Little price changes can make a big difference to the hip pockets of Sarah Lindsay and her family as they adjust to the cost of living in the nation's capital.
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The Forde family received a mixed bag of financial perks and pitfalls from a budget Chief Minister Andrew Barr heralded as "unashamedly about Canberra's suburbs".
While there are plans to improve footpaths, mowing and town centres, increases to rates, car registration and parking fees are expected to put pressure on Canberra families.
Mrs Lindsay and her husband moved to the ACT from Queensland with sons Landon, three, and Zach, 19 months, in February and have already had to make some adjustments.
"With the cost of childcare down here compared to Queensland, there's no point me returning to work until the kids are at school," she said.
Mrs Lindsay's husband works irregular hours in the IT industry and she said he would be hit by a 6 per cent increase to parking fees and the introduction of paid parking at night and weekends at some city carparks.
On the other hand, she expected they would both benefit from funding to upgrade and partly duplicate Horse Park Drive and $14 million to improve Gungahlin Town Centre roads.
"I think that will be great for us, especially after the work that's already been done on the extension of Majura Parkway.
"And I think it's great they're keeping up a cleaner community and making the suburbs look better, it'll definitely make more people want to come here."
Mrs Lindsay said greater access to public transport in the northern suburbs was important.
"The accessibility of public transport isn't great so anything that would make it easier to get around Canberra would be welcomed, especially if they're going to put in a tram line from Gungahlin to the city."
The family owns a property in Queensland and rents the house they currently live in, which meant for now they would dodge increases to rates and levies that will apply to thousands of territory homeowners.
An average rates rise of 9 per cent is set to add $150 to the average rates bill, on top of increases of about 10 per cent in each of the past two years.
Mrs Lindsay said the government's decision to boost the fire and emergency services levy, which householders pay with their rates, by $66 this year was "a bit pricey".
Those changes, as well as further cuts to stamp duty, could impact the family as they look to buy a house further down the track.
"The cost of renting down here is definitely higher and it would be cheaper for us to have a mortgage than continue to rent.
" A cut to stamp duty would definitely help."
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