6 Tips On How To Haggle When Shopping For Best Deals

One of the tricks to saving money on anything you buy is knowing that everything is negotiable. This includes the price you pay, services you receive and what you receive to encourage you to come back.

However, entering into a negotiation is not something we all feel comfortable doing. The following tips can help you learn how to haggle.

1. Think savvy – not cheap. There is nothing embarrassing about haggling over the price of anything. Good hagglers know few boundaries when it comes to asking for a better deal.

Whether you haggle for a great deal on a new pair of jeans, a digital camera battery, the bid on having the house painted or the cost of a child’s new braces, entering into price negotiation is smart and will often result in getting a lower price.

2. Be Nice. Not many people are willing to compromise when dealing with a grump. Good hagglers are always upbeat, polite and patient. Success will come with less effort if the person controlling the price likes you.

3. Do the research. Good hagglers take the time to research products, services and pricing before they buy. Arming yourself with advertisements, printed Internet pages or notes on pricing and policies offers a visible comparison to show a salesperson.

Before entering the store, a car lot, or the dentist office, knowing how much you would have to pay elsewhere gives you the knowledge you need to ask for a better price.

4. Ask about coupons. Coupons and bounce-backs (a coupon given for use on a later date), have gained in popularity at almost all major retail stores. Hagglers always ask if there is a coupon available before they buy.

5. Look for fixable flaws for extra discounts. Shopping the ‘imperfect’ rack is a great place to find merchandise to haggle for dollars. A dent in inconspicuous place on an appliance, a small blemish on the wood of a table or buttons missing on a designer blouse mean big savings to those who haggle price.

The retailer is often so happy someone is interested in buying the damaged goods, they become flexible in lowering the price to get rid of it. Good hagglers always do a thorough inspection of anything they are interested in buying and if they find a flaw they will always ask for the price to be lowered.

6. Be prepared to leave empty-handed. A good haggler knows when to walk away empty-handed. Hagglers shop often and rarely out of need. This puts them in the highest level for top negotiating because if the price isn’t low enough, they simply walk away.