The Power of Negotiating

By Marketing Specialist, Alina Murcar

I'm almost 25 years old (hello quarter-life-crisis) and am just now understanding the beauty of negotiating. I've been living in my one-bedroom apartment for over a year and it's given me a new appreciation for finding deals whenever I can.

What I've noticed it comes down to is most people just don't know how much negotiating power they actually have, let alone when to utilize it. So here are my most successful negotiating hacks I've found this past year:

1. Internet: I called my current internet provider and told them I was searching around for the best deals - wanting to keep the same internet speed but keeping within my tight budget. Not only did my payment not increase, it actually DECREASED by $10/month from what I was paying the previous year simply because I made the request in a certain way.
2. Rent: I pay my rent in cashier's checks every month (guaranteed funds) and always make my payments on time. These two actions are incredibly valuable to landlords - they want to keep good tenants around! When they offered me another year lease with a 3% payment increase, I responded listing these two actions and asked for only a 1.5% increase instead. And that's all it took - they accepted the offer and I'm signed for another year at a great price and place!
3. Repeat Customer: If you pay for a service on a regular basis, especially from a local company, don't be afraid to ask for a "frequent flyer" discount. You'll be surprised how often they'll agree to it. After all, you are paying for their service instead of going somewhere else.
4. Insurance: Some insurances have special programs you can participate in to qualify for special discounts. I know this isn't a negotiating power per se, but it's a great reminder for those hoping to renew their insurance soon.

The list above, along with other more obvious negotiating places like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, are some life hacks I've experienced while living alone and facing the world of payments, payments and....more payments.

Happy negotiating!