Would You Donate to People Who Haven't Taken out Travel Insurance?

cookie2 on 20/01/2023 - 07:34
Last edited 20/01/2023 - 09:29 by 1 other user

Another day, another non bargain related question…or 2.

Perth man’s Bali holiday turns to horror after brutal mugging incident

Interested in people's opinion regarding holidays and travel insurance. I see various posts and news articles about people that have travelled overseas and end up in hospital with $$$ expenses and starting go fund me pages and donation drives. The articles never mention travel insurance and it always makes me annoyed. Does nobody else sit there thinking 'you got yourself into this mess'?

Why would people support someone else's bad decisions to not get travel insurance? If they end up with debt, wouldn't that be a good life lesson? Maybe the people donating are just kinder than me.

Do you think travel insurance should always be purchased? International or domestic too?

I feel like the people without insurance that I see in these situations (obviously not the whole cohort) all seem to visit Bali, Vietnam and south east Asian countries.

Is it a certain kind of person that doesn't think, have responsibilities and doesn't consider the risks or am I unfairly labelling them all together as immature, impulsive?

If you can't get insurance due to medical etc that's understandable, still travel. But otherwise should insurance be a prerequisite for visiting certain or all countries?

Anyone got any crazy stories about insurance costs or situations?

Poll Options

  • 21
    I buy travel insurance for O/S and WOULD donate to others that haven't.
  • 773
    I buy O/S insurance and WOULDN'T donate to others that haven't.
  • 5
    I don't buy O/S insurance and I WOULD donate.
  • 57
    I don't buy O/S insurance and I WOULDN'T donate.
Travel Insurance Travel Insurance

Comments

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 20/01/2023 - 07:40
    +46

    It's like driving a car without insurance, wondering what to do once they've had an accident, hoping there's some magic loop hole to avoid paying.

    • Grish on 21/01/2023 - 22:02
      -4

      If you drive a car without insurance and end up in an accident, it's simple…; you pay for the damages using the money you saved on insurance premiums.

      Also, you generally only have to pay if you are in the wrong, so be your own insurance and watch where the FK you're going.

        • Cusack on 22/01/2023 - 09:24
          +3

          Probably coz it's assuming you have a cheap car which 'could' be paid by the savings you make. What if your car is over 15K? …. And assumes you'll never be at fault in accidents.

          • Assburg on 22/01/2023 - 18:07
            -5

            @Cusack: Then you should probably be looking at some sort of high yield investment insurance.

            Sure, cars over $15k are nice but I personally do not purchase devaluing objects that amount to over 5% of my annual income… It's on the extreme end but we are on ozbargain.

      • DemocracyManifest on 22/01/2023 - 12:57
        +13

        Well if you drive your shitbox into a Porsche without insurance, rough for you

        • knk on 22/01/2023 - 16:04
          +17

          That's exactly what I say to people who drive without insurance.

          It doesn't even have to be your fault, what if you black out or faint behind the wheel and plough your car through a shop window, a house, whatever and cause 100k of damage. What if you write off a ferrari or some other expensive ass car in your shitbox.

          My dad still doesn't have insurance regardless of telling him this lol. Some people can't be told.

          3rd party at a minimum to protect yourself. If you don't care about your car and have the means to replace it that's fine, but you likely don't have the means to cover the damage if you're not buying insurance.

          • dbmitch on 23/01/2023 - 13:04
            +5

            @knk: Some people would rather file for bankruptcy 10 times over than pay for damages they caused.

            They are really that petty and vindictive.

          • eggboi on 24/01/2023 - 12:34

            @knk: 3rd party property cover is like $200 a year. Can you buy a policy in your dad’s name for his car, so he’s covered? I honestly can’t believe some people’s perception of risk, as you said.

