Expensive items that are negotiated and result in saving 10% of your cost mean that there is a lot more money in your account. You might save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Yes, this is something you should definitely focus on whenever you are buying something like a car, a home, or large appliances.
But what about things that you may buy more often? Can you save money on the purchase of your TV service, your telephone service, or your internet service? You get these bills every month. If you can reduce the bill by even $25 a month, this can add up fast over the years.
The latest example was when I was having an oil change for my car. Based on the mileage I put on my car, I have to change the oil every couple of months. Since I believe in always asking for a discount, knowing the worst thing that will happen to me is that they could say no, I asked if they gave senior discounts or discounts for triple-A members. Without hesitating the parts manager offered me $10 off the price! Just like that with no hesitation or counteroffer. I did not even have a coupon to offer. All I did was ask him if there were any discounts and he gave it to me. Now $10 is not a lot, but it does pay for many other things that I need to buy, and based on my oil-changing habits, I save about $40 a year on oil changes.
Now this includes an oil change, a 100-point checkup, and a car wash for $31! What a good deal and I got this discount because I asked! There was no coupon or anything like that. It just goes to prove that you should always ask for a discount, the worst that can happen is that they say sorry, no discount. Lots of times they offer some reduction which keeps money in your pocket and makes a loyal customer!
Even if they charge me the full price next time I will be going back to this garage because of the service and the features that were included in the oil change. The car needed to be cleaned inside and out. To have someone do it for me, it would have cost me $18 somewhere else. The 100-point checkup is pretty standard, but not all places give you a full report like this with even the tire tread depth and the brake width measurements provided. Not only do they give you peace of mind, you know when you need to spend some money on things like tires and brakes.
So the bottom line is always asking for a discount. The worst thing that might happen is that they say no and apologize when they do that. The very best thing that will happen when you ask for a discount is that they will offer you a discount, a future coupon for something, or a free gift of some sort. Many companies are getting really creative as far as discounts are concerned. You never know what will be offered, so the best idea is to always ask and see where it takes you.
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