I started out with student loan debt and a minimum wage job - a negative net worth that has not gotten back to zero.
Eventually after toiling for many years I got sick, landed in the hospital for two months, couldn't work for a long time after that, couldn't make my debt payments, and got a ton of late fees.
What exactly did I buy with this (fee) money? Did I get some sort of service for it?
I've always wondered why debt repayment is included in budgets in books because I've always figured that it shouldn't be something you should have. I mean, how can you get rich if you're starting from below zero net worth.
I can't tell you how many times I've shown up way too early for a dinner invitation... I had never even heard of lunch outside of the school cafeteria until I was in my twenties.
I use shampoo not only to wash my hair but as a body wash and to shave my legs. I could never do without conditioner; for long hair it is a must. Just don't buy shampoo with sodium lauryl sulfate. It is too drying and will strip the color out of dyed hair.
but since you made the reference to regional differences in what meals are called I always thought it was funny that here in the deep south we have (in this order) breakfast, dinner and supper. Not a lunch to be found anywhere. Also, when we're not drinking tea sweet enough to qualify as syrup we drink "coke" and only "coke" even if it's orange or tastes like Mountain Dew.
I purchased a Kodak digital camera and printer right before our child was born last December. Everything works great, except after about the second time of replacing the ink, the film gets stuck in the printer making it impossible to remove the cartridge. I go on my lunch break to replace the printer (which is still under warranty) and there is another lady with the same exact model, same exact problem. They replace it with another printer, same model and because it is on sale now *it is February* they also give me a gift card for the difference *14 dollars and some change*
So I use my printer, go to change the ink, and what do you think happens? SAME THING! I take it back to Best Buy and say, "I just want something comparable to this printer, but I no longer want this model" My time is valuable and I can't keep spending an hour and a half every other month returning a product. After arguing with employees about how even though it is a Kodak product, Best Buy sold it to me and they should STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, I get a manager who says if I want something other than my original product, then she will gladly give me Kodak's 1-800 number. WHAT???? As if I couldn't find that information on any website, and then spend another hour explaining the situation to someone and then have to take the time and resources to pack up the product and ship it to them??? OH NO! So I basically did the same thing as one of those other stories and just said "SO YOU SELL ME A CRAPPY PRODUCT THAT BREAKS NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE, AND NOW YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT I NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO GET A REFUND??" That did it. So she told me to go pick out another printer.
Not the end of the story.
So I walk back with this kid and say, ok, find me a printer that is comparable to my old printer and that works with my stuff. So he pick out this HP printer. Fine. We walk up to the counter, after the price is deducted from the Kodak printer the guy says, "ok, you owe 18 and some change." What? Ok, so you are telling me that I just wanted a printer, and one top of having to bring it back TWICE, now I have to pony up almost 20 more bucks just to get what I originally wanted??? I told him he could have my gift card from the first time that had the 14 bucks on it, but I'd be damned if he was getting $4 from me. He said "well what am I supposed to do for the $4?"
I don't know. Comp it. Erase it. I don't care if it is a quarter, I am not paying for it. I just wanted a printer that worked, and I didn't pick out the printer, the salesguy did. Ridiculous. Anyway, to top it all off, the printer works fine, but I can't buy the ink in bulk at Sam's Club or anything; the only place that I have been able to find the ink is...you guessed it, at Best Buy.
Oh one more thing. Back before I was trying to be debt free, we bought our computer there and I put it on the Best Buy card, with free interest for a period. After about 3 months I paid the balance off in full. The next month I got a bill for 15 cents. I thought, weird, I guess I wrote the check out wrong. The next month, another 15 cent bill!!!! I wrote "STOP SENDING ME 15 CENT BILLS" in the memo. I mean, if it says "to pay in full, send XXX" then that is what you should send in, right?????
I was shopping at one retail store that sells massive amounts of cosmetics, perfumes and beauty supplies. This store aspires to be both elegant and sophisticated (hence the monochromatic decor) and also hip, which means that the sales associates tend to be beautiful people. Sometimes these "Melrose Place" clones are hired more for their looks than their makeup expertise...or common sense, for that matter.
