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Welcome Wednesday: What’s the best deal you’ve ever scored?!

Katie Lai - Seibert

👋 Hello Atlassian community and fellow bargain hunters! In this week’s Welcome Wednesday discussion, I’d love to hear about the best deal you’ve ever gotten.

Was it a freebie on vacation? Finding a designer brand at a thrift store? Something free you found in your neighborhood? Won an awesome prize contest? Struck gold at a garage sale? Brag about it in the comments😆, and be sure to tell us the story of how it happened!

A few years ago, I entered a contest on LinkedIn by commenting on a company’s post and ended up winning a work from home package, which included a brand new pair of Airpod Max headphones! I’m still amazed to this day.

(If you’re new to Welcome Wednesdays, it's a fun and easy way to jump into discussions that aren't necessarily work-related and get to know fellow Atlassian Community members! Check out previous posts here.)

Comments

Hempel

So on the spot, I can't think of an exact "best bargain" but I am curious - does anyone else do "Penny Shopping" at Dollar General or Dollar Tree? They're local discount stores and some friends and I can often get great deals at $0.01 per item and then donate them to local shelters - like soaps, bathroom supplies, etc.

I have a friend that does this ALL the time and gets the best deals!!

Anne Saunders

My most recent score was a signed and numbered Paul Ravelle lithograph (that's hanging in the worst possible spot to photograph)

It was marked $25 at Goodwill, and I got it on a half off day for $12.50 😄

Katie Lai - Seibert

That's a really great idea - honestly didn't think you could buy anything for only a penny these days!

Katie Lai - Seibert

WOW!! That is awesome! I need to come shop at your Goodwill!

Dave LIAO

@Katie Lai - Seibert - ooh, I like this Welcome Wednesday!

If we're talking sweepstakes, I once won a pair of headphones, tablet, and smartwatch! Was a total surprise (of course). Fun fact: I gave away the winnings so I wouldn't have to report them to my employer. I guess it's not really a corporate gift, but wanted to play it safe. 🥲
If we're talking purchases, I coupon clipped a $15 drugstore bill down to $3. 🙃

Matt Doar _Adaptavist_

I left a recommendation on LinkedIn . Still makes her laugh.

Screenshot 2026-07-08 at 16.01.43.png

Dave LIAO

I LOVE this 😂

Darryl Lee

Waaaay back 2000, our local newspaper posted an article describing a $400 discount at Best Buy if you sign up for 3 years of Microsoft MSN Internet access, at $21.95/mo.

That's not much of a deal (36 * $21.95 = $790.2), except the article mentioned:

In most of the rest of the country, if you cancel the $21.95-a-monthplan before the three years are up, you'll have to repay MSN the full $400.

But Californians can cancel any time and never have to pay the company back.

That's because Microsoft is actually lending the customers the $400 ``purchase credit.'' The company said that triggers a state law that says people cannot be forced to purchase anything in connection with taking out a loan. The 5-year-old California law was intended to protect consumers from being forced to buy property insurance when they get mortgages, or having to buy car insurance through a car dealer that financed their vehicle.

``It's weird,'' said a Best Buy sales representative in Milpitas, who declined to give his name. ``MSN eats that $400.''

My friends and I (and countless others, judging from the crowds we saw at Best Buy) took full advantage of this generous after-Christmas gift from our "Uncle Bill" (Gates).

We bought DVD players, Surround Sound systems, TVs, graphic cards, Palm Pilots... it was glorious. Then we went and cancelled our MSN subscriptions and waited to see if Microsoft would send a team of lawyers after us. (They never did.)

People lined up outside of Best Buys throughout the Bay Area to get in, and then they got cleaned out. Some stores closed early at 7PM, until they got more stock.

Within a few days of the story being reported (and then spread by word of mouth and the Internet), the deal got suspended.

The LA Times reported about online debates over the morality of taking advantage of the deal:

``Guys, you can try to justify this all you want to, but you know good and well that you are taking advantage of a loophole to purposefully screw over someone,'' wrote one person on the DVD Talk Web site.

``I would be screwing a company that is worth billions,'' responded another member. ``Plus, it will make them learn to close the loopholes.''

Microsoft's [spokesperson Tom] Pilla declined to discuss what would happen to consumers who have already received the discount and canceled their service, saying only, ``We're going to honor our agreements with people.''

