Hi Ozbargainers,
Been thinking lately about all the increasing issues (physical health, mental health, stress, etc) as a result of dealing with the complexities of modern life.
What do you think are some cheap-ish purchases that can dramatically improve somebody's quality of life?
If you are stressed go for a walk and let your mind clear. Try to find a good park, beach or bushland. I also agree with books. I usually read a book I’ve already finished just when I go to bed. When I get tired I stop reading. If I haven’t read the book before I might read half the night.
Like most here mentioned: read, learn, train, meditate, follow your passion(s), build relationships, give back and invest in loss
Walk 30 minutes every day without phones etc, get goodish pair of walking shoes and just do it without fail…
no phones..30 mins every single day
But what if a really good deal gets posted on ozbargain during that 30 minutes and it's sold out by the time you see it?
An AIR FRYER!
If you still need better quality of life, buy 2
YES!!
lol.. I have 2 :D
1000 dollar worth of marijuana
Time - If you can buy it. Just take timeout from everything.
Perhaps not a purchase, but I'm quite happy to pay others to work on the garden so that I get more weekend time to myself.
A long phone charging cable.
I personally use a 3m BlitzWolf Ampcore Turbo.
I'm aiming for a homebrew kit.
Set of dumbbells or gym membership. Healthy body healthy mind.
For more time which would give you more time to do things you like I would get a good robot vacuum
Ready meals (eg. Youfoodz)
Laundry services
Lawnmowing service
For me its all about time - if I can save time on things that are labour-intensive I feel less anxious, I hope all goes well for you!
How much does your laundry service cost?
I used to live in south east asia and loved it, less than $5 for a typical load. All the services I have seen here are $40+ so out of my budget.
$20 for 5 perfectly cleaned and pressed shirts for the work week ahead is well worth it for me. Add trousers maybe once a month or two.
Not much left in terms of laundry so rest done at home once a week which takes 52 minutes cycle (boxers, towels, pillowcase, t-shirts etc.)
It's the ironing that kills, the washing is done by machine.
Ironing hubby's shirts was like pulling teeth for me. I now throw 15 or so in the wash, take the dry clean shirts to a laundromat and pay about $2 for a perfect quality iron, all done by the end of the day.
@mgsydney: It's definitely worth saving so much hassle and effort for the sake of couple dollars. Unfortunately the cleaners around Sydney CBD insist they do not do iron-only and all shirts must be washed by them as well. Even if you wash them first! So they charge clean + iron price of $4 each.
A bike to commute to study / work (although a dangerous gateway purchase to lots more $$$ spent).
A dishwasher is a close second (gives you extra time each day, and saves a hassle if your partner detests washing dishes)!
I had a bike once…no hang on 5 times as an adult. First one was hit by a car and destroyed. I did not have any injuries. Insurance did not pay. Second one stolen, third one stolen, fourth one stolen, fifth one stolen. Insurance never paid out. I gave up. I now walk or get the bus/train everywhere. I'm not risking it again.
Wow that's terrible luck. How much each were the stolen bikes worth?
Hardly anything that's what I couldn't understand. Steel framed bike with steel wheels. No expensive alloys or anything. Just your bog standard bike. Who would go to the effort of nicking a bike worth less than $100.
I think you need to invest in a bike lock ..
The thing is I generally did. One from stolen from my garage. Who locks things up in the locked garage? My lawnmower was much more expensive and it was just sitting there right next to the bike. One was stolen by the thief cutting the thing the bike was secured to and took off with the bike and the lock. I couldn't find a secure bicycle parking spot to bolt it to nearby so the bolt could only around frame and a metal fence. One lock's chain was cut by bolt cutters…takes about a second by someone who is prepared. They left the chain behind and it looked like it was very easy. And the other one I suspect the lock was picked. I'm absolutely sure I locked it but on return the bolt was open and bike was gone.
Books. Knowledge. Audible audiobook subscription if reading is a bit dry for you.
Very often problems only are problems because 1. No knowledge or skills to deal with the problem. 2. No guidance on how to react to problems.
Unfortunately school does not teach people how to handle life.
Spend $100 on 2 or 3 real books. Keep the other $900.
Based on how much desperate or disciplined you are you can get a coach/mentor in life, who can guide you. I have mentor too.
Hi OP, I cut & pasted the recommendations I found in this thread to improve the quality of your life.
A library card
Kindle
Audible subscription?
A plane ticket
$400 computer chair
xiaomi robot vacuum
Pair of decent walking shoes
A quality mattress bed
A massage recliner chair
Taking a holiday
Go to Tony Robbins next year in Sydney
Pushbike
a dog/cat or guinea pig helps a lot to relieve stress, anxiety and loneliness
A good used kayak from gumtree
A good stereo sound system, with tube amp, floorstanding speakers and headphones
Gym membership
Spend $250 on a Swedish, hand-made, Granfors Bruks block-splitting axe and split some wood
If you can get one for under 1k, a heat pump dryer. Makes washing so much easier when it's raining or you just cbf
Romantic getaway with your partner
An AIR FRYER!