At this particular store (not the prominent one in Times Square but at one of the upscale malls in Raleigh, NC) I went in to buy an outrageously overpriced bottle of lotion that is one of the few that actually contain SPF but somehow manages to keep my face matte and not a shiney, happy mess. The SAs were snotty and ignored me as they chatted and gossiped, but I already knew what I wanted to buy so I didn't really care. As I approached the register, though, one SA detatched herself from the herd to ask me if I'd found waht I needed. Though this was an obvious and evil ploy for her to claim the commission for "helping a customer" I still thanked her nicely and told her to just ring up my purchase.
I happened to notice her flinch for just a second as she glanced at the bottle, but then she scanned and rang it up and stuffed it into the bag. A bit unnerved, I took a look at the bottle myself, and then saw that clearly printed towards the bottom was an expiration date that was, well, at least a couple of months past due. I showed the SA, who was busy rushing my credit card transaction through, and she tried to act like, "Oh well." I then said I didn't want the bottle (I even apologized!) and the SA got all snooty...like it was not HER (or the store's) fault they had kept expired products out on teh shelves. She even said, 'I already ran your card through' as though that would deter me from making the return. However, with much eye rolling, she gave me the refund.
The story does not end there. Out of curiousity, I stayed behind to see what she would do with the bottle. To my horror, instead of keeping it behind the counter or bringing it to the backroom or throwing the dang thing out, the SA (right in front of me, I might add) sauntered RIGHT BACK to the section of the store and REPLACED THE BOTTLE back onto the shelf. Now, I am not a raging health fanatic, and I honestly don't know if expired cosmetic products become toxic or whatever, but....the expiration date is a basic principle that most people have been taught to understand is a due date after which products lose efficacy, go "bad" (as in spoiled milk), stop working, etc. So I very gently and kindly suggested to the SA (who rolled her eyes at me) that it might not be a good idea to reshelf an expired product. She didn't move, so I took it down, then happened to look at the next bottle, only to find the same past due expiration date. I didn't go ballistic, but I again mentioned this to the SA, who was giving me a total stink eye. I was torn between whether to go vigilantte and start pulling the bottles myself, or whether to stop "embarassing" this poor SA and just leave, but I really didn't want this thing to just blow over.
So I also stood there but a bit, just looking at the SA. She then sighed and started pulling bottles off the shelf. It was rather funny because while she was bitching out loud, "These ALL aren't expired..." she was actually finding that they WERE all expired. At this point, another SA (maybe amanager) finally noticed us and came over to ask why the SA was yanking bottles. He saw the expiration date and told her to toss the bottles....the SA had nothing to say now!
I didn't get nor did I expect any "thank you's;" I also didn't make this a grand spectacle and maybe I should've done more to bring that SA's horrid customer service out in the light. But I am satisfied that I stuck it out and saw this to the very end.
Yeah, that is a good one too... I have been using Hyland's Calms' Forte as a weak but doable substitute for antidepressants with fairly good results. The valerian works OK in a pinch as well.
My wife's aunt now works for a fur sales company as a salesperson. This particular fur company partners with a large department store. She let me in on a little secret. There is always an unadvertised sale of 40% off on all furs. But the customer does not get the discount unless they ask for it. There are customers who are buying furs for $8000 when then could be buying the same fur for $4800 if only they would ask.
It made me think about what else was discounted...
I almost never pay full price for anything anymore.
Although, I have to admit I'm not always comfortable asking for a no-reason-just-because discount on a perfectly good item. So sometimes I'll ask if they have a military discount, (since that applies to us still) or if they have a sale coming up when and item might be lower. But definitely the tip about the smaller stores applies. Many times, if the owner is there at the specialty shop, they'll offer to "do better" on the price before I even ask.
