What is inflation?

What are interest rates?

How interest rates affect inflation (in theory

How it actually works (chaos)

Inflationary expectations

No sh*t lots of people don't understand

The Great Inflation-Off

A new Reserve Bank survey shows most Australians don’t assess the relationship between inflation and interest rates “correctly” – but there’s much more to it.

On this episode of Dollars & Sense, Greg and Elinor go back to the basics of inflation, living costs and interest rates to show that how they interact really isn’t all that basic.

This discussion was recorded on Thursday 6 August 2026.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now. Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Host: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // @grogsgamut

Host: Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // @elinorjohnstonleek

Show notes:

The RBA says rate rises don’t really increase living costs. But the data is clear – they very much do by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (July 2026)

What’s the Point of the Reserve Bank of Australia?, What’s the Point? with Richard Denniss (August 2026)

‘Impoverishing millions’: Richard Denniss says the RBA needs to rethink how it fights inflation by Tegan George, The Point (August 2026)

Listening to Australians: A New RBA Survey of the Community, the Reserve Bank of Australia (July 2026)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Dollars & Sense on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

A new Reserve Bank survey shows most Australians don&rsquo;t assess the relationship between inflation and interest rates &ldquo;correctly&rdquo; &ndash; but there&rsquo;s much more to it.
On this episode of Dollars &amp; Sense, Greg and Elinor go back to the basics of inflation, living costs and interest rates to show that how they interact really isn&rsquo;t all that basic.
This discussion was recorded on Thursday 6 August 2026.
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/more-fool-me-vantage-point-issue-6">More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia</a> by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now. Use the code &lsquo;FOOLME&rsquo; on <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/store/vantage-point-subscription">a four-edition Vantage Point subscription</a> to receive a free copy of Richard&rsquo;s book, Econobabble.
Host:&nbsp;Greg Jericho, Chief Economist, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/grogsgamut.bsky.social">@grogsgamut</a>
Host:&nbsp;Elinor Johnston-Leek, Senior Content Producer, the Australia Institute // <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/elinorjohnstonleek.bsky.social">@elinorjohnstonleek</a>
Show notes:
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2026/aug/06/the-rba-says-rate-rises-dont-really-increase-living-costs-but-the-data-is-clear-they-very-much-do">The RBA says rate rises don&rsquo;t really increase living costs. But the data is clear &ndash; they very much do</a> by Greg Jericho, Guardian Australia (July 2026)
<a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/whats-the-point-of-the-reserve-bank-of-australia/">What&rsquo;s the Point of the Reserve Bank of Australia?</a>, What&rsquo;s the Point? with Richard Denniss (August 2026)
<a href="https://thepoint.com.au/new/260805-impoverishing-millions-richard-denniss-says-the-rba-needs-to-rethink-how-it-fights-inflation">&lsquo;Impoverishing millions&rsquo;: Richard Denniss says the RBA needs to rethink how it fights inflation</a> by Tegan George, The Point (August 2026)
<a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2026/jul/listening-to-australians-a-new-rba-survey-of-the-community.html">Listening to Australians: A New RBA Survey of the Community</a>, the Reserve Bank of Australia (July 2026)
Theme music:&nbsp;Blue Dot Sessions
We&rsquo;d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au">podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au</a>. Subscribe to&nbsp;Dollars&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Sense&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/dollars-sense/id1717300562">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5FWzwVKWUR2tZCbXSKuBE2?si=1c2f3558cc6d44ab">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/dollars-sense/9cc37d00-6a4f-013c-9f4c-0acc26574db2">Pocket Casts</a>&nbsp;or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Economic data can tell us a lot about what's happening the economy and society, but it's easy to get lost in data. Dollars and Sense dives into the latest economic figures to explain how they impact you and what they tell us about the state of the Australian economy, with host Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute and the Centre for Future Work and popular columnist of Grogonomics with Guardian Australia.

Economic data can tell us a lot about what's happening the economy and society, but it's easy to get lost in data. Dollars and Sense dives into the latest economic figures to explain how they impact you and what they tell us about the state of the Australian economy, with host Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute and the Centre for Future Work and popular columnist of Grogonomics with Guardian Australia.

Dollars & Sense

Dollars & Sense demystifies the latest economic figures, how they impact you and what they can tell us about the economy, with host with Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work, and author of Guardian Australia's Grogonomics column.  

Dollars &amp; Sense demystifies the latest economic figures, how they impact you and what they can tell us about the economy, with host with Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work, and author of Guardian Australia's Grogonomics column.

A new Reserve Bank survey shows most Australians don’t assess the relationship between inflation and interest rates “correctly” – but there’s much more to it.