High Earners of OzBargain, Whats Your Reason for Being Here?

L[Deactivated] on 21/06/2015 - 12:22

As a high earner (note below), you don't need to be saving on most purchases so whats your motivation to visit ozbargain?

I don't want this to become a discussion about what qualifies as a high earner. I'll go with a simple version of singles >75k p.a and families >140k p.a. Feel free to disagree and select the "Feel like I still don't earn enough to be splurging" option but please don't flood the discussion with why you think its not enough. (But this is ozbargain, you guys don't like being told what to do… just remember I said please.)

Poll Options expired

  • 467
    It's not really about saving, its the principle of paying less for the same item
  • 42
    Feel like I still don't earn enough to be splurging
  • 24
    I don't really buy much, I come here to get ideas on what to spend on
  • 14
    I'm doing all this to buy a house
  • 10
    Other
  • 7
    My partner spends all my money, so I need to save where I can
  • 6
    I bought a house over my intended budget and the mortgage is killing me
  • 4
    Kids are money pits
Financial

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 21/06/2015 - 12:25
    +89

    I was brought up not to waste, and spending more than necessary is a waste.

    • kiamsup on 22/06/2015 - 11:32
      +18

      And buy more than it is necessary as long as it is a bargain.

    • rodinthink on 24/06/2015 - 18:07

      Remember the Eneloops / $ 5 4x 10 packs Fujitsu battery Deal?
      I used those as Chips Substitute

    • Scorpiogirl on 25/06/2015 - 17:31

      Well said. Spending beyond your means only leads to disaster.

    • congo on 22/06/2015 - 20:52
      +2

      That is a 'pointless comment'.

  • nocure on 21/06/2015 - 12:37
    +36

    I have OCD and cannot walk away from a bargain…I still think there maybe a game left in BigW somewhere that will scan @ $3.

    • juventino on 23/06/2015 - 03:22
      +4

      come to BigW QV in Melb, there are about 150 pcs of $3 games, I just put them out before leaving work :)

    • silverrat23 on 23/06/2015 - 13:04

      I found a stash of 5 games tucked behind some big Karaoke Machine boxes - now, that is something I can't walk away from!

    • Scorpiogirl on 25/06/2015 - 17:32
      +1

      Well considering how game prices varied among different Big w stores, anything is possible. :)

    • butterbuts on 26/06/2015 - 10:22
      +1

      This is me too. I go into Big W hoping to find something that someone missed haha. Was good to get the controller and 2 games though, so Big W is right up there on my list of favourite retailers atm

  • serpserpserp on 21/06/2015 - 12:42
    -8

    "According to Seek’s annual Salary Review, the average salary in Australia in the 12 months to June 2014 is $79,767."

    I wouldn't say 75k p.a is a high earner…

    • johndowy on 21/06/2015 - 13:19
      +1

      link

      • ozhunter on 21/06/2015 - 14:01
        +5

        Looking broadly across the market, we’ve seen a slight dip in the average salary in Australia of 3.2 per cent to $79,767 in the financial year to June 2014

        http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/how-does-your-salary-sta…

        I still don't believe it lol.

        • driew on 25/06/2015 - 09:28
          +3

          The median is a better indicator as the average would be skewed by those with extremely high salaries.

    • ChillBro on 21/06/2015 - 15:25
      +25

      Average=/=median

      • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2015 - 04:20
        +2

        It's all those bank CEOs and politicians who are warping the figures.

      • AsSeenOnTv on 25/06/2015 - 21:28

        Actually "average" is a general term which encompasses several statistical concepts including median, mean, mode etc (central tendency).

    • slewis69au on 22/06/2015 - 08:42
      +13

      What did he ask nicely for you to specifically NOT do? What you just did….

    • LoCure on 22/06/2015 - 10:10

      Seek is not accurate anyhow!!!

