Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bargain

Companies that bargain down your medical bills for you?

El Curioso — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:09:20 -0800

Have you ever used one of those companies that bargain down your medical bills, then take part of what they saved you as payment? I'm wondering if it's a legit service, and if so what kind of results you can expect.

How to bargain down a price?

zardoz — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:17:51 -0800

I plan to buy a used bike, but have don't really know how to haggle down the price. Advice? This is a $300--listed--bike, but my budget is considerably lower than that, though I could probably go down to $250 or $275. Obviously, even lower would be great.

But I have had little experience actually haggling down the price and the times I have done so I get impatient with the process. I don't want to be a jerk about it--I'm assuming the seller is just a regular Joe like me. Any tips, tricks, advice?

Hacking a Bad GPS for a good outcome

rileyray3000 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:08:50 -0800

I got a crap refurbished GPS for my girlfriend - a clarion NICE 430 because it was on sale for a low price. But it's got old maps, no updates and less support. I'm buying her another one, but what can I do with THIS one? Besides chucking it at the clarion building. Okay this one is all my fault. Let me state this right up front.

My girl was constantly getting lost and Newegg had the Nice 430 on sale for, I think 50 bucks. Feel free to check the specs. For 50 bucks, I figured, how bad could it be?

I should probably not say that stuff in the future.

The software wouldn't load because it's vista. The maps are from 2003. There's no support on the website for the product. And the interface could only be more complicated if it was in chinese.

So, I got her another one - a tomtom I think. And she gave this one back to me. It's refurbished so I can't return it. I tried calling Clarion to see if they'll do anything and I got an answering machine message in spanish. And I think I missed my window to file an AMEX claim about it being broken.

So. Now it's sitting on MY desk. And not doing much.

It's got a windows CE interface and it is pretty peppy when you're in those windows. It's got bluetooth, a card reader and a pretty responsive touchscreen. If the program inside wasn't junk created by a company that abandoned it at birth, it might be okay.

So what can I do with this thing?

1) Is there any way to load a competing software (tomtom, garmin, microsoft, etc) onto it to make it a good GPS?
2) Can I hack it in some way to make it do something really cool that is worth the 50 bucks I paid?
3) Or, barring both of those, is there some creative way I can eliminate the device that will make up for the boner purchase I made with sheer juvenile fun?

I await your recommendations. I'm hoping for a decent GPS that I can loan to people who come to visit in LA who weren't smart enough to bring one. But I'd settle for something really clever or fun but stupid.

Ideas on getting to Vienna from Sydney?

gttommy — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 02:44:12 -0800

Things to consider on getting to Vienna, Austria, from Sydney, Australia? I'm planning to go to Vienna with 2 other people in around mid-May 2009 for 2-3 weeks.

I'm looking for some ideas on where I can get the cheapest airfare, when I should look out for travel bargains, when I should go, what I should prepare for, and anything that might be good to consider on getting to Vienna.

Cheers! Vielen dank!

Retails sales are down, so where are the bargains?

abdulf — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:06:34 -0800

If retailers are being hit hard with a recession, then why am I not finding bargains? If retail sales are falling, and businesses are posting losses or cutting forecasts, then why am I not finding great bargains?

I guess a "bargain" is a subjective term. But surely there are deals to be had in this economic environment for the people who can spend?

For example - I am looking to buy/rent the following:
1. winter coat, boots (anything suitable an icy/windy winter)
2. point and shoot digital camera (Canon SD 750 or similar)
3. blackberry/smartphone/new cell service (currently with Sprint)
4. new apartment (Amarillo, TX)
5. car maintenance (timing belt/waterpump for 2000 Camry)

None of these good or services seem significantly discounted compared to when I saw them years ago. I've casually looked through sites like slickdeals.net and Black Friday ads. It looks like the same kind of stuff I've seen before.

So maybe I'm not buying the right kinds of goods and services in this economy?

Perhaps the discounts I seek don't come from business cycles but from events like seasonal changes and clearing old inventory.

Or maybe the items I'm buying have prices built in from before the financial crisis?

