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?
King size bed.
The extra length is glorious if you're on the taller side.
King Size bed is the same length as a Queen size bed, it is the width that is larger.
Philips Airfryer. Best. Purchase. Ever.
We have one and its great , chips and crumbed prawns in 15 minutes yum.
Don't forget frozen wedges and also chicken wings have never been easier.
My only regret was I didn't purchase the XL.
Buy a rescue dog and feel unconditional love , a fitness aid buy walking it , and a great stress reliever by cuddling up in a chair , and an early warning system .
Yep was going to suggest this, but only if OP likes dogs.
My rescue dog (Arthur) is the best purchase I have ever made at a "bargain" price of $400. Home is where the dog is!
Spend some time and money getting a pillow you’re really happy with. Expected budget $50-$150.
Also quality cotton sheets. Try to get Egyptian cotton 300-400 threadcount. Budget about $100-$200.
One of my best buys that improve my quality of life so far is a new mattress. Mine cost substantially more than 1k though.
When I first moved to Australia, I did not speak a word of English. It was thanks to my library membership that I learnt it at an accelerated pace. So yeah, I will second the library card.
As for a 'purchase', I think I'd give it to my Audible/Kindle Duo. Yes, there are ongoing costs but thanks to these two, I can read even more books than I did (and that was already a substantial amount).
In short, books are priceless.
Kindly.
PS4 and fortnite
I know there are allot of haters out there, but the best thing that has helped me to: learn, earn, laugh, work, play, read, listen, create, enjoy in bed, on the plane at the beach, at home, at work, during the day, at night, inside, outside, interstate, overseas is the humble ipad. It's also a great baby sitter. Dollar per hour over its lifetime its oddly perhaps one of the most affordable ways to improve ones life in so many ways.
love how it has to be an Ipad.. consumerism at it's best. Also I've always wondered how a tablet is better than a laptop
I can fit my tablet in my handbag.
why cant you use your phone ?
Consider doing an authentic Ayahuasca retreat somewhere in the Amazonas.
A week of self contemplation, new insights on life, rejuvenation and all-round healing with plant medicines.
Couple of months in advance, set intentions (goals on personal change etc.), kick vices and follow "la dieta" before the journey.
Go in with a mind open to receive, and emerge a much higher version of your old self.
Much possibly wiser, calmer, composed and compassionate.
It may very well be the single most life changing experience (for most, it is)
And the changes could be permanent, for the better.
Are there any long term side effects of ayahuasca? I have read coming off the trip is an uncomfortable process, however it is a small price to pay for an experience nothing else can offer.
Death and long term psychosis… We're not all Carlos Castaneda or Adous Huxley and enter a sublime new state of consciousness.
For a safer high try a Dalai Lama gig.
Ayahuasca cleansing happens on physical, psychological and spiritual levels, so is unambiguously profound.
Physically, you purge many times on the medicine, which can be distressing to some at the time. Detoxing happens both in the actual Aya session and the preparation with other plant concoctions leading up to it.
That's the physical unease.
Psychologically, you are brought to face and acknowledge many repressed and suppressed aspects of your inner self, stuff you would rather not contemplate on. A brutally honest self evaluation could ensue, which can be very emotionally moving, and overwhelming at times. Generally, you won't hold anything back, when you face your own demons, something you have never found the courage to do ever before.
Thus the psychological upheaval.
Spirituality, you get to connect with some sort of higher consciousness, which leads to the dawning realization that what we call life and our concerns of playing g it to our liking, is trivial in the grander cosmic sense. You are awestruck by the visions and can obtain significant revelations. But you always come away humbled beyond words, and thankful for that.
Thus the spiritual shakeup.
All the above notwithstanding, the next day, it's reported you feel thoroughly rejuvenated and a deep sense of peace lingers into the future. A deep-seated sense of well being, is what you come away with.
When you are changed enough that your threshold to feel thankful is low, you find joy and satisfaction easily in life. While the learnings are personal, that was what Aya showed for me.
As you have put it, nothing can come close to the Aya experience.
Ayahuasca has been used in the Amazonas for thousands of years, with life changing benefits recognized.
The western mind is still coming to terms with something so ancient and benevolent.
Yes, true that may not be for some people with psychotic history or such disposition. Neither should be alcohol.
It's not easy. Not something one does for fun. And in no way for people who find hard drugs "their thing"- including alcohol, and not having a deep desire to quit. They will find hard to imagine such a thing as Aya exist. I think such people will not find value in Aya or its life changing insights before. But still, the experience will be earth shattering and beneficial.
