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Do you receive discounts in the mail for certain department store, but then you get there and realize that you forgot the discount at home?  Happens to me ALL the time!  I usually realize it when I get to the cash register with the items in hand.  I then give out a disgusted-at-myself sigh and buy the items because it’s usually what I need and I don’t have time to come back and search for them again. It is especially frustrating when I realize the amount of money I could have saved.

So what do you do?

Well, last night my hubby took me shopping at Kohls.  It was Mother’s Day and he arranged for a babysitter so we could leisurely shop without worrying about which child was going to have a meltdown.  We had found some items and as I calculated the amount in my head (and in my clothing envelope) there was a part of me that just wanted to put my loot back because I hate to spend money…on myself.

Instead I noticed the 20% off todays purchase sign (if you open a charge card).  I had an idea.  I found a young male cashier, put my items on the counter and with a smile I said, “I don’t really want to open up a credit card, but could I get the 20% discount?”  He gave me a smile and explained that he couldn’t access that discount because of some connection with the credit check….but he could give me 15% off.

AWESOME!

All I had to do was ask nicely.  And then thank him (and tell him that was so nice of him to do that for me) after he offered.

Have you ever thought of that?  Just ask for a discount?  I do on really BIG purchases, but it never occurred to me to do it on the little ones too.  Try it and let me know how it works!