a lot different now than it did in your day.New research confirms what lots of us already know - the intensive phase of parenting doesn't end on your child's 18th birthday anymore.

As the school year winds down, many teenagers are about to start the next chapter of their lives – and potential careers.Whether it's a bit of summer work experience or a mandatory placement for a university degree, unpaid work can often feel like the only way for young people to get a foot in the door.So how did working for free become the norm? What supports are available? And when does an internship stop being experience, and start looking like exploitation? 

When two couples are close it can be a double marriage made in heaven. But what happens when one couple breaks up?Letter-writer Steve has split with his wife, but his best mate's spouse remains close to his ex. And now, this is impacting his friendship with his best mate. What can he do about this?If you have a dilemma in your life, the aunties would love to help! Email it to: lifematters@abc.net.au, feel free to use an alias, and we'll let you know before the aunties dive in. 

It’s the time of year when you can't wait for time away from your job. But, as you reset for 2026, workplace researcher Dr Michelle McQuaid says there are lots of changes you can make to how you "do work" and how you "do life" so you feel re-energised in both these domains. And if your job is the problem, she says there are strategic ways to take the first steps towards a career change.

When you see someone begging at a train station, park, or outside your local supermarket... what goes through your head? Maybe you ask yourself - what should I do? Or you try to remember if you actually have any physical money you could give them.What you're probably not asking is ... "is this legal?" Across Australia, the laws around begging vary from state to state.In Victoria - where begging is illegal - its become an issue of public debate, following an inquest into the death of a Melbourne woman who was forced by her abusive partner to beg for food, cigarettes, and money.A Victorian coroner didn't criticise police, but said officers responding to complaints about her begging seemed to treat it as an individual issue rather than considering it in a broader context.And that's really the heart of it. Begging isn't just about someone asking for spare change ... it's a visible symptom of much deeper social problems.

Throughout 2025, ethicist Patrick Stokes has been unpacking the thorny topics for us. "Is it ok to lie in a memoir?", "Am I evil for not wanting to be around children?", "Is it ethical to create AI clones of people who've died?"We've named the segment Ask Aristotle, but we want to use this week as an opportunity to get back to basics. What sort of lessons did Aristotle actually espouse? What are some golden rules of philosophy we can apply to our lives in 2025?

The federal government is pushing local content quotas, forcing big streaming platforms to invest in Australian-made shows. Yet fewer Year 12 students are choosing creative arts subjects like drama, music, dance and visual arts.Can you blame them? For years, it’s been all about STEM, with arts degrees now costing nearly $55,000 and many universities making cuts to creative programs.So, are we doing enough to support the next wave of artists and performers? And what do we lose — as a country and a culture — if we don’t?

New research shows lifestyle sports like BMX riding can be really beneficial for teenagers, providing positives they don't get from organised sport.Navigating new BMX jumps is a key drawcard of the sport, but these jumps are falling foul of local councils across the country, being demolished for safety and resident concerns. But if we're about to kick teens out of their online world, do we have a duty to make sure they can build communities in real life?