Dicker - it's fun and saves money

Do you dicker on the cost of an item or service? You should. It could save you some money.

You don’t have to pay retail prices, even at a retailer. There are display models, damaged goods and discontinued items that can be had for way less than the original asking price.

I bought a top quality hammock for $21 and it originally sold for about $100. There was nothing wrong with it. It was just not a popular seller and the home improvement store was discontinuing it.

I like it better than any hammock I have ever been in. It is strong and comfortable.

Look around for good buys, and don't be afraid to dicker with store management if you find something that is damaged or you'd like to make a bulk purchase.

I once bought 3 suits at a 2 for 1 sale. Since I asked, the store let me have the third suit for the equivalent price that I was paying for either of the first two. They could have said no, but they didn't. If I hadn't asked, it wouldn't have been offered at anything other than full price.

For private sales, people expect a smart shopper to make offers instead of paying the asking price. And, there usually aren't such "hard nosed" sellers outside of the retail environment. You might find that there's “wiggle room” built into the price, or perhaps the seller isn't so set on the asking price to begin with - they might just want to be rid of the item.

You can always admire the item but you don’t have to admire the price. If you ask, sellers will often make the price of an item more attractive or they might even throw in some additional items.

Done with Dicker, back to Mindset of Frugality