Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 10 years as a sales associate

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a sales associate. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I looked up ranges in Milwaukee and they vary a lot. What did you say?

Benefits matter too. A slightly lower rate with better coverage was better for me.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.