What’s something you wouldn’t have done / acquired if not for OzBargain, that changed your life?
Eg: holiday or experience that is now a core memory, taking up a hobby or activity that is now part of who you are - things like this you would never have considered doing/buying if not for stumbling on a deal that acted as the gateway or catalyst.
Or maybe you’ve enjoyed the forums here so much you decided to become a traffic accident lawyer specialising in MS Paint diagrams.
Depends how good is your sense of not buying crap you don’t need in the first place.
Bikies
Yep! Bikies and lefties love this place!
@jv
My first ever smart phone was a purchase via ozbargain for a galaxy nexus. That's probably up there.
-Refuse to pay full price for shoes. I think in the past 10 years - I've paid full price for shoes on ~1 in 10 pairs.
-Will hold out on a lot of purchases if it isn't close to ATL.
-Learnt about the JBHIFI Telstra plans to churn mobile phone providers every 2 years.
-Became addicted to browsing bargains - Don't want to know how many times a week I visit this website.
-Spread the gospel of OzBargain and recommend it to friends and family.
How do the $ work out on churning JB phone deals every 2 years? Do you buy new and sell your old one to come out even or what?
I've bounced between JBHIFI (Telstra) $1000 GC > Good Guys (Telstra) $500 GC > Optus (Optus) > JBHIFI (Telstra) $1200 GC
Swapping companies to get vouchers/new phone deals and allowing the 3 month waiting period between Optus > Telstra to get the 3 month pending period out of the way.
Have resold mobile phones through Mobile Monster when upgrading.
Crunched the numbers and it's ~$55 per month to be on Telstra Network with new phones (Pixel 6 Pro > 8 Pro). I'm out of contract and can trade up and go to the new Pixel later in the year.
Hmmm ok, thanks for getting back to me. I think for $55 a month it might be more expensive than what I do now, although you get to keep a newer phone.
Currently I buy a ~$150/yr sim plan and we buy our phones outright and keep for minimum 5 years. Works out probably less than half of your cost but no fancy new phones as I said.
I never purchase anything without checking OzB first to see how low it's been in the past.
camelcamelcamel is a great website to check sales data on Amazon.
I also check product reviews on here. If something is no good you'll find out about a product or company on here- even from old posts.
I spend far too much of my time here, and buy junk for no other reason than it seems cheap. It's made my marriage less stable, and probably had a negative effort on my career.
I've tried to give it up twice, but always end up back here.
I did win my daughter a canon camera and trip to Vivid though.
But I don't do competitions anymore, that was the first step in my rehab that has stuck.
Sounds like you need to go to Ozboholics Anonymous
Wife complains about all the "stuff"/"junk" I have purchased from Ozbargain all the time :/
Vivid is free you know… it is a bargain.
The trip component is probably the perk.
Yeah 2 return flights and several nights accommodation. Though I think the value of the camera eclipsed that.
Ozbargain is life.
Made me more wary of others on the road after reading the accident and traffic question posts.
at least you have..dashcam
Me: “How did you- oh, I see”
Yes, never paying rrp again and having more money for other bargains
Probably no major impacts, but it has made we well aware of the difference between a sale and a deal. I always need to bite my tongue when I hear people say that they got something on sale, and I know I've seen the same thing on OzB for way cheaper.
In a more negative sense, I definitely went through a period of impulse buying crap I didn't need or even really want, but I feel like that has significantly lessened over the years. I also went through a period where I seemed to get a bit of anxiety of getting 'ripped off', even for relatively minor purchase decisions (hence the username). I'd invest way too much time and energy just to save a buck or two. But again, that has significantly lessened over time, probably helped by my financial situation improving.
Overall though, I enjoy my time on this site. It feels like a slice of the internet that's becoming increasingly rare.
I too must reign in my analysis paralysis
I bought a Roborock S7+ thanks to the recommendations on here. With a little one you don't realise how a vacuum could help to keep the floors clean.
Also, how to use a VPN to access overseas streaming deals and save hundreds of $$
Roborock QRevo for my mum. She loves it.
