"I think it's important that people know other people struggle. It's important to hear stories like this. There are people far worse off than me."
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By the time Tasmanian Benjamin Gilbert has paid for rent, fuel and food, he has very little left of his disability pension each fortnight.
His future dream of one day owning his own house - or even a caravan - is certainly a long way off.
Despite a myriad of mental and physical health issues, Mr Gilbert, of East Devonport, on Tasmania's north coast, tries to maintain a positive attitude.
"I've worked as a volunteer since I was 20," the now 42-year-old said.
"I've got years of experience in retail, I've volunteered at City Mission for a long time.
"The way I see it, if I can't work, I might as well give back to my community. There's always someone else having a worse time than you."
But, he says, that positive attitude is becoming harder and harder to maintain in the face of soaring fuel and grocery costs.
Like many others, the disability pensioner is facing a dramatic rent rise, and is expecting to soon be paying about $350 a week.
"I'm in a three-bedroom house without heating, I just can't afford it," Mr Gilbert admitted.
"The place I'm in, it's got issues with rising damp and stuff like that. That's not to say it's the landlord's fault or anything, he's been doing his best, that's just the market we're in at the moment. But what does it all mean for low income earners?
"The funny thing is, I've looked at units, but when they do come up the price they ask is more than my rent at the moment."
To help ease the pressure, Mr Gilbert has taken up a part-time job as a driver for Menulog, which scrapes in about $50 in profit each week.
One of the main ways he cuts down on costs is electricity. He's worked out an average shower costs him a dollar, as well as water heating costs throughout the day.
To save money, he's turned off his hot water, choosing instead to use public showers at the beach or at one of his volunteering jobs.
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To keep himself warm, he runs an electric blanket for a couple of hours at night and goes to bed early.
"I mostly buy those frozen pizzas," he said.
"I put them in a small oven I've got, it costs too much to run the large oven.
"Sometimes you've got to decide whether you're going to have dinner, or put money into electricity - pizza or power.
"I don't mind some of it, you do what you do to survive."
However, one of the harder hurdles to face is his health. With little cash leftover for medication and psychiatric treatment, Mr Gilbert is left to tackle his depression, anxiety and ADHD on his own.
But he remains hopeful regular GP visits and mental health plans will help him build up to become "as job ready as possible".
"What I'd really like, ultimately, is a job," he said.
"I'd have to start smaller to ease myself into it ... but I've got 20 years experience in retail, and I'm ready to work hard. I'm actually a computer trainer as well, I've been doing that for years.
"I'd love to just be given a chance."