        • R4 on 23/01/2023 - 22:12
          +17

          Yep. Last year, my 19yo son had a smash in his Getz (his fault) with a less than one year old BMW M5. The M5 starts at around $260k new. I paid $7k for the Getz 18 months prior. Insurance covered everything apart from the excess, which was quite high given his age. Without insurance (which was way under $400 for the year), we'd be in a world of hurt.

          Just get insurance.

          • ThadtheChad on 23/01/2023 - 23:30
            +3

            @R4: This is exactly the reason for even an OzB cheapskate to get insurance.

            One could get a nasty chunk taken out of the good ol' nestegg if you end up causing major damage to an expensive vehicle. Doubly so for something with a ton of high end electronics.

        • ThadtheChad on 23/01/2023 - 23:50
          +4

          Its these kind of dropkicks that do hit and runners or acting like complete cnts when they get into an "at fault" incident because they are unwilling to pay the repair bill.

          A colleague of mine got side swiped last month because of an idiot swerving out of their lane. The offender then belted it down a side street, little knowing that whole thing was caught on dashcam (including his license plate). Gave to the cops and insurance and its been such a ballache to get rectified.

        • pharkurnell on 24/01/2023 - 13:06

          25+ years back mates wife went through red light in her 120Y datto into a ~newish Merc…

          She'd forgot to pay her insurance… they ended up coming to some arrangement with the other parties insurance… It happens.

        • imurgod on 24/01/2023 - 16:44
          +3

          You'd be surprised how many of these we deal with every week.

          It's quite funny how quickly their delusions of how the world works suddenly come crashing down in the face of a $100K+ bill.

      • furyou on 22/01/2023 - 19:15
        +3

        Depends. If you're pretty then you open a gofundme and get on some current affairs program.

      • cybapete on 22/01/2023 - 20:27

        travel insurance is different
        if you go to hospital overseas you can be up for thousands, even more if you are sent back home

        • liongalahad on 23/01/2023 - 10:46
          +3

          *hundreds of thousands

      • liongalahad on 23/01/2023 - 10:49
        +4

        dumbest thing ever. You could potentially cause damages for hundreds-thousands dollars and be in debt for life. Just to save, maybe, 25 bucks a month? Then meanwhile you porobably have a subscription to useless stuff like netflix and disney plus and end up spending more than that

          • liongalahad on 24/01/2023 - 00:14
            +7

            @Grish: lol - let me know how you go when you crash your 1997 Holden Barina into a 2023 Lamborghini Avetador and get a $300k bill. Your kids will enjoy the debt, or the nothing you'll leave them just to save $300 a year of insurance.
            I wonder if some people are born like that, or they become due to trauma or something?

      • nigel deborah on 23/01/2023 - 20:59
        +3

        I agree for first party, but third party is a must. A bad accident where you (profanity) up some really expensive road infrastructure, a commercial vehicle, or a luxury car, and you might be owing more than a lifetime of third party insurance premiums.

      • Name on 24/01/2023 - 17:28
        +3

        One of my friends wasn't insured (on purpose as they thought they were a safe driver and didn't need it), some drunk driver ran into their parked car - so my friend wasn't at fault, he wasn't even in the car when it happened. The drunk driver had other legal issues, was on an outstanding warrant, had no possessions and ended up in prison. My mate who was already 30k in debt for the car had to buy another car and go further into debt.

        In the end it would been cheaper for him to have paid for insurance for 50 years than it would have been for replacing his wrecked car. You could self-insure - but you're risking a lot in the process.

      • crisso on 25/01/2023 - 20:15
        +1

        Come on. if you can't afford insurance there is no way you can afford to pay to fix a $60000 car.

    • Hardlyworkin on 20/01/2023 - 08:58
      +63

      If you weren't aware, accidents happen in regular life too. Sorry to hear that you have the dollars to travel though not the sense for travel insurance.

      • CurlCurl on 20/01/2023 - 09:46
        +5

        They sure do. Came home from a 4WD trip end February last year. Next day decided to hose the crap of it. Arse over head and broke my hip.