  • donbot on 21/06/2015 - 12:54
    +28

    Its about maximising value from every dollar - if i can get the same outcome by spending less with regard to every purchase i make - i can do things i otherwise wouldnt have the money for. Why would i pay $50 for something i can just as easily get for $45?

    $5 isnt a lot. But add those up across many purchases a week/month/year… And there is a hell of a lot of savings that add up to being able to do something we otherwise wouldnt.

    As for eneloops/gearbest/other crap on here - no interest, but ebay 30% off sales, BT offers and good savings on items i need - thats what keeps me coming back.

    • Sweetnsour on 22/06/2015 - 13:32
      +1

      I think puppett is asking whether higher income earners have better things to do. To save $5 may mean spending 20 mins a day spent on looking up ozbargain. But if you earn more than $25ph then why bother.

      Thats why some business can charge more for convenience.

      Or you could spend a whole saturday researching best quote for a tradesman, or working an extra shift/job. But what do u value your spare time?

      • donbot on 22/06/2015 - 15:31
        +15

        I'm on a fixed annual salary - I can't work an extra hour/shift to gain an extra $xx.. so that comparison doesnt work. Majority of high income earners are going to be in this basket.

        And definitely - I would work an extra hour a week to pay for a cleaner so I didnt have to clean a shower on the weekends, but I'd rather clean the shower/toilet/floors myself, and spend the money I would have otherwise spent on a cleaner on a holiday. Whats better - not touching a mop for a year or sunning yourself on a beach in SE Asia smashing mojitos for a week or two every year?

        As for obtaining quotes - I spent a Saturday a few weeks ago obtaining quotes for the installation of 14 double roller blinds throughout my house. I could have organised just 1 quote 'in the essence of time' and accepted it for what it was, but that would have meant I would have paid $2,000 more than I did eventually by obtaining a number of quotes. You do the math on that as to whether or not it was worthwhile (which was actually done while I was home painting my own house… so no time lost and further cash saved rather than paying a painter).

        Its easier to save a dollar than it is to earn another dollar to replace the one you let walk out the door too easily. Or should I say $1.96 pre-tax if you're on top tax bracket.

        • Sweetnsour on 22/06/2015 - 22:05
          +2

          I couldve spent one day a weekend cleaning for a year. But prefer to watch my kids footy match weekly, or catch up with old mates. To me family stuff is priceless.

          Its whether you have alternative plans, but like YTW said bargain hunting is an obsession for some 😆

          Also fixed salary doesnt mean you cant have second job or small business. I was on salary and also worked as a contractor for a second company. But once family comes around, "time" becomes the most valuable asset

        • saine on 23/06/2015 - 01:27
          +1

          @Skimpywallet: Actually, my contract restricts me from working elsewhere.

      • YTW on 22/06/2015 - 16:39
        +3

        The '20 minutes a day' spent looking up ozBargain aren't necessarily considered work by all…so comparing it to an hourly rate doesn't really make sense.

        I came here 10 minutes ago to check if there are any deals on Macs…but got sidetracked…I'll probably forget to even look up Macs once I've been through all the discussions and bargains that have caught my eye. This is my leisure time I'm using, bargain hunting is a hobby. I enjoy getting a good deal on purchases I make.

  • loulou1 on 21/06/2015 - 13:16
    +1

    We don't 'need' to be saving on all purchases, but every $ we save we can put towards something we wouldn't otherwise normally be able to afford to do.

    Also We would never fork out for gold class tickets as it is outside our budget but when master pass had a promo we got a free ticket and free popcorn and coke with every normal ticket we bought (one per transaction so we split the tickets up). It was really nice to be able to take my five year old to Cinderella in good class.

  • indium on 21/06/2015 - 13:37
    +67

    Ozbargain is a bit like modern day hunting

    • vorsprung on 22/06/2015 - 17:31

      This is brilliant.