For large items at chain stores the asking about upcoming sales technique works every time. They know in advance when the sales are coming up. For example, I went in to a store one time at the end of a major sale for custom blinds. I knew I wanted the 80 percent off because we were doing a large section of the house prior to selling it. But I just couldn't come up with the cash that week and still meet our savings goals. So I asked when the next time was they were having that sale, and she was able to tell me, as well as what brands would be on sale. So I had time to look and pick out specific colors and take measurements at home. I saved well over a thousand dollars. We are also starting to look ahead at kitchen appliances and the same technique worked. I now know that this particular store we are looking in has at least a 20 percent off sale every month. On a 2 thousand dollar fridge, that's pretty significant.
I'm just wondering your thoughts about services like Bud Hibbs. There are others like it too. They help you by supposedly getting the creditors to erase the debt. Too good to be true??? I hope not.
Xanax is about a dollar for a half-milligram. Yeah, I know. I should be drinking tea and taking hot baths. I'm waiting for it to cool off outside, or I'll end up spending an extra five on additional air-conditioning. How do you people run in this weather?!?
I worked with a girl who "never used a coupon" and refused to use a coupon at lunch. I wasn't sure if it was beyond her, or if she didn't know what to do. I pretended she wasn't a snob and I told her "It is easy, you just hand it to the cashier when you pay." Ha! Preppy bitch.
I dated a guy once who asked for discounts on EVERYTHING. It just about made me weep with embarrassment, but you know what? He got a discount on almost everything.
Here are some things he used to say:
"Man, I like this, I really do, but I can get one just like it at [insert store name here]. Can you knock the price down a bit?"
"How about this - you give me 10% off, and not only will I send all my friends here to shop, but I'll come back when I need my next stereo/set of tires/laptop." He would then follow this up by taking a bunch of the guy's business cards and sincerely recommending a good sales person to everyone he knew.
"I think you can give me a better deal on this. You can, right?" This was always aimed at the manager.
Absolutely right Jessica, this was not a post intended to send people to stores with a mission to create havoc or be impolite in any way. Most sales clerks who aren't managers in larger stores don't have discretionary authority to give a discount, and shouldn't be hassled for it. If the discount you are asking for isn't because of defective merchandise or a price reduction refund, ask for the manager.
The smaller the store, the easier it is to get a discount too. Please also note that I'm not talking about bargaining or haggling (which you can certainly do - it's not quite my style)....it's simply asking for a discount and seeing what they say. The golden rules of negotiation are to have the other person state a number first, and that's what you are doing. Ask for the discount, then see what they say.
And Clancy, I'll see if I can work on that post for you. The dialogue will obviously differ depending on the person you are in front of, but if specific examples would be helpful, I'll give it my best.
The moral of the story, folks, is just to ask. Be nice about it, and ask. You never know what will happen.
Haggling is definitely an skill that needs to be perfected. I worked for a major dept store, asking for a discount on a damaged good is feasible, and not unusual, but there were several times I was a bit flabbergasted by customers who though the store was a flea market. Me giving them a five dollar discount was not worth losing my job. So if you're ballsy enough to try this folks, just be nice and ask for the manager, don't even attempt to hassle the sales associate. Granted, all stores have their own policies.
I appreciate how you're encouraging us to ask for discounts, but I think what would be most helpful would be a kind of script for us to follow. Would you mind doing a follow-up post with some sample dialogue between you and a salesperson at a store? One for each example ("car insurance and repairs, clothing, airfare, hotels, all sorts of services from hair cuts to tax preparation, and sometimes even groceries")?
I was in a town an hour from home and realized that I had failed to bring a jacket for work. I wanted to find a really inexpensive place and buy one that would suffice for the day. Upon entering the store, a rather harsh, kind of abrupt sales clerk approached me. I remember making a mental note of it, but didn't think much about it. I search and search for a jacket that 1.) fits me and 2.) is cheap. I foolishly drank way too much water that morning and really needed to use their bathroom, but just wanted to find something to wear first. I try on quite a bit of shirts and jackets, but hung up everything I tried on and even returned some of it to the rack where I originally found it.
