What Was a Bad Decision You Made That You Regret and How Did You Get over It?

ILikeThis124 on 20/09/2017 - 12:43
Last edited 23/09/2017 - 08:55

So I recently made this bad decision on a car and I regret it as it is costing me now. It's a ford focus xr5 if you are wondering. But anyway I made a bad and rushed decision on it which is now costing me (previous damage where it wasn't recorded on the ppsr, engine light has come on and all this other crap) where I feel shit about it. Now that I look back on it, the guy was dodgy but it didn't seem it at the time, everything is piecing together slowly.

What was a bad decision you guys made in any scenario, not just cars that you regret now?

Just need some ozbargain motivation to pull through this.

23/09/2017:
Thank you everyone for sharing your experience. I have read every single comment and gained a lot from your feedback, I wish the best for everyone always, I just felt bad about the purchase because usually I am more aware than what I was. I guess it was just the excitement that made me lose my senses making the purchase, I will walk out of this with experience to ensure this won't happen to me again or anyone I know.

General Discussion

Comments

  • onetwothreefour on 20/09/2017 - 12:52
    +86

    I shouldn't have eaten that curry last night as I'm paying for it today.

    • airzone on 20/09/2017 - 14:24
      +8

      I got into a Habanero eating contest with a couple of the lads while I was travelling for work in the US. I won of course. But I paid the price the next day.

      • jerjergege on 22/09/2017 - 07:04
        +3

        Burning butthole xD

        • stonkered on 22/09/2017 - 12:26
          +5

          I like the concept but the delivery was too explicit. :D

        • airzone on 22/09/2017 - 12:29
          +4

          @stonkered: Ring of fire?

        • Xastros on 23/09/2017 - 00:18
          +1

          yes but what effect did the habanero's have?

    • momov3 on 21/09/2017 - 15:34
      +9

      No, you paid for it last night! You've paid twice actually.

    • Donaldouk on 22/09/2017 - 11:48
      -1

      Did you have a 'The ring of fire'

    • SydShopCat on 22/09/2017 - 20:08

      That happened to Johnny Cash once. He wrote Ring of Fire about it.

  • dcep on 20/09/2017 - 12:58
    +71

    Motivation ? Trade in your xr5 and buy a new 80k car to achieve high yield investment status.

    • nocure on 20/09/2017 - 13:59
      +5

      Maybe a BMW?

      • Baysew on 20/09/2017 - 15:05
        +8

        I thought OP did Bought a Used Car, What Do You Guys Think of It?

        • ILikeThis124 on 20/09/2017 - 23:01

          I did buy one, enjoyed it and sold it to learn manual as well as have some turbo fun

        • JimmyF on 23/09/2017 - 11:01
          +4

          Ok so we shouldn't feel bad for the OP then, as they'll cycle the car in a few months then. As this is their 3rd car for the year so far.

        • Kangal on 26/09/2017 - 11:43

          @JimmyF:

          Third?!? Amateur.

    • sghetti on 25/09/2017 - 15:03
      +1

      This only works if you are working for Westpac…

  • dollarmenu on 20/09/2017 - 13:00
    +98

    preparing lunch for work and eating out for lunch them coming back to the office and eating my lunch again

    • TheBilly on 20/09/2017 - 13:37
      +3

      This always gets me

    • tarulov3 on 22/09/2017 - 12:55
      +8

      Literally happening as I read this…😅

      • dollarmenu on 22/09/2017 - 13:59
        +3

        hahaha..lose lose situation mate!

    • AustriaBargain on 26/09/2017 - 03:40
      +6

      If I didn't go out to eat for lunch on workdays then I probably wouldn't even drag myself out of bed some days. Someone else making lunch for me is my reward for not pretending to be sick.

    • 2ndeffort on 27/09/2017 - 11:53
      +1

      struggleisreal!

  • poboy on 20/09/2017 - 13:20
    +23

    A wise man once said that experience is the thing you get just after you need it. Hindsight often makes things a lot clearer than they were in the fog of the moment, so don't get too beaten up about it.

