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Posted Thursday, August 13, 2009 by Jackie Morgan MacDougall

I'm a creature of convenience. I sometimes suck down a bowl of cereal for dinner because it's easy. I avoid getting gas in my car for as long as I can because it requires too much effort. And I don't know how I lived before I had the ability to pay bills online and/or automatically.

But lately, I've found myself more aware of how much money I seem to spend, purely out of laziness. A recent article in Time magazine was kind enough to confirm that I'm not alone. There are many others just like me, spending more cash than necessary. But the truth is, we could all be rolling in the dough, with just a little extra effort. All it takes is a little insider knowledge. For example, did you know that sometimes you can ask for a sales price, even when the promotion is over? Or, you can even present expired coupons?

So... just for fun (because with three kids and a job, all I've got is spare time, right?), I began a little experiment to find how much money I was spending - and wasting - unnecessarily each month.

The answer... A LOT.

Beyond losing money by throwing snack packs into lunchboxes instead of buying bigger and rationing, it was my lack of action and attention that was costing me a small fortune; information not-so-gently communicated by my friend Michelle, the self-proclaimed queen of big deals. Michelle could talk Donald Trump into parting with his cash, if she had the opportunity. But daily, she sets her sights on the companies we're all familiar with.

Examples of some Michelle scores:

• She called her TV satellite company and got all of their movie channels for free for a year.

• After buying shoes on the Web, one of the straps broke. Not only did she return them to get new ones, the company gave her a $15 credit for her troubles.

• When she had trouble with her home DSL connection, not only did they send a technician to fix it, they compensated her with a free month of service.

• During every car-haggling experience at the dealership, she gets free oil changes for as long as she owns the vehicle. And, when she later had an issue with the Bluetooth installed, the company offered her a free auto detailing as an apology.

• She hasn't purchased a cell phone for as long as she can remember. The wireless company throws them in for free - even the expensive ones -- just for signing a new two-year contract.

Why does my friend get all of these perks? Simply -- because she asks for them. I was skeptical (and frankly a little scared) to try it myself. But check out all the money I saved, just by spending a little extra time and effort:

• Manager's Special: For those perishables you plan to consume immediately, many grocery chains offer great prices on items close to expiration. I brought a salad to a BBQ the other day, spending 65% less for it!

• Fun and Games: A major retailer was clearing out its toy department, offering 75% off on hundreds of toys. While I wasn't thrilled about buying toys when I didn't need them, some were marked so low, I could pay for them with the change jingling on the bottom of my purse. Plus, now I have items handy for school birthday parties, long car trips and occasional rewards.

• Room to Play: When getting a bid for home repairs the other day, I dared to ask, "Is that your best price?" You know what? It wasn't. He knocked several hundred dollars off, getting it much closer to our budget.

And when I was ready to move up to a bigger challenge, I gave my phone company a call. Ready for this? I discovered we could get a better rate on our home phone service, I was offered $200 in promotional credits, and even got a better rate on our cable and Internet. Plus, we realized that one of the fees we paid monthly for the past 15 months was actually incorrect and got all of that money back. While the call took a while (90 minutes) and I had to try to keep the kid craziness to a minimum so I could hear, I hung up over $400 richer!

But don't just pick up the phone and make demands. What I learned from my bargain-guru friend is that there are five key pointers to remember before jumping in.

Michelle's Top 5 Tips for Getting What You Want:

• Pay attention: Sometimes, we're overcharged. But if you're aware and let the store know, more often than not, they'll refund the entire amount and not just the difference in price. (Many stores have that policy, we just don't know about it.)

• Don't take no for an answer: When I meet someone who isn't interested in helping me, I either ask for a supervisor or call back again to talk with someone else.

• Ask for the retention department: There are employees at most companies whose job is to keep customers happy, by offering them promotions, credits or free items.

• Compare, compare, compare: If after making a purchase, you discover the same product elsewhere for less, go back and ask for a price adjustment. And if they say no? Return the item and buy the cheaper one.

• Attitude is everything: While you need to check fear at the door when looking for a bargain, it's important to always be polite. If you have trouble with a service or company, you'd be surprised what they're willing to do if you just ask "What can you do to compensate for this?" Demanding things and acting rude will work against you, respect goes a long way.

Believe me, try it out and you'll see - it works! The result of my experiment is that I no longer can turn a blind eye to this invigorating new discovery. While time remains limited and making calls with three little ones in the background can be a challenge (to say the least), I'm making the commitment to contact one company each week, inquiring about better rates and dropping unnecessary fees.

I suggest you do the same. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

Jackie Morgan MacDougall, on the never-ending quest for balance, enjoys life in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their three small kids. For more of her parenting observations, visit The Silver Whining.

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