Whether times are good or bad, everybody likes a bargain. The only problem is, what exactly is a bargain?
To me, things that are discounted can be considered a bargain. But then, of course, the higher the discount, the better the bargain ;) However, how excited am I towards the different numbers to the discounts??
Less 10%... "ok, it's probably going to be discounted further. We'll wait and see"
Less 20%... "it's probably a good time to get it now... if we need it"
Less 30%... "we should really think about it. If we miss this, we will need to pay a higher price for it in future"
Less 40%... "That's a really good price... considering what it was worth before..."
Less 50%... "We really need it now. We sure can make use of it somewhere"
Less 80%... "We might not need it now but we can buy it and keep it for the future... I'm sure we'll need it one day"
Less 90% or more... "Just grab it first, we can just give it to someone who needs it!"
Well, that's me, generally, with many things...
In case you are wondering on the possibilities of things getting to be discounted by 90% or more... I'm sharing my Mom's idea of a bargain with you...
Less 10%... "that's no difference from the original price"
Less 20%... "hmmm... ok. So, that's discounted already? When's the next drop in price?"
Less 30%... "Ok, I'll think about it..."
Less 40%... "I guess it's worth buying now..."
Less 50%... "That's quite a good deal... isn't it?"
Less 80%... "So, am I really going to make full use of it?"
Less 90%... "I don't care what it is. Just buy it now and work it out later"
It might not be surprising for bargain hunters but over time, these are the bargains that Mom hunted down...
RM10 for a set of dining table+6 chairs (Usual RRP RM 500+)... still brand new and wrapped in original casing after 2 years!
RM10 for an Ikea trolley on wheels (Usual RRP about RM 80)
RM0.20 each for Snoopy melamine forks (Usual RRP RM 5.90)
I'm sure there are more but I just cannot get them into my head now. The above should give you an idea, somehow.
The thing is, when it comes to bargain hunting, we all have different point of view. I was once invited to go on a shopping spree with my ex-colleagues which was supposedly meant to be a bargain and I bought nothing. Branded outfits at a huge discount and branded perfumes at 'cheap price' is not my idea of a bargain.
My best achievement in bargain hunting so far? It was during Uni days in Sydney when I managed to get a brand new, out of the box Ikea wardrobe and a brand new, out of the box Ikea writing table at AUD$5 each. Now, that's what I truly call a bargain!
p/s: the above illustration, is really looking more at our 'wants' than our 'needs'. Of course, when it comes to basic necessities like food, we can't really wait til it's 90% off the original price, can we?