    Swings and roundabouts. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and in the end it's only with yourself.

    15 years ago I came back with a fat cheque from o/s work. I tried to physically bank the cheque in Australia and was hit with massive fees. If I had my time again I would have cashed out the cheque oversees and wired the money back home.

    • ILikeThis124 on 20/09/2017 - 23:04
      +1

      I guess you're right, you gotta experience it to not let it happen next time

    • WhatWouldBiggieDo on 22/09/2017 - 13:44

      Did you consider flying back overseas to cash it? Or are not talking large enough fees to make that worthwhile?

      • poboy on 22/09/2017 - 15:04

        From memory it was about $7k (huge for just finishing uni). I can't remember the fee exactly - but it was quite a few hundred dollars.

    • thefud on 24/09/2017 - 21:33
      +2

      I used Citibank in Aus to cash a New Zealand cheque. No fees at all and got paid the Visa spot rate. Keep that in the bank for next time. :) downside is that it took 28 business days to clear.
      I did try to cash it in NZ but would have to be customer. Too much effort.

    • AustriaBargain on 26/09/2017 - 03:44
      +5

      This reminds me of my worst decision involving the internet. I used some website claiming to be a cheap money transfer site to transfer like 3,000 dollars back to Australia. Of course it took many months to see the money again and a few phone calls with some unethical Indians where I had to pretend like I could afford a lawyer in order to trick them into giving me my money back. I thought of myself as being really internet savvy before this and the site was cheaper than the mainstream ones and seemed legit, it even had a photo of a smiling white lady wearing a headset in the corner.

  • dragong87 on 20/09/2017 - 13:29
    +44

    I regret not going to the Justin Timberlake concert 3years ago. I am still not over it.

    • FiDad on 20/09/2017 - 15:58
      +2

      Hi Jasmine

      • SupeNintendoChalmers on 22/09/2017 - 09:31
        +11

        You shouldn't have been so quick to walk away

        I'm here all week folks

        • cashews on 22/09/2017 - 16:49
          +11

          Cry me a River.

        • Kangal on 26/09/2017 - 11:47
          +2

          @cashews:
          Crimea?
          Putin, is that you?

    • JimB on 22/09/2017 - 13:14

      I went to the Kylie Minogue concert a few years ago, it was terrible.

      The Justin Timberlake one was so much better!

    • jonagrah on 22/09/2017 - 14:33
      +27

      Your regret is… Justified.

      • smpantsonfire on 22/09/2017 - 20:42
        -1

        Seriously one +? Come on guys.

    • DeadlySaber on 23/09/2017 - 14:27
      +4

      Attended that concert in a corporate box with buffet and unlimited drinks, the best time of my life. Sorry to rub salt in your wound but since you're not over it yet, better use the hard treatment.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2017 - 13:31
    +47

    Getting married the first time. Still paying for it.

    • Archi on 20/09/2017 - 13:53
      +14

      you mean you didn't learn from the first time and managed to get married again

      • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2017 - 15:53
        +12

        Not yet - but will be in December :)

        • Kangal on 26/09/2017 - 11:48
          +1

          Congratulations….to your wife only ; )

    • hell0 on 22/09/2017 - 11:57

      Crazy women, +1 on that

  • manshrew on 20/09/2017 - 13:35
    +84

    I regret not buying Bitcoin in 2010.

    • ItsMeAgro on 20/09/2017 - 13:42
      +60

      …and I get over it by reminding myself that If I had, I just would have sold them when they hit $50 each or something.

      • manshrew on 20/09/2017 - 13:43
        +1

        Pretty much!

      • roddy84 on 20/09/2017 - 14:24
        +11

        Or spent them on silk road.

      • momov3 on 21/09/2017 - 15:35
        +2

        I say that to myself re property investment (sob)

      • jacross on 22/09/2017 - 10:28
        +4

        Yeah that's my attitude as well. I never ever ever ever in a million years would have held on to BTC through all the ups and downs to get to today. I would have sold them at a bit of a profit and though 'well that gamble turned out okay'.

