Mr Home Budget In The Media

Interview On 5AA Radio In Adelaide About Mr Home Budget

5AA Radio
On the 2nd of Jan 2012 I talked on 5AA about credit cards, getting out of debt, saving money at the shops and just how much debt Australia is in.
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Amber Petty Interview with Mr Home Budget on 5AA

5AA
On the 18th Dec 2011 I was lucky to be interviewed by Amber Petty on home budgeting. We talked about the top three reasons why you should start getting out of debt now!
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How To Haggle With Mr Home Budget

Channel Ten News
Adam Goulding (Also known as Mr Home Budget) talks about how to haggle to get a better price. In Australia we don't tend to do it. However, it could be costing us a lot of money.
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Is That Your Best Price?

www.The Hoopla.com.au
By Rachel Smith and Pip Harry (With comments from Mr Home Budget)

Haggling. Is it embarrassing? Rude? Or just downright smart?

Blame the GFC or the rise of online shopping, but the practise once reserved for a sarong stall in Kuta is now booming at major department and chain stores. And as more and more Aussies dare to ask, "Is that your best price?", it seems haggling's here to stay.

About a third of us now price-match when we shop, says David Whiteman, director of product and marketing at Getprice.com.au.

"That means two thirds are missing out on saving money," he adds.

"Shoppers realise they now have the upper hand for two reasons – retailers are making fewer sales in the current economic climate, and the internet has made pricing completely transparent."

And much as we love the convenience of online shopping, it only represents about five percent of our dollars spent – and, dammit, haggling with a computer almost never works.

Plus, most of us are still suckers for that touchy-feely instant gratification; a need physical retailers are only too happy to feed. "When we're ready to buy, we usually want the product right there and then," agrees Whiteman. "Online plays a huge role in determining what people ultimately buy and where they buy it from. More than 50 percent of purchases are now influenced by online research. What physical stores do well is enable impulse purchasing."

Indeed. Nothing like stumbling across that perfect pair of shoes to shaken your I'm-not-buying-clothes-this-month resolve.

But, along with white goods, mortgages, cars and electronics, fashion is another area you can be sure of paying less, according to the bargain hunters we talked to.

"I recently had a reasonable discount applied to a high-end piece of designer clothing, just because the zip was coming unstitched at one end," remembers Michelle Bateman, former senior editor at Myer's Emporium magazine and blogger at The Modernity Project. "It was the type of thing you could easily fix at home but many retailers would prefer that you take the product off their hands before any more damage is done!"

Cyndie Bowen, 28, a health blogger at mademoiselleslimalicious.blogspot.com and hardened haggler, agrees. "A tiny scratch on some leather shoes, or the smallest stain on a silk dress, and I will ask if they can give me a discount," she says.

Bowen doesn't just negotiate with salespeople in clothing stores; she'll haggle at random.

"I like to bargain with travel agencies – I feel like they always want to rip you off to get higher commissions!" she says. "My best bargains were in my previous job as an office manager. I bargained for almost everything – mobile phone contracts, IT services, hardware, professional training courses. I saved the company several thousands of dollars in recruitment, too."

Beyond price reductions, there are other ways to sweeten the deal, too, says Adam Goulding, who's often called on to talk haggling tactics in his role as Mr Home Budget. "Why not ask if they can throw something extra in?" he suggests. "If you're buying a DVD player ask for a free DVD. Or ask for a free protective case to go with your new mobile phone. You never know if you don't ask."

Just over half of retailers will price match when asked, so it never hurts to try, says Bateman. "From a retailer's perspective, it makes sense to accept a degree of haggling because in the short term, it can help keep shoppers happy and in the longer term, it can keep them loyal."

Eight haggling dos and don'ts:

DO be polite A little humour, a little charm, even a little flirting can go much further with a salesperson than aggressive or forceful tactics. "Remember the old adage, 'You catch more flies with honey'? Well you're more likely to get what you want if you're polite about it," says Bateman.

DON'T haggle unprepared "Check price comparison sites like Getprice.com.au and visit retailer sites as well," says Whiteman. "The worst thing is not doing your research then asking for a price match on a product that is not identical or has hidden costs, like shipping. The retailer will have 20 reasons why their product is better than the one you're showing them."

DO whip out that smartphone "It's the best tool you have to check product specification in the store, and compare prices," says Whiteman. "Getprice has a handy mobile app to help you do just that.

Having proof of a lower price is a often a must. Stores like David Jones will only price match if they see the product advertised or have it confirmed by the store. Using your smartphone should only speed up the process and lessen the chance of haggling."

DON'T let on you adore the item Whether you're haggling over a handbag or a house, remain cool and detached from the process. Saying, "I LOVE those shoes, you're the only shop still stocking them!" is akin to getting your wallet out there and then. Good haggling phrases? "Great shoes, but they're above my budget"; "I'd love to buy this TV, but my wife would go mad if I paid that price", "I'd like to take this home today; what's the best price you can do?"

DO look for products on sale Retailers have given up on getting full price anyway, and they may be open to further discounting, especially if the sale is winding up. "Even if the product is already on sale, I'll ask for an additional five or 10 percent," says Bowen.

DON'T do it everywhere Much as we'd all like to demand a hefty discount on things like petrol, or groceries, don't try to apply a something-for-nothing philosophy to everything you buy. "But white goods outlets, carpet stores, clothing stores and nearly any service where a quote is given will certainly haggle over prices," says Goulding. "And any time you spend over $100 you should ask for a discount."

DO get over the taboo "Many people feel uncomfortable negotiating on prices as they see it as disrespectful," says Bowen. "Also, people don't want to appear as being 'tight arses', which is fair enough, but not a good way to save money!"

DON'T flog a dead horse If it's not happening, be prepared to walk away, says Bateman. "Work out your realistic 'walk-away' price before you begin – if the retailer can't discount as deeply as you'd like, you can politely thank them and leave, rather than getting caught up in the to-ing and fro-ing, which is often what seems the most awkward or embarrassing aspect of haggling."

Do you haggle in department stores and boutiques? Or is it a practice best left to markets in Morocco and Thailand?