Saturday 2nd January: My new TV

I have never bought a TV: I've never been that bothered by the picture, the sound or the number of slots in the back; if it could show an episode of Friends I was happy. Thus, I have survived on hand-me-down tube TVs courtesy of my parents, the almost in-laws and friends (thanks for the ex-rental TV Zoe, it's still in use upstairs in the 'games' room!).

So, when it came to buying a TV, I got quite excited and started to do the best bit: research! Whenever I buy anything that's over £50, it's like the competitive animal inside me wakes up (not that it's ever asleep for long) and I just have to find the best deal going. So many times I've bought something that I then see cheaper somewhere else and I just feel robbed and swear I WILL NOT let that happen again.

The research began just before Christmas. The quick flick through the mags in Smiths, looking through the top 10 TV websites, which all say completely different things btw, and becoming a general bore as you talk HDMI sockets and contrast resolutions.

I whittled the list down to about three and did the direct comparison. How many times do you want to take the best bits from three of them and make your own bespoke model? Why can't someone come up with a TV that's got everything you want on it? Oh that's right, they do, for £2000+.

Then comes the exciting bit (in comparison to ports and resolutions that is): searching for the best prices. Oh how satisfying it is to find a model £100 cheaper on another website! The joy! As the smirk appears on my face and I drag myself from the floor after the big slap on the back, I promptly shut down the now 'overpriced' website, with a quick two finger salute as it disappears. But wait, the 5-year guarantee on the 'cheap' TV is the equivalent of a house deposit. And before I know it, back comes the dismissed website and I read the text next to the price and see ... the 5 year guarantee is included!

This ensues and literally, 10 hours later and, over the space of a few days, THE BEST TV IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD EVER reveals itself. As if to cement the decision, and for it not to disappear, I leave it on my screen and keep coming back to have a look at it, each time congratulating myself on a BLOODY GOOD FIND.

So, decision made and a date set to go and buy the TV from store (I really can't face having a TV delivered with a cracked screen, which is exactly what would happen to me), I enter the days of Christmas satisfied that I've 'done my very best' and look forward to collecting my 'winnings'.

So, Boxing Day at the man's brother's house and, guess what? They've got a new TV on the wall. Brilliant, I get to share my robust knowledge and gloat as I tell them about THE BEST TV IN THE WORLD EVER.

Family member: "You know, you really should ensure that you buy a TV with 100Hz, anything else just won't be good enough, it does have 100Hz doesn't it?"

Silence ...

SHIIIIIIITTTTT!