Hate to Haggle? How to Outsource a Negotiator
Annie, a reader at the Simple Dollar, recently shared her success story of saving big on a recent car purchase.
“I don’t like shopping for cars at all. I always get overly nervous and want to run away and feel like I’m just getting manipulated by the dealership. I knew I needed a replacement car soon and, like you and your Pilot, I knew what I wanted. I wanted a Toyota Corolla made between 2004 and 2006. I did my research and found out what I would expect to pay for this car. What I figured would happen is that I would go to the dealerships in my area, feel really uncomfortable and get pushed into paying at least that much, if not more, and then hate myself about it for a long time. So I came up with a different plan.
I have two friends (a couple) who are very outgoing and are quite willing to negotiate and play hardball. So I called them up and made them an offer. I told them what I wanted to pay for the car and I said I would pay them the difference if they came up with a car like I wanted that had been checked out by a mechanic and had a good Carfax report. They ended up getting exactly what I wanted for about $1,200 less than what I asked, so they got to keep the $1,200 instead of the dealer. All I did was show up at the dealership, sign a paper, write a check, and walk out with the keys. Even better, they took me out to dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate the new car.”
We wanted to commend Annie for knowing herself. Just like any good Smart Cookie, she did her homework and knew exactly what price she wanted to pay. By hiring friends and offering a clever incentive, she not only saved herself the time and stress of going it alone, she was able to reward people she cared about celebrate their deal together.
Our Smart Cookie, Andrea, has also used her own skills and abilities to barter on other services. And this got us thinking. What are we good at? Maybe you are an expert barter who could also make money from this skill. What about writing, design even your fashion sense. These are all potential assets that can help you earn more. Find out what your laziness is costing you and tell us what you plan to do to earn more dough.
