Friday, November 30, 2007

42 Dollars?!?  Are You Kidding Me?!?

The other day I had to travel to a client site for work.  One of my jobs there was to hook up a receipt printer to the computer in the front office.  I proceed to unpack the printer from the box and notice that the cable to plug the printer into the computer wasn’t there.  I called my boss and he says that I should go out and pick up a cable.  Good deal, I think.

I got to Staples and they have a 15 foot cable for $42.00. 

$42.00!!  No way in hell am I spending 42 bucks..

I leave and decide to go to Home Depot. 

They don’t have one.

I leave there and decide to go to Target.

They don’t have one either.

I noticed across the street that there was a small computer shop that deals with new and used equipment.  They didn’t have an new cables, but the guy went in the back and pulled out two used cables.  I point to one of the them and said, “I’ll take it for 5 bucks!”.

Score!  I just saved $37.00.  I’m the king of the world!!

I get back the office and start to get to work.  I look at the back of the computer and notice that there is ONLY ONE PRINTER PORT.  The printer that is being used is already plugged into it. 

Rats!!

We’re gonna need either a 2nd parallel port or Parallel to USB Adapter.  I call around and no one has either.  The one place suggested that I try Best Buy.  In all my driving around I had no idea that there was a Best Buy.  Oh well, I get to Best Buy and find the Parallel to USB adapter that I was looking for.  The cost??

$37.00.  Ugh!

In all driving I did in order to save 42 dollars, I end up spending 42 dollars. 

But that’s not the entire story. 

I get back to the office again, this time thinking that I’m ready to get the job done and when I went to unplug the cable from the back of the DeskJet printer, I discover that there was a USB port on the back of it.  The only thing I could say was…

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?”.  In a very loud tone of voice.

The entire time, all that driving around all I needed was a USB cable.  What made matters even worse was that there was a spare USB cable laying there in the server room. 

*HITS SELF IN THE READ MULTIPLE TIMES*

Well, there you have it folks.  The moral of this story is..  Trying to save money is sometimes not worth the headache.  Either that or Just don’t get out of bed!!!