Cigar Bargains?!

quanta and qualia — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:20:01 -0800

Any cigar afficianados out there want to share some recommendations? Looking for inexpensive quality cigars (roughly $2 a stick). Hand rolled, please. My new roommate orders bulk from smokeinn, and I'm getting hooked off of some of his freebies. However, that supply will soon dwindle, and these cigars aren't something I'd want to order in bulk. That site has little in the way of searches, and honestly, I wouldn't have a the faintest clue where to start.

To give some bearing, I've enjoyed nubs, which are roughly $5 a stick. That's roughly his average, so his recs are somewhat limited. Wondering if anyone has experience with inexpensive smokes. The best recommendations would be something I could conceivably order in small packs, say 5 or 6, as this would give me the ability to sample without committing to one cigar for a month or two.

Any help appreciated! Previous post wasn't incredibly helpful: too limited given the $1 tag. Generally, looking for relatively inexpensive hand rolled cigars that might be available in small quantities. If that's too limiting, any recs are welcome, I can talk with shops about getting small samplers, etc. if there's a good recommendation.

Any explanation as to why you're recommending a particular cigar would also be greatly appreciated!

Bargain shoppers Extrodionaires: What are the websites that help you to save?

Carialle — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:02:10 -0800

Bargain shoppers Extrodionaires: What are the websites that help you to save? I have recently discovered that there are a variety of websites out there of folks looking for great deals on all types of stuff. Specifically, I am thinking of Slickdeals.net. I would like to know what other websites are out there that have quality bargains/deals/coupons posted. Most of all I am looking for one relating to grocery stores/coupons and help on combining the two (I am not interested in paying for a service though). I've found some local bloggers who seem to do this in the south, but I am in New England (Market Basket, Stop&Shop, Shaw's, etc).

Thanks for your help in cutting down on my grocery bill and maybe some other expenses too!

Can you get it for me wholesale? "It" being a good washer and a dryer.

melissa may — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:42:56 -0800

Proud mavens: help me find a new washer and dryer! After getting screwed out the ying-yang on our last purchase I have been carefully researching washer and dryer options, but feel as if I need Ph damn D in appliancology to make the right decision. Here's what I know I want, in order of importance: ENERGY STAR compliance, good value when bought as a pair (meaning both washer and dryer are good machines), and best warranty/service records. Basically, I need help both deciding what to buy and where to buy it. So if you are in love with a particular brand and/or know of an amazing deal, I'd love to know about it. I will bake you some cookies if you save me cash, for real.*

Brands I've already ruled out: Frigidaire, Maytag, and GE. Other than that I am all ears.

(Also, I've seen this thread but since the information is two years old an update would be great.)

*Warning: cookies may suck.

The Benjamins, while prevalent in nature, are exceedingly rare in this environment. Help me save them!

TomMelee — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:59:25 -0800

How do you bargain shop? Say you're in the market for something, in my case a D40X, maybe an xbox 360, and maybe a big TV, whatever you're looking for. I usually start at ebay, then check amazon and buy.com, then look at retailmenot.com, spoofee.com, and dealighted.com looking for deals. I sometimes use Froogle as well to check what I think is a good price, but it can be finicky. Then I'll pick whatever looks best, has best ratings, and is cheapest.

Basically, I'm looking for people to tell me what they do when shopping online to ensure that they get the best bang for their buck. Specifically right now I'm looking for a D40X, but I'm not married to any lens packages or anything.

Help me save the dollars!

Prosumer Digital SLR updates

destro100 — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 06:46:07 -0800

Looking to buy a prosumer SLR digital camera. Anyone know about any coming out shortly or price drops? - more info within - I've narrowed down my choice to the new Canon Rebel (8.0 megapixel w/ lens). It can currently be found for around $800. I will probably be ready to purchase by the end of August. Anyone know any worthy competitors in the same price range, new releases around the corner or price drops?

Matthew Lesko Books dumb or not?

filmgeek — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 19:43:59 -0800

Ok, I'm terribly curious...I've seen the Matthew Lesko infomercials for years. Some of you have got to have picked them up. Are they worthwhile. It's not the cost, its the time investment that I'm talking about.