Love Comes in Small Appliances

I just took the KitchenAid Mixer off of my Wist List! I've been wanting one for such a long time. I REALLY like baking, but the man power involved to make a double batch of chocolate chip cookies keeps me from baking as often as I'd like. I would often dream about owning a piece of machinery that would reduce my overall effort by at least half. Oh, the luxury of being able to just dump things in a bowl, and by the time you've rinsed out the measuring cups, there is a beautiful lump of mixed whatever at the bottom! But I just couldn't justify spending that much money when I had a perfectly good arm and hand to do it for free.

Enter Lowe's. I found out through a bargain forum that Lowe's had misprinted an ad, and despite the insanely low listed price, was honoring it. $150 for a KitchenAid 9 cup Artisan Series mixer. These babies go for $350 on the KitchenAid web site, though I've found them selling for as low as $299. Even though we didn't really have the money, and the arm work involved with baking by hand can almost count as exercise (which I need a lot of), I just couldn't pass up such a great deal. Score one for Laural!

Feeling it was my duty, I started spreading the word. I first called my friend Kara in Denver because I know she likes to bake. This was a really great move on my part, as she told her roommate, who told a co-worker, who discovered that the discount also applied to the Custom Metallic Series. THOSE babies sell for $530 on the KitchenAid web site! My heart started thumping, and I called back and changed my order as fast as I could. I know have a beautiful Brushed Nickel mixer on its way to a Lowe's near me, with MY name on it! Score two for Laural!

When I got home from work, the elation I had felt after ordering was quickly replaced with guilt, as we really didn't have the extra money to blow, no matter how great the deal. It amounted to me taking the money that Gilberto earned by working on a Saturday, hard physical labor under a hot sun, sacrificing time with his family, so I could have a new toy. I decided I would call in the morning and cancel my order. While I was moping about the house that night, I realized that I didn't have to cancel, I could order two instead! If I could sell one of the mixers for just $300, then I would cover both purchases, and basically have my mixer for free. Happy once again, I called the next morning to double my order. Score three for Laural!

So, anybody know of someone who wants a $530 KitchenAid mixer for the bargain basement price of $300? If I don't have any luck on Craig's List, I'll try EBay. I guess it all depends on how many other people knew about the deal- the whole country could be decked out! Now that my order has been placed and paid for, thus non-refundable, the buyer's remorse has already hit, and I don't even have the product yet! I have a feeling that someone down the road is going to get a really great gift from our family.

On a side note, Kara's roommate, who works in a newsroom, mentioned it was a good thing they didn't have a deadline to meet when they got the scoop that day, or they would have missed it. They practically shut down as word spread and everyone made a mad dash back to their desks to call their local Lowe's.