Help Me Save Money In More Places
September 10, 2010 6:33 PM Subscribe
When I'm shopping for things, what should I be negotiating a price on? I know about the usual stuff, such as buying a car or jewelery or furniture or white goods. But to try and save money where I can, I want to know what else should I be be negotiating for a better price on... stuff that I might not think to be negotiating for a better price on? Groceries? Newspapers? Cigarettes? What have you found success in negotiating a better price on in the past that might normally seem non-negotiable?
White goods means major appliances in Australia, Canada, the UK, etc. The poster profile indicates he lives in one of those places.
posted by ssg at 6:54 PM on September 10, 2010
posted by ssg at 6:54 PM on September 10, 2010
My general rule of thumb is: if the salesperson's paid a commission on the sale, you're a fool not to negotiate. If they're not, you're a dick if you do. So: yes to negotiating on whitegoods and furniture, no to groceries.
p.s. The OP's in Australia.
posted by hot soup girl at 6:57 PM on September 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
p.s. The OP's in Australia.
posted by hot soup girl at 6:57 PM on September 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
It depends if you're already a customer with a lot of things. I've called to cancel loads of stuff (mobile phone contracts, subscriptions to periodicals, even my gas supplier) and when they've been through their script right to the end and I still want to cancel they just suspend my bill for a period of time or give me massive discounts. None of it was even intentional on my part.
Groceries are possible if you're buying fresh food on a market stall. Go later in the day for that, especially when the next day isn't a market day. Be friendly though, demands get you nowhere twice.
A lot of things are possible when dealing with the owner rather than a big store, so if you're really after a bargain for random things like fabric, research what you'd be paying online with shipping and have a conversation about it. Do it in good faith though, don't rip off small business owners for what you can get, obviously.
The best thing to do is be a good customer of small businesses and stall owners. Be nice, get to know them, praise their products and service and they'll just fling the discounts at you after a while.
/was a poor student for a long time
posted by shinybaum at 7:18 PM on September 10, 2010
Groceries are possible if you're buying fresh food on a market stall. Go later in the day for that, especially when the next day isn't a market day. Be friendly though, demands get you nowhere twice.
A lot of things are possible when dealing with the owner rather than a big store, so if you're really after a bargain for random things like fabric, research what you'd be paying online with shipping and have a conversation about it. Do it in good faith though, don't rip off small business owners for what you can get, obviously.
The best thing to do is be a good customer of small businesses and stall owners. Be nice, get to know them, praise their products and service and they'll just fling the discounts at you after a while.
/was a poor student for a long time
posted by shinybaum at 7:18 PM on September 10, 2010
I've been offered a discount at the grocery store fish counter when I walked up and then started walking away. Department manager offered me half off if I wanted to buy any of the fish that another employee was removing from the case and putting in a trash can. I didn't buy any.
posted by yohko at 9:56 PM on September 10, 2010
posted by yohko at 9:56 PM on September 10, 2010
Best answer: I'm in the U.S. I've gotten some bargains on produce by going to the local farmers' market at the last minute, just as the vendors are facing the prospect of loading all their unsold, perishable goods back into their trucks for the long, hot drive home. "How much if I take that entire box of tomatoes?", etc. Like shinybaum, I don't approach it aggressively. I just put it to them as a question and see what they come back with.
posted by Orinda at 11:05 PM on September 10, 2010
posted by Orinda at 11:05 PM on September 10, 2010
Musical instruments, especially used. In fact, probably anything used will have a more negotiable price than new items since the vendor's costs are more flexible.
posted by platinum at 1:36 AM on September 11, 2010
posted by platinum at 1:36 AM on September 11, 2010
The Esquire article Haggling for Hotdogs seemed profound at first, then I realized the writer was a jerk, but there are still some valid points. Don't try to haggle with people who have no stake in the sale, and offer something for the discount (loyalty, bulk purchase, etc). Luxury or higher cost items have more wiggle room.
You can get floor models for a discount, and could possibly push for more. If you're buying a few pieces of jewelry or art that aren't on consignment, especially odd pieces that require a particular taste to enjoy, you have grounds for haggling.
But if you are with others, make sure they're comfortable with you haggling. It makes some people uncomfortable or annoyed.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:04 AM on September 11, 2010
You can get floor models for a discount, and could possibly push for more. If you're buying a few pieces of jewelry or art that aren't on consignment, especially odd pieces that require a particular taste to enjoy, you have grounds for haggling.
