Calling all bargainers! Credit: silverfox09/Flickr
I receive a decent number of emails from folks casting a new TV show related to saving money. But the guy casting this Pro Bargainers show actually called me and asked me for feedback and answered my questions about the show he described. My take: two thumbs up.
So if you’ve thought about responding to a casting call but hesitated, don’t miss this opportunity. Email Zach at tv_casting19@yahoo.com for more info. You can always opt not to participate later! He is mainly looking for folks in the LA or NY area.
T Hoffarth / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Have you ever caved into buying an item at a higher price because you didn’t want to be perceived as cheap? Last weekend, I did just that at the Santa Monica Pier, a major tourist attraction in California.
My family and I headed to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to grab drinks. At the front of the line I was faced with a major decision.
My new hat debuted at the polo game, far left.
I bought a smashing white hat with a wide brim – perfect for providing shade on the beach or at a summer party – at Banana Republic this weekend. The hat was already on sale by 25% off, seeing how it’s late July, but I didn’t stop at that.
I noticed two imperfections on the hat and asked for 10-20% off at the register. Under the brim, two pieces of woven material were flaking off. More importantly, a square inch section of the very top of hat was slightly smashed in. The hat had clearly been picked over by others, but given an extra discount I was a willing customer.
My lastest video with WalletPop.com put my negotiating skills into action. Make sure to watch this is you want to know how to talk a merchant into giving you a discount.
World's greatest candy bar. Credit: Like_The_Grand_Canyon/Flickr
My sister was elated with her latest score. She haggled for a snickers bar and saved a quarter.
I’m telling you this because haggling is one of my top ways to save money on holiday presents. (Holiday sales are expected to grow by a healthy amount this winter, which tells me you are likely gearing up for a major purchase.) Here is my crash course in haggling. (more…)
shimelle/Flickr
Has saving money ever caused you embarrassment? I unwittingly shamed two friends one night after we walked into a cupcake store, hungry for sugar. We greeted the cashier and surveyed the sweets, almost a dozen on the shelf. I smelled a discount.
“How late are you open? I asked.
Until ten, he said. It was eight-thirty.
“You have a lot of cupcakes left. Do you think you’ll be able to sell them all?”
He laughed nervously. “Maybe.”
“We’d like to buy some of your cupcakes. How about a discount, say 10-20% off?
“Okay, 10%.”
I grinned at my friends. “What kind do you want?”
We kept it simple: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. As the cashier was boxing the cupcakes up, he made me a counter offer. (more…)
My frugal friend and author Stacy Johnson (I reviewed his book Life or Debt not long ago) shared his five tips for negotiating a lower price, a better room, a free upgrade, and lots more. In his post Stacy links to a Consumer Reports video about when bargaining works best. He also shares these stunning statistics from the CR survey:
“These results came from interviewing more than 2,000 men and women who had tried negotiating for at least three years,” he writes. “The numbers below reflect how many achieved a discount at least once during that three year period, along with the greatest discount any of them achieved.”
- Furniture: 94% of those who asked got a better deal at least once.
- Medical Bills: 93% of people who tried negotiating a lower bill were successful at least once.
- Home Electronics: 92% were successful at least once.
- Appliances: 92% were successful at least once.
- Floor Models/demos: 91% were successful at least once.
- Credit Card/Bank Fees: 87% were successful at least once.
- Jewelry: 86% were successful at least once.
- Cell Phone Plans: 80% were successful at least once.
- Collectibles: 78% were successful at least once.
Those are pretty amazing statistics! Of course, they neglect to say how many attempts were made before success. I am successful about 25-50 percent of the time I ask for a discount or perk. But I don’t ask every time, and it’s taken me a lot of practice to get good at playing the customer service game. Here are the negotiating tips I live by.