Upon finding a jacket that was more than I wanted to spend, but pretty cute, I took it to the counter to pay. Now I'm honestly dying, I have to go to the bathroom so badly, kicking myself even more for drinking so much earlier! Same woman that lacked interpersonal skills upon me entering the store rung me up and asked, "Out of all those clothes, this is ALL you found?!?!" "...yes, I know," I responded. After paying, I kindly asked her if I could use their restroom. To which she replied, "We don't have a restroom here." I asked her in bewilderment, "You don't have a restroom here???" I mean, let's face it, they have eight hour shifts! "No...we don't have a public restroom," no personality lady replied. I said, "ok" and left the store.
I got out to my car...still haven't went, mind you. I marched right back into the store. I stand in line, bag in hand. Now a different lady was at the counter...I'm sure the other one was on a bathroom break! I told her I would like to make a return. She looked at the receipt and saw it was purchased a matter of minutes before this. She asked me what was wrong with the jacket. I told her that I had asked the other lady if I could use the restroom and she snottily replied that there was no restroom. Then I told her, "I refuse to shop in stores that do not allow their paying customers to use the restroom. I'll shop elsewhere." There was a lady in line behind me that left the store and did not make her purchase. I don't know if she was in a hurry or if perhaps...she agreed with me. Either way, that is my new shopping policy! If they can't pay their customers the courtesy of a restroom, I needn't darken their doorstep. If I was home, not spending money in their store, I would not be in this predicament.
After making it to a nearby coffee shop that did allow the use of their restroom...I felt total relief and complete satisfaction from my new decision, might I add!
I started out with student loan debt and a minimum wage job - a negative net worth that has not gotten back to zero.
Eventually after toiling for many years I got sick, landed in the hospital for two months, couldn't work for a long time after that, couldn't make my debt payments, and got a ton of late fees.
What exactly did I buy with this (fee) money? Did I get some sort of service for it?
Exactly. This is the way Quicken tracks credit accounts as well.
I've always wondered why debt repayment is included in budgets in books because I've always figured that it shouldn't be something you should have. I mean, how can you get rich if you're starting from below zero net worth.
RTO,
I must be missing something, you can buy Surefire CR123A's for a couple bucks each and other brands like Battery Station and Amondotech for even less.
I can't tell you how many times I've shown up way too early for a dinner invitation... I had never even heard of lunch outside of the school cafeteria until I was in my twenties.
in photo labs i had the authority to knock up to 1.50 off anyone who asked for in store 1 - hour photos.
But this only applied to One hour photos, the others are at a pre-negotiated price and we cant change those prices
But this was @ Target; 1.50 off a 7-9 dollar item is a good discount.
I thought the same thing as well Guest, being a Southerner myself. Coke can be Pepsi.
I use shampoo not only to wash my hair but as a body wash and to shave my legs. I could never do without conditioner; for long hair it is a must. Just don't buy shampoo with sodium lauryl sulfate. It is too drying and will strip the color out of dyed hair.
but since you made the reference to regional differences in what meals are called I always thought it was funny that here in the deep south we have (in this order) breakfast, dinner and supper. Not a lunch to be found anywhere. Also, when we're not drinking tea sweet enough to qualify as syrup we drink "coke" and only "coke" even if it's orange or tastes like Mountain Dew.
Hardee's is Carl's Jr on the West Coast, so they might have the same offer.
Yeah, I have another "best buy story":
I purchased a Kodak digital camera and printer right before our child was born last December. Everything works great, except after about the second time of replacing the ink, the film gets stuck in the printer making it impossible to remove the cartridge. I go on my lunch break to replace the printer (which is still under warranty) and there is another lady with the same exact model, same exact problem. They replace it with another printer, same model and because it is on sale now *it is February* they also give me a gift card for the difference *14 dollars and some change*
So I use my printer, go to change the ink, and what do you think happens? SAME THING! I take it back to Best Buy and say, "I just want something comparable to this printer, but I no longer want this model" My time is valuable and I can't keep spending an hour and a half every other month returning a product. After arguing with employees about how even though it is a Kodak product, Best Buy sold it to me and they should STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, I get a manager who says if I want something other than my original product, then she will gladly give me Kodak's 1-800 number. WHAT???? As if I couldn't find that information on any website, and then spend another hour explaining the situation to someone and then have to take the time and resources to pack up the product and ship it to them??? OH NO! So I basically did the same thing as one of those other stories and just said "SO YOU SELL ME A CRAPPY PRODUCT THAT BREAKS NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE, AND NOW YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT I NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO GET A REFUND??" That did it. So she told me to go pick out another printer.
