In an attempt to offer guidance to a list member who wanted to explain an expensive purchase to his wife, wendy beard wrote:
Simple.
"Look what I've just bought for you, dear"
This works. I know. That's how I bought my mint '55 Chevy BelAir Convertible. It cost about as much as 25 *ist Ds. Or about 50% more than we paid for our first house. But after I told my wife it was hers, everything was okay. As I expected, she was afraid to drive it. So it's still hers, but she doesn't drive it. Works for me.
