One frugal trait that I learned in childhood from my parents was to try to bargain around paying full price for something. They called it haggling, and the techniques they taught me worked amazingly well. Mom and Dad were antique collectors, buyers and sellers for both fun and profit, and this hobby of theirs took us all over the state on weekends to flea markets and antique shows and shops (this was before antique malls existed). Their passion wore off on me and I began collecting various things as well.
Their main advice was:
Know the true value of what you want to buy and offer a fair price.
Don’t be afraid to walk away if the answer is no.
I don’t know how many times I have turned to walk away, after saying thank you, only to have the seller stop me and agree to my offer.
Those two haggling tips have served me well over the years, but I’m curious as to what kind of haggling techniques you might use. How do you haggle?
Further Reading:
Well, I'm living overseas, so I haggle for clothes and jewelry, mostly. I find that it's usually best to offer half of what they originally offered, and then you can meet in the middle on the price.
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