Things I Never Pay List Price For

L J Pearce
Everything seems to be expensive in today's economy, however it doesn't have to be. I am a haggler born and bred and I am happy to say I never pay list price for anything. From new laptops, to new cars I always make sure I get a good deal. I pay what I feel is suitable and what is acceptable, and If I don't feel the deal is right for me I will continue to negotiate and haggle until I get the price I want to pay.

For example, I have recently started redeveloping my house and remodeling it. However, on a limited budget I noticed I was pretty stuck when it came to buying products, supplies and materials, as most, if not all things I wanted were way out of my price range. To get over this though I haggled, I bartered with the sales staff, and, if not successful then with the managers. Even if I could only save a few percent off the list price I was still happy as it was a saving nonetheless. If I didn't get the value and price I was after, I simply did not buy anything from that store and took my business elsewhere.

Another area where I never pay list price is with phones. Cell phones, mobiles and landlines can cost a fair amount over the course of the month, and I don't want to pay, and shouldn't have to pay for things I don't need or use, so I always ensure I haggle to get a good deal on a new phone.

Like with anything, I find that the art of haggling is down to a bit of give and take. I have always found that I have to be prepared to back off at times, and not just expect to take, take take, as this approach will get you absolutely nowhere fast.

As well as phones and home improvements, I never pay the list price on any car I buy. Cars are so expensive, and I have never understood how much the price varies from dealer to dealer, even though they are all offering me a car which does the same thing '" it gets me from A to B safely. I always find car salesman quite tough cookies to crumble, however with a bit of negotiation and bartering I always walk away with a price I am happy paying.

Although I love to haggle and negotiate on larger items, I never forget to get the best deals and discounts on regular everyday products from milk and eggs, to bread and fish. Wherever there is room to negotiate I will be there, even if I only save myself a few cents.

More from this contributor

Save money and budget

Sort out your spending

How to negotitate

Published by L J Pearce

Entrepreneur, Personal finance writer and business owner who has over 10 years business experience. Interested in and always working on creating multiple online and offline income streams. Certificate in B...  View profile

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.