It was on SALE!

Words that I am sure scare the bejeebees out of Thor.

My entire life I have not liked money. It is a means to an end. I am not impressed by it or by the things it can purchase. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE shiny things. But I am also basically lazy and refuse to do whatever it is that builds financial security. It can seem to others that I am h*ll bent on making sure I die in poverty. I have one offspring that would swear by this.

O.k. That said, I also LOVE a bargain. I am one of the few, the proud, the brave who can actually talk a PIC-N-SAVE Manager into lowering the price "on this item. See, right here? Yeah, well I understand that this is a discounted piece of merchandise already. However, this is the last item you have of this and it needs some help. No one else will buy this in its' current condition, and so what can you do so that I will?" I have done this many times to the embarrassment of family and friends and to glares (and envy) of other consumers who, frankly, were too embarrassed to ask for the additional discount themselves.

Case in point: COSTCO. I have a lovely leather "cigar chair" with it's matching ottoman. Originally this chair and ottoman were priced $700.00+. But I waited. And while I waited I took Thor leather chair shopping. We went EVERYWHERE save the manufacturing plant (read: the field where they "grow" leather) so that he could see exactly why the $700.00+ price at COSTCO was such a deal.

Fast forward to the day of the purchase. We go in and there is but one chair left. The floor model. I check it out. Sturdy. Clean. No obvious wear. Just a tad dusty. O.k. This is GO TIME! I find the manager and present a plan. At the end of bargaining I walk out with the set for under $300.00. I can bargain, but after this experiment I learned. I could have gotten the set for even less had I played my cards correct. Live and Learn!

Now, there are others who make me look like a sales schmuck. My best friend for instance.

The following story is TRUE! Nothing in this story has been embellished to make my friend seem crazier than she really is. Only the names have changed to protect and praise the innocent.

Many many years ago "Thelma" purchased a home in Utah as an investment. In her thinking, she would buy this little house, rent it out to two separate parties; paying the mortgage and earn college funds until one by one her 6 kids would take turns on the top floor through their college years...rent free.

Thelma spent 4 grueling years building her dream home in SoCAL. To her credit she lived in a 18 foot travel trailer with her husband, Earl and one daughter while the boys lived in another travel trailer just feet from each other. They rented a port-a-potty and went to work. Thelma never paid retail for anything and she wasn't about to start now. They lived and built on that half acre like no modern people I have ever met.

After 3 years in the finished house, her husband decided it was time to move to Utah. Thelma left her dream home after only 3 years. They sold her home for $10,000 and take over payments. It just about killed Thelma.

Not one of her kids went to BYU. O.k. plan B. She had her husband decided to move to Utah and try their hand at a new business. They moved into the house, remodeled it and, yes, still had renters in the basement that paid the small mortgage. Essentially, they lived "free" of any house payment for quite some time.

One day Thelma met with another friend, Louise and went to lunch with a group of women. All of these women knew at least one person in the group, no one knew everyone. During the lunch, one woman lamented the fact that she had finally built her dream home only to live in it 5 years because her husband decided Hawaii was where they needed to be. Now she was in the process of selling her 'new' home for $10,000 and take over payments.

Thelma perked up. She asked Louise if she had ever seen the house that was being sold. Louisa replied that, yes she had been all through it and it was, indeed, lovely. "Is it worth the 10k and the payments?" "I think so." So Thelma asks the owner, "Where is you house?" "Salt Lake in a brand new subdivision. They aren't even finished with all the phases, however our house was one of the first built." They chat a while and after it was all said and done Thelma cut the woman a check right there at the table for $5,000.00 and bought herself a house... on SALE! Sight unseen, but trusting in Louise that it was a good deal, she bought a house.

I got the phone call first, about one hour after her lunch. The ink on the check was probably still damp. "I bought a house in Salt Lake today at lunch." "Wow! I didn't know you guys were planning on moving! That's cool. Tell me about the house." Well, I haven't seen it yet, but Louise has and said it was worth it. I GOT IT ON SALE!" "What did Earl say?" "Welllll, I haven't told him yet. I used my money, so he won't care."

The conversation went along rather oddly like that for about 3 weeks. She eventually found out where the house was actually at, loved it, told Earl about their move about 18 hours prior to moving, and they could not have been happier. They kept the house in Provo where it kept giving them income for many years.

She loved the new neighborhood, and her new friends in Salt Lake. The moral of the story: Never pay retail. Ask for a bargain. Trust good information. Never let your hubby decide when it is time to move.