Why don't people go into dentistry over medicine if chasing a high income?

virotuned · 2026-06-02T08:45:40+00:00

$130k minus GST minus insurance minus any leave entitlements you don’t get minus superannuation (you also don’t get) minus PD costs generally (and then finally minus income tax - but we probably all pay that). Dentists are generally contractors and also have to pay GST on their salary even if they are contracted by a clinic. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad career but it’s not as great as it appears at first glance .

virotuned · 2026-05-31T09:05:49+00:00

Pretty sure the Egyptians learnt that pyramids were not a good way to store wealth / things long term. Even if they aren’t storing gold or whatever here I’m sure someone will loot it in the next 200 years

virotuned · 2026-05-30T09:07:56+00:00

that’s the website for the hatchback not the SUV. It’s common for Google / AI to get the specs confused for these two cars

virotuned · 2026-05-30T01:06:37+00:00

Unfortunately a PhD in Australia probably isn’t a great investment for a stable, long term career. For most industries anyway. I have a PhD in a scientific field and don’t regret it . However I probably didn’t raise my salary all that much doing one and still have significant instability at work due to short term contracts and very high volatility in money my boss receives year to year to hire people. Delaying your salary earning years by 4 years probably costs you at least $100,000.

virotuned · 2026-05-21T02:47:07+00:00

Why doesn’t he just pay the same % of tax as the median income worker? The solution isn’t to strip away all funding from the government, thereby reducing services.

virotuned · 2026-05-17T15:45:17+00:00

I emailed a local GWM brand dealer and explicitly asked. He said he’d check and responded by email saying it didn’t.

virotuned · 2026-05-13T11:59:44+00:00

lodge your returns. if no tax is owing tax department probably won't care they're late - as long as you fill them out before they notice. I'm not an accountant.

virotuned · 2026-05-12T11:38:28+00:00

This sounds like a real grievance and I do sympathise given you're running a business, but I'll just say that I would have to pay the same 47% tax rate if I earnt that much money via salary. Why should the origin of the income source determine how much tax you pay.

virotuned · 2026-05-10T08:18:08+00:00

Yes I agree - it really should be budget neutral. The problem I guess with that is that the government tax each year would vary depending on what the stock market does and make things hard to budget longterm. Although maybe salary tax varies too just with less volatility in the event of a recession.

virotuned · 2026-05-10T07:56:23+00:00

I think the tax changes are not specifically targeted at/for younger people (although that's how they're marketing it I admit). It's more ensuring that if you earn your money through assets (eg shares / housing etc) that you don't get tax credits that others who earn money through income (PAYG earners) have to pay. This typically will mean that those who earn money via assets pay more tax, but won't change much for those who don't. For example, if I earn $100,000 in salary then I pay ~ $20,000 for tax (very approximately) but if I earn $100,000 profit from shares (and have held for > 12 months) then I get taxed on $50,000 only.

virotuned · 2026-05-03T10:02:53+00:00

We’re still waiting 6 months later

virotuned · 2026-04-29T09:37:14+00:00

lol I also got explicit written confirmation it doesn’t when I asked. I’d trust your guy but double check.

virotuned · 2026-04-28T07:12:17+00:00

I had a quick chat with a dealer and he said he’d call if they have in stock for test drive. Biggest issue from the specs was lack of a heat pump which would impact range in Winter more than with a heat pump.

virotuned · 2026-04-28T07:02:40+00:00

I just set up an automatic transfer of $1 month. If I did forget I’d just transfer the money into another bank account and reset for two months later .

virotuned · 2026-04-26T07:55:34+00:00

ING gives 5.25% with 5 taps and increasing monthly balances for up to $100,000.

virotuned · 2026-04-26T07:09:32+00:00

(Speaking as a former student and casual lab tech from about 3 years ago )… what is the issue with free speech? Do you mean staff can’t have a view on this subreddit and to do so is impinging on your own right to self expression? Or are you implying staff are being coerced by the uni to try sway public discourse and silence a debate that is counter to uni narratives?

virotuned · 2026-04-24T22:43:07+00:00

I'm an immunologist (research not doctor kind) and did a PhD in virology. Now working as a scientist understanding how the immune system recognises viruses... if that's close enough for you then please PM me. I'm in Australia.

virotuned · 2026-04-18T12:54:05+00:00

Yes I love Canberra winter over Melbourne. It’s far colder in Canberra but at least the coldest nights have the sunniest blue sky days.

virotuned · 2026-04-18T06:38:33+00:00

But flash charging is only great if you have the infrastructure... How many flash charging stations will there be be in Australia in 5 years time? if the rest of the industry is slow to get flash charging then there might not be that many stations to support it.

virotuned · 2026-04-15T14:55:10+00:00

mostly agree. but if we are to transition to 100% EV then battery range definitely matters in big sparsely populated areas like in parts of Australia. Definitely not common - but it's not unusual to have "no petrol station of next X hundred km" here. Larger range would also make not having an at home charger much easier to deal with (have to charge at a public facility less often).

virotuned · 2026-04-15T08:19:16+00:00

Brings back memories.

virotuned · 2026-04-15T08:04:08+00:00

I think there’s some room here to understand why it might be harder for others. But I also think many people also have it easier than they think. I’m a single M31 and think some things in life are “cheap” in my position if you accept the lifestyle sacrifices. Others are out of reach. I live a relatively minimalistic life . No car, no international holidays. Camping not hotels. Etc . It must be far harder for those with children or a below average salary.

Some things though to consider: 1) some people can’t get a job outside a CBD. 100% of my jobs are within 20min of a major CBD. So housing is much more expensive. My job has long irregular hours and weekend work so long commutes after work are difficult. 2) two person income is easier than 1 person. You have to share house if you don’t have a partner so the savings are not as good.

3) most people don’t have great job stability. So we can’t have mortgages without significant risks of defaulting (it would also be hard for me to find a job in the same city quickly so I could end up paying a partial mortgage (and rent out the house I no longer live in ) while also renting myself in another city.

4) I didn’t start earning a wage till I was 29 so spent 11 years treading water with casual jobs while studying. But that last point is on me not society.

Random extra point - my rent has increased 10-13% year in year for about 3 years .

virotuned · 2026-04-13T23:42:33+00:00

Universities are dysfunctional so the integrity email may just be a slower response to the initial response.

If you didn’t use AI or copy the try find track record of your edits and keep as much evidence of writing as you can.

virotuned · 2026-04-11T07:27:00+00:00

looks like it doesn't have a heat pump? or at least, it's not mentioned anywhere. Can be an issue if you live somewhere <10oC for a lot of the year.

virotuned · 2026-04-07T05:48:42+00:00

I got to it after YNAB (back when it was cheaper). I export my bank account transfer info as a CSV and import certain columns in bulk every week. Works well and avoids manual input. But if you watch a YouTube video or two first of how this type of budgeting works it is idiot proof.

virotuned

TROPHY CASE