Pilla said most people never intended to take advantage of Microsoft. ``We believe consumers understand the intent of the program and are satisfied with the MSN service they receive,'' he said. ``We're confident those consumers will stay with MSN.''

I think Tom was trying to spin this hard. They must've taken a huge loss. My friend was convinced that somebody's head would roll up in Seattle.

But yeah, that's probably the best deal I've gotten.

I've got another story about the best prize(s) I've won. But that's another post.

Dave LIAO

Oh man! Did 3dfx cards exist yet? Did you get one of those? 👾

Amanda Barber

I once won an iPad mini from a Facebook contest....back in the olden days (in 2013) - haha. I definitely thought it may have been a scam, but it was the real deal and I used it for many years! I won it from submitting this adorable craft we made with my Kindergarten students at the time. This is the test one I made from my own kiddo's art and shared on their Facebook post/contest. Students drew a snowman and wrote their name and we then printed them on tea towels!

Darryl Lee

So I don't consider winning a contest a "deal" exactly, but uh, yeah, I'm a serial contest winner. Or well, I used to be.

https://darryl.com/fivewhoa.html

From about 2010 to 2015, when I think Twitter and Facebook weren't as popular with businesses, or probably more importantly before the advent of all of the Sweepstakes websites making it easy to find contests to enter...

I won:

A trip to Orlando (flight and hotel) (photo above is how I won that)
A ski trip to Vail, CO
Southwest tickets and a EPIC (Vail) season pass
A nice bike
An iPad 1
An iPad 2
Another iPad 2
iPod Nano
Kindle Fire HD
Kindle Fire tablet
A few Kindle keyboards
An Canon point-and-shoot digital camera
Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker
A copy of Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium
A year of textbook rentals from Chegg
Lots of concert tickets (mainly festivals)
A towel from Code 42 Software for Towel Day
Tortillas
Various t-shirts/promo things/phone/table styluses/cases/etc.

And well, you can view the whole gallery here: https://darryl.com/winning

(By the way, the secret was Google Alerts I still have several set up, but it's been quite a while since I've won anything. The hammock from a monthly travel email newsletter contest is nice though. I also won a watch from the same newsletter.)

Darryl Lee

Eagle-eyed readers will note that the photo above is NOT in Orlando.

Funny story behind that photo, which I submitted as an entry to a contest that Virgin America (RIP) was running through the fine folks at Awkward Family Photos:

That picture is of me and my family in Waikiki, where the Polynesian Cultural Center had a stage with performances.

We had been at the center the day before, but tragically, my dad's film camera must've had the film threaded incorrectly (missed a tooth or something), and the entire day's worth of photos were lost.

My parents told the sob story to the performers, and they insisted my parents put on Hawaiian garb and my middle brother and I were draped in leis, and they got a shot to remember.

After I won a contest with the said photo (which Virgin America blew up and mounted to posterboard, which is still at my parents house), my mom reminded me that the Hawaii trip was the result of their contest win.

[Us with the blown-up photo at the Orlando reception for the inaugural Virgin America flight from California. We were encouraged to dress awkwardly, and since my wife had a severe fall on a scooter the week prior, we had a very awkward crutch.]

Sometime in the early 80s the soft drink Rondo ran a contest to win a trip to Mexico. My mom thinks they had some kind of entry form and box at the supermarket or something.

Anyways, they won, but it was a trip for two, and they had three kids. They told the company this, and they graciously gave them the cash equivalent, which my parents used to take us to Hawaii.

Darryl Lee

My friend believes he got a 3dfx Voodoo 2 or 3. Based on the Wikipedia article on 3dfx and the timing, it was probably the Voodoo 3.

Wow, interesting about their missteps that allowed Nvidia to dominate. (Wikipedia)

Arkadiusz Wroblewski

I still haven´t won anything, but hoping to be a millionaire someday 🤠😂

Daria Kulikova_GitProtect.io

Nie topic @Katie Lai - Seibert , a year ago, I actually won a basket full of decorative handmade soaps, candles, and sweets! It happened while my daughter was participating in an aerial gymnastics competition. The organizers decided to hold a raffle for the audience, and I ended up being the lucky winner

Rebekka Heilmann (viadee)

I did win dive holidays about 10 years ago but my absolute best finds were in a few charity shops in Scotland last year:

In Oban, I went into a shop and couldn't believe my eyes: I got a print from an artist I actually know personally for 5 instead of 80 gbp. It was still wrapped and untouched! Always thought about getting one of the prints anyway but didn't want to pay for shipping overseas.