    • scandalous on 22/09/2017 - 13:24
      +3

      I regret buying them for 7-8 dollars and selling at twenty and then forty dollars.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2017 - 13:41
    +24

    not getting my carpet replaced before I moved in. Now I have to move everything out again.

    • dcep on 20/09/2017 - 14:01
      -1

      if you're replacing carpet with vinyl planks or floating timber floors,

      is it possible to leave the furniture in place ?

      coz ripping out the carpet is easy while the new floating floor can be done sections by section since they piece together like tiling.

      • Archi on 20/09/2017 - 16:21
        +3

        yes, but if you get a professional put it in for you they would want the area clear to make it easier and quicker..

    • ILikeThis124 on 20/09/2017 - 23:05

      I can imagine the frustration, I hate moving household furniture. Had to do it for painting and window replacement. Pain in the ass

    • AustriaBargain on 26/09/2017 - 03:46
      +1

      You arranged all of your furniture in the wrong spots anyway.

  • TheBilly on 20/09/2017 - 13:41
    +48

    Didn't buy a property many years ago in Sydney (placed initial deposit then pulled out of sale because I thought I wasn't getting a good deal and paying too much - aka ego). Today I drive pass it every day. The current owner in his 911 Porsche Carrera rocks up most mornings to make sure his 10 town house development is going well and on track (-_-)

  • 17833 on 20/09/2017 - 13:55
    +44

    Lost my entire life savings (more than $185,000). A lot of anger, self blame/guilt. Still think about it 15 years on and has obviously changed the way I live and the person I am. The people responsible are in jail so I guess that helps a little. I'm still here and still have my family.

    • dcep on 20/09/2017 - 14:03
      +2

      how? if you don't mind sharing.

      scam ?

      • 17833 on 20/09/2017 - 14:19
        +38

        No worries, it is pretty embarrassing. Easy to lose track of time, it was 10 years ago and all responsible are out of jail. Basically bad advice from financial adviser and putting all your eggs in one basket. All part of the collapse of finance companies (unregulated debentures), this article summarises it pretty well. http://www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/law-fails-the-many-v… I personally lost money through a company called Bridgecorp that were prominent in New Zealand. Of course a quick google of the director is enlightening, he was a former bankrupt. You live and learn I guess. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgecorp_Holdings

        • realfancyman on 22/09/2017 - 18:09
          +14

          Man that's terrible. Wouldn't wish that on anyone. Good luck and all the best in the future, hopefully you can recover.

        • congo on 24/09/2017 - 23:03

          I listen to my financial adviser and lost A LOT of money from Timbercorp :-(

        • Brianqpr on 26/09/2017 - 09:44

          @congngo: Have you tried lodging an official complaint? If not resolved to your satisfaction you can have it reviewed by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for free. If they determine in your favour then the decision is binding on the financial adviser's licensee. Even if the adviser themselves is no longer around or in the industry, the licensee is responsible if they are still around.

          A lot of people got into stuff like Timbercorp chasing the upfront tax deductions and basically being greedy. If it looks like you knew the risks then FOS will probably not find in your favour, but if it seems like you weren't made aware then maybe.

          One issue is that Timbercorp matters may now be too old for FOS to look at as there's generally a 6 year timeframe since the advice was given in their terms of reference. However I've seen older matters included before on the basis that the client might not have known their losses were due to inappropriate advice until more recently (after speaking with a new adviser for example).

    • T1OOO on 26/09/2017 - 15:46

      In Jail?! you get less for murder, fraud nets you 5 year tops, they might be out, so ring the bank and cancel that cheque to the king of nigera.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2017 - 21:13
    +12

    Yeah made a similar mistake in my younger years, bought a car for 7k got it checked out a dodgy mechanic recommended by a (former) family friend before purchase. Ended up with lots of problems had to sell for scrap $1k less than a year later.

