Bartering is not my thing. It gives me anxiety to think about offering a price for something other than the price requested even when I know it's higher than it should be. When we traveled to India back in 2006 we were told to barter otherwise we would pay a lot more than the actual price. I couldn't do it. My only successful attempts were when I really didn't want the item anyway: I would start walking away and they would keep lowering the price. One shop we went into had these amazing handcarved wooden products. We bought so many to bring home without asking for a significant price reduction (actually, didn't really ask for one at all) that, I'm sure out of his compassion for ignorant/dumb tourists, he threw in a couple of freebies.
At one point in my life I remember thinking I wanted to try to barter a price at a yard sale we stopped at, and so I did. I offered a lower price, to which the woman (who was in charge of the whole thing) looked at me as if I was crazy and responded a simple, "No." So I handed over what she originally asked and bolted out of there (urging Luke to move faster) before launching into a 30 minute discussion about whether or not the woman thought I was a total cheapskate, was I a cheapskate?, I didn't mean to offend, I hope we don't ever run into her on the streets, I don't think I'm a cheapskate, do you think I am a cheapskate? (Luke: No, of course not...) and so on.
Needless to say, poor Luke had a lot of reassuring to do that morning, and I have never asked for a lower price at a yard sale since.
Recently however, we were all gathered around for soup and salad at lunchtime, and I saw a glimmer of confident bartering in myself that seems to have emerged from the ashes.
Tyler wanted to have a popsicle (or "ice lolly" if you are in England). We make them out of a fruit smoothie mixture, and they have been a hit so far. I wanted him to take a couple more bites of his lunch before the lolly, and knowing he is quickly developing a set of negotiating skills that could make for a long drawn out process, I aimed my requirements high.
Me: You can have your lolly after you have 5 bites of salad.
He immediately caught on that this number was a bit higher than is normally sufficient, he matched me with a low ball figure.
Tyler: How about I take 2 bites.
And the responses after that came together like a perfectly cut key to a greased lock.
Me: Well, you'll need to eat more than 2. I'll make it 4, but you'll need to start eating those bites right now to keep that offer.
Tyler: How about I take 2 bites.
Me: No, 2 is too low. Your body will barely make any profit on that amount of vegetable consumption. Think about all the energy and calories used just to chew the salad. You need at least a little extra to live on. Here's what I'll do. I can bring it down to 3 bites, but that's my final offer. That's as low as I can go. 3 bites and then the ice lolly is yours. What do you say?
Tyler: Okay, I will do 3 bites and then I get one ice lolly?
Me: That's right. You really couldn't get a better deal if you tried.
Tyler: Okay Mommy. That sounds like a good one.
And the bartering deal was sealed. Victory! Maybe it's time to take another trip to India...or make sure we have a back-up supply of ice lollies, once those bartering chips are gone I am stuck.
