Among those American values I was raised to cherish, thrift is one. Now that we’re classed as consumers rather than citizens, it seems almost unpatriotic to be thrifty. But it still gives me a sense of self-satisfaction to find a bargain.
Having moved to the back bedroom, we abandoned our $10 apiece halogen spotlights that served as our reading lamps in the front bedroom. They were quite a bargain considering that the wall-mounted bedside lamps I’ve seen run $290 or more each. (Reading in bed is the important shared time of the day, right after reading at the table.) We’ve made several unsuccessful trips to various lighting stores around town. AJM even bought some LED bulbs to see if we could make our own light. He doesn’t want any more halogen lights. They are just too hot and it’s difficult and expensive to find replacement bulbs.
Then yesterday I saw a lamp in the Levenger catalog that fits our specs: an LED light, with two flexible arms. AJM gave me the go-ahead to buy it. But just as I was about to place the order online, I googled. And there it was, almost $40.00 cheaper at Lighting Universe. And no tax or shipping charges. I bought it. I’ve been a Levenger customer for almost ten years, but I find they often take products, rename them, and mark up the prices. As a result, my customer loyalty has waned.