Best Return on Investment You've Had

pernunz on 06/08/2015 - 15:28

Just wanting to know peoples return on investment for certain items, and what they think the best one is.

My own examples:

Entertainment Book: Purchased for $65 and within a month had achieved over $65 worth of savings, without much of a change in spending habits

HECS: Not paying it off early because it's the cheapest loan you'll get, indexing only with inflation (for now), and investing the difference in virtually any high interest online savings account, which after tax provides more income than the indexation would provide.

Other common examples I can think of include Solar panels when the guaranteed tariffs were high.

What say you, ozbargainers?

Financial

Comments

  • pyramid on 06/08/2015 - 15:29
    +23

    Investing my time on OZbargain is the best investment.

  • donga100 on 06/08/2015 - 15:54

    My job. All it costs is some of my time (probably less than I already spend on OzBargain) and returns thousands of dollars every month.

    • hashtagbargain on 06/08/2015 - 16:09
      +2

      Where does one find this 'job'?

      • DeafMutePretender on 06/08/2015 - 23:24
        +1

        Jobs grow on Job trees in the magical world of Job Land.

  • battler on 06/08/2015 - 16:22

    Number 4 in the 1st at Sandown dogs tonight :)

    • Baysew on 06/08/2015 - 20:51
      +1

      Dr Klass didn't get a place !
      I put the house on it.

      Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.

      • battler on 06/08/2015 - 22:42

        I didn't get there in time for the 1st race, so I laid it on #4 in the 2nd instead ;)

  • [Deactivated] on 06/08/2015 - 16:23
    +2

    DOes Forex count?

    Threw $1,500,000 into ForEx when the AUstralia dollar was at $0.68 then it went to $1.05 and I cashed out. :D
    The advice came from my asian friend.
    I think my balance was like $15,000 in the beginning. Return was like $500,000 I think.

    Never will I do forex again, because I subsequently lost $10,000.

    • strikerzebra on 06/08/2015 - 16:28

      your threw $1.5 million in and got $15,000 at the end?

      • [Deactivated] on 06/08/2015 - 16:29

        No, I mean I had to put $15,000 in the beginning to offset any losses. Over time the $15,000 grew into $550,000.
        AUD/USD went from $0.68 to $1.05.
        The $1,500,000 is the amount I put forward for the AUD/USD pair. That $1,500,000 comes from your forex service provider.

        • CheapandUsed on 06/08/2015 - 16:44
          +1

          Wow that's some leverage!!

          Glad it worked out for you. I think many people wouldn't be brave enough to take that investment.

        • ilikeradiohead on 06/08/2015 - 17:10

          So you leveraged $15k into a $500k profit? Does that mean that if the forex market had gone the other way you would have had a $485k loss?

        • [Deactivated] on 06/08/2015 - 17:22
          +4

          @ilikeradiohead:
          No, I had like $15,000-$20,000 of my own money in the account. If the AUD/USD would have decreased (so unlikely at that point in time), the moment the loss reached $20,000, the buy would close. I would be left with $0 in my account.

          I gave my thanks to the mining boom, the quantitative easing from the US, Labor's handling of the GFC and employment figures better than the rest of the world.

          I didn't keep the money. Gave it to my parents so they could pay off our mortgage.

          You guys have to realise that this took me like 7 years to get. It's not that much considering how much Sydney home owners have made in the past 30 years.

  • cloudy on 06/08/2015 - 16:29
    +3

    This must sound lame, but education. CAnt put a figure on it, but I know it's serves me well.

    And when I say education, I don't literally mean just school.

    • Davros on 06/08/2015 - 17:18
      +11

      " CAnt"

      I see it didn't work

      • cloudy on 06/08/2015 - 21:02
        +3

        Lol, I love spelling and grammar nazi's. iPad does funny things like that.
        But hey, if you don't believe in education or like to judge people based on forums, well done to you.

        • Davros on 07/08/2015 - 07:55
          +3

          I see the ability to take a joke never came with that education.
          And iPad user, say no more :-)

          Posted from an android device with no spelling or grammatical errors.

        • cloudy on 08/08/2015 - 10:58
          +1

          @Davros:

          Let me guess, u were one of those clowns at the back of the class in school, no worries, there's always one. Forgiven.

        • Davros on 08/08/2015 - 14:05
          -1

          @cloudy: Judging by your inability to spell YOU I would have thought it obvious that YOU were the class clown down the back, or will you try and blame this spelling fail on the ipad again? (-;

        • cloudy on 08/08/2015 - 23:51
          +1

          @Davros:

          Cute. Looking back at only a handful of ur 1100+ posts I see plenty of short cut typing and poor grammar on these forums too. Would u like me to point them all out mister pot?

          This post is about investment, and you just troll around. Don't u love the Internet, isn't it such a great place because of people such as your fine self. Clap clap.

        • Davros on 09/08/2015 - 06:54
          -1

          @cloudy: Cute. Looking back at only a handful of ur 1100+ posts I see plenty of short cut typing and poor grammar on these forums too. Would u like me to point them all out mister pot?

          Oh goody, my own stalker with nothing better to do with their life but wade through all my posts looking for faults

          Unfortunately lot's of spelling mistakes by you again but at least you're not blaming your ipad anymore.
          Given your record to date I am not sure you are qualified to mark me on my spelling abilities.