What VPN and streaming deals? Have they cracked down on those internationally yet?
No I’m still getting YouTube premium from India or somewhere
Im hooked but financially not worth the time i spend here.
Not a huge way but would have saved thousands of dollars over the years.
The biggest impact would be the reinforcement of prudent spending.
There are so many gadgets and stuff that I want over the years but just held myself back because I don't need it and will just be dust collectors. The only exception is free games on Epic, Steam or Play.
Ozbargain edumacated me onto Stremio, SmartTube Beta and Revanced. Thankyou.
I now have fantastic coffee thanks to being convincing that a machine to make it that costs $5000 is an OzBargain.
Have you broke even yet?
Taught me to churn mobile plans like an international money launderer.
rektrading and techlead gave inspiration to become a crypto bro.
I moved to Sydney after high school because of Ozbargain! https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/103320
The comment from Scotty telling me he went to UNSW is probably what sealed the deal
Hey I went to unsw too. I was there to drop off a delivery. Didn’t actually attend the school
Nice! This is the kind of thing i meant in the post haha. Not “i have a room full of bargain crap i don’t need”. But i guess your situ was more a forum reply thing so would apply to reddit or whingepool. But then you may have ended up at UQ and found a way to weaponise bin chickens!
how do you have the money for that?
I'm guessing parents financially supported you?
pros: have gotten some good deals on here, and have learned a lot.
cons: I have also wasted so much time on here and have bought so much junk.
I'm doing better to not waste so much time and buy junk on here, but it's an ongoing process (like why am I even reading and responding to this forum post?)
Trying to do other more productive things, but the dopamine hit of getting a deal is real.
FOMO is actually real too
Changed my life seems extreme. I got a few things for cheaper than I would have. I’ve also bought crap I didn’t need and wasted my money because of OzB.
I was thinking more along the lines of having a specific life experience you wouldn’t have, if not for some deal you got.
Ahh. Yeah, then it hasn't at all.
Whiskey and more whisky
I’m mildly allergic and yet I have a cupboard full now
It has opened my eyes to how many people are happy to make inane posts like the OP, and how many are happy to respond.
Including me, I guess. 😳
Yeah man, inane is the word! It seems most people have misinterpreted the question, which is totally fine. I meant more like “if not for those crazy cheap fares 10y ago, never would have gone on my first trip to japan and then later moved there for 3 years, and met my partner there”.
Still inane, but slightly more meaningful haha
I had this great idea for a site, posting bargains like dominos coupons, cheap LCD tv's from JB Hifi.
Bought the domain, started learning a bit about wordpress and a mate offered to host it. Put the word around amongst friends and their friends and started posting.
Found ozbargain in its early days, realised the site was much better than what i had made and could devote the time to, gave up LOL.
Still own my domain all these years later haha
Most good business ideas I think of are already taken. Good idea of yours though..
What's the domain?
since I started using OzBargain, my headache has gone !
Almost all purchases always got approval from chief of finance, she knows I will be getting good deals! What RRP
Used to have a 3 bedroom house
Now I have two usable bedrooms and one over stuffed store room full of 'deals' and bargains bought through that FOMO excitement
Well, it's actually 1.5 usable rooms with 1.5 store rooms of deals and bargains, and yet here I am
When I started reading this I was expecting you to say you had cut your house in half and rented out a room
Donate it!
Once in a while there is a forum post and replies that make me LOL for real , and I just love it. Brings me joy.
Taught me the power of consumerism and advertising. The less I'm on this site, the less I spend.
It's brought to my attention, bargains that I purchase but have no real need for.
I do love the forums and discussions.
yes made me spend on more things I dont need.
When a retailer tells you they can't do a deal because it's "below cost", it's probably BS especially when a competitor is able to do it at the price you asked for a couple of months later.
My OzB addiction first made me spend money on so much useless shit. I've since overcome that addiction and now have significantly improved impulse control lmfao.
Thank you OzB for making me a better man
Forgot how to spell bonut
About to start my 108th Udemy course.
