A light bulb moment

Does anybody else think we're getting ripped off something rotten over light bulbs?

There I was, having (another) fairly peaceful night of insomnia and the light went out. That's the third bulb to go in the same lamp in a couple of months: halogen, E27, warm white, 19W, 219 lumen - whatever that means. From B&Q. They're not cheap, these bulbs. They're supposed to be 'dimmable.' So why don't they last? I'll have to buy more soon because that was my last one, but what do I buy? And where?

I had a quick look at websites and they offer bulbs that are 5W. What does that mean when you switch them on? Can I read by that?

In the past, I had 2 kinds of light bulb: 60W and 100W.

Now every light is different. In the kitchen and bathroom I've got wee globe things, but they're different from the ones in the hall and my bedroom and they in turn are different from the ones in the livingroom. Some are LED and are halogen. Sometimes I have to buy bulbs I used to put into overhead projectors at school, and that need me to get my brother (the family electrics expert) to come and change, holding the dinky wee things covered in a paper hankie.

Let me tell you this: I didn't retire to do this kind of sh*t*! If you have an answer to this problem, post it on Facebook - please!