The advantages of moving away from credit and committing yourself to making purchases with cash are relatively easy to spot. The most obvious of these benefits is the fact that you will begin to live within your means while paying off your debts instead of overextending yourself and adding to them.
This gives you more to spend on what really matters and allows you to build your long-term investment in ways that debt-saddled consumers cannot.
That is reason enough to "go cash"; there are other reasons to make the transition to cash. One of them is the fact that cash still has more "clout" than does credit. When you are making your purchases with cash, you have the opportunity to negotiate better deals. That puts more money in your pocket (or allows you to spend more on paying down your debt).
If you go cash, you can get better deals. In order to make that happen, however, you need to learn the "tricks of the trade".
"That starts by developing basic negotiation skills. One of the best ways to do that is to practice whenever and wherever you can. Get into the habit of asking for better deals and prices every time you make a purchase with cash. You might start piling up unsuccessful attempts and rejections, but it will definitely prepare you to take the initiative in terms of saving money."
You will then move to learning how to identify the best potential cash bargains. When you see these "great deal in the making", you will want to start trying to find ways to structure "win-win" deals. Cash does talk, but it cannot turn a bad deal into a good one for either party. You need to look for windows of opportunity where you can get a better deal and the person with whom you are doing business can benefit, too.
When you do spot those chances, make it clear that you are prepared to make your purchase with 100% cash and specifically ask for a discount because of it.
Do not be afraid to float the idea. You are not going to leverage your cash perspective by keeping it a secret!
When negotiation starts in earnest, you can use any of many negotiating tactics. Find an approach that works for you and that applies to the situation.
Tactics are only part of the story, though. You will also want to rely on your own personal experience when trying to reach a deal.
Do not be deterred if your first effort does not produce the result you wanted.
If the seller's response to your invitation is not what you expected, you always have the option of walking away from the deal. Alternatively, you can come back with another option, trying to find some way to make it all work. In most cases, you will be able to do just that. Remember, however, that some of the best business decisions in history belong to those who walked away from deals that may have hurt them had they forged ahead.
Look, it would be worth making the move away from credit toward cards even if cash did not have the extra benefit of producing bargain opportunities. The fact that you can negotiate better deals with cash than with credit is just another perk of the "credit to cash" transition.
The fact that the negotiating value of cash is not the primary reason to change your habits does not, however, mean that you should disregard its value.
In many circumstances, you can save a great deal by asking for a cash discount and/or negotiating form a position of power due to your inability to make an immediate cash purpose.
While good negotiating is an art form best learned over time based on experience, it is possible to improve your skills with practice, research and the willingness to follow a systematic blueprint to better cash negotiating.
As is so often the case, practice makes perfect! And perfect practice makes things even better. Learn the right ways to cut a great deal using cash and make them a regular part of your behavior as consumer.
