Even though I'm not a big haggler, there are a number of small ways that I do know how to negotiate small price changes, almost always with a successful result. For instance, when we were having lunch with my Grandma this weekend at a hotel down in South Carolina, my dad "negotiated" half price at the buffet lunch for my 11-year-old cousin. I also remember my dad calling for the big treat of takeout pizza during my childhood, telling the Dominoes man that he was placing a large order, and asking, "What kind of deal can you give me?" He always got a bulk price for the 5 or so pizzas.
Now, my dad is a lawyer, but you don't have to be a "professional" to ask for small discounts. Most restaurants managers have a lot of leeway in giving deals. My mom was just telling me that for her end-of-the-year teacher's meeting, the orgainzer called Panera and asked what they could provide for the amount of money in the budget per teacher. They were happy to come up with a nice lunch menu for less that the usual price.
Did you know that almost any clothing store will give you 10% off for any small flaw or problem in your merchandise just for asking? I've done that several times when I found a small spot or tear that wasn't big enough for me to reject the item.
A friend of mine is an expert yard sale haggler; she literally gets items for pennies! I've haven't done much haggling in my yard sale career, but a couple of weeks ago I did unexpectedly negotiate a bargain at a yard sale. I was buying my sister a large TV, for which the seller was asking $25. However, I honestly only had $16 in cash left! I asked the seller if they would accept what I had, and they were happy to oblige. Boy was I proud of that deal!
What bargains have you gotten by negotiating? Do you have any haggling tips?
Check out Life as Mom and Mrs. Moneysaver for more Frugal Friday tips!
And your sister was very grateful! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe've bought both of our cars off Craigslist and have negotiated amazing deals both times. In each case, we could buy on-the-spot with cash. People like fast transactions and cash in their hands, so we used that to our advantage in our price negotiations.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I buy things off Craigslist, I always offer less and most of the time they will agree with the lower price. It is really worth a try.
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