    That was more than 10 years ago, it consumed me at the time because I didn't have much money back then. My income now is much higher now than those days, so looking back on it it's not really a life changing amount that causes me to lose sleep. Plus I've never been ripped off on any car since partially due to the lessons learned back then.

    My more recent regret is not getting into property market in Sydney sooner. The fact I have to pay 1.5 mil for something that could've been half that just three years earlier is depressing. I can't do anything to change it, so I focus on the positives like the fact I have the wealth and income to still get into the property market when others are shut out completely, that I have my health and a family with whom I could be living in a shoebox and still be happy.

    Short version - it will heal with time as you come across bigger issues that make this look like nothing, and if you can get into a better financial position in the future again this won't seem as big of a deal.

    • ILikeThis124 on 20/09/2017 - 23:06

      I'll fix it and drive around for a little and do what you did, get rid of it!

    • ihbh on 23/09/2017 - 14:36
      +2

      Would you feel okay if property prices pull back, e.g. coming back down towards half of what you bought?

  • magic8ballgag on 21/09/2017 - 09:41
    +5

    I had a similar experience with the car I purchased a few years ago (also an XR5), was pressured into buying it and regret doing so as have had nothing but issues with it from day one.

    But on the bright side, it along with many other bad purchases have turned me into the penny-pinching, bargain hunting chap I am today, so I believe I came out a better person!

    • AustriaBargain on 26/09/2017 - 03:49
      +2

      How did you get rid of it, did you sucker some naive kid into buying it too? I hope you guys aren't talking about the same XR5..

      • magic8ballgag on 26/09/2017 - 09:45

        I still own it actually, and most of it's problems have been resolved and by the time I decide to sell it, it will be in excellent working order.

  • iBuzz7S on 21/09/2017 - 09:51
    +13

    Flexirent from Harvey Norman.

    ~12 years ago, I signed for an Xbox 360 and some games. What would have cost me between $800 and $900 to buy, ended up costing me very close to $2000 and a bad credit thingy to my name for seven years.

    • realfancyman on 22/09/2017 - 18:11

      Can you explain how? Lost track of payments or what?

    • berry580 on 27/09/2017 - 02:53

      Did you read, agreed to and then sign the contract?
      Did meet your obligations as per the contract?

  • pinnacle on 21/09/2017 - 12:15
    +1

    Did not go for the Safety pack on my car which just cost $1000 when I bought it new. Now regret it after two minor scratches at the back and front.

    Careerwise, go by the heart at times over my head and regret some of the decisions.

    • realfancyman on 22/09/2017 - 18:14
      +4

      Trust me buddy that's a blessing not a regret. Those safety packs are a major rip off. Have a Google for one of those dent removal companies, they'll be able to get rid of scratches to, and it will cost much less than $1000. Just make sure they've got a good reputation and get a quote first.

    • srr on 22/09/2017 - 18:19
      +4

      If scratches are not through to metal don't worry, it's just a car. You'll be a happier person not thinking af getting another scratch.

  • Birchy on 21/09/2017 - 13:32
    +38

    Ebay account + paypal account and then showed wife how to use it. How did I get over it? I can't the pile of crap is to high and there is a store room where number 4 bedroom was.

  • outlander on 21/09/2017 - 13:43
    +17

    Deleted a folder containing the past 5 years worth of pictures, including birth photos, videos of dead grandparents etc.
    I have a few mechanisms for coping with these kinds of things

    • eyeballz2770 on 21/09/2017 - 15:26
      +3

      I'd use booze to cope. :)

    • xuqi on 22/09/2017 - 00:42

      Why didn't you recover the folder? For windows R-Studio NTFS is great for this.

    • srr on 22/09/2017 - 18:20
      +2

      No backup no data.

      • outlander on 22/09/2017 - 18:27
        +2

        Obviously, but thats usually a lesson people have to learn the hard way

    • edwardcr on 23/09/2017 - 18:34
      +6

      I did something similar four years ago.

