A Penny Saved...

Every day I'm becoming more and more frugal. This all started after this economic downturn and I was laid off in November. This resulted in me taking a job that pays me far less than what I was getting paid before. If my employer ever reads this I hope they know that although I'm not making as much, the people/personalities of the office far outweigh the cost of the stress and working with people who have the personality of a brick wall. That being said, I wouldn't mind a raise at the end of the year :)

So I've started keeping a closer eye on my expenses. I took a second job working at Bath and Body Works for the holidays. I'm trying to put any cash I make from my second job towards my Wells Fargo Visa bill and Discover card bill. My credit cards piled up after I graduated and moved to Chicago. A lunch here, a trip to Ikea there... well lets just say it's added up.

I think it's been at least 4-5 months now that I haven't used my credit cards at all and I'm just working on paying the balances I have. When those are paid off in full (hopefully less than a year from now) I plan to responsibly use my credit card for every day purchases and PAY IT OFF at the end of the month. Ahhh it's nice to have a responsible boyfriend who has somewhat motivated me and taught me how to be a good spender.

From what I've learned over the past few months I know that there are certain tricks to being frugal that can really help everyone out!





Today's Lesson: Ask to pay less!!!



While this concept is foreign to most, paying the "sticker price" is actually far less common than you may think. Recently, I had an issue with a doctor bill that had me down... I unexpectedly received a bill for $160 that I thought was a covered visit by my insurance. (If my employer is reading this, I'm very vocal about how much I HATE my current coverage... I'm sorry but I can't lie about that) When I got the bill it was rough! I finally had the money in my account that wasn't dedicated to rent (or Rent tickets haha) and was getting ready to write a check for the full amount.

Stop!!!

If you're paying for a service you have far better negotiating power than you may let yourself believe. In my case, I called my doctor's office and asked for their Billing department. Simply put, I explained my financial situation and let her know that I wanted to pay her but couldn't pay that much. After a little back and forth discussion she finally realized "oh you want a discount!". DING DING DING - we have a winner! Now I was hoping to spend about $120 on this visit but she offered up settling the cost for $100. Woot woot! That means I saved $60 on an expense that I otherwise would have paid in full!! Hmmm after writing this I kind of wonder if I could have gone for $80...

I used to think that asking for a lower price somehow indicated that you were poor- this isn't at all the truth!

My experience is that asking for a lower price is most accepted at:

• Smaller boutique stores.

Generally if a manger is present, they can bend the rules for you. Especially if the item has a defect. Example: I saved 20% on a pair of patent leather shoes that had the teensiest of scratches just by pointing it out.

• Markets/Fairs/Generally anything you're buying from under a tent.

This especially applies if you're buying more than one of a product. If a deal isn't posted somewhere, ask the person who is in charge if they can offer you a reduced rate if you buy in bulk. Be sure to do this when the tent isn't as well trafficked for two reasons.
1- Other people around may scare the vendor into thinking that other people may hear the deal you're offering and they may the same deal or an even better deal.
2- A less trafficked market will give the effect that business is slow and it's better to sell 2+ items at a reduced rate than 0 products.

• The last day of the Market/Fairs/ Generally anything you're buying from under a tent.

This is key, vendors don't want to take anything home! Packing it up it a chore in their mind and the more you're willing to take off their hands the better. The vendor also isn't worried that he/she will run out of supplies by the end of the Market/Fair... you get it. This leads to easier bargaining.

***I haven't tested the "ask for a lower price" method at Retail stores as I fear their strict rules make it harder for the average employee to offer a lower rate. Feel free to try it, or if you have any good examples, share it in the comments below!

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This post has inspired me to write more about the deals that I find going out and about, so be on the look out for more ways to save money and ways to have fun on the cheap!