Well, I started with an approved "budget" for the entire HT system. When I listed the equipment I wanted, the cost went a little beyond the budget. "But, Pumpkin, I got all this great equipment at a local dealer's moving sale and I got it for such great prices I just COULDN'T pass it up!" (she said she could have passed it up). Of course, I somehow forgot to mention that I would also need cables/wires, a rack, etc. She wasn't happy with that and she never even saw the receipts so she really doesn't know the total cost of all those. Then she saw the SPL meter one day and then the AVIA disk so I had to explain those. Then, I was somehow able to convince her that we really should have floor-standers instead of bookshelf speakers on stands. At some point along that series of purchases, I think I had to surrender my "sac" to her in exchange for her 'ok'. I just didn't have anything else to barter with, even for $20. (oh, and I surrendered the parts that usually go with the sac, long ago for a third car, that z3 coupe).
Of course, she also hasn't noticed how our DVD collection has been slowly, but consistently growing...
