AUSTRALIANS are hitting gyms, golf courses and sports courts in record numbers to sweat off the financial crisis.
Others have invested in boats, bikes, caravans and fishing and camping as lavish holidays and hotels were ditched for down-to-earth pursuits.
The obsession with health flowed on to chemist counters and medical clinics as workers fearful of getting the sack dosed up on medicines to stave off sickness.
Employees putting in extra hours at the office turned to housekeepers and gardeners to keep their homes in order.
And while consumers sacrificed luxuries such as jewellery and eating out, most refused to cut their hairdresser and beauty treatments.
Spending data reveals the...