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May 22, 2005

The Home Depot Effect

This is a random entry but something that I have to get off my chest. It is what I call the "Home Depot Effect." Home Depot can be subsituted with Lowes, it just depends on your shopping preference. Actually, Home Depot can be replaced with a lot of stores if you aren't disciplined. It goes something like this:
"Honey, the (fill in the blank) broke and I want you to fix it." or "Honey, we just ran out of (fill in the blank) and we need to get some more." Let's go to Home Depot. This one request sends chills through my body. I don't have anything against Home Depot, or Lowes, or any other retail store. As a matter of fact, I love going to these places ALONE.

You see, when I go by myself, I go in, get what I want and simply leave. I fully realize that the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line. My straight line starts at the car, goes to the aisle I need and then directly to the check-out counter. Ok, so it's not exactly a straight line, but it is the closest thing to it. When I go to Home Depot with my wife, the straight line turns into a maze. You wouldn't think that somebody who knows very little about home improvement would enjoy spending so much time and MONEY in a home improvement store.

Let me come clean, it really isn't the time, it is the money. I can't remember the last time I went to a Home Depot with my wife and spent less than $100. If I need plywood, I buy the plywood and leave. If I go with my wife, she suddenly remembers all the things she needs. Case and point, our townhouse is being fumigated for termites so my wife wanted to go buy some heavy duty garbage bags to put my kids toys in before they go into storage. I tried to convince her that we could buy these bags at the local supermarket but she insisted on going to Home Depot. Here is the final tally on our shopping cart:
1. 55 gallon garbage bags
2. AA Batteries
3. 10 air freshners
4. 1 large coke, french fries and a burger (Yes there is a McDonalds at the local Home Depot).
5. A Barbie-Princess beach chair
6. Floor cleaner
7. Vaccum bags
8. Light bulbs
9. Air filters
10. Welcome mat

I think you see where I am going with this. Total was $114. Now if I would have gone by myself, the total would have been $14 and I could have saved $100. It's not that we didn't need everything we bought, it's just that I wasn't planning on buying all those things. It's all about your mindset. If you go into Home Depot knowing you need to buy all these things, you aren't upset when the cash register rings up $114. It's when you're expecting to spend $10 and you spend $200 that you have to start wondering. I guess the one good thing that has come from getting this issue of my chest is that I now accept the fact I will never spend less than $100 when I go to Home Depot with my wife. Now that I have accepted the fact, maybe I can get over the "effect".

Posted by Dogger at May 22, 2005 04:38 PM

Comments

Dogger, it sounds like you needed all of these things from Home Depot for your new house. You need to take a new approach: $114 is a lot cheaper than marriage counseling!

Posted by: Buck at May 23, 2005 03:42 PM

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