Negotiating the terms and conditions of a transaction is well known as ‘Bargaining’.
Now, this term has different perspectives. One can think it’s cheap, one can think its waste of time.
But bargaining is part of life!
You bargain with your kids on completing some chores.
You bargain with your clients on some deliveries.
You bargain with your realtor while buying a property.
Let me tell you how I was introduced to bargaining.
When I was young, my dad used to take me along to one of the largest and vibrant markets of Bengaluru on his Bajaj scooter, the good old KR market.
This was our go-to place for vegetables and flowers. Visiting this market as a kid was an ordeal for me.
To get to this place, he woke me up early at around 5 30 AM.
To get to this place I had to sit in the pillion seat for 10KM (big deal 20 years ago)
To get to this place, I had to surrender my face to the chilly winds of Bengaluru and let the wind dry up my lips and throat.
With all this effort reaching the market did not end my ordeal.
Once we reached, dad roamed around getting a glimpse of the things being sold. The market being huge, one can imagine the slowly developing pains in my legs.
To buy these things he would visit many vendors and compare the prices. You would think that he will buy at this point and you cannot be more wrong!
He would argue with the vendors to his best efforts on the price point and then walk away.
He would do this just to make vendors call out to him and offer the best price. If they did not, he would continue till he decided what’s the best price that he can pay. By this time, my legs would be numb, and I would pressurize him to buy at any price. He never caved and used to say, “You will only realize the value of money when you start earning. Every penny matters”.
#MyPointOfView
This digital era might have changed the market and the methods. But the way of leading life comes from your roots. You still compare prices across websites and then place an order.
Today, I completely agree with him. I started realizing the value of money after I started earning.
It doesn’t mean you can’t afford those few extra rupees or that you are a miser. It only teaches you to never settle and that you always deserve better!
