Comments on: There Is Always A Deal

By: lglique

lglique — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:50:36 +0000

I don’t approach bargain hunting as a “game” I approach it with the same dedication I did my former job with UPS. I rarely pay anything approaching MSRP or “full” price. I have saved more money staying home with this mentality than I made working. Absolutely everything including your mortgage, insurance and daily bills CAN be pared down with NO loss of “lifestyle” if you approach it correctly. I spend about 20 hours per week looking for deals. Certainly less time than I spent working and it has increased our “spendable cash” on the monthly average of 18% ( this is the 2011 figure so far. Yes I track expenses so I can verify). I basically paid my own salary by staying home and bargain hunting. It can be done if you actually work at it as opposed to treating it like a game.

By: hoht

hoht — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:33:48 +0000

Gotta agree with Chris, makes it a lot more interesting.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:18:36 +0000

I turned buying anything into a game of sorts. I must find someway of getting a discount or I will not buy it, or at least delay it.

By: Gwen Jones

Gwen Jones — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:49:18 +0000

Great post. The savings add up and, as an earlier commenter said, it never hurts to ask. They can only say no. –Gwen

By: centsandthecity

centsandthecity — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:30:09 +0000

I think I have taken the game mentality to finding a great deal a little too far in the past. I’ve definitely purchased things simply because the deal was just too great to pass up. Unfortunately all those “great deals” have cost me quite a bit.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:08:11 +0000

I rarely pay retail price for anything I buy. There is always a deal to be had and just takes a little bit of research and patience. It’s fairly easy to negotiate a better price when buying large purchases like cars or mattresses.

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:34:44 +0000

Great post!

Sometimes the deal is only there for those who ask! There is a pizza place near us that charges $9.99 for a large (a really good deal for really good pizza), but if you mention the “coupon” price you get it for $6.99 Mon-Thu.

Itnever hurts to ask . . .

By: eric

eric — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:50:52 +0000

I thought that Indian bit was for sure written by Ramit…lol

By: zapeta

zapeta — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:47:29 +0000

Thank you for the link to the rules on what makes Indians successful negotiators. Very handy for striking a bargain!

By: TheDiligentProsper

TheDiligentProsper — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:46:25 +0000

I think deal-hunting, with the premise of “this deal is too good to pass up”, can become a dangerous game to play. I got myself in huge amount of debt by buying all sorts of stuff from land, condo, cars, stuff of eBay, etc. Even though they were all sweet buys, I would get desperate when the bills came piling in, and would sell them off at a loss. I think it’s wise to remember that there is always a deal and not over extend yourself just to grab the “best” deal.

By: Mark Wolfinger

Mark Wolfinger — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:04:18 +0000

Deal-hunting as a ‘game’ makes sense to me. Sometimes the savings are so small, it’s not worth the time or effort.

But if you consider it a game that can be ‘won’ – then playing the game makes the search enjoyable.

By: In the Money

In the Money — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:50:16 +0000

I totally agree, I love negotiating for a deal and there is always someone out there willing to give it to you. I always like to go into a negotiation with the mentality that I don’t necessarily need the item. It helps me to easily walk away if I don’t get the deal I want. I actually find it really fun and a challenge to try to get the best deal possible.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:45:49 +0000

I am also a bargain hunter, and I often don’t buy something if I can’t get some kind of sale on it. But, while I find it fun to shop online and search for the best deal, I try to remind myself that it is probably not the best use of my time. Marketers understand our preference for sales, and they know how to take advantage of it. I’m undecided about whether it’s better to look for something quality that you’re willing to pay full price for, or to always look for “the deal.”

By: Julio

Julio — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:28:44 +0000

I make it a point to always search for the best ‘deal’ and the internet makes it so easy to find the best product at the best price, even when you don’t intent to buy it online. One of my favorite sites to search out deals is http://www.pricespider.com. This site does the ‘hunting’ for you and then shows you the best deals, even when factoring in tax and shipping. A nice feature of the site is that is shows you a historical snapshot of the price for the item you are looking for, so you can see the price trends. And if you register, you can even have the site email you when the item you want hits your target price. Check it out..