Not the end of the story.
So I walk back with this kid and say, ok, find me a printer that is comparable to my old printer and that works with my stuff. So he pick out this HP printer. Fine. We walk up to the counter, after the price is deducted from the Kodak printer the guy says, "ok, you owe 18 and some change." What? Ok, so you are telling me that I just wanted a printer, and one top of having to bring it back TWICE, now I have to pony up almost 20 more bucks just to get what I originally wanted??? I told him he could have my gift card from the first time that had the 14 bucks on it, but I'd be damned if he was getting $4 from me. He said "well what am I supposed to do for the $4?"
I don't know. Comp it. Erase it. I don't care if it is a quarter, I am not paying for it. I just wanted a printer that worked, and I didn't pick out the printer, the salesguy did. Ridiculous. Anyway, to top it all off, the printer works fine, but I can't buy the ink in bulk at Sam's Club or anything; the only place that I have been able to find the ink is...you guessed it, at Best Buy.
Oh one more thing. Back before I was trying to be debt free, we bought our computer there and I put it on the Best Buy card, with free interest for a period. After about 3 months I paid the balance off in full. The next month I got a bill for 15 cents. I thought, weird, I guess I wrote the check out wrong. The next month, another 15 cent bill!!!! I wrote "STOP SENDING ME 15 CENT BILLS" in the memo. I mean, if it says "to pay in full, send XXX" then that is what you should send in, right?????
Whateva. I hate Best Buy.
I was shopping at one retail store that sells massive amounts of cosmetics, perfumes and beauty supplies. This store aspires to be both elegant and sophisticated (hence the monochromatic decor) and also hip, which means that the sales associates tend to be beautiful people. Sometimes these "Melrose Place" clones are hired more for their looks than their makeup expertise...or common sense, for that matter.
At this particular store (not the prominent one in Times Square but at one of the upscale malls in Raleigh, NC) I went in to buy an outrageously overpriced bottle of lotion that is one of the few that actually contain SPF but somehow manages to keep my face matte and not a shiney, happy mess. The SAs were snotty and ignored me as they chatted and gossiped, but I already knew what I wanted to buy so I didn't really care. As I approached the register, though, one SA detatched herself from the herd to ask me if I'd found waht I needed. Though this was an obvious and evil ploy for her to claim the commission for "helping a customer" I still thanked her nicely and told her to just ring up my purchase.
I happened to notice her flinch for just a second as she glanced at the bottle, but then she scanned and rang it up and stuffed it into the bag. A bit unnerved, I took a look at the bottle myself, and then saw that clearly printed towards the bottom was an expiration date that was, well, at least a couple of months past due. I showed the SA, who was busy rushing my credit card transaction through, and she tried to act like, "Oh well." I then said I didn't want the bottle (I even apologized!) and the SA got all snooty...like it was not HER (or the store's) fault they had kept expired products out on teh shelves. She even said, 'I already ran your card through' as though that would deter me from making the return. However, with much eye rolling, she gave me the refund.
