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Do You Ask for Discounts?

November 25, 2013 by jlpenner 5 Comments

The other day I was reading Corduroy to my daughters for school.  Apparently, when I was their age this was one of my favorite books and I know why- I loved the fantasy that my stuffed animals came alive at night and that is essentially what this book is about.

A little stuffed bear in a department store comes alive after a little girl who wants to buy him notices he is missing a button.  He tries to find a button in the store, after it closes, then the girl comes back and buys him and takes him home.  It ‘s a super cute story and I recommend it.

The funny thing is, in the car the next day I was talking to my girls and I said that the little girl should have asked for a discount because of the missing button.  The girls and I thought she could have at least received a 10% discount for that and she could have paid less of her money from her piggy bank.  The girls liked that… I am training them well 🙂

Also see: 15 Ways to Save Money Every Day

So.. do you ask for discounts in the store?  Say for a damaged item or a floor model.  What items would you never buy with “damage”?  What is your target amount off?  And do you throw out the percentage off or wait for the cashier or manager to do it?

Do any of you have a really good buys that you have gotten this way?  Please, leave a comment.

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Comments

  1. Nancy says

    September 24, 2010 at 9:17 pm

    I do!! I bought a Christmas Rug at Kohl's for cents because the non slip grip on the back was damaged!! Love getting items cheap!!
    Reply
    • frugal jen says

      September 24, 2010 at 10:03 pm

      Kohls is a great place for bargains, great job!!
      Reply
  2. barbara says

    September 25, 2010 at 7:32 am

    I ALWAYS ask for an adjustment if there is any damage on an item. I recently got a dress from anthropologie that was just about sold out when i saw a blogger doing a dressing room review on it and she had on MY size but did not buy it. A late night email got me the info on which store had it and an early morning phone call had it on its way to me...on sale AND with my birthday discount. When it arrived I noticed some little blood spots (small like someone had gotten pricked by a pin....but eww) on the lining so a phone call to the store to see if there were any others (no) got me an additional discount. Got the $118 dress for $44. A little cold water got the spots right out. and guess what... YOUR blog got me started reading blogs and I have gotten even better now at "stalking bargains." I probably spend less on clothes than most people spend on expired condiments sitting in their cupboards and spoild produce they throw away as I keep a "lean, mean, clean" kitchen.
    Reply
    • frugal jen says

      September 25, 2010 at 8:05 am

      Barbara- Now that is dedication to a good deal. Thanks for sharing :) -Jen
      Reply
  3. Shelly Roy says

    November 20, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    Yes, I do ask! Yesterday my son found a marble chess set for his dad for Christmas at a thrift store. I told him the $19.99 price tag was a little high and that we would need to ask the cashier to open the storage bag so we could count pieces and make sure everything was there. Upon opening the bag we discovered one missing piece and several broken pieces. My son fit everything together to make sure the breaks were clean. They were, so I asked for a discount due to broken and missing pieces. The manager took a look at the broken pieces and offered us a price of $9.99. We were thrilled! $9.99 and a tube of super glue...we are golden and the owners of a beautiful chess set. I usually wait for the employee to offer and then I counter if I think the price is still too high. Yes, I leave lots of things for other buyers, but I don't mind! ;)
    Reply

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