A long phone charging cable
a homebrew kit
Ready meals (eg. Youfoodz), Laundry services, Lawnmowing service
Good luck…..
if you are going to help the OP , at least include them all!
this will just stress the OP out even more, as they will now have to go back over the entire thread to see what you missed.
congratuations on making life harder for the OP.
please make us vote on the above
That’ll be the next post.
Hookers? Not sure how many you would get for $1000…or how long.
It's not the length that matters
IMHO - go to target/Kmart and buy one of those cheap DIY furnitures that has so many parts and once you assemble it well and have it in your home, you will feel a bit proud everytime you look at it.
Same applies to assembling a hobby circuit kit, a robot kit or a Raspberry Pi kit if you are into electronics.
Last week I planted some flowers, bought different types of sprinklers and drip watering systems and did the plumbing including a timer - frankly I am very amused every time watching the timer setting off different types of sprinklers.
Try to find peace in simple things.
Hope you find what you seek!
A good quality headlamp like a Zebralight. I use mine every day so that has turned out to be a good purchase. Also Nitecore Tip CRI keychain lights come in pretty handy.
It's good to have purchases that actually get used rather than just gathering dust (eg. tools, music equipment).
Can you buy anti-depressants for $1000? All problems will be fixed,if you stop care about them.
Will be bargain also 'cause you buy in large quantity.
I am going to suggest:
Paying to get your shirts ironed each week ($15/week in the city)- if you are a white collar worker
Get a washing machine that also dries (no more hanging out the clothes).
Airpods for your iPhone. (Ok not exactly a big purchase but for $200 I’ve really enjoyed it).
Electric bike to commute
I really wish the Airpods fit my ears. My friends that have them really like them, but the new Apple ear/air pod design falls out of my ears non-stop :( I've seen some rubber fittings you can use but they need to be taken off everytime you put the Airpods back into their charger!
Try another brand. I have the same problem where the apple design falls out of my ears, but there are plenty of alternatives.
I used to have the jabra elite sport, now have the sony WF-SP700N, highly recommend either but there are cheaper alternatives around.
$1000 of apple shares in 1983
If you own a pool and have to deal with a creepy crawly type pool cleaner then the best thing you can buy for under $1000 is a pool robot and enjoy the serenity :)
What pool robot do you use?
I have a Baracuda MX8 . It's a suction driven cleaner, not a robot, but it's not the most efficient cleaner and you need to watch that it doesn't get stuck on the stairs. So when it dies I'll be looking for something more efficient and smarter.
Zodiac CX20. My only issue is that it doesn't really pick up fine dirt, just spreads it around, so I need to throw the creepy back in every 6 months or so.
Palm tree fruits are our creepy crawlers nemesis
Decent mattress
Air Conditioner
A gym membership
Dishwasher.
Buy a copy of The Untethered Soul by Jefferson A Singer.
get a latin dance membership
I was going to say take some swing or rock-'n'-roll lessons. Quick, easy to learn - even if you're musically clueless like me. Fun activity, helps you stay fit and social fun meeting new people. But i imagine that any type of dancing or similar activity would be the same.
me personally, a steam iron!
v10 dyson, improves my life because wife loves it and when shes happy so am i
Can't believe no one said Bose qc35 yet, is it not worth it?
netflix and half price ice cream from coles/woolies!
A surfboard off gumtree
High-quality adult toys!
Do a Park Run every Saturday@$0 and that'll make some difference, though this run is not available in every suburb yet.
A gym membership will do too but you probably want to start with "being active once a week that costs you $0".
Work on your body and work on your mind, you don't have to blow that much cash to change your life.
Pick some hobby, for example learn to scuba dive - it's like visiting the completely alien planet. You'll meet awesome people and will visit unforgettable places. I dive almost every weekend and it's a great way to deal with everyday stress.
Scuba gear is real expensive, both initial and recurring costs.
Not really - you can buy second hand gear often at very cheap prices and most divers selling will be happy to do the deal on the basis of it passing the service (which you'll want to do anyway).
If you want to buy new, yes, you could spend $1k+ if you buy the lot. At a minimum, buy a good quality mask and snorkel, and boots/fins that fit. If you can stretch the budget, a wetsuit you like. The other gear you can hire if you're not diving regularly or only dive when you travel.
But you do need to factor in the PADI course costs, with a couple required to be obtain the Open Water qualification.