The story does not end there. Out of curiousity, I stayed behind to see what she would do with the bottle. To my horror, instead of keeping it behind the counter or bringing it to the backroom or throwing the dang thing out, the SA (right in front of me, I might add) sauntered RIGHT BACK to the section of the store and REPLACED THE BOTTLE back onto the shelf. Now, I am not a raging health fanatic, and I honestly don't know if expired cosmetic products become toxic or whatever, but....the expiration date is a basic principle that most people have been taught to understand is a due date after which products lose efficacy, go "bad" (as in spoiled milk), stop working, etc. So I very gently and kindly suggested to the SA (who rolled her eyes at me) that it might not be a good idea to reshelf an expired product. She didn't move, so I took it down, then happened to look at the next bottle, only to find the same past due expiration date. I didn't go ballistic, but I again mentioned this to the SA, who was giving me a total stink eye. I was torn between whether to go vigilantte and start pulling the bottles myself, or whether to stop "embarassing" this poor SA and just leave, but I really didn't want this thing to just blow over.
So I also stood there but a bit, just looking at the SA. She then sighed and started pulling bottles off the shelf. It was rather funny because while she was bitching out loud, "These ALL aren't expired..." she was actually finding that they WERE all expired. At this point, another SA (maybe amanager) finally noticed us and came over to ask why the SA was yanking bottles. He saw the expiration date and told her to toss the bottles....the SA had nothing to say now!
I didn't get nor did I expect any "thank you's;" I also didn't make this a grand spectacle and maybe I should've done more to bring that SA's horrid customer service out in the light. But I am satisfied that I stuck it out and saw this to the very end.
Yeah, that is a good one too... I have been using Hyland's Calms' Forte as a weak but doable substitute for antidepressants with fairly good results. The valerian works OK in a pinch as well.
My wife's aunt now works for a fur sales company as a salesperson. This particular fur company partners with a large department store. She let me in on a little secret. There is always an unadvertised sale of 40% off on all furs. But the customer does not get the discount unless they ask for it. There are customers who are buying furs for $8000 when then could be buying the same fur for $4800 if only they would ask.
It made me think about what else was discounted...
I almost never pay full price for anything anymore.
Although, I have to admit I'm not always comfortable asking for a no-reason-just-because discount on a perfectly good item. So sometimes I'll ask if they have a military discount, (since that applies to us still) or if they have a sale coming up when and item might be lower. But definitely the tip about the smaller stores applies. Many times, if the owner is there at the specialty shop, they'll offer to "do better" on the price before I even ask.
For large items at chain stores the asking about upcoming sales technique works every time. They know in advance when the sales are coming up. For example, I went in to a store one time at the end of a major sale for custom blinds. I knew I wanted the 80 percent off because we were doing a large section of the house prior to selling it. But I just couldn't come up with the cash that week and still meet our savings goals. So I asked when the next time was they were having that sale, and she was able to tell me, as well as what brands would be on sale. So I had time to look and pick out specific colors and take measurements at home. I saved well over a thousand dollars. We are also starting to look ahead at kitchen appliances and the same technique worked. I now know that this particular store we are looking in has at least a 20 percent off sale every month. On a 2 thousand dollar fridge, that's pretty significant.
Good post, Nora.
I'm just wondering your thoughts about services like Bud Hibbs. There are others like it too. They help you by supposedly getting the creditors to erase the debt. Too good to be true??? I hope not.
Is there anything that can be done about medical bills in collections?
Xanax is about a dollar for a half-milligram. Yeah, I know. I should be drinking tea and taking hot baths. I'm waiting for it to cool off outside, or I'll end up spending an extra five on additional air-conditioning. How do you people run in this weather?!?
I worked with a girl who "never used a coupon" and refused to use a coupon at lunch. I wasn't sure if it was beyond her, or if she didn't know what to do. I pretended she wasn't a snob and I told her "It is easy, you just hand it to the cashier when you pay." Ha! Preppy bitch.
CatWhisperer--I had one growing on my windowsill this past winter, I just used the sprouts like chives per a friend's advice. They were quite pungent.
Sadly, I neglected my plant one week, and when I took the pot outside to dump out the dirt, omg that was the most foul, foul odor ever.
I dated a guy once who asked for discounts on EVERYTHING. It just about made me weep with embarrassment, but you know what? He got a discount on almost everything.
Here are some things he used to say:
"Man, I like this, I really do, but I can get one just like it at [insert store name here]. Can you knock the price down a bit?"