In another shop down in Dumfries, I found the most beautiful Gin Copas for 1 pound each!

Jousef

A few years ago, I think right when the first game of the new Tomb Raider trilogy was released, the one with Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft (incredible performance), Steam had a massive Tomb Raider collection sale. Now, I think they had mixed up some numbers and instead of a 90% discount, it was a 99% discount for all of the classic games ever released up to the new Tomb Raider in 2013. I paid around a dollaridoodle for what was worth more than $100!!! Either way it would've been a great deal. The student me from the past with almost empty pockets was a lucky young man, let me tell you.

Barbara Szczesniak

My best deal recently was a couple of years ago when I got a regular desktop version of Microsoft Office 2021 (no monthly subscription) for about $22 through a perks program offered by my employer. Since I use these products infrequently on my personal computer, I have no reason to pay every month or be on the latest version.

Kristin Lyons

I bought a 32 inch LCD for less than $50 since it was being discontinued and was open box, the company was just trying to get rid of it and this was in maybe 2011.

Amanda Barber

Wow, love this story, @Darryl Lee!!

Katie Lai - Seibert

Happy for you both!!🤣 What anniversary are you celebrating this year?

Katie Lai - Seibert

What a great story! I love this tidbit of California and early internet lore!

Katie Lai - Seibert

WOAH! Have you ever seen the movie or read the book The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio? The movie came out in 2005 and it's based on a true story. But I think you've won more than she did!

Katie Lai - Seibert

Rooting for you 😄

Katie Lai - Seibert

Nice!! And Aerial is such an awesome sport, I hope your daughter had fun and did well in the competition!

Arkadiusz Wroblewski

@Katie Lai - Seibert

Oh wait, actually I was wrong — I have not won anything.

Well… I won my husband. And like that famous Mastercard line says:

Some things are priceless.
For everything else, there is Mastercard. 🙂

Katie Lai - Seibert

OMG!!! Love this, it makes me think of mistake airline fares where you can score an international flight for waaaay cheaper that it should be.

Katie Lai - Seibert

You manifested that art piece!! 👏

Katie Lai - Seibert

Love a good employee perk!

Katie Lai - Seibert

Heck yeah, that's a steal!!

Katie Lai - Seibert

Hahaha, I love it!! Winning in love is the ultimate prize 💓

Katie Lai - Seibert

Awww so cute!! Do you have a picture of the tea towel you made?

Matt Doar _Adaptavist_

31. "The 31st wedding anniversary does not have a traditional symbol, but the modern gift is a timepiece – a symbol of time" - TIL

Amanda Barber

Haha, yes that's the white stick snowman drawing!

Darryl Lee

I wish I could find a mistake fare to fly more cheaply to Amsterdam for Team 26 Europe. :-D

zoltanersek _outpostlabs_dev_

I got a great deal to buy my work laptop before leaving the company. I bought an M1 Max MacBook with 32GB of memory for 300 dollars or so back in 2022. I still use it today.

Dave LIAO

@Barbara Szczesniak - YES! I forgot about that employee perk! I worked for a company that offered it, and I think I got Office 200x (at the time) for $15 (something like that).

Just searched online and I see I can get Office 2024 for $25... tempting, but when was the last time I truly needed to edit a Word doc at home? 😂

Dave LIAO

We believe in you @Arkadiusz Wroblewski !

Dave LIAO

@zoltanersek _outpostlabs_dev_ - fantastic deal!

Dave LIAO

😍

Barbara Szczesniak

I've gotten used to Outlook and prefer the desktop version.

For me, I usually need Word only when I'm looking for a job. Since I hope that this is my last job, I'm not too bothered.

Also, the score sheet for the card game I play on Saturdays was supplied in Excel format, so I use that to print it out.

John Funk

I filled out the survey from Team 26 and won a $100 gift card!!

image (9).png

Milan Berta

There’s a bakery opposite my home that offers great deals near closing time—sometimes 1+1 or even 1+2 offers on bread and cakes. I love going there for late-evening shopping because it feels like finding little bargains while enjoying freshly baked treats.