I suppose you could go diving without any training, but I've seen plenty of people get into serious trouble, and lucky to live in a couple of cases.
@GG57: SSI or PADI (AKA Pay Another Dollar Idiot) - SSI is significantly cheaper and covers the same content and equal accreditation to PADI. I did my open water for $149 in Sydney. I have since done a number of others inc advanced, night, nitrox etc while travelling overseas.
The original OW was with Pro Dive in Coogee and would comfortably recommend them. What I now understand is they make their money from selling you the gear afterwards. You spend 2 days with them, build trust, and feel comfortable in the environment - why wouldn't you buy from them? Their prices aren't bad, but you can of course get gear online cheaper. I bought my mask and fins from them and have no regrets as I was able to try them on in-store and make sure they were right for me.
@toristo: I'm oldschool - NZUA back when they issued their own accreditation, which was widely accepted then. I did it in Vanuatu, so diving was relatively easy (visibility, temp, etc.).
It was, obviously, the same theory but I was able to get to their equivalent of OW within a few dives, and we regularly did wrecks, nights, etc.
It certainly got me through a few hundred dives in multiple countries.
We returned to Vanuatu a couple of years ago and did an open water 'resort' dive just to revisit a previously regular dive haunt. As soon as we descended and took that first breath it was back to that amazing 'other world' experience. Loved it.
@toristo: I went to Chuuk a few years back, that was pretty nice seeing all the wrecks.
Did Borneo/Mabul/Sipadan a few years before Chuuk. Great sea life, lots of turtles, barracuda and reef sharks. Some friends kicked on and went to Sandakan and hiked up Kota Kinabalu.
Miele C3 vacuum cleaner. Best purchase yet. It sucks and sucks and sucks and keeps sucking nonstop.
Proper Answer:
A Xiaomi Robot Vac and a Gym membership.
Apple watch has encouraged me to go from no exercise ever to walking the dogs for at least 30 minutes each day, to fill the exercise ring. Combined with the Apple Health app and My Fitness Pal for monitoring calorie intake, it has been a good investment so far.
C-Pap machine for my snoring condition.
Go on a holiday.
Definitely improves quality of life al beit temporarily
Get a Pet! I’d suggest to get a dog. Nothing like coming home after a stressful day to see a wagging ball of fluff!
and brown clumps on your grass :p
An engagement ring
Under $1000?
You did well
Wow so little imagination here. Find a hobby! Key thing is to do your research to find out what is value and what is junk.
Astronomy:
$50-$100 binoculars. (Do your research!!!)
$600 8" Dobsonian Telescope. (Or if you can lift, can fit it in a car $800 10 inch).
Fishing:
$100 on fishing gear.
Hiking GPS.
Kites:
$30 stunt kite. (I'd love to say membership to fly drones or rc planes but $1000 would barely get you started if you want to do anything serious.)
Photography:
Entry level DSLR or superzoom camera.
Already know a bit? Teach yourself about off camera flash. Cheap triggers on ebay and manual flashes and umbrella stands will cost well under $1000.
Computer gear:
All depends on what you currently have. Perhaps you need a faster router, or an SSD so you're not waiting for things to happen.
Perhaps you want a joystick or racing wheel or other peripheral. You could get a nice flight setup with pedals, yoke, joystick and throttle for $1000 and learn about flying - much cheaper than a pilot's license and the only chance of dying is if your partner kills you for spending too much time on it.
Nicer keyboard or mouse. You can get something decent for $50 if you're not after fancy gaming or mechanical stuff.
Nicer monitor that improves everything you look at on the computer.
Mini computer to connect to your TV.
Phone:
Better phone and/or better plan so you can actually make use of your current phone.
Home:
Entry level 55" TV + speakers + Blu Ray player.
A nice physical chess set and board. (Do your research. Don't overpay for garbage.)
Nice outdoor setting.
Nice BBQ. (Good workable entry level models for under $300. Another one that requires you do your research).
Education:
Sign up for a weekly course in something that interests you. You're doing it for fun so stuff the farce that is accreditation and you'll get something decent for less than $1000.
Build up an electronics kit.
Heck learn to sew so you can fix all those clothes. You can pick up a sewing machine for $100. (I can't do it for crap despite trying).
Take up painting and find a class to push you in the right direction.
Holiday:
A week away somewhere nice in the off season, and hire a boat for a day or two.
Try something new or different. Get yourself bruised and battered at paintball or something.
Try out a sport, or find somewhere to go horse riding.
Family:
Buy your wife or kids or girlfriend something you know will put a smile on their face and enjoy watching them being happy.
Other:
Do you play an instrument? Do you want to pick it up? Teach yourself guitar on Youtube. Do your research and pick up a second hand beginner's guitar and amp for $200-$400.
