Posts Tagged ‘tropical island’

After giving up my life in Tokyo and moving to the tropical island of Miyakojima, I have had a whole new household of items. Since I may be planning to move again after a year, Keeping everything to a minimum budget has been the main goal. Below are two of the methods that I have used to get better prices and save money. Using these methods I was able to buy a brand new car (2006 ford focus) and then sell it at $1000 under the blue book price a year later and still make $2000 on the sale.

One very easy way to save money is to NOT pay the marked price for products. Of course it is always best to purchase items that are on sale whenever possible. However, there are many items you have to purchase that may never go on sale. After working higher end sales for over 7 years (scuba diving store selling expensive equipment) and through my own purchasing, I have found that people who ask for discounts and better deals usually get a better price. But the thing that surprised me the most, is that it was usually the people who had a lot of money who would want a better deal. There are a number of ways to negotiate price, but two that I have found work very well, the sympathy method and the direct method.

The Sympathy Method

In order to make the sympathy method work you must spend a little more time with the salesperson and try and create a bond or relationship. Try to get all the information about the product and seem interested, but hesitant to purchase. Try to make your hesitation obvious by looking at the price, sighing, and by being silent for long periods of time. Let the salesperson know that you are interested, but that you hadn’t planned to spend that much money. At the same time try to be friendly and kind so the salesperson wants to help you.

The ideal situation is for the salesperson to offer you a better price. If he doesn’t, then ask if he can give you a better deal. Let him/her know you want to buy. Lastly, be willing to walk away. The ability to walk away gives you a lot of bargaining power. Especially if you have spent a lot of time with the salesperson, they will be more likely to offer you a better deal rather than lose the time they have spent.

The Direct Method

The direct method is a way to try and get the best deal while at the same time saving your time. The direct method works well for places that sell in high volume and especially where the salespeople are paid on commission. There are certain types of businesses (automobiles, furniture, etc) that plan on the customer bargaining for a better price. They may mark there products at full price or sometimes higher, but generally have a set percentage or price they are allowed to drop the price to. The trick is to find that mark. I generally recommend that you do the research to find out what other people are paying for the same or similar product.

Once you know the price you would like to pay (and that they can sell for), let the salesperson know. Say that you would like to save both of your time and help them make a quick sale. Ask them directly what’s the best price they are willing to give you. Always do this first since they may give you a better price than you will ask for. If they give you a higher price, then make an offer lower than what you had planned to achieve (you may get it). If you don’t, then it gives you some negotiating room to get your price. And the same as before, be willing to walk away. You can always go to their competitor and ask them to beat the price you were offered.

Additional tips

1. Look at overall value- If it’s a product that requires service or someplace where you shop often, then consider the knowledge and quality of service.

2. Do your research- A few hours of research on the internet can save you thousands of dollars and hours of time. This is especially true for cars.

3. Practice on small things to improve your skills and work your way up to large things

4. Buy before you need it- This makes it much easier to walk away and find a better deal

5. Set your budget- Salespeople are pros and getting you to upgrade. Setting your budget helps keep you from purchasing something you can’t afford. Either get a lower price or a better product at the same price.

6. Ask for things not for sell or display units. They will often go for cheap. I was able to purchase a brand new sofa for $50 by using this method.

7. Know when the sales and seasons are- why buy a swim outfit at the end of spring when it will be 60% off at the end of summer. Think ahead as much as possible.

Day 2 Started out with some heavy rain that seemed to get heavier every time I needed to get in or out of the car. Once in the car (and quite drenched) we headed to Guppi’s Shiatsu Massage. We had visited Guppi’s the first time we visited Miyakojima and Guppi had given us a lot of information on places to visit.

I kept in touch with him after we left and he offered to go with us to look at a apartments. Not only was he able to give us valuable information about the surrounding areas of each apartment and whether or not he thought they were worth it, but he also introduced us to more people and showed us some good places to eat.

Searching for an apartment

For anyone who is moving to a new location, having a good friend is invaluable. By day two, our friend Guppi had helped us search for an apartment, introduced us to a number of new people, showed us good places to shop, and had a number of appliances he wanted to get rid of that will save us from spending a lot of money. Not to mention the massage we got on the first day.

We looked at about a total of eight apartments and found one that we really liked. We decided to take it, but later realized the lower apartment has a dog. Since the idea was to really relax while we are here, we are going to look for another apartment.

When searching for a new apartment, and especially one in a new area, it is very helpful to make a list of the things that are important to you. Having a list will help you to quickly narrow down the list and also stop you from loosing focus on what’s important. Since the apartments here are quite different than what we were used to in Tokyo, it was easy to get excited about the size and forget about the location or price (things that are more important to me).

Adapt to the local situation

Once you get an understanding for the prices structure and quality you need to adapt to the local expectations. Apartments in Miyakojima go for far less than they do in Tokyo. Keeping the expectations of Tokyo would make it easy to be taken advantage of. The people are very honest here and it hasn’t been a problem at all, but in certain areas it most certainly could be. Lean the local conditions and adapt to them.

Know the general area

By visiting Miyakojima before hand we were able to see the layout of the island and could plan before hand where we hoped to live. Most of the housing is located in a tight small city and the rest of the island is basically farmland and forest. We are searching for a places just out of town, but close enough so we can walk to town if we want to save on gas. If you don’t have a chance to visit before you move, then I highly suggest getting to know some of the local people and ask them for advice.

It’s warm and raining again on day 3, but hopefully we will be able to find something today. I can’t wait to get out of this guest house. I have somewhat limited access to internet so I will post pictures once we move into our apartment.