    • tassietigermaniac on 23/06/2015 - 08:23
      +4

      Does that make TA the native who knows the land and can read the tracks? And what about JV? :P

      • moo on 23/06/2015 - 09:35
        +11

        I'd say the latter is more like a troll who lives in a cave. Every so often the troll will come out and bother the tracker about how he is not tracking correctly. ☺

  • Cheeper on 21/06/2015 - 13:49
    +2

    @ pupppet… Reverse your question..
    How wealthy would "you" be when you would be very happy to pay 2x 3x 4x everything?

    I think MemE hit it on the head… it's the joy of the hunt :-)

  • [Deactivated] on 21/06/2015 - 14:38
    +12

    No one every got rich by wasting their money.

    • xoom on 21/06/2015 - 16:25
      +4

      Exactly this. My sister had this story of the aristocrat guy. The one who makes poker machines. Loaded as anything.

      His neighbour was asking him why he was tiling part of his house himself. Can't he just pay a guy to do it. To which he replied this is why I'm rich and you are not.

      TL;DR

      Just because you are loaded don't mean you can throw money away willy nilly because you can.

      • retiredfeline on 22/06/2015 - 12:39
        +2

        why he was tiling part of his house himself

        That depends though on whether he could have been doing some work that would bring in more post tax income than what a tiler would charge. And if he wanted to, maybe he just liked to tile in his free time.

        • sama on 23/06/2015 - 14:02
          +2

          True, but if you're willing to tile your house, think about all the other stuff you're doing to save money on.

    • bl1027 on 23/06/2015 - 10:14
      +4

      So true.

      When my boyfriend was delivering pizza, it was the poorer people that would let him keep the change (sometimes rounding up to the nearest $5). The rich people wanted their 50cent change, thank you very much!

    • jellykingdom on 23/06/2015 - 16:55

      I literally say this all the time. Its not about being a scrooge, but about being smart and frugal. No sense in wasting your money just because you're doing ok

    • GregRust on 22/06/2015 - 23:03
      +2

      Heaps?

  • mini2 on 21/06/2015 - 15:48
    +6

    I was brought up poor, that scrooge mentality never left my head.

  • chaosmaster on 21/06/2015 - 16:25
    +3

    There should be more non saving options.

    e.g. OzBargain is a good place to discover cool stuff to buy (discount is a bonus).

    Also note if you are a high earner and a high spender you are poor. e.g. why athletes and movie stars are always going bankrupt.

    Saving money is a positive habit.

    • YTW on 22/06/2015 - 16:47
      +2

      That's a good point.

      I find ozBargainer good for sensible advice. And hilarious at times too.

  • tomleonhart on 21/06/2015 - 16:28

    I know a couple of people that earn 100 - 200k+ a year and they are still on ozbargain. I guess the first option in your poll is spot on.

  • rickb on 21/06/2015 - 16:58
    +1

    All the rich people I know negotiate costs down as much possible. How do you think they become rich?

  • cr7 on 21/06/2015 - 20:46
    +1

    That's how they stay rich, by not splashing the cash everywhere

  • slewis69au on 22/06/2015 - 08:41

    I am earning well but also saving to fund retirement. I don't like to pay more for something if i don't have to, also sometimes items on here prompt/remind me to get something i need (like the recent shoe/boot sale).

  • ramshead on 22/06/2015 - 08:55
    +12

    I enjoy the forums

  • lenlynn on 22/06/2015 - 09:02

    It's fun. I get a kick out of getting something for less. And what ramshead said, the forums.

  • jinxsphinx on 22/06/2015 - 10:02
    +12

    I've found it's been helpful in researching the product before you buy…. reading all the comments and learning people's experiences of the product etc.

  • frysie on 22/06/2015 - 10:07

    higher income > more items… but then after tax of course… meh

  • kati on 22/06/2015 - 11:07
    +1

    I'm a high earner with a relatively high net wealth only because I have scrimped and saved via Ozbargain for the past 8 years. It's also lots of fun (but aggravating when orders get cancelled! Oh the pain)

  • bbourizk on 22/06/2015 - 11:11

    Why pay more when you don't have to.