"How about this - you give me 10% off, and not only will I send all my friends here to shop, but I'll come back when I need my next stereo/set of tires/laptop." He would then follow this up by taking a bunch of the guy's business cards and sincerely recommending a good sales person to everyone he knew.
"I think you can give me a better deal on this. You can, right?" This was always aimed at the manager.
Absolutely right Jessica, this was not a post intended to send people to stores with a mission to create havoc or be impolite in any way. Most sales clerks who aren't managers in larger stores don't have discretionary authority to give a discount, and shouldn't be hassled for it. If the discount you are asking for isn't because of defective merchandise or a price reduction refund, ask for the manager.
The smaller the store, the easier it is to get a discount too. Please also note that I'm not talking about bargaining or haggling (which you can certainly do - it's not quite my style)....it's simply asking for a discount and seeing what they say. The golden rules of negotiation are to have the other person state a number first, and that's what you are doing. Ask for the discount, then see what they say.
And Clancy, I'll see if I can work on that post for you. The dialogue will obviously differ depending on the person you are in front of, but if specific examples would be helpful, I'll give it my best.
The moral of the story, folks, is just to ask. Be nice about it, and ask. You never know what will happen.
Haggling is definitely an skill that needs to be perfected. I worked for a major dept store, asking for a discount on a damaged good is feasible, and not unusual, but there were several times I was a bit flabbergasted by customers who though the store was a flea market. Me giving them a five dollar discount was not worth losing my job. So if you're ballsy enough to try this folks, just be nice and ask for the manager, don't even attempt to hassle the sales associate. Granted, all stores have their own policies.
I appreciate how you're encouraging us to ask for discounts, but I think what would be most helpful would be a kind of script for us to follow. Would you mind doing a follow-up post with some sample dialogue between you and a salesperson at a store? One for each example ("car insurance and repairs, clothing, airfare, hotels, all sorts of services from hair cuts to tax preparation, and sometimes even groceries")?
I was in a town an hour from home and realized that I had failed to bring a jacket for work. I wanted to find a really inexpensive place and buy one that would suffice for the day. Upon entering the store, a rather harsh, kind of abrupt sales clerk approached me. I remember making a mental note of it, but didn't think much about it. I search and search for a jacket that 1.) fits me and 2.) is cheap. I foolishly drank way too much water that morning and really needed to use their bathroom, but just wanted to find something to wear first. I try on quite a bit of shirts and jackets, but hung up everything I tried on and even returned some of it to the rack where I originally found it.
Upon finding a jacket that was more than I wanted to spend, but pretty cute, I took it to the counter to pay. Now I'm honestly dying, I have to go to the bathroom so badly, kicking myself even more for drinking so much earlier! Same woman that lacked interpersonal skills upon me entering the store rung me up and asked, "Out of all those clothes, this is ALL you found?!?!" "...yes, I know," I responded. After paying, I kindly asked her if I could use their restroom. To which she replied, "We don't have a restroom here." I asked her in bewilderment, "You don't have a restroom here???" I mean, let's face it, they have eight hour shifts! "No...we don't have a public restroom," no personality lady replied. I said, "ok" and left the store.
I got out to my car...still haven't went, mind you. I marched right back into the store. I stand in line, bag in hand. Now a different lady was at the counter...I'm sure the other one was on a bathroom break! I told her I would like to make a return. She looked at the receipt and saw it was purchased a matter of minutes before this. She asked me what was wrong with the jacket. I told her that I had asked the other lady if I could use the restroom and she snottily replied that there was no restroom. Then I told her, "I refuse to shop in stores that do not allow their paying customers to use the restroom. I'll shop elsewhere." There was a lady in line behind me that left the store and did not make her purchase. I don't know if she was in a hurry or if perhaps...she agreed with me. Either way, that is my new shopping policy! If they can't pay their customers the courtesy of a restroom, I needn't darken their doorstep. If I was home, not spending money in their store, I would not be in this predicament.
After making it to a nearby coffee shop that did allow the use of their restroom...I felt total relief and complete satisfaction from my new decision, might I add!