It was finally time to go big screen. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just buying a new TV set. The DVD player now needs to be Blu-ray too. And then comes HD service from Cox. And then you find out that the A/V receiver can’t decode TrueHD and doesn’t support HDMI connections. Did I mention that the old TV stand won’t work any more, either? So basically, this calls for a complete technology refresh.

That is, of course, not cheap. Prices at local stores aren’t horrible, but not really bargains. And despite the ailing economy, it’s not easy to get decent service and advice from the in-store “experts”. Doing my homework online to select the appropriate components, I discover something amazing: The TV is about $1,000 cheaper on Amazon than in the store, shipping is free and the there’s no sales tax, which saves another $270. Believe it or not, there’s even white-glove delivery, where the folks from Amazon deliver the TV, set it up and then take away the packaging materials - all this for free! Similarly to the TV, I find out that all the other components are equally cheap online. Even HDMI cables cost only $10 instead of $30-50. My total online savings will be somewhere above $1,500. Yeah!

Well, I’m blown away. Screw the local retailers with their poor service and sales tax. No more schlepping boxes home. Welcome savings!

Thank you, Amazon!