Home : Money & Time savers : Budgeting : How to be the Bargain Shopper

How to be the Bargain Shopper

Saving money is what all want. Being the bargain shopper does take a little practice and a little courage but in the end it is all well worth while. Being the �ebargain shopper�f is only difficult for those who don�ft have the time to spend looking, shopping and haggling with the sales clerks and such. 

Here are a few great key tips on getting what you want without having to pay an outrageous amount for it. One of the biggest problems that any new bargain shopper has is not being too friendly with the people that you don�ft have to be. While you don�ft have to be mean or rude, you don�ft have to be overly friendly when you are bargain shopping. Before anyone can get out there to negotiate for a big ticket item or to haggle over the price you have to have your mind set that you are going to get what it is you really want. 

How can you turn on your bargain attitude? One of the first things you have to realize is that just because you are a bargain shopper it does not mean that you are an outsider. You would be surprised how many millionaires are thrifty spenders!

When you walk into any store, sale or place of business, you need to realize that all the store owner or the manager is going to see is money, a sale. You aren�ft going to be his or her friend but you are going to spend money. Think about only paying a fair price, not too much, but you are not going to cheat anyone. This mind set is needed for a head strong negotiations on your part. 

Small stores that don�ft have large sales or discounts are one of the places where you can find some of the best bargains. The sales manager knows how much they have paid for an item and he or she is going to bargain to a certain price but no further. Sales are important even for the smallest business owner so they will try to please you if they can. 

The small business marks their goods up but not as much as the larger business. The larger business has to cover more expenses so they want to sell more items. You can bargain in the small stores or in the department stores, but often the smaller type stores are going to have more of a cooperation factor where larger store employees don�ft have the authorization to do this.

Before asking for a manager or asking if you can get a discount, you should have a price in mind that you are willing to pay for this item. From coats, to skates, to cars, and houses, your bargaining mind set has to start with a maximum price. Without a price in mind you are going to be negotiating for just a small discount and the sales manager will hear this in your tone.

If you only want to spend $30 on a coat, don�ft pay any more for it no matter what. If the manager can�ft meet what price you have in mind to pay for any item you need to walk out and not look back. When the sales person can meet your price, make the purchase. 

How you talk and what you say is important in getting the price down to where you want it to be. Make that sales manager believe that you can�ft pay any more for this item than what you stated. If there is hesitancy in your voice, the sales manager is going to realize this. 

It is important to talk quietly when other customers are around. You want to be respectful for the other customers and shoppers. The salesclerk or sales manager is more likely to give you a discounted price when other shoppers don�ft hear the deal that is being made, as he is not going to give the same deal to any other customers. 

Shopping when the stores are most likely empty or during off hours is going to give you the best positioning. Sales managers know that they need a sale at the end of the day, they are tired and they want to get home, they are ready to make deals at the end of their day. When business is slow, like during the middle of the week, you will have more luck in striking a bargain than you would during the busiest weekend hours. 

Negotiations and bargaining is best done with cash. If you are asking for a discount but charging it, the owner of the business is going to lose out on the fees he pays for you using the credit card. You can bargain a better deal when using cash. 

Look for merchandise that is not marked or that is damaged. If something is not marked you can ask what the price is, and then start bargaining easily because you can say you thought the item was xxxx dollars instead of xxxx. Merchandise that is damaged, like cans that are dented, a stove that has a scratch, or a car that have a ding in the bumper, you are more likely to get a discount on the item that has a minor flaw. 

You can get the best bargains on many items when it is the end of the season. Say for example that Christmas was yesterday. Decorations and holiday specific items are most often discounted deeply because the sales manager doesn�ft want to have to put these things away for another year. The sale it more important to keep inventory turn over moving. 

Where ever you are getting some of your best bargains, make sure you tell everyone else about this. The best advertising for any business owner is the word of a customer. Let others know where you shop and what a bargain you got. Helping the small business get even more sales and keeping money in the community is important for everyone no matter where you live.