Put on Your Best Gram and GO GET 'EM!

It's one thing to negotiate, bargain, wheel-and-deal with merchants at a flea market or a swap meet.  But it's another to try and haggle with a salesperson at a store like Gap or J. Crew.  It's one thing to ask for a few dollars off of a plate that has a crack or pants with a broken zipper.  It's something totally different to ask for money off of a perfectly fine purse that you think may be too expensive.

Well, not to my Gram.  She's the Queen of Horse Trade.  And she's not afraid to bargain for those things that are perfectly fine, may be too expensive, but she just has to have.  It's a running joke in our family whenever we run into the situation above.  You know what I mean, right?  You find a particular something at the store, something's wrong with the item and you ask the manager or clerk for a deal.  I want these pants, but the zipper's broken.  What can you do for me?  My mom said it best recently.  "Put on your best Gram and go get 'em!"

Do you ever have that moment while shopping, when you find something you absolutely need, are attracted, can't stop thinking about and is such a GREAT deal that you will definitely regret not buying it if you walk away?


My sister and mom recently made a short trip down to Indianapolis to visit me and see where I live and work.  The day involved talking, eating, more talking and, of course, a shopping trip to several of our favorite stores.
And that shopping moment happened to Joslynn while were in T.J. Maxx.  She found some suede, thigh-high,   buff-colored boots she just could not forget.  However, they had a blue pen mark on toe.  After a while, she decided, to ask the clerk for some money off of the boots when we went to check-out.


So, she did just so.  She got up and courage and just asked.  The clerk told her that she would need to talk to her manager.  She left and went to talk to the manager and came back with her answer.  "My manager will take $1.00 off."  Well, Joslynn wasn't satisfied with that, so she walked out of the store empty-handed.

We had several other stops that day, but we just kept hearing about how much she loved those boots.  "We just might have to go back and get them.  I will check back home and see if the T.J. Maxx in South Bend or Mishawaka has the same boots.  Even better, they won't have pen on them."  On the way home, her search continued.  They stopped in Kokomo and, when they returned home, she looked in Mishawaka and called the store in South Bend.  NO luck.

Fast forward to this morning at 9:30.  My sister calls and wants to know if I will go back to T.J. Maxx and see if they still have her beloved tan boots.  Sure, I can do that.  "Jess, can you ask for money off, too?  I want them either way, but see if they will give you some money off."

Her message was clear.  PUT ON YOUR BEST GRAM AND GO GET 'EM! And I did just that.

I found the boots (the same one with the pen mark), marched straight to the check-out line, schmoozed a little and then confidently stated to Latoysha the T.J. Maxx Clerk, "I want these boots, but they have a large pen mark on the toe.  Can I get 10% off?"

Latoysha the Clerk replied, "Let me ask my manager, the woman of the hour."  She turns, "Miss Thompson, she wants these boots, but they have a pen mark.  She wants 10% off."

I interject, "Miss Thompson, someone told me you are the woman of the hour," with a small chuckle and twinkle in my eye.

Miss Thompson smiles and laughs to herself.  "How did I get that notoriety?  Sure, we can do 10% off."  She promptly reprices the item, I pay Latoysha and walk out of the store victorious.  And my sister, of course, is THRILLED.

This is a long and detailed story to simply tell you that I have inherited the same gene that is seemingly ingrained in Gram.  The strand of DNA that names me Dicker Princess (although, I'm sure I can come up with a better name for myself).

Moral of the story?  Always say exactly what you want.  You will get better than $1.00 off -- 10, 15 and, on a lucky day, 25% off.

But an even more funny lesson that I learned or just observed is this:
Despite the fact that I have several characteristics of some family members that I dislike and sometimes even border on being resentful, I also inherited money-saving, bargain-hunting, horse trading skills that make me SUCCESSFUL on something even as simple as a shopping trip.

So I say to you, go out into your world and PUT ON YOUR BEST GRAM!!!