Just kidding.
A day passed without Ozbargain is a day not worth living.
Yeah. It’s like reddit, but I own heaps of cool shit and got heavily back into networking and automation, ultimately leading to career change and advancement. Ozbargain baby!
I have hardly paid a phone bill in 2 years. Boost > Telstra (using points I used to get ripped off with) > boost. Credit card churning, health insurance churning.
I make sure I have comprehensive car insurance cause too many ozbargainers don’t know the road rules
I cook my meals on a council owned bbq in my local park. Saved heaps of money
mixed. if I'm tbh…
greatest deals: soon after I joined got a Sony action cam for like $79 from memory. it was fisheye only, so not usable exactly. still my first "ozbargain". Recent amaysim and woolies phone deals have been good. Another word phase was referrals and made a good amount. frittered it all away, but was a surprising amount.
I can't believe how many peeps have said they come on here and waste money from impulse buying. I feel for them. It's probably some sort of psychological disorder that can be addressed if you know how. Can't be bothered googling it but I would if I was one of them.
I have saved shit loads by "researching" here before buying almost everything around 50 bucks or more. Rarely buy anything that I didn't already want, unless I see a post and think, gee, that would be handy.
Also love some of the humour I come across on here.
Yeah sorry @eggboi, no such stories as those you were after are springing to mind at the moment. Still, your post spurred informative discussion, so thanks for that!
I think it's given me a bargain hunter mentality as a key part of my identity.
Many purchases found from Ozbargain have benefited us - computers, TVs, a $505 Xbox series X, a pram, a $339 pixel 6a, countless eneloops etc..
Yes there’s the bargains and the many things that you never knew you needed but one of the best things about here is that everyone pretty much just gets along. There is none of the crap arguing that you see on other social media platforms or community threads. This site is generally just people encouraging each other or looking out for each other. I always feel that I’m in a safe space when I come here and unless I say something completely ridiculous things will play out pretty well.
Far out, I've been here 15+ years but definitely say I enjoy having a website to go to for entertainment, honestly teaching me about technologies I didnt know existed (NAS systems, home setups), and building how I approach finding the best price. Credit card churning has been the major benefit for me, reminding me mostly haha
Eneloops
Micro SD cards
Flash drives
High yield investments
Portfolio of free digital currency for taking short courses
MS paint or it didn't happen
Legal advise 101, did you ask OzB
Sim sluts
On and on and on it goes.
The last one is your OF account?
nah, i dont know how all these people are jumping from one sim to another.
Good deals are becoming less and less common, its more about consumerism now. I miss the old days.
Discovered credit card points churning through OzBargain 10 years ago when I was a fresh grad, and have earned/spent over a million points since on flights and travel. Worth it!
Learnt that the OzBargain Comments section of each deal has the best FAQ info I'd ever need. Better than any AI.
Imagine an AI got trained on the OzB forums…
That would be crazy and awesome at the same time
A few years ago, when I was unemployed and desperately looking for work applying to anything and everything, my hello fresh account referrals hit $2k overnight.
Thanks to ozbargain, I was able to eat.
Got RSI in all fingers from pressing F5. Thanks @scotty
I am yet to post a deal (although I’ve seen a lot).
I want my first deal post to be that golden deal, the one that is worthy of ozbargainers.
But ozbargain probably feeds into my frugality and great deal mindset. So I would say while it hasn’t necessarily changed my life, it has complemented my mentality.
Other things that I’m greatful for are the useful sites I’ve learnt of throughout the years (through ozbargain)
Static ice for price comparisons of tech stuff
Price hipster for monitoring and alerting of price stuff
https://nrby.in/ The Bunnings store stock checker
Camel camel camel for Amazon price alerts
Probably a few others I can’t remember.
BARGAIN BECAME MY FIRST OPTION - practicality & requirements last
It's been a very long time that I paid RRP for anything after I joined ozbargain. Whatever money I saved, I splurged on headphones on sale. Lol
By realising the true bargain is not buying into bargains.