        • Hardlyworkin on 20/01/2023 - 12:26
          +65

          *** past performance is not indicative of future performance.

        • happydude on 20/01/2023 - 12:34
          +8

          Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

          Edit: Beaten

        • Shoocat on 20/01/2023 - 19:48
          +13

          You two need to get a room reserved especially for insurance risk assessors.

        • GrueHunter on 21/01/2023 - 22:30
          +5

          This is why I don't bother with car insurance.

          I'm on the road for half an hour a day, three days a week, so that's only a bit over 3 days a year. I have had 0 accidents while driving in the last 10+ years, so 30 days from 10 years, I take the chance.

          /s

        • gromit on 22/01/2023 - 11:21

          The difference is the cost impact. That unlucky accident at home might cost you a few thousand and some inconvenience, that same unlucky accident overseas can easily run into many 10's of thousands of even hundreds of thousands.

    • 87percent on 20/01/2023 - 08:58
      +6

      It’s not just for “hiking the Inca trail”, it’s also for things like if you’re driving somewhere and you get into an accident, or you’re walking to the corner shop and a car hits you

      Even free insurance with your credit card is better than nothing, and you’d be an absolute idiot to not take advantage of it

    • Ryanek on 20/01/2023 - 09:53
      +12

      This is the same mentality as not buying car insurance mate.

        • Ryanek on 20/01/2023 - 10:19
          +13

          Wow you totally missed that point lol

            • Ryanek on 20/01/2023 - 10:46
              +13

              @Brian McGee: You're under the assumption that as along you don't do anything dangerous you don't need insurance.

              A family friend who was only in her late 40's suffered a brain aneurism while holidaying in Paris and passed away. The cost of repatriating her body back to Australia cost 15K.

              You could be the best driver in the world, but hit a random kangaroo and you're in trouble. This is what insurance is for… to cover you when things happen that are out of your control.

              • bobbified on 20/01/2023 - 10:59
                +11

                @Ryanek: People like @Brian McGee seem to understand and accept the risk of not purchasing an insurance policy. Self-insurance is an educated gamble and a personal choice that we can make. There's nothing wrong with it.

                It's the people who don't understand the risks and go around thinking that 'things won't happen to me' that are the concern. They're usually the ones that go "I didn't know it'd cost so much to get treatment….." and then cry and whinge that it's not fair that they now have to pay. That's what they should've considered before.

              • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 11:53
                -6

                @Ryanek: And I have insurance for my vehicles, full comprehensive no less, so if i hit or get hit i am covered. I am more likely to get run into on an australian road than I am in paris (where i've never been and would only have 2 weeks if that in my life).
                You are applying a specific situation and experience to everyone and berating them for not having the same experience. That is not what insurance is for. My holiday, my choice.

              • Grish on 21/01/2023 - 22:20
                -2

                @Ryanek: Actually it would be next to, if not impossible for the best driver in the world to hit a Kangaroo.

                Certainly not an odd worth throwing away premiums to a black hole for.

                For your other rhetoric about the brain aneurysm, the family had the choice to not fly the body back to Australia if the main problem they had was "15k" after tragically losing a member.

                Insurance is all about choice and weighting up your own situation, risks etc.

                So many hypocritical comments here, abusing people who make the choice to not take out insurance, I wonder if they pay the $100 for the extended warranty on every $120 product they buy? (Who is the real "fool"? The sheep that nod their head to the fast talking salesman, or the independent thinker?)

                • imurgod on 24/01/2023 - 16:51

                  @Grish: Your analogy is way off. Insurance and extended warranty are not the same and warranty is covered under the ACL so extended warranty is a scam in any case.

            • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 12:46
              +5

              @Brian McGee: When is 15 days travel insurance that much.

              15 days to the US would be like $300 max for the basics (medical etc). You really are an idiot

              Only time I have travelled without insurance was when I went to Afghanistan and couldn't find anyone to insure me.

              • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 13:35
                -3

                @Thatbargainhunter: Who says I'm going to the USA for 15 days? Your assumption is off.

                You really are an idiot

                Hello pot.

                • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 13:37
                  +3

                  @Brian McGee: You said 15 days and the US is generally the highest insurance due to medical cost (IE. Worst case scenario).

                  Other countries are generally cheaper.

                  • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 13:45
                    -1

                    @Thatbargainhunter: I mentioned I have been to the US, but I have never spent 15 days there stright or in total in my life.

                    the US is generally the highest insurance due to medical cost (IE. Worst case scenario).

                    So just did a quote for Peru. Medical only is $368, Comprehensive is $674. Wrong again bucko.

                    • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 14:06
                      +4

                      @Brian McGee: I just did a quote with TID for Peru for 15 days $200 basic, before the 15% coupons that are all over the next.

                      $170.

                      Wrong again you fool

                      And regardless your price is way less than the $1500 you were saying

                      Your making excuses for your own irresponsibility.

                      • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 14:14
                        -7

                        @Thatbargainhunter: And you think I care about what you're spouting.
                        I have been away many times to many different places and never had the need for insurance. Always paid my way at clinics and chemists which are less than even your $170 quote. And I bet you made the foolish assumption (but only making an ass of yourself) by not adding a spouse and child/ren for your quote.
                        You sound like one of these people that annoy the locals and would want to bash, better you get the insurance champion.

                        • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 14:18

                          @Brian McGee: I am far more travelled than you mate, I can guarantee.

                          Trust me, no one would even attempt to bash me…..simply by the way I look. So it's a hilarious comment.

                          And trust me when you've had to be evacuated from a country before (like myself), you'd be thankful.

                          • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 14:29
                            -1

                            @Thatbargainhunter:

                            I am far more travelled than you mate, I can guarantee.

                            Big flex, I couldn't care less where, how or who you go to and with.

                            Trust me, no one would even attempt to bash me…..simply by the way I look.

                            What do looks have to do with anything, but your attitude seems to invite conflict.

                            And as per the OP, it is my choice to pay for the consequences should they happen, not asking you for a handout or a gofundme so don't know why you would be so engrosed in my travel arrangements.

                          • GG57 on 20/01/2023 - 14:30

                            @Thatbargainhunter: Some details of the evacuation you had to undertake would be interesting.

                            • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 14:35
                              +6

                              @GG57: On a hike in rural Kyrgyzstan and got attacked by a shepards dog. Rabies is rife in Kyrgyzstan.

                              The local doctors would not give the medication to a foreigner - even for money . I also could not get immunoglobulin anywhere in the country.

                              Insurance arranged for me to get to Urumqi in China (I already had a Chinese visa), where they had located some immunoglobulin for me. I wouldn't have been able to locate this without insurance (as they had their Chinese partners looking for me).

                              The only flights available were Business Class too. So it was about a $5000k episode. The insurance company was super thankful I had the Chinese visa as it cost them a lot less, than trying to get me to Dubai which was the only other option to get immunoglobulin on time.

                              • GG57 on 20/01/2023 - 14:58

                                @Thatbargainhunter: Did you have the rabies vaccination prior to your trip (acknowledging that you would still need treatment after the dog bite)?

                                • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 15:01

                                  @GG57: I was advised not to get it by doctor due to medical reasons.

                                  • GG57 on 20/01/2023 - 15:14
                                    +2

                                    @Thatbargainhunter: Fair enough; I know there are some circumstances where it may not be recommended.
                                    I assume you made the decision to go on a hike in rural Kyrgyzstan in the knowledge that rabies is rife there, and that you hadn't had a rabies vaccination pre-trip. You made your choices (which included travel insurance).
                                    No different to 'Brian McGee' making their choices (including self-insurance) and living with the consequences.
                                    As 'bobbified' said: It's the people who don't understand the risks and go around thinking that 'things won't happen to me' that are the concern

                                    • Thatbargainhunter on 20/01/2023 - 15:15

                                      @GG57: I certainly was unaware there were any dogs, let alone those that may bite.

