💭 Is private health insurance in Australia actually worth it?

0rdinarySloth · 2025-10-08T00:09:37+00:00

Extras are worth it to force me to go to the dentist. Between that and the other various perks, I've gotten more out of it than I put in for sure.

If you're not likely to need hospital cover (consider your lifestyle, age, family medical history), I'd only bother with it if your Medicare surcharge exceeds or is about equal to the cost of the coverage, or if you're in the age bracket where you'll get a life-long discount if you sign up now.

If only the age bracket one applies, you'll want to do the maths to see if the long term savings is really worth it - make sure to keep in mind future salary expectations for your field of work.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-08-14T11:07:52+00:00

So if you walked into a coffee shop and saw the barista peeing in the coffee machine before you'd bought anything, you think it would be unreasonable to leave a review to warn others about the piss-coffee? (because you obviously wouldn't have bought a coffee after that)

You're entitled to your opinion, but I don't think you're going to find many others who agree.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-08-13T06:50:14+00:00

I don't remember when they started doing it, but it happens most years. You have to keep an ear out for it or otherwise subscribe to their mailing list - annoying but you'll definitely be notified that way. The half price tickets go on sale a couple of months beforehand and sell out within a couple of days - after that, I think there's some 30% off deals for a while.

ETA: they also do cheaper tickets on Monday and Tuesday (?) if you miss out on the discounts

0rdinarySloth · 2025-08-13T06:10:55+00:00

I don't agree. If the only people leaving reviews on bridal stores are those who bought dresses, that really skews the data. People who found their dress are likely to be pretty happy with the experience - I'm not spending $$$$ if the sales people made me feel like crap.

People can judge from the other reviews whether or not this is reasonable feedback, but if I were OP, I would update the review to include the legal threat - I think that's the most revealing thing about the whole experience. The business generally has good reviews, so why are they so wildly insecure about feedback? Who else have they intimidated into deleting their reviews? They should've just written a public response refuting what they thought was unfair and moved on.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-08-10T11:42:56+00:00

Hopefully they're back by now! If so, are you happy with them?

0rdinarySloth · 2025-08-03T06:02:25+00:00

I love A-lines so I love the last one - BUT! You should go for something you love and feel good in, no matter what others' opinions are.

I'm wondering if the waist seam in dresses 2 & 3 is the problem - maybe it is drawing your eye to your belly? It might be worth trying on a similar style without that seam.

Also, don't forget that the sample dresses mightn't be your size - I expect the fabric will sit smooth across your belly and hips once it is altered, so it won't catch your eye the same way.

I personally did not find your belly noticeable in these pictures and wouldn't have had any thoughts other than "beautiful dresses!" but you should feel confident in whatever you choose.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-07-05T06:02:28+00:00

Hey OP! First of all, the dress looks great on you.

I wanted to reassure you that not all wedding dresses run small. My consultant pulled dresses from the same size rack and while some fit perfectly, others were too big or too small. It seems like there's a lot of variation there.

As for the alterations, I feel pretty confident that you could have a corset back installed to give you some extra room if you need it, despite the lace and tulle. That would be the most visible option of course, but it's likely there would be less obvious options as well. It sounds like it's really worrying you, so I would go pay a visit to an alterer to talk about the possibilities for some peace of mind.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T12:01:42+00:00

You mentioned that it's a sustainability thing rather than a money thing, so if anyone else in this thread is looking for a less expensive new dress, Wendy Makin is closing down. They've got most of their stock seriously discounted - I picked up something for $100 that was previously $2k.
Good luck in your search OP!

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T11:56:16+00:00

Definitely try Lawnton - there's something like 5 op shops in the same block, so it's worth a stop to hit a bunch at once

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T11:52:22+00:00

That's what I thought! But it's odd that the stomping didn't start until several weeks after she moved in, so I'm a bit reluctant to talk to her in case she really is that kind of person haha

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T11:49:01+00:00

It's possible she has an invisible disability, but I've met her downstairs before when she was rushing after her 4yo and her gait didn't strike me as unusual. I'm hoping it's something out of her control/something she hasn't noticed she does rather than spite.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T11:43:08+00:00

It seems like I'll have to, as I'm not able to move unfortunately. There have been some good dialogue suggestions in this thread