  • JetLi on 22/06/2015 - 11:16
    +3

    For a good laugh, the comments are generally entertaining and grabbing the odd bargain tops it off.

  • motor on 22/06/2015 - 11:21
    +2

    I don't want to work forever so like to live below my means plus you never know what's around the corner. Money doesn't buy happiness but saving some puts a smile on the dial.

    • uder on 25/06/2015 - 22:52
      +1

      Sorry mate meant to upvote this. Accidentally hit neg

      • nocure on 25/06/2015 - 22:54
        +1

        This one's on me.LOL

        • uder on 25/06/2015 - 23:01
          +1

          Got this one right.

  • roiboi123 on 22/06/2015 - 11:30
    +1

    OzBargain isn't about buying the cheapest possible brand/item, it's about finding the cheapest way to get items in a price bracket proportional to your income. ie. low income earners aren't as interested in the deals on Apple products, dyson vacuums or flights to Europe.

  • love2buy on 22/06/2015 - 11:40
    +3

    On the contrary I'm poorer because of ozbargain.

  • Evil-Elmo on 22/06/2015 - 12:00
    +2

    I chose the "Feel like I still don't earn enough to be splurging" option because if I had, for example, a $1m/yr income I would probably let the $5 here, $10 there, or even $100 for something else over there slide for the convenience factor. On the above 'high' incomes, however, it is still very very easy to spend well above your means, so every dollar still matters.

    A lot of it is mentality. If you grew up rich and never had to worry about money then I doubt you'd be visiting OzBargain in the first place. However, if you started from a more humble background then your habits of being careful with expenses and trying to find the best price will still kick in.

  • grabngo on 22/06/2015 - 12:33
    +1

    Lower than average income earner here.
    No where near the 75k annual salary
    Happy to get items we need at the right price
    What does get to me is when OP buys stuff they don't want or need an leaves the needy out of pocket !
    Oh what would I do if I earned more….

  • stargalaxy on 22/06/2015 - 12:37
    +10

    I don't think $75K is high earner, more like medium earner for single person.

    • fillit on 22/06/2015 - 15:06
      +5

      once you deduct tax, hecs, mortgages out, there's not much left in the kitty :(

  • giles on 22/06/2015 - 13:04

    I'm on a good wicket, but I keep an eye out for bargains that would make good gifts for family and friends.

    Also, deals like free-for-life premium credit cards are great — definitely worth it even if you earn more than average. Citi Signature has a $75k minimum income requirement, so eligible OzBargainers would be above the OP's line in the salary sand.

  • boxi on 22/06/2015 - 14:41
    +11

    I am just addicted. Instead of typing google.com to check the internet is working , I check with ozbargain.com.au

    • ultra64 on 22/06/2015 - 15:47
      +2

      Me too:) I have ozbargain.com.au bookmarked on all my internet browers: PC, laptop, mobile phones, ipads, android tablet, Wii U, 3DS, smartTV and Rasberry Pi.

      Damn it, now I know where I have spent (& savings saved) all my money!

      • GalaxyNexus on 22/06/2015 - 17:29
        +3

        my browser is very smart these days. I just pressed O in the address bar and I landed here :D

  • Baysew on 22/06/2015 - 16:50

    I usually just get my butler to do it.

  • k3nnis on 22/06/2015 - 17:11

    By the way is 75k a bad salary these days? Is that average?

    • jellykingdom on 23/06/2015 - 17:02

      I think the median salary is 75k, so that means by this logic 50% of all the people in Australia are rich….and I mean median, since mean doesn't mean (pardon the pun) anything in this context

      I am happy to go with either a) if your income has 6 digits in it, or b) your income is in the top 5-10% of the country

  • GalaxyNexus on 22/06/2015 - 17:26
    +6

    Because the (extra) money I earn gets taxed at 49% and money saved from bargains does not get taxed. So if I save 20$ by spending an hour bargain-hunting, that is equivalent to ~ 40$ an hour work rate.