                                      • GG57 on 20/01/2023 - 16:05

                                        @Thatbargainhunter: ?
                                        You weren't aware of that? But you did consider a rabies vaccination before your trip?
                                        Rabies is certainly mentioned on the SmartTraveller site.

            • cookie2 on 20/01/2023 - 15:03
              +3

              @Brian McGee: Travel insurance isn't that expensive honestly, though it does vary depending on country, total duration and your age/medical circumstances. Plus the hospital only insurance is even cheaper than the full coverage for luggage, change of plans etc. But you do you. Thanks for the honest opinion.

              • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 15:30
                +2

                @cookie2: Thanks for not abusing me just for answering your enquiry.

                • cookie2 on 20/01/2023 - 17:16
                  +3

                  @Brian McGee: You're welcome but you shouldn't need to thank me. I try and speak the same way I would face to face. Without honesty, ozb forums would just be dull and like all the other social media type bs i stay away from.
                  my own insurance story- I once didn't buy travel insurance when I went away for a month to stay with family. Africa, was super expensive and I had a pre existing that wouldn't be covered. I spent the whole holiday being nervous about ending up in a public hospital (almost worse than no hospital) and vowed to never do it again.
                  I've also seen the other side when I worked as a travel agent years ago. The $20k US hospital bill that a family got that luckily was covered under TI. It was a nerve wracking wait for them to find out and the bills just kept coming.

            • johninmelb on 20/01/2023 - 21:26
              +1

              @Brian McGee: It's not for nothing, it covers a range of other things like trip cancellation, loss of luggage, delays, cancellations etc etc. Granted most people have it for medical emergencies, but it is not the only thing being covered to give you peace of mind.

              BTW, any reason why your insurance would cost $1k to $1.5K?? Just curious. I have a range of pre-existing conditions and my insurance to date has never been anywhere near that for the usual six-week trips I take.

    • Richmond Tigers on 20/01/2023 - 11:54
      +9

      This is just a dumb take. Yes it is your choice but its absolutely stupid to label the only people as needing insurance as those being "high risk activities".

      What if you get bitten or stung by something, have an allergic reaction to something, someone at the resort just decides to stab you, a pre existing condition flares up, you eat something bad, your airline goes out of business. Its a pretty narrow and stupid view of what insurance covers.

      We have accessed travel insurance 3 times, once an airline collapsed (got our airfares and accommodation reimbursed), once got foot run over by a fatty on a gopher at Disney World and once got food poisoning.

      • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 12:03
        -5

        What if you get bitten or stung by something

        I go see a doctor if it flares up, otherwise just deal with it the same as at home.

        have an allergic reaction to something.

        I've never had an allergic reaction in my life (M/42) so don't plan on starting now. And if I do I'll see a doctor.

        someone at the resort just decides to stab you

        I don't go to resorts, usually stay with extended family wherever I go (South America, USA, Italy, Sweden, Canada, Scotland) and don't go around making myself stab worthy.
        a pre existing condition flares up

        Don't have any

        you eat something bad

        How is this different from being at home, a day on the toilet, some powerade or equivalent and you'll be right

        your airline goes out of business.

        What backwards companies are you dealing with?

        Its a pretty narrow and stupid view of what insurance covers.

        But I've 'saved' around $6-7K on premiums and only spent about $500max on medications and doctors visits when needed, so who's the stupid one?

        • Richmond Tigers on 20/01/2023 - 12:11
          +4

          Not stab worthy? Well that's just a lie.

          • Brian McGee on 20/01/2023 - 12:17

            @Richmond Tigers: only from your point of view.

            Why would you want to stab me? cause I'm not taking your bad luck into my life?