It's terrifying, absolutely beautiful and mind blowing. Even the brave returns from the trip white knuckled from the experience, from the profound insights. I for one, quake in my boots at the thought of the realms Aya takes one to travel with her in.
"Well somebody once asked me, you know, “Is it dangerous?” And the answer is, only if you fear death by astonishment." - T. McKenna
what's la dieta ?
A diet of some sort ?
Yes. A special diet is recommended before and after. You will be fed this on the retreat. It's healthy, if bland. The small Amazonian towns all have restaurants specifically asking if you want the Aya friendly menu when they take your order. They know the drill.
Ayahuasca contains MAOIs, so it's adviced to lay off foods containing tyramine in advance. So, no alcohol, fermented foods, over-ripe fruits, red meat, pork, avocados etc. There is further to this small list.
Also, it's better to eat healthy, in preparation. No fried or oily stuff, no aspartame or sugary foods. Nothing too salty or spicy either. No protein powder or nutritional supplements. No street drugs, even weed.
It's also recommended to abstain from sex.
All the above, usually two weeks before and after the session, but better if could be observed longer. A month seems ideal to me.
I wish my ex gf would abstain from sex.
It could be life changing. Or life ending: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/how-ayahuasca-re…
Yes, over more than a decade, a handful of incidents. This is the one doing the most rounds in the media.
The tobacco cleansing was a preparation to Ayahuasca ceremony. It's prevalence is on the decline. You could opt for a setup without tobacco purge.
I had been to this very resort mentioned in the article. They don't do tobacco purges anymore.
As with all things in life, make a weighted decision. Be "….aware of the risks of taking ayahuasca or any other powerful substance in a remote jungle retreat" as the article endorses.
Seeing that you did it, I understand the 'Monk' bit of your handle, but care to explain the 'Irate'? If that's the result, I better not do it ;-)
@team teri: :)
Aya teaches one "to be"
And to "live this moment"
Though in no way I have grown to practice all of the Aya wisdom, I am intrigued to note that ever since Aya, a part of "me" remains detached and aloof in everyday situations, bemused and observing the other "me" and my various emotional responses to it.
The unperturbed "me" is the monk.
The other "me" is the wannabe-reactive irate part.
I don't fight myself into inaction, but is aware of my "irnateness", thereby recognizing it as transient and essentially trivial.
Mostly, why we get irate in situations is because we are concerned how it may affect some outcomes in the future… right? Mostly things don't turn out that bad. So, it would be wiser to not constantly calculate and read into stuff too much. Save the heartburn, relax. The "monk" stays unconcerned enough to be such prudent.
Together, I try "just be".
And to "live in the present".
Thus Irate Monk
People need to put stuff in prospective.
And team teri has to point out the 1 Australian who died at an unlicenced & illegal Ayahuasca retreat that year.
LOL all this "Ayahuasca" stuff is a disguise for the drug DMT ?
Ayahuasca was around for thousands of years.
DMT was discovered in the 1930s and classified even much later.
DMT is indeed it's main active ingredient.
Why disguise?
DMT is naturally found in most living beings, also the human brain in the Pineal gland.
Drug?
DMT, if ingested, is destroyed in the gut by the action of the enzyme- Monoamine Oxidase.
So, the medicine is a mix of two plants… one (P Viridis) providing the DMT, and the Ayahuasca vine (B Caapi) itself, lending the MAOIs to make the DMT orally active.
hrmm interesting. I think this particular practice would leave far more questions than answers and for that reason I will never try it
@PAOK11: That's OK too.
Just be.
It's also said, only when one is ready, and if her intervention is needed, will She call. :)
That is, no one goes without her summoning. And when she does, everything - the will, the funds, leave/travel plan etc. magically works themselves out.
A good massage!
Wow for thousand bucks it better cook me dinner and make my bed in the morning as well!
and a happy ending at the end ? :)
or two :)
Dog+ woof+ mountain bike = 😀
Donating it to the poor/someone struggling in life.
GFE service for 2 hours…
Numerous people saying to get a good mattress for < $1000.
Impossibru.
Maybe < $1000 for a single mattress?
Koala mattress is fantastic. Best $900 i've spent!
2 chicks, at the same time
What did it change in your life? How much you paid?
Been there, done that more that once for free. Not sure how it improved my life.
When you're in a rut, you can think back and go hey I had a threesome for free
When you're in a rut, you can think back and go hey I had a threesome for free
Two knitting needles and a couple of balls of yarn. Can meditate and get quite a lot of quality thinking time done. $30 max.
Personally it helps me relax quite a bit, and in the end you can end up with a scarf or a beanie you can use next winter, or give away to someone.
Few items I would buy again.