Xiaomi toilet seat… top buy.
…bottom buy?
Spend it on some nice speakers, an amplifier and an audio source if you need to relax more at home.
If you need to get out more, spend it on group exercise classes.
I have a friend that bought a $1000 10 day trip to China and loved it
I rescued my puppy for $550. That was the best purchase I've ever made for mental health and QoL.
Ive had and currently have a stressful job (own business with 15 staff in 3 states)
I took up archery (recurve) a long while back. Target shooting at least 2 days a week. As a member I had keys, so on the way back from work or uni I could shoot (used my car headlights) for 15-20 mins. I’m lucky there’s a range 5 mins from my house. Technically I have enough room on my new block to set up a target, but not with kids and dogs around.
I also did a 2 month welding course at tafe. Good fun to clear the head on Wednesday nights. My wife is now doing a sewing course there to get a night off from our toddler
As someone who is super anxious and gets regular therapy.
I hear you.
I recently purchased a vr1 PS VR headset and I just say, it's helped tremendously. Words can't even describe it.
You are warped into another world and you completely forget about your daily stresses and surroundings.
I would compare it to a strong mushroom trip.
Nothing else in reality matters while you're wearing the headset.
Amazon had a deal for the headset and camera brand new for $199.. I think it's still going.
I then purchased 2 x move motion controllers for $99.. and when it arrived I bought a couple games on the PSN store, namely, Gnog, job simulator and moss.
In total, it cost $350 for a way to completely get away.
It's truly therapeutic and I've used it a few times after a bad day and felt so much better afterwards.
You could quite easily buy that set up, plus a PS4 if you don't already own one, for $500 total, maybe slightly more.
And the PS4 is great to watch movies, listen to Spotify, and play games on too. Definitely one of my favourite purchases of the past few years. I didn't think I'd even use it much, but it's almost become a nightly tradition.
I'm glad I didn't shell out extra for the PS4 pro, or the Vr2 headset.. the version 1s are absolutely great as they are..
Alternatively, you could consider an oculus rift set up. I'm assuming you already have a computer, so to buy an oculus rift, graphics card and video card etc for under $1000.
And for whatever money you have leftover, buy a really good sex toy.
And hey, if you buy an oculus rift, you can use them together for what I would imagine would be a mind blowing experience.
How’s the screen door effect? I always thought VR reviews mentioning it were just having a bit of a whinge, until I tried one (Oculus Rift) and it did reduce the realness of the experience quite markedly.
The screen door effect is present but I still really enjoy the experience. Especially with good headphones on. I don't think there's any headset yet that 100% feel like real life.
My mind is still blown by it every time I put it on..
As other said what ever makes your work or main hobby easier so you can enjoy it more!
I used to be a bit of a stinge on tools but after buying stuff while on sale and now having a large range of different things whenever I want to work on anything it is a breeze.
For us it was buying a dishwasher after 10 or so years of not owning one.
Gym membership. Changed my life.
I got into weight lifting (more powerlifting), which has taught me a lot about nutrition, how to eat to be healthy and to manipulate weight (gaining weight and losing weight are both trivial to me now). I feel better, work better, and have more energy for hobbies.
I've also quadrupled my annual income in under 4 years time since I started lifting. I don't think I would have achieved this with my old physical and mental state.
Good on ya mate. What numbers are you lifting? Done any comps?
I'm just a casual lifter, taking my own time, doing my own research.
I'm about 2.5xbw deads, 1.3xbw bench, 0.85xbw ohp and 1.7xbw squats. Nowhere near competition level, but I'm happy with how I progress.
Splash out on a new mattress/bed that you find super comfortable.
After all the complexities of the modern day, you can go back each night and relax on it.
Nutri Ninja! $140, it's such a great start to they, I don't need vitamin tablets anymore and feel so much healthier. I guess there are running costs in terms of buying fruit and veg for it.. but seriously one of the best purchases i've done for my health.
Wouldn't a $40.00 blender do the same thing?
For me, it was my Fitbit Charge 2. Since having it, I am more aware of my inactive lifestyle and have thus improved on it. With the Fitbit purchase, it led me to buy some proper fitness tights and jacket (to look good and feel good). All these cost less than $500 but I feel better and healthier.
my Anova Sues Vide machine :)
makes dinner and meal prep a lot easier
(as i can put it on and go out and walk the dog - without it overcooking the food :)
often on sale for under $149
and because i'm more organised with meal prep - i'm not buying lunch out as often and not having as much take out for dinner :)
Nice one I just got it recently with the $99 deal, haven't tried it out yet!
Romantic getaway with your partner, probably a great investment in your future together :)
Edit: should be able to get some romantic getaway worth > $2,000 for $1,000 if you spend wisely and await a great deal to come along.