    And also, because hunting for bargains is fun!
    (friend: "how much did you pay for your return ticket to Singapore?", me: "300$ return on Qantas", friend:"O_O I just paid 800$ per person for my family of 4 on Jetstar T_T")

    • rodinthink on 24/06/2015 - 18:02

      Actually you get taxed by GST 10%. It just that most people don't remember or pay attention to details that they don't notice

      • driew on 25/06/2015 - 09:41

        Actually you get taxed by GST 10%.

        He's saying that the money he saves doesn't get taxed. E.g. Say he bought a $40 item for half price, the $20 item has 10% GST in it but the $20 he saves does not.

  • moo on 22/06/2015 - 18:47
    +3

    Everything is relative. Even $40k can be considered high income relative to people that have little or no income. Bargain is a relative concept. E.g. $10k off a $100k car can be considered a bargain to the 'higher income' earners, but 'lower income' might associate anything expensive as a non bargain even though if it's a substantial saving. Food for thought.

    • driew on 25/06/2015 - 09:48
      +1

      I know you just used the luxury car scenario as an example but just wanted to clarify that $10k off a $100k car is generally not a bargain. Just in case some OzBargainer decides to buy a luxury vehicle.

      Cars around the 25k mark have lower margins so something like 4k off might be a good deal.

      On a $100k luxury car, you could potentially negotiate $30k off. This is due to the nature of negotiating in the car industry (I'm referring to new cars) and the fact that more expensive cars have higher margins.

      Note that I do not make anywhere near enough to have the luxury of spending that much money on a car; I just know people who do.

  • neonlight on 22/06/2015 - 19:04
    +2

    Sorry but 75k or 140k family is not high income by any means. That's the average.

    Hence why many are here. Spending less for items they need or want

  • sa5ha on 22/06/2015 - 20:22
    +1

    Why pay more!

    I always get a little thrill out of finding something at a fantastic price. It makes me enjoy the purchasing experience more!

  • congo on 22/06/2015 - 20:40
    +1

    Even Warren Buffett likes a discount :-)

    EDIT: Many of the high income earners also have high debts and large expenses.

  • peterw1 on 22/06/2015 - 20:48
    +4

    regularly checking for updates keeps me en-e-loop.

  • zealmax on 22/06/2015 - 21:34

    Just to keep in touch with how the rest of the world lives.

    • WatchNerd on 25/06/2015 - 13:01
      +1

      Is that you Joe Hockey?

  • Chik5555 on 22/06/2015 - 21:51

    Although I consider I earn a reasonable income, it's not enough to just buy whatever I want so I Ozbargain to make my money go further.
    Also, trying to save a deposit to refinance my loan to myself only (transferring from ex-partner).

    • zealmax on 22/06/2015 - 22:38
      -2

      Question was directed at high income earners.

      • Chik5555 on 22/06/2015 - 22:58

        According to OP I'm a high income earner. In my mind, I'm a reasonable income earner.

        • zealmax on 22/06/2015 - 23:13
          +1

          How about according to Joe Hockey?

        • Chik5555 on 23/06/2015 - 07:16

          @zealmax: well I've bought a house so I suppose it's 'good'!

        • zealmax on 23/06/2015 - 08:07

          @Chik5555: Then you are definitely a high income earner.

  • Starcraftmazter on 22/06/2015 - 22:38
    +6

    Single Sydney-sider here (well, single as in not married). I don't think 75k+ is a high salary, I think it's more like a minimum wage for this ridiculously overpriced country/city. My equivalent hourly rate for my salary is over $40/h, but that's nothing.

    1. Nobody ever got rich by wasting money
    2. Why pay more for something if you don't need to
    3. Every single dollar saved means that extra much more to spend on other things you really like, that are hard to afford otherwise

    Often times I have ideas of things I want to acquire in the next 3-6 months, and I will check ozbargain every day (only takes literally 2 minutes, I mean come on!) until I see a really good deal on that item.

