I know. Seems obvious right?

I have been coveting a KitchenAid mixer for years. Seriously, the only reason to get married is to put one on your registry. That whole husband thing is optional.

Since I’ve been making bread at home, I’ve been really interested in buying one. But I don’t think I want to pay for one retail. They go for $300! No way. I know that a lot of people *think* they want a stand mixer as a wedding present, but then do not actually use them. So the stand mixer is one of the first things to get sold when a couple needs to make more cash.

I’ve been selling my extra hockey tickets on Stubhub, I planned out my sales based on the extra cash I would need to buy a mixer. During February, I sold two pairs of premium tickets. (Penguins fans are COMPLETE SUCKERS.) The money off the Penguins game alone was $146.20. I also sold a pair of Flyers tickets for about $70. Deducting the cost of my tickets, I made enough to buy a stand mixer if I negotiated the price right.

It took a month for Stubhub to deliver both checks properly. (One was misdelivered and the reissue took forever.) That gave me time to cruise the prices of mixers on Craigslist. I could find used mixers for $50-200. But I could also find unopened wedding presents for $150! I made a lowball offer for $120 last week and picked one up for $130 over the weekend.

The only caveat here is that I didn’t know there was a 4.5 qt Classic model. I was actually looking for a 5 qt Artisan (instead of the 6 qt Professional). I ended up with a white Classic model instead. But that’s ok. My boyfriend wanted a red one to match his kitchen, so we figure the white one can be our test run. If we like it and use it, we’ll sell it and upgrade to the 6 qt model in the future. And maybe get the meat grinder and pasta roller attachments. (Ain’t we got fun?) In the end, I saved about $70 because brand-new Classic models go on Amazon for about $190-$200.

I’ve been pretty good lately about not buying stuff when I don’t need it. The only splurges have been hockey tickets, but at least I can sell those at a premium if I must. (Round 1, Game 2 playoff tickets are going up on Stubhub soon.) Heck, if I have to, I can sell the mixer too.

Making Money So I Can Buy Stuff is a post from: Mapgirl's Fiscal Challenge

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This weekend, at the fish market, I made an observation to my boyfriend. I only bargain in Korean. I usually do not try to bargain in English. I feel like overtures for bargaining or asking for a discount are more well-received in Korean. The only other group I try to bargain with are other immigrants. Is it because I think that they come from a culture that also bargains?

I always get a discount now at the Korean dry cleaning store near my house and I tell boyfriend that next time we go to fish market in DC, I want to check the stall with Koreans first. Even though there were places that might have better fish, I’d like to get a good deal too.

So what about you? When do you bargain? Do you use another language? Do only do it in marketplaces or inside formal stores too?

Bargaining: Is it a Cultural Thing? is a post from: Mapgirl's Fiscal Challenge

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