r/DeinfluenceMeAUS

28m single, just bought an apartment with mortgage and on a six figure salary. Thinking of selling my reliable 2018 Camry with 44k on the odo and buying an 86 instead.

YOLO mentality of being young and single is temporary and so is owning a JDM. The Camry was my first responsive choice at age 22 and was a safe bet for driving people, moving things around etc.

Either I sell my current car and use the funds on an 86, or save up money or even top up my mortgage by 25k to buy one next year and own two cars. I’d park the Camry in the street or at my parents place and have the 86 in my garage. I don’t have the funds outright so either sell Camry or wait to have funds to buy the additional car

Really want the JDM sports car to drive and feel like I’m missing out on owning a cheaper model whilst I don’t have a family/kids to think about.

Hopped on the Vinted bandwagon and it opened me up to a whole other world for vintage designer bags. I’ve bought 10 already, most of them from the UK and within reasonable budget!

I’m eyeing another vintage Celine, circa 2000s, hard to find online. Trapunto stitching, leather. It’s navy blue, close to black so super easy to wear. The style is something I don’t own. I haven’t seen it listed anywhere; there are a couple on Mercari Japan but in colours that I wouldn’t usually wear. It’s from the UK so shipping is $15.

Is it a yay or nay?!?

Last year the whole family got into mountain biking. It's been great and in my hyperfixated undiagnosed ADHD fashion I've bought, and then upgraded bikes for the whole family. We started with entry level hardtails, now everyone has been upgraded to good quality HTs (and me to a Dual Suspension which I love)

The oldest child has a bit of a frankensteins monster of a bike - Norco Fluid frame with aftermarket parts of unknown provenance - it works ok, but is currently out of action with freehub issues.

I have an opportunity to buy the same model of Dual Sus as me 2nd hand for $1600. It's the right size (rare), the right bike (rare) and a good price (also rare - RRP is about $3200, on sale for $2600).

I COULD fix the existing bike and it'll be fine, but the way I see it the Dual suspension could be used for the younger child when he outgrows his.

The counter argument is that the kids are, for wont of a better word, lazy. They like MTBing but aren't as obsessed as I and while they enjoy it when they go, they take some convincing. Could he just progress a while on his frankenbike?

We have a week long MTB trip booked for the end of the year, as well as numerous day rides between now and then.

I feel like this is less of a “deinfluence me” and more of a “where do I start?”, but I saw a post on threads a tech bro made talking about how ai music is the future, and it made me want to pick up the guitar again, because f*ck ai and I was looking for another hobby anyway.

The last time I really played was when I was 13/14 ish and I’m 26 now. I had lessons in primary school but I’ve definitely lost the basics at this point, and my guitar is just sitting there gathering dust.

So are there any ways to learn/refresh my skills other than paying for lessons? TIA!

UPDATE: I probably should have mentioned in the original post that I’m hypermobile (or “double jointed”). I cleaned up my guitar today, re-tuned it and went through whatever basics I could remember. I’m now in a decent amount of pain and hoping I’ll have a useful hand for tomorrow. I’m going to find a teacher for the hand issue and to see if I can play without completely destroying my wrist, thumb and pinky.

I’ll keep everyone’s suggestions in mind though if I can keep playing!

Please help! Or don’t haha

I’ve lately discovered that playing games for like an hour after work really relaxes me. I’m a teacher so any form of relaxing is good. Been playing on my switch 2.

I’m not an obsessed gamer, and my hobbies, exercise, work, and partner all come first. I basically do 1-3 one hour sessions a week, and a bit longer on the school holidays.

I’m kinda thinking about a series S to access more games. Have found a bunch at say cashies for $400 or so.

Financially stable so it’s not really the price, more whether I actually need one.

Edit: it’s basically the newer assassins creed games and I guess modded Skyrim too that’s steering me toward the Xbox

pls give me your ideas 🙏

Situation:

Family of 4 - M48, F47, M16, M11

$264k combined income before tax

$423k mortgage

$50k car loan

$37k in shares and cash

House is worth about $950k these days. Built around 1964, weatherboard and original electrical meter board. 

We need some things done to the house to future proof and tie up a few projects. 

• Very large tree in the backyard has become a threat, there was a near miss in the last big storm and it completely shades house so solar isn't an option unless it's removed. Will require a crane for removal, cost about $20k. We intend to plant a number of smaller trees further away from house after removal. 

• High power usage for family. I WFH, but it's all electric heating and cooking. No gas or wood. $1.5k quarterly bills

• We want to do an electrical overhaul. Once big tree is gone: get solar + battery, heat pump hot water, smart meter, EV charging point. 

• Aging second car needs replacing (2010 mitsi outlander), showing signs of head gasket issue

• A number of half finished projects in house need accelerating: fence replacement, back patio build, shed needs fixing, driveway concreted. Probably need about $40k to sort all that out.  

• Tertiary education costs for the kids is on the radar too with Mr16 entering yr12 next year. 

So to do all that, we need about $100k, maybe $150k if we consider an EV. And we don't really want to dip in to the cash/shares just in case of anything else unforeseen. 

Should we refinance the house to make it all possible?

There was a recent post asking for what amounted to relationship advice.

In light of this, the mod team is considering adding a rule to keep this sub on the topic of things that can be bought and the poster end up with a physical object if the are not de-influenced.