            • Richmond Tigers on 20/01/2023 - 12:26
              +6

              @Brian McGee: You know if you had lead off with "I don't buy travel insurance because I stay with extended family and they can assist me in almost all circumstances", people would have gone "well that's reasonable".

              But you decided to take the "I'M NOT AND ADRENALINE JUNKIE DOUCHE WHO PUTS MYSELF IN DANGER PHWOOOOAAARRRRRR SO $#@% INSURANCE AND $#@% YOU ALL TOO" approach.

        • mbck on 20/01/2023 - 12:31
          +5

          Pretty sure the guy in the news didn't feel he was stab worthy. Or punched worthy?

          But good on you for owning your decision. Enjoy your next break (hopefully soon)

        • liongalahad on 24/01/2023 - 00:23
          +1

          I am sincerely gobsmacked by the (huge, and I mean HUGE) amount of idiocy in one single person.

  • holdenmg on 20/01/2023 - 08:03
    +9

    Sigh.
    (sigh).

    First off…
    UKRAINE CONFLICT
    The Russian invasion of Ukraine is ongoing. Do not travel to Ukraine.
    https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/ukraine

    Second.

    We ask that you:
    Take out appropriate travel and medical insurance.
    https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/consular-services/consular-…

    Third.
    If you don't have Insurance, you are self-insuring.
    (Own that decision).

    • shrek4 on 20/01/2023 - 09:55
      +18

      That’s the problem with lots of society today. People don’t own their decisions and consequences of those decisions.

      When something goes wrong, it’s all about who else to blame, scapegoat or looking for loopholes.

      • bobbified on 20/01/2023 - 11:17

        Everyone is just concerned with their entitlement to 'feel good" no matter what they do. As soon as there's any hint of criticism, they start claiming they're victims of some weirdass-phobia.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/01/2023 - 19:15
      -5

      The Russian invasion of Ukraine is ongoing. Do not travel to Ukraine.

      Unless you're a real modern day Nazi. Zelenskyy likes them quite a bit, openly posing with them in public photos, so they'll probably be safe.

      • cashews on 23/01/2023 - 08:53
        +5

        Someone's been drinking the Russian propaganda coolaide.

        • paul09 on 23/01/2023 - 13:30

          Sometimes it’s a nice change from the ‘Ukraine is winning, but even so we must send them billions of dollars because ???’ koolaid

        • [Deactivated] on 23/01/2023 - 18:27
          -3
          • The fact is there's always propaganda from both sides.
          • The second fact is the mind control victims of the mass media ignore this.
          • Third fact is they are HIS… UNDOCTORED… photos.
          • Fourth fact is 5 minutes ago "Nazi" was supposedly the worst thing you could call someone (even though it was mostly directed at people who weren't, by people who act like them); we also fought Nazis in WWII; and now we're sending… what's it up to so far, aout $600 million I believe (?) to the leader of one of the most politically corrupt nations on earth, who supports literal Nazis, while everyday Australians struggle to afford food, rent, and electricity.
          • Fact five: Unteachable, intellectually dishonest, even spineless people, blithely waive off facts that don't support their personal biases.

          Even if BOTH were about the same worst scum on Earth, the fact remains only ONE of those "scum" is supporting and mates with skin-headed, swastika-tattooed, "literal Hitler" cult worshippers - and our government has funded them using our tax dollars. Our military defenses were laughable before this. So do we even have any of those left to defend ourselves now our "wise leaders" (on both sides of the political fence) have virtually declared war on one of the two greatest superpowers on Earth, especially considering the anti-China fear promoted in recent years, a country who happens to be Russia's ally, has bought their weapons for decades, and so could walk all over us if they so chose to, with little resistance after giving away most (all?) of ours?

  • Xistn on 20/01/2023 - 08:04
    +26

    Man I can't stand "Gofundme" pages period.