1. Xiaomi Robot Vaccum cleaner found here - Set it up in our bedroom. It nicely goes under the bed and cleans it.
2. Xiaomi or Mi Watch - Just $99. Looks like an apple watch. Light. Does practically everything important. App works perfectly. Makes me aware of my activities.
3. Bike <$500 at Anaconda sale. Simple. Lasted about 5 years. Fun. Made me more active.
4. Good walking/Running Shoes. Spent about $180. Generally, I wouldn't go over $99. This really good show which made me not shy away from walking to the station every day. I used to hate that 20 min walk as my feet start hurting.
a border collie
Get a shoe horn (the long ones you can use standing up). Costs like $2 from Ebay and makes putting shoes on and off effortless. It doesn't sound like a lot, but, in time, you'll see :)
username checks out
It's interesting how different people interpret 'quality of life'.
My wife has just died of cancer.
She was young and full of life, until the last 12 months when she suffered terribly.
Quality of life for me is nothing to do with material possessions or services.
Many people only really understand what is important in life when they have gone through a period of intense suffering or pain.
But you can just look around now and decide for yourself.
Sorry about fyour wife.
But you say material things… I understand what you mean, but what about material items like a holiday together, a tent to go camping with family, things like that. Its still material items but used to enjoy family time.
Condolences on losing your wife; life can be awful and unfair at times.
Several years ago I had a melanoma removed and lost my brother in a motorbike accident in fairly quick succession. I decided the Gods were talking to me and they were beginning to scream. When we paid off our mortgage, the following year, I took some time off work and just let myself “be” for a while. When I went back to work I was better able to cope; but thinking about my brother still makes me cry, even after 20 years.
Anything I can say to you now will sound trite because only you know the pain you are feeling, but be kind to yourself and seek help as you need it. Try to keep the lines of communications open with the in-laws; you are an important link to their daughter.
You are so correct that our houses are crammed with stuff but what is of real value is our relationships and our health.
Thank for taking the time to comment and for sharing your experience.
The advice you gave is spot-on and I am doing so. I am closer to her family now that I ever was.
Time to give away all material possessions then ?
Seriously, that is your response to these comments? What we have been discussing is priorities, and when you lose someone close then you realise that "stuff" is not a priority in your life. It is just periphery stuff that is "nice" to have. Look at the people in your life, would you be willing to trade them for a new house, a new car, a new video game? Believe me, if I could get back my brother I would, certainly, be willing to trade a great deal of my worldly possessions, but I can't. My priority is my family, not my crap.
Sorry to hear that mate. Terrible thing to go through.
Whats something small that made her happy?
What a great question. Towards the end she was in a wheelchair and I would take her to Mount Tamborine and we would walk along the tourist strip and have a coffee in a street-side coffee shop. She would just watch everyone walking by: something so simple that she could no longer do. I am brought to tears just thinking about it now.
Sorry to hear that. My mother is going through treatment now for Ovarian Cancer and it is really taxing on her and myself as her sole carer. Before, I was all intent on working harder, later and never taking holidays so I could get ahead to give my (future) kids the best start in life. I thought I was doing pretty well until mum had some (very benign) symptoms and it turned out to be a nasty form of cancer. Now I wish I took those holidays and didn't spend all night in the office to get a powerpoint deck done, only for it to be changed in the morning. I still value my work, but having something this bad happen to your immediate family puts things in perspective.
Now I realise that the biggest things in life is time spent with family and friends whilst you are in good health. There is no 'buying' our way out of this diagnosis, if there was, I would have already sold my house to buy it.
Now we schedule everything around treatment days, and a good day is a day where she wakes up and feels okay. If I were to say how to spend $1000 for quality of life, go see a doctor, get a check up. Find out what 'healthy eating' actually is. Don't stress over small things. Enjoy life as it is and don't rely on material possessions to make you happy. There is nothing you could buy me to make me happy right now.
I wish you all good health.
I am sorry to hear of your mother's illness. Cancer is a horrible disease and causes so much pain and heartache.
We all make what we think are the best decisions at the time, even if later events make us think back with a different perspective.
All we can do is use our experience to shape the decisions we make in the future and hope that things work out better for us.
For me it's fishing. Nothing beats the fresh air of the great outdoors. Strangely I enjoy it most when I'm smoking.
I splashed out and got myself some Bose headphones recently. They're wireless and noise cancelling, and as someone who listens to music, podcasts, asmr, and watches a lot of youtube, netflix, etc. they have been amazing. I highly value actually listening to the instruments in music, so the headphones have been a great purchase.
Qc35 2?
Yep. They're amazing.
Just got some too, best headphones. Only gripe is that you can't change noise cancellation with button in aux mode.
