Haggling Saves

Most of us just go along, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil–so, too, do those who ask; they get better deals, that is. It does matter if you speak up; and if you speak up, you can save.

Try these things to save money:

• Shopping from a catalogue? – Every time you order ASK if there is a promotional discount. Often there are unadvertised discounts, but you won’t know about them until you ask. There may also be shipping discounts—even free shipping. And, if your item is on backorder, say you’ll take it—only if you get a price break.
• Buying food? – Go to a farmer’s market where the vendors expect to bargain. Even at the grocery store you can save. If you have missed a sell on an item, ASK for a rain check, or better yet, ask for them to honor the sale price for a valued customer. Also check dates for expiration. If an item is close to the “sell by” date, ask for a discount.
• Renting? – If you find a vacant property, be aware the landlord would rather have a renter than an empty spot. If you have enough money to pre-pay a couple months’ rent, or if you can move in immediately, BARGAIN for a better monthly rate.

Other Tips:

• For any service you hire: automotive, plumbing, lawn, etc., always get several estimates and use lower estimates to bid one service giver against another. You will get the best offer and the lowest offer in this way.
• Ask every year for lower insurance premiums. You’ll be surprised what they will suddenly come up with, especially if they think they might lose your business.
• When you renew a newspaper or magazine subscription, don’t do it automatically but call the circulation department. If you suggest you might cancel the subscription, you may get 2/3 or more off the subscription prices.
• If you offer to pay cash for electronics, even at the box stores, you can get a discount. You can also say you will go to another store to buy the product unless you get a 10% discount.
• Ask your doctor, and your veterinarian, if they have medication samples.
• Take advantage of off-season or non-demand times. Midweek appointments can be negotiated better than weekend appointments, and appointments in the early morning could be cheaper, when you ask, because there may be no one else coming in. Tax preparers might do your taxes for less in January than in March, if you ask. City hotels used for businessmen are easier to bargain with on the weekend; and resort hotels are easier to bargain with during the week. Don’t get married in the spring or summer months so you can negotiate better prices.

We think our job as consumers is just to buy. No! We have more responsibilities than that: to compare, buy at the best times, and negotiate prices. This is the natural way of doing business—as long as we are polite.

Share and Enjoy