Everything is Negotiable

There may be a sign with a price clearly printed but this does not mean it is the final price. I’m not just talking coupons here, I am talking about negotiation and competitive shopping.

The best way to save is to not spend in the first place but if you really need something don’t just buy it from the most convenient store, it may well be charging a premium you don’t have to pay. Take the time, make the effort to shop around.

If you happen to begin your shopping at home, Google and the internet can be your friend. Within moments you can find out the range of prices a particular item is selling for.

Don’t stop with pricing, re-enter the search criteria along with the words “coupon”, “discount” or “sale price”. These may very well bring up some other offers. Take it one step further by entering your search term with the words “coupon code” for additional options.

When you get to the local store or shop don’t hesitate to ask the clerk or manager if necessary if they can do better. Often the clerks have immediate access to coupons or have the authority to knock another 10% or more off. Get the manager and you may do even better, especially if you can share the pricing of the competition you have found on-line.

Discounts don’t only apply to retail stores. Virtually anything is negotiable. Call the cable company, your insurance broker and utilities once a year and challenge them to do even better. Some calls may not result in success, but for all the others you will get nothing if you don’t ask.

Over the last couple years – we as a family and couple have tried to be more fiscally responsible.  Honestly, Jack was the total catalyst for this decision.

I can’t say negotiating comes easy to me – I would rather go to the dentist than haggle with someone.  Yes, call me chicken – I’ll flap my wings now.  But on a couple occasions, I have tried to ask for a discount or reduction and actually been successful.

There was a period of time when we were very fearful that Jack would be laid off – so we tightened our fiscal belts and started reducing our monthly costs – canceled our gym membership, dropping unlimited texting service and data plans, price comparison shopped for groceries and canceled our TIVO for starters.  Let me take this opportunity now to say that it is amazing how much a company will offer to reduce your monthly service plan when you tell them you are canceling your service.  If a company can offer such a lower price for the same service just to get me to stay a customer – perhaps they should have been charging me the lower price ALL ALONG!  It totally pissed me off to realize that a company offered to reduce my plan by almost $25/month just to not cancel.  I felt totally ripped off and more energized than ever to close the account.  Sorry, needed to vent . . .

I did ask our satellite service whether we could “negotiate” our plan.  I wasn’t willing to cancel (yet), but figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.  I received a $10/month reduction just for asking.  Go  figure – Jack was right (don’t tell him I said that!).

When I was younger my mom asked for a reduction on a piece of clothing she was buying for me because it had something on it (a snag or a spot or something).  At first the sales clerk bulked at the idea and said no.  My mom asked for a manager and was quickly given the discount she wanted and an apology.

So, I still find it very difficult to negotiate.  But our family situation and need to become more fiscally responsible has helped me to do things I never would have thought to do before to save a little money