The Paradox: Investing More When Money’s Tight
While many Australians are watching their money disappear faster than ever, some are quietly experiencing something different.
In the 12 months to December 2025, living costs rose between 2.3% and 4.2% depending on household type, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Housing, food, and recreation were the main contributors to the increases.
Meanwhile, some savings accounts are advertising interest rates around 5.10% per annum. The fine print usually involves hoops: minimum deposits, withdrawal limits, bonus conditions, and calendar reminders you forget at your peril.
Put all that together and it’s no surprise many Australians are quietly rethinking where their spare dollars sit. When everyday costs keep climbing, “doing nothing” with your money can feel less neutral than it used to.
Which makes the following result interesting.
In the middle of a cost-of-living squeeze, a property investment fund called Arkus™ reached $1 million in funds under management in just seven months. That milestone was expected to take closer to 18 months.
Something’s clearly shifting in how everyday Australians are thinking about their money.
The “hang on a minute” moment
Emma, a 38-year-old mum from Wynnum, had always assumed investing was for people with spare cash, spare time, and a tolerance for jargon.
Arkus, a retail investment fund from GPS Investment Fund Limited, invests in registered first mortgages across Southeast Queensland. It offers a current distribution rate of 6.50% per annum paid monthly, with no fees. But here’s what makes it different: you can start with $1.
“I just assumed investing wasn’t for me,” she says. “When I looked into Arkus, it just made sense. I understood it straight away.”
What stood out wasn’t the idea of chasing returns. It was how simple and flexible it felt. Arkus allows people to start with as little as $1, which meant Emma could test the waters without committing more than she was comfortable with.
No big leap. No all-or-nothing moment.
She could contribute small amounts, pause if things got tight, and adjust as life inevitably did its thing. Over time, those contributions stopped feeling like a stretch goal and started feeling normal.
Her teenagers opened accounts too. Her parents joined. Even her brother, the experienced investor, signed up after taking a closer look at the structure.
When the numbers tell a story
Arkus isn’t just another fund. It is a signal of something larger: people are refusing to let cost-of-living constraints stop them from building wealth.
The timing matters. Sydney ranks 35th globally for cost of living when rent is included, according to Numbeo’s 2026 index. For a single person in Australia, monthly costs average AUD 3,500 to AUD 4,500 including rent.
The Arkus fund allows investors to contribute weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, with the option to withdraw monthly if needed. It is designed for real financial lives. The kind where your power bill spikes, your car needs new tires, and you still want to be building toward something bigger.
Behind it is GPS Invest, which has more than 30 years’ experience in property-backed investments with no retail investor capital losses on record. Arkus applies that same disciplined approach within a modern fund built for everyday investors who don’t have thousands sitting around.
For many people, investing has long felt out of reach, something reserved for those with surplus cash or specialist knowledge. The response to Arkus suggests some Australians are looking for options that feel easier to understand and adapt to their circumstances.
Sometimes the shift isn’t about having more money available. It’s about engaging differently with the money you already have. (By Shelby Clark, Chief Operating Officer of GPS Investment Fund Limited)