      I'd accumulated hundreds of data and software CDs over the years, so decided to have a sort-out and threw all of them away apart from ten or so.

      But in the process 2 CDs of photos - all my life, my kids, my relationships, from the time I separated in 1985 - somehow got into the "throw-away" pile while I was checking what was on the discs.

      I somehow kept the labelled empty cases, so didn't realise what had happened until a year or so later when I went to access the photos (in fact to make copies of them) and found the cases empty.

      About 90% of the images had been scanned, and I'd stupidly thrown away the original photos to save space during a move.

      All I managed to save was around 50 photos from my hard drive, and another CD of images from during the marriage, and when the kids were growing up. I also still had my old family stuff (parents, grandparents etc) on original photos so all wasn't lost.

      I agonised about it for a long time, until a close friend lost his house in a bushfire, and lost all his family stuff from generations. I realised then that things could have been far worse than losing a few photos! The memories were still there!

      • pinnacle on 24/09/2017 - 10:26
        +3

        Though there are skeptics, I started uploading all photos to Cloud/Dropbox.

    • MrFunSocks on 25/09/2017 - 15:27
      +1

      While I haven't done it myself, I've had to recover/attempt to recover priceless photos and videos for a number of friends family members. I have auto backup to OneDrive and Google Drive for all photos/images/screenshots/documents on my phones, a NAS with RAID, and also regularly back up stuff from the NAS to OneDrive. Might be overkill, but I'd rather that then lose something important.

    • AMLagonda on 25/09/2017 - 16:10

      I have a hard drive with lots of family photos of many years that was a interim backup of all my stuff when I was rebuilding my PC

      I dropped it while it was running (wasnt in the case) lost everything :(

  • momov3 on 21/09/2017 - 15:37
    +6

    Got scammed with Binary Trading Options, lost $15K - whoosh, just disappeared like that in 3 months.

    • AustriaBargain on 26/09/2017 - 03:52

      I wish I had a spare 15k to risk like that. I am envious of your life.

  • [Deactivated] on 22/09/2017 - 00:38

    Thanks everyone. I feel way better about my life reading some of these.

    Now that I look back on it, the guy was dodgy but it didn't seem it at the time, everything is piecing together slowly.

    Yeah, that's the problem with dodgy (profanity), many of them get rather good at seeming to be on the level. I just assume everyone is trying to (profanity) me in one way or another and act accordingly. It might be cynical but I would rather be cynical than naive about such things.

    • outlander on 22/09/2017 - 09:48
      +2

      A lot of people do this, but what your doing is taking the worst and letting it define you.

      • [Deactivated] on 22/09/2017 - 13:36
        +2

        No, I am erring on the side of caution. When money or material gain is involved people are likely to lie or cheat or, at the very least, misrepresent themselves or the situation.

        People might see that as a cynical attitude but when you consider all of the scams, corruptions, thefts, etc. that we hear about it is reasonable to assume that if you aren't careful you too will become the victim of one.

        Maybe there is a happy medium between cynical and naive but I am not willing to waste time and energy trying to determine where that is.

        • outlander on 22/09/2017 - 18:06
          +3

          Logical thinking, but it doesn't take into account something important: your expectations shape peoples reactions. There is limited value in learning from others mistakes. Certainly, if you're going to a place like south america, be cynical, but in australia most people want to help you. Hell, I can depend more on strangers for help than my family.

    • jacross on 22/09/2017 - 10:38

      Those women aren't as interested as you are pretending they are.

      • [Deactivated] on 22/09/2017 - 13:33
        -1

        Swing and a miss.

    • PuppieWayne on 23/09/2017 - 16:53

      Lost around $800K on 2 related investments.
      Lesson: always get any 'proposed' developments when you are leasing with a BIG shopping centre in black and white.

      • Fobsessive on 23/09/2017 - 18:21

        Two $400k property developments which never went through?

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