But if you are with others, make sure they're comfortable with you haggling. It makes some people uncomfortable or annoyed.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:04 AM on September 11, 2010
I negotiate for just about everything, at least when I think it's going to work. I've gotten $10 knocked off shoes at TJ Maxx, because I thought they looked like they'd been worn, and the manager went for it (he didn't agree, but he's a nice guy and I shop at that particular store pretty often.)
Newspapers? The LATimes is practically paying people to subscribe.
Best results are a places where they know me, or if I'm buying at a sale--smaller places want to get the stuff off the floor and out the door. The worst that can happen is that they say no.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:22 AM on September 11, 2010
Newspapers? The LATimes is practically paying people to subscribe.
Best results are a places where they know me, or if I'm buying at a sale--smaller places want to get the stuff off the floor and out the door. The worst that can happen is that they say no.
posted by Ideefixe at 10:22 AM on September 11, 2010
The "walk away" threat with service providers (cell phone, cable, etc) really helps. I've also heard that if you are shopping online for cell phone and put something in your cart but then idle for a while, the system thinks they're going to lose the sale and may offer you a discount.
Also with cable, etc, go ahead and just *ask* if there are any discounts you can get. My friend was given a huge discount on cable/internet when he moved...so when I moved I said "hey are there any discounts I'm eligible for" and the guy said "yeah I'll hook you up"...cut $50 off my cable bill for 6 months!
Anytime you're buying something at a retailer that has a slight defect and it's the last one, you can usually get a discount. I recently saw this cool canvas print at Pier One...it was already marked down from $40 to $30, so I knew it was clearance. I noticed a small ding in it (which I knew wouldn't be noticeable when it was hung) and asked if there was another one...of course there wasn't, so they cut the price down to $20. Score!
You can usually get discounts on floor models too (which may be marked down to begin with)...I got one of those super-cool capiz shell lamps for super-cheap because it was a floor model.
Also, the Internet is really your friend when it comes to coupons. Before I buy anything online, I Google the company name plus "coupon code" or "promotional code." If it's a brick-and-mortar store, use "printable coupon."
Actually, I was able to use a coupon in a store once even when I didn't have it printed. In the dressing room I used my smartphone to look up a store coupon, and when I got to the register I told the lady that I had forgotten to print it out but I had the coupon in my email. I just read her the code on the coupon and she put it in the computer!
posted by radioamy at 9:15 PM on September 11, 2010
Also with cable, etc, go ahead and just *ask* if there are any discounts you can get. My friend was given a huge discount on cable/internet when he moved...so when I moved I said "hey are there any discounts I'm eligible for" and the guy said "yeah I'll hook you up"...cut $50 off my cable bill for 6 months!
Anytime you're buying something at a retailer that has a slight defect and it's the last one, you can usually get a discount. I recently saw this cool canvas print at Pier One...it was already marked down from $40 to $30, so I knew it was clearance. I noticed a small ding in it (which I knew wouldn't be noticeable when it was hung) and asked if there was another one...of course there wasn't, so they cut the price down to $20. Score!
You can usually get discounts on floor models too (which may be marked down to begin with)...I got one of those super-cool capiz shell lamps for super-cheap because it was a floor model.
Also, the Internet is really your friend when it comes to coupons. Before I buy anything online, I Google the company name plus "coupon code" or "promotional code." If it's a brick-and-mortar store, use "printable coupon."
Actually, I was able to use a coupon in a store once even when I didn't have it printed. In the dressing room I used my smartphone to look up a store coupon, and when I got to the register I told the lady that I had forgotten to print it out but I had the coupon in my email. I just read her the code on the coupon and she put it in the computer!
posted by radioamy at 9:15 PM on September 11, 2010
Wow, I didn't realize I was a dick when I got Best Buy to drop 30% off my normally-priced-at-$4,300 set of appliances. It did, however, make me feel like a fool for paying full price on a mattress set I had bought elsewhere a few years prior. It had not previously occurred to me that prices are negotiable at chain stores. Needless to say, the store manager does in fact have wide latitude, and will happily take less profit to get the higher sales numbers, so long as they're still making money on the deal.
Here, cigarettes are absolutely non-negotiable at most places, because most places are already selling for the minimum price allowed by law.
posted by wierdo at 9:23 PM on September 11, 2010
Here, cigarettes are absolutely non-negotiable at most places, because most places are already selling for the minimum price allowed by law.
posted by wierdo at 9:23 PM on September 11, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kestrel251 at 6:49 PM on September 10, 2010