    • Seaword on 20/01/2023 - 09:16
      +2

      I don't know…look what they did for the Port Mac Koala Hospital after the fire - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-thirsty-koalas-devastated-by…

    • jjjaar on 20/01/2023 - 09:27
      +9

      I think it’s hard for us Aussies to contextualise why gofundme exists and how if you don’t understand them, that’s really a reflection on how lucky you are as an individual or how lucky we are as a nation.

      Aussies always seem to forget how expensive health care is in the USA and how some people literally have no other option than gofundme pages for when they get sick.

      People literally die from manageable illnesses, things we wouldn’t even bat an eyelid about here. It’s sadly very common for young adults who turn 20/21 and are no longer covered by their parents insurance to just not be able to afford medication. Insulin for example is $99 in USA v $7 in Australia). For many people this cost is literally life and death.

      Hell, even having a baby in hospital in the US can cost ~$20k without insurance. Families who want to have kids have this whole extra cost we just don’t, partly why many Americans choose to give birth at home (though there are still a lot of costs around that). This is also part of the reason why there is such a big fight on general bans on abortions, specifically for sexual assault survivors. Not only are survivors forced to have and raise a child of assault, but if they don’t have insurance or are in low paying jobs, $20k just to deliver the child without complications is impossible.

      • brendanm on 20/01/2023 - 10:45
        +1

        They could get insurance? If they can't afford insurance, they sure as hell can't afford the baby anyway.

        • jjjaar on 20/01/2023 - 20:32
          +9

          Ok so this comment is definitely a reflection on how lucky Australians are.

          (Assuming that we’re only talking about planned / wanted babies…)

          Yes, people could consider getting health insurance, but:

          the average national cost for health insurance is $456 for an individual and $1,152 for a family per month

          Minimum wage is $1,160 USD a month.

          Even if you earn above minimum wage:
          * Average wage is about $4,300 a month. source
          * Average wage for men is higher, at $4,650. source
          * Average wage for women (pregnant people) is lower at $3,875 source
          * Average wage for a fast-food / restaurant worker is $1,800 a month. source
          * Average rent is $1,326 a month. source
          * Average cost of groceries is $438 a month. source

          America really has a lot more disparity between wages and cost of living than here, for which many of us are incredibly lucky.

          And yes, I wholeheartedly agree that if you can’t afford to have a baby, you probably shouldn’t have a baby.

          But it’s estimated that approx 140 million Americans (42%) are struggling to make a living or are living in poverty (this includes those below or on minimum wage, or very low income earners).

          It would be very interesting to see what would happen if 40% of the population stopped having kids…

          Even then, so many places in USA are opposed to teaching people about safe sex and contraception, it would never work. It’s literally a vicious cycle as this is part of the reason so many people are struggling to make a living in the first place.

          • [Deactivated] on 20/01/2023 - 20:54
            -4

            @jjjaar: What is with the US-centric posts?

            • jjjaar on 20/01/2023 - 21:43
              +5

              @[Deactivated]: Well because this was the original post in this thread

              Xistn
              Man I can't stand "Gofundme" pages period

              Then I tried to explain why gofundme was created in my first reply

              jjjaar
              I think it’s hard for us Aussies to contextualise why gofundme exists…

              And if you’re still not clear on the US-Centric element

              GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses

              https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoFundMe

              But as your comprehension is lacking, I can spell it out:

              Australians don’t understand, and many of us “can’t stand” the concept of gofundme as we generally don’t need to rely on the charity of others to survive.

              But it was created in a society where many people do need to rely on the charity of others to survive.

                • jjjaar on 20/01/2023 - 22:25
                  +8

                  @[Deactivated]: Not angry at all, but if you assume others are, that’s probably something to reflect on.

                  My posts aren’t bleeding heart, they’re just facts. Oh, except my opinion about how people shouldn’t have kids if they can’t afford it.

