This blog is all about bargains. Where to find ’em, some of my favorite bargaining hacks, and some (hopefully) funny stories.

So I was born of goodly parents. My dad was a great provider, but my mom was the real genius behind our budget. That woman could convince an Eskimo to sell her his gloves for a smile. And she’d ask for his boots too. I’m not exaggerating. Well, okay it wasn’t an Eskimo….

A number of years ago my mom and dad took all the married kids on a trip to Mexico. We would visit the street vendors every day to shop for trinkets and goodies to take home to our kids. On the first day my mom found a vendor she loved. He sold really beautiful handwoven rugs, coats, and purses. This is what the week sounded like:

Day 1

Vendor: “Hello pretty lady. Would you like a purse?”

Mom: “Yes. How much?”

Vendor: “400 pesos” (roughly $20)

Mom: “How about 100 pesos?”

Vendor: (with a sweet smile) “Okay, okay, for you I do 300 pesos”

Mom: (with an equally sweet smile) “Um, how about 100 pesos”

Vendor: (still smiling) “No, no. I can only do 250 pesos”

Mom: “Okay, thanks anyway. I think I saw a purse like it a few vendors down…”

Vendor: (no smile this time) “Wait. Okay, okay, 150 pesos”

Mom: “Oh thank you!”

I’m not making this next part up.

The next few days we went back to the same street fair and my mom would talk that poor guy down every. Single. Time. On day 5 of our trip he saw us coming and threw his hands up in the air and said, “Oh geez lady. Just tell me what you’re going to pay and take it!”

I may not be as bad as my mom, but I definitely got my bargaining genes from her! That’s what this little blog is all about: how to find and take advantage of some great bargains!

Enjoy!