“Why didn’t you tell me what you could afford?”

Mike Monteiro, recalling a trip to the car dealership as a teenager:

There are two things I’ll never forget from the following interaction. The first was the look of embarrassment on my father’s face as he realized he needed to tell the salesman he couldn’t afford the car, which, in my father’s eyes was akin to failing as a provider. The second was the salesman’s reply.

'Why didn’t you tell me what you could afford?'

…

Not everyone knows what their budget is. And that’s ok. It just means we’ll discuss a few options. Some below your price range, some above. It’ll take a little longer.

But if you know what your budget is; let us know. It’ll save us all from having to look at everything on the lot.

Also applicable: Why didn’t the salesman ask what you could afford?