          But sure, point away if it'll make you feel in some way better about yourself.
          Can you also mark them in red and give me a score out of 7?

  • [Deactivated] on 06/08/2015 - 17:35

    This is yet another gambling story, but once when I was at the Star Casino in Sydney, I saw some huge Lebanese guy throw down $5000 on red and he won! XD
    It was in the VIP lounge and I was just a humble waiter.

  • inherentchoice on 06/08/2015 - 17:54
    +7

    Paid $22 for Tinder Pro and it got me a girlfriend! Haha just kidding.

    • [Deactivated] on 06/08/2015 - 19:46
      +4

      A debt you can never pay off

  • chumlee on 06/08/2015 - 17:56
    +3

    Going for an early morning walk one day and found $50 on the ground. Being early in the morning no one was around but I looked around for an A Current Affair gotcha camera and then pocketed the $50.

  • pointless martyr on 06/08/2015 - 18:41

    My best recent investment involved TA's $25 Ghetto blaster deal - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/203641?page=1#comment-2955…

    I bought the unit, liked it , then i sold my Blaupunkt Milan for $80 - i got it a while back for $40 on a deal posted on OZB as well.

    so essentially this process netted me a profit of $15 and a free stereo - thanks again TA!

    Another good investment was again from TA - it was a 1c bottle opener ring - its the best 1c i have ever spent!

    it just keeps on giving - i recommend combining it with Dan Murphys monthly member deals.

    I have the day of tomorrow so tonight i will have a few Kirins and Atomic Pale Ales, opened by my bottle opener ring, while listening to bluetooth tunes on my -$15 stereo which are supplied from my $30 Nokia Lumia (another good investment)

    Probably cap off the evening with some free netfilx / presto from my $25 Chromecast (another 3 good invesments)

  • dylanando on 06/08/2015 - 18:54
    +1

    ipad mini from kogan sale for $199, Sold on gumtree for $350, Used!

    • justaverage on 06/08/2015 - 19:24

      Correct me if I am wrong but isn't ipads from kogan grey imports.
      Did you specify this when you sold it on gumtree?

      • dylanando on 06/08/2015 - 19:32
        +1

        Negative, though told the guy when he picked it up, He didnt seem to care.

        • justaverage on 06/08/2015 - 19:36

          Well done, when my S4 from kogan broke they took so long to look at it that I brought a new phone and partly because I knew how shitty kogan returns are. Turns out they sent me a brand new one. I was tempted to sell it but wondered about the grey import thing so I just gave it to a friend.

        • dylanando on 06/08/2015 - 19:47

          @sandgroper94: Yeah, Just list it and see what happens :P. All they can do is say no and you score some big bucks! But score on the free phone!

  • altomic on 06/08/2015 - 19:06
    +1

    One Red Paperclip

    my own short term investment - about 12 years I bought a skateboard whilst in Japan - Bam Margera - it was his second pro model made in 1999 - artwork by Ed Templeton. it was mint. paid US$50. whacked it on US ebay with a BIN of US$500. one of the biggest skateboard graphics designer bought it within 12 hours.

  • Mr BoMBAStiG on 07/08/2015 - 07:41
    +2

    First Home Saver Account was good while it lasted. You essentially got 20% interest and only got charged 15% tax on the interest earned. Worked out to only be $1000 per year as there was a cap but was still easy money for a $6000 yearly investment. Thanks to Tony and his nonexistent budget emergency, it got scrapped.

    • WaywardOne on 11/08/2015 - 11:46

      It was 17%, and the huge interest rate only applied to your contributions from that year (capped at $6k like you said).
      So Year 1 you get 17% interest on $6k
      Year 2, it averages out to about 8%…and so on.

      There were also a few significant restrictions like "no withdrawals, ever!"

      Meanwhile the real estate prices were increasing at a much faster rate

      • Mr BoMBAStiG on 11/08/2015 - 11:51

        17% from the govt and 3% from the financial institution you were with.
        As long as you put in $6k every financial year, you got the full 20% each year, i.e. $1200. You would have actually got more as the years went on as the 17% was only on the $6k for that year but the 3% was on the whole balance.

        Sure there were no withdrawals and some suburbs beat 20% in real estate but for $6k down compared to an $800k mortgage, I say it was a decent deal.

  • Eca1 on 07/08/2015 - 20:45

    Education, continuing education.

  • Eca1 on 07/08/2015 - 20:47
    -1

    extra contributions to super, into a cash based account. Paying off mortgage every fortnight, leaving the payments the same when interest rates dropped.

  • PVA on 07/08/2015 - 20:47
    +6

    cracked an egg to cook it and it was a double yolker - two for the price of one…doubled the value.

  • Rekorb on 10/08/2015 - 13:16
    +6

    Bought an investment property (commercial) in 1996 for $625,000 plus stamp duty, now valued at $4,000,000.

  • Bazzier on 12/08/2015 - 22:21

    Good electric blanket. Instead of using the central room / portable heater, we save more in our electricity bill.

  • Doggiie on 14/08/2015 - 21:19
    +3

    After breaking up with my girlfriend, my money is rising really fast! Probably a 20% increase in savings per month instead of -5%! Try it guys, it really works!!

  • racmike on 18/08/2015 - 00:39

    can you top this return on investment?

    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hurstville-mayor-con-hindis-daught…

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