9 Things You Should Always Negotiate

Life is all about negotiation. There are few things that are ever set in stone. Here are 9 things you should always negotiate. Have you tried any of these? Comment below and let me know how it turned out!

Vehicles

This should be a no-brainer, but let’s face it most people see the sale price and pay it or allow the salesperson to convince them they are getting a killer deal.

You should always try and negotiate the price of the vehicle whether it’s new or used; whether you are buying from a dealership or individual.

Don’t forget to also negotiate your trade-in (if you will have one) as well as add-ons and interest rates. If they won’t budge on the price, they may throw in extra features (such as a DVD player installed) to close the deal.

Houses

Again houses are typically meant to be negotiated. Everything from the sale price to closing costs and if you are having your house built even upgrades should be negotiated.

It also helps if you research and hire an amazing buying agent, like ours =) If you are in the Fort Hood area, I highly recommend Gloria Smith with Texas Real Estate Connection. (No I do not receive anything from her for mentioning this, I just truly <3 her!)

Cell Phone Bills

The tip here is to do this is you are moving to a new carrier or have been with the same carrier for a long time, are out of contract, and have a good standing history with them (no late payments, missed payments, or disconnections.)

In fact, I called my carrier who I have been with for 10 years told them I was thinking of switching due to another carrier offering a much better rate for the same service, by the end of that 5-minute phone call, my monthly bill dropped by $100! I didn’t change my plan. I still had the same plan, just at a much cheaper rate. Also, I did NOT have to sign another contract to get that rate.

Cable Bills

Just like the cell phone company, you can negotiate the price of your cable bill under most circumstances. Again, the key here is to make sure you are out of contract and have a good payment history with them.

P.S. We ended up canceling cable all together and switched to antenna, netflix, and amazon prime.

Internet Bills

Just like Cable & Cell Phone, you can negotiate your internet bill under most circumstances. After a quick call to my internet provider, we had our speeds upgraded by 14 mbps AND our bill dropped by $50/month.

Again the tip here is to be out of contract and have a good payment history.

Electric Bills

If you are in a state like Texas, you can actually choose your own electric provider (unless you’re in a co-op) making negotiating your rate a breeze.

Simply go to powertochoose.org and look through companies and their rates. If you like your current provider, just give them a call and tell them you are thinking about changing providers, most of the time they will offer you a better rate to keep you, if not, just simply switch providers.

We ended up switching and are saving $100-$150 a month in electricity costs!

Job Offers / Salary

If you are on the job hunt, it’s wise to negotiate salary and benefits such as work schedule, vacation/sick time, etc… Obviously, if you have no experience you won’t have much wiggle room. The tip here is to research the job industry and find out what other companies offer for the same job position and qualifications.

If you have been with a job for a while and feel it’s time for a raise, ask! Make sure to show your boss why you feel you deserve that raise. Have data available to show what other companies pay their workers for that same job/experience.

Retail Shopping

Did you know you can negotiate the price of most items at retail stores? This goes for damaged items, opened items, and displays.

We once got a Stereo receiver that was opened for $400 off the original price, because it was missing the box, manual, and cables (which we didn’t need anyway)! It had the power cord and remote (and worked) which is all we really needed anyway!

Yard Sale Finds

This should be an absolute no-brainer! Yard sale and Flea Market finds should always be negotiated. There are two reasons why a person holds a garage sale; they want money and they want it out of their house!

So negotiate away! The worse they can do is say no!

My Tips

• Research the competition so you will have something to stand by. For instance, if you know that company B offers the same (or better package) that your company offers for a better price, you will want to know this information so you can tell your company during the negotiation process.
• Make sure you are out of contract. If you are still under contract with a company they know that there will be little chance of you actually switching unless you want to pay a usually hefty cancellation fee.
• Know your worth. Whether it’s a job or company you are trying to negotiate with. Know your worth. If you are a poor employee that frequently shows up late or calls in sick, the likely hood of you getting that raise is slim. If you are calling your cell phone company asking for a better deal but you are a frequent late payer or have had your service disconnected on multiple occasions for non-payment the likely hood of them trying to keep you will be slim.
• If the first person says no, ask to speak to the manager or the retention department (if it is a utility company). Most of them have retention departments that can offer you a deal to stay with them.