Consumers Unite!! Rule #1

We as American people need to take our power back as consumers. If you've never given your power away as a consumer then this post isn't for you. For everyone else, we give corporations, retailers, "da man", "the machine", whatever you want to call it, too much control on how we spend our money.

Rule #1 EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE. I repeat, EVERYTHING IS NEGOTIABLE. Anything, anywhere, anytime. If you've never done it before, start out small...negotiate the price of a DVD at your local retailer. Know that in business and in everyday life negotiating is very normal. Only negotiate with the decision maker. If the sales associate does not have the power to lower the price then you're speaking with the wrong person, go to the manager.

A few key things to know about negotiating...1) information is power (be informed on the item/service you are negotiating, such as understanding its fair price), 2) When buying, hit'em low (below the price you're willing to pay), and vice versa when selling, hit'em high (higher than the price you're willing to sell).

Have you ever called your electric, cable service, or any provider to negotiate lower pricing? Try it out, it works!! Example: I just lowered my electricity bill today from 14.9 cents per kw to 11.9 cents per kw. How did you do that? I asked. Know that no one is going to call you and say hey we want to lower your bill today. Not gonna happen. You have to ask. What's the worse they could say?