How to Save Money Shopping Online in 5 Minutes!

By Robert Pagliarini

Tis the season to negotiate. Your other 8 hours are precious, but if you can save 15% on a big purchase and it only takes five minutes, it’s a great use of your time. If you shop online, here’s how you can save 5%-25% off your purchases by negotiating (and you won’t feel like a schmuck arguing with a vendor at a flea market).

The next time you are shopping online, load up your cart, but before you click “buy,” look for a “chat” or “live help” button. Click it and watch the magic begin. It will open a chat session with a customer service rep. Type that you have a full shopping cart but you are comparison shopping. You’d like to purchase the goods from their company but you want a 15% discount.

Most of the time they’ll initially say they don’t have the authority, but don’t take no for an answer. Ask them to check in with their manager or you will abandon your shopping cart and click over to their competitor.

This won’t work all of the time, but it will often enough to save you some money. Don’t forget, you are an online consumer. You have ALL of the power. It takes milliseconds to jump to their competitor’s homepage.

In other cultures, negotiating is not only expected but is a social custom. To not negotiate is rude. So do yourself and your wallet a favor and spend a few minutes negotiating a big discount on your next online order.

You can read my recent chat session below where I saved a quick 15%:

****************************************************

Thank you for choosing [COMPANY]. A representative will be with you shortly.

You are now chatting with Christie.

Christie: Hello! How can I help you with your order today?

You: I do a lot of business with the company. i’d really like a discount on my order. can you help me?

Christie: I don’t have discounts to give out.

Christie: We are offering 15% off on Thanksgiving day items. Are you ordering one of those?

You: no

Christie: I’ll be right with you.

Christie: I’m sorry for the delay. I’ll be right with you.

Christie: Thank you for waiting. I’ll be with you in just a moment.

You: if you can do 15% off i’ll proceed. otherwise i’ll order through [COMPETITOR]:

Christie: I’ll be right with you.

Christie: I’m sorry for the delay. I’ll be right with you.

Christie: Thank you for waiting. I’ll be with you in just a moment.

Christie: I’ll be right with you.

Christie: If you go ahead and place your order then give me the order #. I will issue the 15% off.

You: ok

Christie: Did you complete your order?

You: working on it

Christie: Ok.

You: [ORDER NUMBER]

You: do you need anything else?

Christie: Ok I have issued the 15% off. Your new total is [$XXX]

You: thank you again

Christie: Is there anything else I can help you with?

You: goodbye

How do you get rid of your unwanted items?

This month's poll asks the question: Do you sell or donate your unwanted items?

We want to know what you do with your unwanted items and why?

Please share your answer by clicking the comments link below. (NOTE: Feel free to use the Name and URL option . . . you don't need to enter an URL. You can just type in your name and leave the URL field blank.) Thanks for sharing and enjoy!

Do You Know Your Community's Yard Sale Sign Restrictions?

One of the best ways to advertise your yard sale (besides using Rummage Wisconsin.com) is to place yard sale signs around your neighborhood. We all do it, and it works! However, do you know your community's yard sale sign restrictions? Does your Homeowners Association have a policy for posting signs?

Most people assume they can stick a yard sign on a corner or telephone phone pole, but some communities don't allow those actions, and some communities actually require permit to post signs.

We decided to look up a few Wisconsin communities' yard sign restrictions and were surprised by what we saw. For example, Cedarburg does allow yard signs, but has specific requirements about where you can post them. According to the town of Cedarburg's web site:

"Yard sale signs are allowed provided that no person shall attach posters, notices or advertisements to utility poles, meter posts, or trees in or along any street right-of-way within the Town and that no person shall put up any notice upon property of another person without having first obtained the consent of the owner of such property. The maximum time limit for all yard sale or estate sale signs is three consecutive days and nine cumulative days in a one-year period. Such signs may not exceed 10 square feet in area."

The city of Kenosha does not require a permit for yard signs, but they do have similar restrictions as Cedarburg.

In Prairie du Sac, the city only allows you to put up signs on private property (neighbor's yard etc.) According to one of our site users, Amber Hulett, "if you put the sign on anything publicly owned, they drive by and take your sign without ever telling you."

So, check with your community and/or homeowner association's sign-posting requirements before you stick that sign in the ground or on a pole. And don't forget to pick them up when your sale ends!

Now we want to hear from you. If you know what your community restrictions are for posting yard sale signs, please share by clicking the comments link below. (NOTE: Feel free to use the Name and URL option . . . you don't need to enter an URL. You can just type in your name and leave the URL field blank.) Thanks for sharing and enjoy!