Gifts that end up costing you... - Page 2

[Drummer's Wife]

We have an HD LCD TV (42") and don't even have basic cable. We actually have an antenna hooked up, and get like 4 local channels. We also don't have a fancy entertainment center or have it mounted on the wall (I'd like that, though). We have a cheap (from walmart), TV stand that works just fine.

Just saying all that, b/c I would be super grateful if someone bought us an expensive TV. There doesn't have to be costs involved - you could stick it on a dresser you already own, or put it on a board on the floor. And since you mentioned you were planning on buying one soon - I'm not getting how it is really an inconvenience at all. Quite the opposite.

I can think of some gifts that end up costing money, sure. But a free TV isn't one of them.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by Princess ConsuelaB

Hey if it will save you money on the mounting hardware send it to me I'd be thrilled if someone spent a $1000 on my family

I know, right? I was thinking that, too. We'd love a TV upstairs! I'll stick it on a folding table, if need be.

[CarrieMF]

since you were buying one anyhow this gift isn't costing you money it is really saving you money.

Get a wall mount & that's all you need to do.

Even if you were to upgrade to HDTV, MANY channels are NOT HD yet.

[enkmom]

What would I do? Exactly this (except I had to buy the tv myself):

1. Get the cheapest antenna they sell at Best Buy. Ours cost $19.99. If it doesn't work, you can keep exchanging until you get one powerful enough to pull in the local HD channels. You don't upgrade to HD service on your cable or satellite, you just keep watching in "regular def". Next year, when you were going to buy the tv, you can move to HD service.

2. You buy a wall mount kit ($40ish dollars) and put it all on the wall, or you do like we do and keep using your less than perfect TV stand that may be ugly but still works fine.

3. You thank your lucky stars that your HD tv only cost you about $60 rather than the high hundreds to buy all this yourself. I know lots of people who would happily trade MIL with you.

[Himom]

Many years ago, when DVD technology was new (gosh, I'm dating myself now), some friends decided to give us gag gifts of DVD movies knowing that we did not have a DVD player nor were we planning to get one. Those gifts ended up costing us around $400 for a new DVD player.

[AllyRae]

I think you're overthinking it. You don't have to switch to HD to make your tv work. And for our tv, it was a whopping $10-20 to buy a tether so that it can sit on the normal tv stand we would have had for any ole tv and not be ripped off the stand by a kid. But, you're supposed to tether ALL tipping hazards (like shelves, appliances, etc.) so it wasn't really a big deal.

[kay4]

You don't need to mount it right away. We have our larger one in the family room on a $99 walmart tv stand. We have HD just because it came free with our Dish. Prior to moving, we did not and I honestly can't tell the difference.

We have a small (like 22 in) flat screen upstairs just on a $15 3 shelf walmart bookshelf. Not sturdy enough for a pulling up toddler, but I'd stick it on an end table in the meantime if we needed.

I see entertainment centers at Goodwill all the time for awesome prices.