Asking for a discount. Negotiating for a better price. Haggling. No matter what you call it, the concept is the same: working to get a seller to let you pay a lower price for a good or service than what was initially offered. The Digerati Life encourages shoppers to negotiate on price and offers the following tips (including a story about getting a discount at Home Depot) to make the most of the process:

1. Never ever let the salesperson take over your shopping experience when you’re buying expensive items, or when the store offers a certain discount. You must control the bargaining process.

2. Know that the posted price for a big ticket item can be brought down. This is especially the case now, in these difficult times.

3. Never ever let them know that you really want something.

4. Force yourself to leave if the merchant doesn’t give you a lower price.

5. Remember, you are the client, you have money in your checking account which the seller desperately wants.

People do this in foreign countries all the time. In many, it’s a way of life, it’s expected. In the U.S., not so much. People are embarrassed to ask for a discount. They think it’s tacky. They make up all sorts of excuses why it shouldn’t even be tried (like “that store will never give me a discount.”) As a result, many Americans end up spending more than they could on a wide variety of purchases.

Good tips that can be applied to almost anything you’d like to buy — cars, TVs, computers, lawn service, and on and on.
And for those of you still squeamish about asking for a discount, remember that there are six times it’s easy (almost a no-brainer) to ask for a discount. Almost anyone can save money in these circumstances.

So get out there and ask for a discount. As the saying goes, the worst thing that could happen is that they say “no”. But if you ask in the right way, with the right strategy, and in the right circumstances, it’s more than likely you will get a “yes” and leave the transaction with a bit more money in your pocket.

Do You Haggle? How To Negotiate A Price [The Digerati Life]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: Meg Marco)

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