    Every time I want to buy something I follow the rule where you stash that idea for a few weeks and wait to see how much you really want that. An even better way to improve on that is to wait until there's a really good deal on it. It is amazing how many things I want to buy but never buy because I end up not caring about that item a month or so later, or just don't feel like the value for money proposition is there.

    I usually think of all purchases, bills, etc in terms of holidays. How many days of hotel accommodation would this purchase cost me? Can I fly overseas and back if I didn't buy this? This great big new expense is equivalent to taking a week long holiday to New Zealand, etc. That also makes me not buy/otherwise spend money on a lot of stuff.

    I would rather eat canned food 6 days a week that I bought at a 50% discount and go out one day a week to a nice restaurant, bars, clubs, etc - and spend $200 on food and alcohol, than eat pricier food every day - how boring.

    Ultimately money should always be looked at through the prism of the opportunity cost of using that money for something else - be it a new car, new laptop, a holiday, or investments. If presented with big discounts, quite often that can tip the scale in favour of making that purchase now.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2015 - 00:44
    +1

    Thrill of the bargain hunt and of getting virtually free money (like AMEX credits for supermarkets, ING paywave, cashrewards etc). Probably spend more money than I save from being here though :-(

  • lookalive on 23/06/2015 - 01:53
    +2

    I tell my wife I'll spend freely and won't need to go to ozbargain ever again if I get rich, she replies "yeah whatever, you'll still be a tight arse", touche.

  • antzz on 23/06/2015 - 02:15

    When I was still a student I visit ozbargain for a different bargain than what I am looking for today. Now, My income has already climbed more than 6 times what I earned on my first professional job after I finish uni but I think ozbargain has become a lifestyle that i visit this site everyday even if I am now working outside oz.

    I buy some stuff and send to my friend to send to me and register to many platinum/hotel deals even now. Get involved in heated argument now and then and look for idea for stuff that I dont know I need to buy like iem earphone or eneloop

    I guess this site is very good and thus become part of my life style. Unfortunately in country I live now not many bargain can be found as most business are very price discipline.

    • congo on 23/06/2015 - 09:31

      What country is that?

      • Agret on 24/06/2015 - 15:08
        +1

        Probably doing Engineering in China

  • [Deactivated] on 23/06/2015 - 09:35

    for great deals

  • SnakeCasablanca on 23/06/2015 - 12:22
    +6

    Its simple really. Most people want to either be rich or happy (or both). To be rich they think they need to earn more money. To be happy they think that they need more (and more expensive) things. However these people are only seeing one side of the equation.

    To be rich you can look for ways to save money… Its a little cliched but "A penny saved is a penny earned".

    And happiness is inside you. You can adjust to be happy with less (and less expensive) things. A prisoner who is locked in a cell for 23.5 hours of a day can be happy when they let him outside for half an hour and he feels the sun on his face. That happiness cost nothing! (I know it cost the government and taxpayers something but you get my point).

    A frugal couple on $100k a year can end up being richer (and happier)than a spendthrift couple on $200k a year. Its all about compromise…

    (For Reference) - I fit the criteria mentioned above…

  • raffaharley on 23/06/2015 - 13:45
    +1

    Just because you are a supposed high earner >75K ?? it doesn't mean you have any more disposable income than anyone earning less. If you have kids, rent to pay, bills etc etc it doesn't take long to eat away at everything you have saved for the last couple of weeks, and then you end up maxing out your credit card.
    At the end of the day you're only just managing to put food on the table so Ozbargain can sometimes make the burden a little easier especially if you want to perhaps indulge in something non-essential like a new game that you have to justify by the chief financial officer at home.
    I know there are lifestyle choices here, but I don't think you can cover everyone and everything with the one blanket if you know what I mean.

  • sama on 23/06/2015 - 13:47
    +1

    None of the poll options really suit me. I was always taught, "The rich don't stay rich by wasting money."

    Then again, I'm looking at 5 headphones and pile of usbs sticks from Ozbargain on my desk.

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