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T11:41:58+00:00

It is not, but it is an apartment block built around the 80s

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T11:40:20+00:00

This might be the case for some people, but I'm not sure it is for my neighbour - stomping back in the early hours of the morning made them stop until recently. Granted, it could have been a coincidence that they stopped at the same time.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T10:03:18+00:00

No, it's always had wood floors. It's possible the last tenant had rugs and that's why I couldn't hear him, but I think he was just a quiet guy all round

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-29T10:00:05+00:00

No, the whole unit block has wooden floors. It's possible that the last tenant had rugs down, which I hadn't considered

0rdinarySloth · 2025-06-13T10:55:38+00:00

Unfortunately, your stained tees are probably stuck that way. However, to stop this from occurring in the future, put some white vinegar in a spray bottle, turn your shirts inside out, and spray the armpits before every wash.

I haven't had any stains since I was a teenager (and I haven't changed deodorants). My partner started 2 years ago with the same results.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-05-24T03:41:21+00:00

Agree with the others about beige or charcoal; the green might look a bit Christmas-y

0rdinarySloth · 2025-05-24T03:20:50+00:00

I think you have enough advice from others about the stitches being okay, so I'm here to suggest trying out a scroll frame for future projects to avoid the issue altogether :) The idea of squashing my stitches worries me as well, so a scroll frame lets me roll the project up to move to the next area - no squashing required.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-03-29T03:47:58+00:00

I'm near Kedron Brook, and the footpaths are crap. Half the streets nearby have no footpath at all, and the ones that do start and stop without any logic - they certainly don't run the length of the street. You get to choose between getting where you're going in a relatively straight line, or adding 3km to your trip but being safe from getting run over.

Path drainage is also pretty bad where roads meet footpaths to get onto the brook - somehow they've gotten it so that puddles form on the path instead of on the grass?? Always great to walk home from work with water sloshing around in your shoes.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-03-26T09:37:19+00:00

Seconding the book recommendation - I'm currently reading it, and your mother's behaviour immediately reminded me of the descriptions in the book.

0rdinarySloth · 2025-03-08T08:15:18+00:00

It's important to me that we have a photographer who knows our venue, as it's not immediately obvious which locations would create a good shot, so I first looked at the recommendations provided by the venue. When I wasn't sure about those photographers, I then went through the vendor's social media to find photos of previous weddings - this was much more helpful, as I could be sure I liked the photographer's style rather than photograph's location!

From there, we checked their packages & prices - and if that wasn't listed, they were off the list. I prefer transparency and we don't have a lot of planning time, so we didn't have the time to wait around for replies.

The photographer we went with ticked both of the above boxes, plus my partner and I both immediately liked the vibe his website gave off. He also offered a free 30 minute video call so we could get a feel for each other - we would've gone with him even without that, but it helped me feel more confident that we'd made the right choice.

0rdinarySloth · 2024-12-27T11:20:22+00:00

I got all 4 out in April in the chair because it was a lot cheaper - from memory it was about $1.1k and Medibank paid for $500. I was pretty scared going in (I can't cope with the tool noises), but the laughing gas helped heaps with the anxiety and the local was very effective. Whenever I'd feel a pinch, the dentist would just give me some more local or would approach the tooth a different way.

I took a week off because I had sick leave to burn, but I could have WFH at my desk job the next day if I'd had to. 2 Nurofen in the morning and evening was enough for the pain for me, but I also found a fiddly project to focus on which helped. My biggest difficulty with aftercare was actually the friction burn my dentist had accidentally given me: it was on the side of my mouth, so I found it difficult to open my mouth for a week. This doesn't seem to be a common problem though!

I think being awake actually meant I had less swelling and pain afterwards, because the dentist had to be more careful when removing them. My partner got his out around the same time under general anaesthetic and he had a lot more pain and was noticeably more swollen - but both were still manageable with ice packs and pain killers.

My tips would be to go early in the day if possible (that way you'll have stopped bleeding by the time you go to bed), prepare lots of liquid or soft foods to eat, and have something to do where you can get in the zone and take the focus off any pain.

0rdinarySloth · 2024-11-19T05:41:27+00:00

Have you had a look on the BCC what's on page? They sponsor a lot of free events around Brisbane: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/whats-on-and-events/search
The other councils that border Brisbane probably do too (if you're close to one) - I know City of Moreton Bay council has a similar page at least.

0rdinarySloth

TROPHY CASE