I recently listened to a presentation by an entrepreneur who held a personal philosophy that I found fairly unique. Initially, I thought he was a bit bold and overbearing, but as I listened further, I began to see how simple his approach really was. He advocated that you should always ask for a better deal, regardless of how good a deal you think you are getting. He related a lot of examples we would all think of, like hotel and meal discounts, but he also mentioned some that I hadn’t thought about. Here are a few that got me thinking.
1. Ask your credit card company for a rate reduction. Why…just because you don’t want to pay the higher rate.
2. If you see a lower advertised price for an item you recently purchased, take the advertisement and your sales receipt back to where you bought the item and ask for a rebate – even if the advertisement is a limited-time offer. You would be amazed at how often the retailer will honor the lower price.
3. Review your cell phone bill for features you may not need. Are you using all the minutes you are paying for each month? Do you really need long distance coverage? Are there less expensive plans available? Even though you may be committed under a long-term contract, you can usually change the plan type without penalty.
4. Ask for fees to be waived. Often vendors and service providers do not offer senior discounts, but when asked, they will provide them, especially if they value you as a repeat customer.
Once you get the hang of it, you won’t be hesitant to ask for discounts, free tickets, free coupons, or extras. The worst they can say is “no” – and if they do, ask “why not?”
Keep those letters coming, folks. Send your ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142 or by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com