I bought $1000 worth shares and slowly learnt how to invest my money effectively. Taking the first step was very insightful and well worth more than $1000.
do you actively trade with that $1000, or just bought and left it there?
I think about this topic a lot, and I'll focus on two things that make a big difference
SLEEP PRODUCTS
Good quality sleep is worth whatever it costs. When you get a good night sleep, the world still seems challenging, but you feel equipped to deal with it. When you don't get a good night sleep though, you feel like you never really reset, like you have to go out and face the hurdles of today but your brain is still full of all the information from yesterday. It feels like your being stretched, slowly, and every time your body gives a little more to make a little room, the stretching wheel rolls a little more to balance it out. It's horrible. If spending 20k every 5 years would guarantee me perfect sleep, I'd spend it no question. That's not really an option though.
What you can do, is buy a decent bed. Get a nice mattress for starters, and then get several sets of high quality sheets. The right kind of sheets, make you feel all tingly when you slip into them. Its worth it to spend $100+ on sheets that make you look forward to sleeping. Likewise get yourself a decent blanket, and doona for the cooler months. You want to be just warm enough that you don't shiver. I find if I'm too warm, I dream, and whenever I dream I know that I've had a bad nights sleep.
FOOT PRODUCTS
This ones as much psychological as anything. If your feet hurt, you're not going to want to move, and will find yourself lounging around wasting all your free time. You want to buy shoes, good ones that feel comfortable, and socks, lots of socks. Buy some of the super thick explorer socks. You'll be surprised at the difference they make over $2 flea market ones. Don't forget to replace them when they get worn down
What actual sleep products did you buy?
Spend it on Lite n Easy food for a couple of months and lose weight. The difference losing a few KGs makes is amazing on your body and mind, and because all your meals are pre-prepared, it will free up some time to take on some other things to improve your quality of life.
Learn mindfulness or establish a simple mediation practice and do it every day. I recommend the Heartmath Inner Balance to train yourself in heart cohearence, doing this regularly reduces stress levels in your body and builds resilience to stressful life events.
I agree with the above comments about sleep products too.
An anvil.
Legendary bit of equipment. Looks cool. Can be used as a door stop. Can rest a beer on top of it. Has a pointy bit. Increases in value over time
Get an anvil and live life to the full.
Comfortable shoes, genuine sunglasses, SSD and condoms.
changing your mattress! I know it sounds mundane……but never knew how much I took it for granted till I swapped out mine!
What’s the best mattress options?
A gaming console (ideally PC, but that might end up increasing stress with good ol' windows)
Of course this is all down to preference. If you absolutely love fishing, a camping trip or generally a trip away to go fishing'll probably destress you much better than games.
But for me personally, as someone who loves games, it's done a tonne to calm me down when I'm stressed.
Examples from me:
$700 mattress
$320 PlayStation 4
$290 soundbar
Eneloops.
A subscription to something you wouldn't normally buy, but have always wanted to eg. classical music, opera, ballet.
What are some examples or do you mean like magazines or YouTube channels.. I have been thinking about going to one of these in the future maybe at lyric theatre or Newtown or wherever the opera, ballet or classical music is held these days.
A foam roller, it'll do wonders for your back and legs. Grab one from Kmart for $8 or eBay for around the same.
Right now a TV or upgrades to my computer would give me more life.. that or a girlfriend but I have a feeling money is not what I need :( aww
A road bike from your local bike shop. I did this 4 years ago and then just turned up to their saturday morning shop rides. I've made loads of new friends, had all manner of new adventures, improved my health and fitness and given me something in my week that i genuinely look forward to. Last weekend one of the guys in the bunch held the 2nd of an annual ride he organises to raise money for a local person in need within our community.
Somehow he found a local girl that is significantly disabled to the point where she is wheelchair bound and needs a machine to talk. She is going into high school and her family cant afford to buy the talking machine. Joe organised a mass ride (190 kms)and we collectively raised the money and bought the machine for this poor girl. She was at the start line along with her mum and her mum thanked us all before we left but her voice broke and she started crying. I was lucky I had my aero cycling glasses on to hide my eyes as well! Of all the things I've done this year few things have been as rewarding as being a part of helping get this young lady the machine she needs. Unfortunately my bike broke down very shortly into the ride and i had to drop out but still a rewarding experience that anybody can do and that has a real, obvious, noticeable contribution to folks in need. Feeling like I helped achieve something tangible improves my quality of life. As a local thing organisaed by Joe we could all see where the benefit of our effort went, Joe gave her the machine at the end of the ride, right in front of us all.
Treat yourself you earned it. You make money to spend money.