                  You’re right, it wasn’t queried why it exists. But public forums involve discussion. The post I replied to said they didn’t like gofundme pages at all, so I shared some information on why gofundme was created, to demonstrate that it actually can be used for good, and how it’s not only for people who have made poor choices (eg travel but not buy travel insurance). As the company is from USA, and that many examples come from USA, my information was based on that. It wasn’t a tangent, it was the primary point I was making.

                  Oh and the links are because 45%^ of people on this site make false claims, so I wanted to make sure my information was grounded in fact, not just drama.

                  ^no I don’t have a source for this because it’s a false claim.

      • knk on 22/01/2023 - 16:09

        The funny thing with insulin, I can illegally import insulin from Turkey or India for LESS THAN IT COSTS IN THE US IF YOU HAVE A PRESCRIPTION.

        Note that I don't actually use insulin, I was just curious about how much it would cost on the black market vs legally in america.

        • greatlamp on 23/01/2023 - 07:58

          You don't need to compare to a low income country. You can buy insulin in Australia as an American tourist without a medicare card. 1 box of 5 pens (100 units each) will cost around $200 AUD

          1 pen in the USA costs that much. They pay 5x as much. In some cases for a product made my an American company.

          It isn't only about insurance, they are quite simply being extorted

    • Windows7forever on 21/01/2023 - 23:10
      -1

      Agreed. It's the worst form of charity. Throw your own pity party.

  • Vancomycin 1000mg on 20/01/2023 - 08:18
    +22

    no one takes personal responsibility it seems. If you cant afford insurance you shouldnt go on holidays

  • boomramada on 20/01/2023 - 08:31
    +5

    Ozb are here to save a dollar. what are the chances of donating to someone who isnt responsible?

    • cookie2 on 20/01/2023 - 15:10

      Fair point. But as bargain hunters, maybe some decide insurance is even more of a bargain if you don't buy it at all.

      • SlickMick on 21/01/2023 - 14:57
        -1

        That's why people are putting into so much effort into saying that is an ignorant decision.

        Instead of smarttraveller just advising that no one can afford to travel without insurance, perhaps they should require a bond. This thinking it is a bargain to travel without insurance needs to end.

        btw I have no issues with self insurance, but people need to realise this could require 6-digit payouts. They should need to sign that they understand this before getting a passport/ visa/ ticket.

  • dasher86 on 20/01/2023 - 09:09
    +3

    When I first started travelling I didn't even know travel insurance was a thing.

  • mskeggs on 20/01/2023 - 09:12
    +20

    Plenty of folk here who never make errors it seems.
    Examples I have seen recently was a young backpacker who took out an annual travel insurance policy, but lacked cover after a scooter accident because the fine print demanded a maximum 30 days in any destination.
    Another was in dispute with their insurer who was reluctant to repatriate an person who required long term rehab after a bad accident, requiring months of care abroad away from family.

    My own experience of travel insurance is they can be difficult to deal with.

    But the real thing here is “the lesson” to be taught by not helping people in need.
    Is the lesson learned much more readily if you make them suffer to the maximum? Or is the “lesson” taught pretty well when somebody realises they are desperate enough to beg online?

    Finally, consider what insurance is. If nobody bought insurance, and everybody chipped in to go fund me campaigns, we would self insure without the loss to profit making using an insurance company requires.

    • CrowReally on 20/01/2023 - 10:53
      +9

      But the real thing here is “the lesson” to be taught by not helping people in need.
      Is the lesson learned much more readily if you make them suffer to the maximum? Or is the “lesson” taught pretty well when somebody realises they are desperate enough to beg online?

      Adversity suffered by people who aren't me are excellent examples of poor life choices, lack of preparation on their part and various other facets to their personality they're lacking in. I allow myself a modest amount of self-reflection in these circumstances to bask in my superiority.

      It's the exact opposite of when I get a bit of bad luck because of the damn cosmos.

    • Almost Banned on 20/01/2023 - 12:08
      +3

      It is precisely because of stories like this one that I insist on having travel insurance for myself, and make my kids do the same.
      So, lesson learnt - by those who will learn.

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