The post made me laugh. On a serious note, those "maximum xxWatts" labels are there because that's what the wiring in the appliance for that bulb can carry. You can exceed the maximum, but it will likely cause a fire.
A few watts off might be fine, they usually over-build things, so if you get a 45W bulb for a 40W fixture it could be okay, but bluntly, are you willing to risk fire instead of just getting the right bulb?