LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY

One of my headaches

Many years ago, when I was just married to TLW (The Little Woman), we were poor like most newly married couples, in that we hoped to save and make for a better materialistic life (we believe in Capitalism!). We lived in a 1-bedroom apartment in a very old building and people rented upstairs while we occupied the downstairs.

On occasion, we would need a big ticket item, like a washer or refrigerator or something of that nature, A big ticket item in 1971 was anything over $100. All our expenditures were made on TLW’s recommendation and I would always agree with whatever she felt she needed. She was always very careful of our money, and I really didn’t spend anything since I was too busy commuting and working in the city. An occasional shirt and tie or shoes and that was it. Life was simple. Then when we needed to spend for something over $100, we would discuss it and off we went to buy.

TLW: “Now remember, we are just looking, we are NOT buying!”

“Yes Dear: we are just shopping, just looking around, comparing prices-no salesman is getting by me.”

When we arrived home, I usually had to have a cup of coffee to go with my 3 aspirins, and I would lie down on the couch for a while until the headache subsided. This was my $100 headache as I called it. It never failed, left the house confident and came back with a headache.

If you look close enough, you would see the words: ‘Easy Mark’ inscribed on my forehead, and a very happy wife with a large purchase to go on her shopping acquisition list.

TLW: “Joe, the next time we are just going to compare, NOT buy!”

“Yes, just comparison shopping, not buying in the first store we go to!”

Needless to say, the Bayer Aspirin Company would send me birthday cards.

Then one day I decided to end these headaches. I would take charge of my life, and take charge I did. Those little rectangular plastic cards are really neat. You don’t shell out the money and you go home with something over $100, WITHOUT THE HEADACHE!

Since TLW would handle the bills, (I completely trusted her and still do), I would know things were in good hands. But we soon learned that we had too many credit cards and cut some up, and besides, I had a new plan. It was 1975 and we needed a new car. We were going up against the best in the business: car salesman! I rehearsed the night before, and I wanted to be ready, and I was going to do this the right way!

The next day arrived and I was ready. We approached Sunrise Toyota and confidently we entered the show room, and out pops a salesman.

“YEEEEESSSSS! Can I help you?”

“We are looking for a new car, and let me warn you, this is the first place we have stopped at, I intend to leave here and look for some deals, but I WILL buy today, so tell me what you got and your best price, I’m looking for a Corolla.

The salesman looked at us and became a little less confident, asked some more questions and said finally: “When you are done come back here and I will try to beat any price you got!”

Snickering I we went back to our ‘63 Chevy Bellaire with the puffing back seat headrest: popping out and drove to another dealership returned to Toyota and got a great price. I remember thinking it was a lot of work to buy big ticketed items. I also felt guilty because we told the Toyota guy we were buying another car. He then went to his boss and came back with a price we liked.

P.S. We were buying a Toyota no matter what.