This tip comes from Saving Toward A Better Life…
Sometimes saving money is as simple as asking! Once I was having my oil changed on a Monday evening. The place I was having it done at has Ladies Day on Tuesdays and ladies get $5 off their oil change. While normally, I would try to go on Ladies Day, I was waiting on a prescription to be filled at the pharmacy down the street and needed to kill some time. The manager came to my car and said, “Tuesday is Ladies’ Day and we give all the ladies that come in a rose. Here you can have one.” And he handed me a rose. I said, “Thanks and since I got the rose, can I get the discount too?” And you know what he said? He said yes! So, see, sometimes, it’s as simple as asking!
I’ve also asked DirecTV to match a competing companies price. While they didn’t match it completely, the did give me a discount, saving me about $60 over the course of a year.
Sometimes all you have to do is ask!
Do you have a money saving tip you’d love to see featured on Couponing to Disney? Be sure to email it to me!
Wanna learn how to save even more money? Be sure to read through all the Let’s Save Some Money posts. Keep in mind that not every tip will apply to your family and something that won’t save you a dime might save another family a dollar so no insulting the tips. You are, however, welcome to email me one at any time!
Jean C. says
When renewing a magazine (if I can’t get it free) I always check out their website and find latest offer (the magazines website, not another). Then I call customer service and ask them if they can offer me the price listed on their website instead of my renewal notice – I’ve always gotten a Yes. Also, my husband haggles with the cable company each year and gets some discount – although not as much as in the past. And with some services, such as carpet cleaning, home repairs, we’ll ask if there is a discount if we pay in cash (and not a check or on credit). Sometimes they’ll offer a discount for cash payment.
RK says
When we were living in an apartment, they raised our rent every time we renewed our lease. After a couple of times, it started getting ridiculous, so we started looking into moving. I did some Googling and found out that rent is usually negotiable, even if they SWEAR it is not.
So we went down to the leasing office to talk about it. They said they can’t do anything. We asked to talk to the manager. She wasn’t in, but we could call to talk to her later. When we finally got a hold of her to set up a meeting, she said she couldn’t do anything, but she agreed to meet with us.
We laid out our case … good tenants for several years … never a late payment … never any trouble (unlike our neighbors who had had the cops called on them several times!) … and the kicker … they were offering NEW tenants, who might be much worse than us, a much lower rent. This was unacceptable, and we were looking to move.
She said she’d try and ask her management, implied she might get in trouble, etc., etc. In the end, she offered us a lower rent. When we went in the next day to sign the papers, my eye caught on a printout of an e-mail from the manager to the higher management that was sitting in our file. She didn’t explain our case to them AT ALL. She just said “I’d like to offer so-and-so a rent of $X.” and the answer came back “yes”. That’s it. So they pretend it’s SO hard to change the rent, but it’s not.
DEFINITELY worth asking. Always.
Hillary Wallace says
My dad has long been an advocate of calling up your internet/phone/TV provider to haggle price with them. If they can give the price to a new customer, don’t you think they can manage it to keep a long-time customer too?? And if they won’t do it (very rare, since most places have a specified loyalty customer service section dedicated to just that), you can always get the new customer price at another company! Usually just the threat of leaving them for someone else is enough to get the price reduced!!
Cathy says
My husband calls once a year to the cable company to get the current deal. It always works.
Monica says
I called my phone/internet company and asked for a rate similar to what they are giving new customers. The first woman I spoke to said she couldn’t give it to me because I was not a new customer. I told her I could be a new customer to another company. I was transferred to the loyalty department and had my internet bill reduced by 50%. Not bad for a 15 minute call.
Kristin of Couponing to Disney says
Good job! :)
Melinda says
I have found that a lot of businesses give military discounts but don’t always advertise it. So, it doesn’t hurt to ask.