Ahem.

Something that I notice people haven’t discussed haggling about: rent prices. I’ve successfully negotiated (or haggled, if you will) rent prices with landlords in the past. I’m not sure if it would work with the big apartment complexes, as I don’t usually choose to rent there, but it has certainly worked with landlords who own multi-family homes or smaller apartment buildings.

A few years ago, I knew that I could only afford to pay about $375 in rent (I live in a city with a low cost of living), and I found a really great apartment that was for $395 that had been sitting open for 3 months. The landlord saved money by letting me rent it for $20 less, fitting my budget much more nicely, than what she would have if she would have let it stay unrented for another month (which would probably have ended up being longer).

I think of haggling as just one of many tools for getting the best price on something I am willing to buy anyway, or for upgrading a planned purchase for free. For example, when I got married, we bartered and negotiated because whatever we didn’t spend, we kept, and because we wanted our wedding to be beautiful. We spent less than $10k on a wedding for 125 people, and our honeymoon. Our wedding looked like a $50,000 wedding, easily. I had people calling me for weeks to tell me it was the best food they had eaten in ages, at a wedding or anywhere else. We had a beautiful day and came in under budget, largely due to bartering and negotiating.

Because my family lives in a very affluential area, if we had spent $10k on full price venues, food, etc. we would have been able to invite about 50 people or would have had to go super casual. Instead we had our food cooked by the former head chef of the Ritz-Carlton Chicago (family friend), had a famous DJ (hubby built him a website); a $700 cake + $2k videographer + $1k in rentals + $800 in flowers for about $1200 because of using trade scrip. I bought my corset and shoes new on eBay, borrowed votive holders from a cousin who had just married, used my mom’s veil, had a friend make the veil clip from craft materials, made my own (gorgeous) invitations. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it; not only was our day beautiful, but I built up many of my frugal and organizational skills.

Interestingly, I disagree with all of your points.
(1) A person’s desire and ability to haggle are situational. If the circumstances were right (or wrong), the shyest person in the world could haggle.
(2) Introverts are not directly penalized. As mentioned above, being an introvert does not make a person shy. As a general rule, we just don’t care to socialize with other people. It doesn’t mean we can’t do it.
(3) Businesses usually take into consideration a variety of factors in pricing but haggling is towards the bottom of that list.
(4) Business that don’t expect haggling can be open to it if approached intelligently – i.e. asking the correct person at an appropriate time with courtesy.
(5) You never know if asking for a discount or haggling will work until you actually try it.

The seller knows the price s/he can sell at; it is up to you to know the price at which you can or want to purchase it. These prices don’t need to be the same and haggling is merely a discussion to arrive at an agreeable compromise. Politeness and courtesy is essential, as it is in all social interactions.

Trent (#48) How do you know she didn’t apply the 10-second rule? How do you know her family/friends aren’t going to get $100 of enjoyment out of the $20 purchase? A couple of dollars of toy soldiers and marbles brought hours of enjoyment to my father, brother, son and nephew as they set up advancing lines and knocked them over. The point is whether you were writing about haggling or writing about unnecessary purchases. I think you lost your focus 2/3′s way through the article.

Twice, in Walgreen’s, I got deep discounts. I bought containers each year for presents at work (50-100). One year I got the felt Christmas stockings. They were 1.99 each. I waited until they went on sale for .99. Then I asked a passing manager how much he would charge me if I took the whole amount (about 100). He told me I could have them all at 3 for .99. Great deal. Did it another time on another Christmas buy.

I went to Lowe’s to buy a covering for a very small window in my studio apt. They didn’t have what I wanted, but showed me to a stack of 1/2″ thick insulation board that was about 4×6′. The top board had a large scratch across the top of it. I asked the clerk if I could just have him cut it in half and only pay for the undamaged half. He said fine and cut it. Then he told me that they couldn’t have sold the damaged piece as a whole, so I could have it for nothing. Whew!!

Went into a Gerbe’s grocery and saw a Christmas village house with lights on sale. Asked for a better price. Was told no by a manager. Went back a week or two later (after Christmas) and it was on sale for much lower than I had offered to pay. I bought 3 of them, one for me and 2 for gifts. So I still came out ahead.

I guess I don’t believe in haggling. I ask if they can do better, and if they do so, I buy it. I let them set my bargain.

Anyway, they also had an open box dryer (just a floor model) for $698 which was the standard price for that dryer except it also came with the deal and the stands. I had seen a cheaper dryer (same model) opened box at another retailer and mentioned this. I also pointed out there was a bit of a dent on the top of the dryer floor model. In the end, they knocked 10% off the dryer and an extra $30 off the washer to get me to buy both for a total of $1048, much less than the $1400 retail price for new ones.

They still kind of got me a little bit though because I paid $170 total for a 4 year extended warranty on both items. I probably would not have done it, but I knew the washer no longer had a manufacturer’s warranty since it was repaired and, analyzing the risk, getting the protection on both was cheaper than paying for a single repair on either item probably would have cost.

At the mall, i ask for the mall employee discount. Usually they ask me if I work at the mall and I honestly reply that I don’t. So far they always give me the discount.

I think you can do well as long as you don’t be a jerk about it and back down when there is little or no hope.

A great example of haggling was set by the comedian, Bob Hope. At his death, he had real estate valued at over $200 million. He had two comments to make regarding price: any price offered him for his property was “Too little.” Any price for him to buy was “Too much.”