Mr. Cheapskate Opens The Wallet

We've had our 37" television for over nine years. It's a good one. Manufacturers make items to last a very long time. Automobiles should make 200,000 miles
 easily.

I'm the kind of guy who when it comes to spending on myself I don't. In the last two years I've purchased two pairs of pants and one belt. My wife gave me a Christmas present last year and I put it on the top shelf of my closet. Last week she asked me if she should give it away since I never put it on. "No, I said, I forgot about it". So, feeling somewhat guilty I wore it the next day. It's a nice wool, plaid shirt. For me cars are a form of transportation. I run them til they drop.

Anyway, I looked in the ads two days ago and Best Buy is having a TV sale. They're almost giving them away. I strolled down to the local store and began looking at 48" ones that we're going for $270. Nah, I can do better than that, I told myself.

Finally I found a 55" television for $549. One of the selling features the salesman mentioned was it had a voice controlled remote. "Big deal", I said, "I had one of those when I was ten years old in 1956. My dad would say, MJ, get up and change the channel."

So, here I sit waiting for a carpenter to come to my man cave and cut down the shelves and open up the doors so I can make my new toy fit. That $549 is looking to up itself a wee bit.

We all know you can't take it with you. I always tell my kids when I send them cash, "I'd rather you have this when you can see me rather than when you're viewing me".