This is not to shame anyone for the questions they may be seeking advice with. It is simply to keep this sub on the task it was created for. There are many relationship advice subs out there, we don't need to become one too.

You have a week to vote. We will take the poll results into consideration, but they won't necessarily dictate what we decide.

If you have questions, feel free to comment or sent a mod mail.

Thanks all.

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EDIT: to clarify, this poll is to ask the following:

Yes - come up with a new rule to prevent off topic posts. Keeping the sub to things that can be bought for money. (People are not things).

No - don't touch the rules. Leave them as is. (Alternatively "Ain't nobody got time for dat").

View Poll

I'm a software engineer and I hate my job and I hate where my industry is going regarding AI.

I'm (33M) in a very fortunate position with a paid off single story house and 30k in cash, thinking about going all in on lowering my future expenses and have a frugal lifestyle until I die just so I can retire early.

My thought process is to spend my money on buying solar panels, battery and maybe an EV in the future. I haven't really calculated how much they will cost or when I will get my money back yet, but if the payoff period is under 10 years that's fine.

I just want to make sure my expense stays under 3k per month, (2k if doable) in the event I get made redundant as I have absolutely zero interest in getting another job. I may have to as I don't have enough cash yet but is this worth it?

I love camping and my partner loves me enough to come camping a few times a year.

We have multiple tents. They are decent tents, nothing fancy, all secondhand, but they work. We also have decent sleeping mats, so we generally get a decent sleep with our current set up.

But everytime we go camping someone else pulls up with a swag and I am consumed with envy. They look so snug and cosy and are so quintessentially outdoorsy Australiana aesthetic vibes. I've also heard that they're significantly more comfortable.

But they're not cheap, and I worry one wouldn't even fit in our car easily? They look so cosy and easy to set up. Would getting one be the best thing ever (my heart tell me yes) or is it just the gear goblin in me?

update: This was the reality check I needed! A swag will not do anything a tent doesn't, and is probably going go fit poorly in our car.

Maybe in a few years time if we're in need of replacing a tent I'll reconsider then. For now, my money is probably better spent on other gear.

I have been wanting to try flyfishing, I think it looks like fun, and a good way to get outdoor.

I however live in the middle of Melbourne, so will not be able to do it regularly. A decent starter kit is about $3-400 for all the bits and pieces.

I currently have a Pixel 9 Pro (since April 2025) and it's been a great daily driver. The only issue is, I feel like I am limited to customisation. The Pixel is simple that way (which isn't a bad thing), and doesn't give me a lot of room to make my phone, "feel like my own."

I did buy a refurbished Samsung Z Flip 6 and really enjoyed using the Samsung UI and being able to customise everything. I did end returning it because I do prefer a slab phone and now I'm back using my Pixel.

Thank you :)

UPDATE - thank you everyone for the advice and information! I am not going to buy a new kindle, I’ll stick with the one I have until it completely dies :)

Hello! This is my first post in this group. I have been thinking recently that I should get a new kindle but I don’t think I actually need a new one. I don’t want to drop hundreds on something I won’t use heaps and am trying to spend less overall. I don’t read constantly because I have young children so don’t always have the time. I’ve had my kindle paperwhite for about two years and she’s still going strong. Battery lasts for days; maybe even weeks if I’m not using it constantly. The only grievance I have is that it’s pretty slow when it comes to turning pages. That part can be a bit frustrating if a book is at a cliff hanger or at an important part. Also sometimes it doesn’t always register my touch either but I think that it has, so I go to read the next page and realise it’s the same one. I think storage-wise it’s still got heaps left. So all in all I’m thinking the only issues are very minor inconveniences and that I don’t actually need a new kindle at all. Thoughts??

I am considering purchasing an ASUS G14 gaming laptop through my employer's salary sacrifice scheme before the scheme ends in April 2027.

Relevant details:

• Purchase price: $6,799 AUD

• Marginal tax rate: 47%

• Estimated tax saving: ~$3,196

• Estimated after-tax cost: ~$3,603

Reasons I am considering the purchase:

• Lower weight and smaller form factor than my current laptop (as I will be going on extended travel)

• Better portability for 1-2 years of planned overseas travel.

• Can be charged via a USB-C cable

• Replacing my laptop now may extend the time before another replacement is required (estimated to last 5/6 years)

• Ability to use a salary sacrifice benefit that will no longer be available once the scheme ends.

Current laptop:

• Gigabyte Aero (bought in 2021 and as top of the line then)

• Continues to meet all my requirements for gaming, video editing, photo editing and general productivity.

• A bit heavier, larger and can only be charged via its dedicated power brick.

I am interested in views on whether the reduced effective cost, improved portability, improved charging versatility and potentially longer replacement cycle justify the ~$3,600 after-tax cost given I already have a functioning laptop with no issues.

Hi all! I'm looking at a shaker bottle and I came across this one. I really like how it's not plastic, there's a strainer and has a little compartment to put whatever powder I need. A handle and easy to clean is a big thing for me. Size... not so much.

I haven't seen much real reviews on the item as most of the ones I have come across online are mostly ads.

Also open to other recommendations as well

https://preview.redd.it/me4n411skmth1.png?width=350&format=png&auto=webp&s=e2329a4b2d8f58641799c3495c054918d44749a1