Retirement is a week filled with Saturdays and Sundays interrupted only occasionally by a holiday.

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Thursday, October 9, 2008

If It Ain't Broke...

So here's the prologue to my story. I was raised by very frugal parents. What can I say...I'm frugal too. I was taught that one does not discard household items and appliances until they no longer work. Yep...they have to be "dead," most sincerely "dead." Trust me, we were the last family on the block to buy a color TV because our old B&W just wouldn't die.

Anyway, Rick and I went off to C*stco yesterday to look at new digital TVs. Mind you, we have 2 perfectly good, older 27" TVs (one in the living room, one in our bedroom) plus one fairly new digital 20" TV in our den. For some time now, Rick has been lusting after a 56" TV for our little tiny living room. Why he thinks we need such a big flat-screen television is beyond me but I'm guessing it's a "boy thing." Anyway, I've humored him these past several months allowing him to drag me to numerous audio/video specialty stores while at the same time reminding him that our current TVs work just fine.

So, off we went yesterday to what I commonly refer to as the "$199 Dollar Store" just to look. I knew I was safe because Rick's been talking about a new generation of 55"-56" TVs which aren't supposed to be released for sale until later this year. I should have known better.

Remember I said we also had a perfectly good, reliable 27" bedroom TV. Well, you can forget that now. Before I knew it, we had a brand-new 32"digital TV (ostensibly for the bedroom) on a flat-bed cart being wheeled to the cash register and I was writing the check.

The TV is still in the box 24 hours later. I think I've finally convinced Rick to temporarily set-up this new TV in the living room where he can enjoy his new toy since we hardly ever watch TV in the bedroom except for the 10:00PM local news. There's this little part of me that hopes he'll get so accustomed to watching this 32" television in the living room that he'll forget about that 56" monstrosity he's lusting after. Sure...

6 comments:

Renee Nefe said...

Honestly I don't understand the appeal of having the great big HUGE TV...it's gotta be a guy thing. Luckily my DH grew up like you did and he won't throw out something until it's dead...and he won't get a new one just cuz. (which is why I'm still driving a 1994 car! I'm trying to kill it...honest!)
Maybe if you mention to Rick something like "Wow! This new TV is really big!" everytime you sit down to watch it that will help fend of the bigger TV lust. Good luck!

Patti said...

It absolutely HAS to be a guy thing. Big stuff is somehow better. I thought the best things come in small packages (diamonds, emeralds, sapphires) Ha!

I hope Rick will decide against that monstrosity. Seems unnecessary to me.

I like Renee's suggestion to just keep remarking on the huge-ness of the new TV.
I didn't have a color TV growing up either. My parents were frugal as well. Living through the Depression had a lot to do with it.

rosemary said...

Yup, a guy thing. Yes, they are pretty to watch, yes, they are flat, yes they are cool and new wizardry.....but they are expensive. We were at C*stco this last week and Steve was drooling over a Visio TV....never heard of the brand but he acted like it was the best and newest thing on earth. but for our retirement circling the drain, he would have been rolling that cart.

Linda said...

Definitely a guy thing as they firmly believe that 'the bigger the better' when it comes to their toys!

Good luck dissuading him from the 56" monstrosity!

Lynn said...

32" will never be enough for Rick...just be thankful that he isn't asking for a 60"

Mauigirl said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog!

I can totally relate to this post - my husband (and I'll admit it, I too) are lusting after one of the larger flatscreen TVs even though we have a perfectly good regular old-fashioned TV in our TV room. Our bedroom does have a flatscreen, new style TV and it's so much clearer than the old kind and takes up much less space. Maybe next year we'll splurge. But no 56" for us. Our rooms are way too small!