THE TALE OF GETTING A GREAT BARGAIN!

Getting a great deal on anything is always such a rewarding feeling!

This past weekend, I think we made out purdy darn good.

I had been eyeballing this particular patio dining set at Lowe's for several months. Just lookin' . . . .

Photo from Lowe's "Life Outside" 2010 Catalog

Photo from Lowe's "Life Outside" 2010 Catalog

We've been planning to do a patio right off the deck for, well, years now. And as is the way with most big projects we want to do, something else takes priority, either in time-sense or finances.

Our original plan was to to do a modest brick-paver patio ourselves. However, Hubby's leaning more toward doing a stamped concrete patio. So, because of the greater expense of this type of patio, I'm still waiting . . . hoping by the end of this season we'll git 'er done.

If you've never seen stamped concrete, below are some image examples I found on the web.

web-found photo

web-found photo

web-found photo

Anywho, back to the patio set. I figured when, and if, we ever get that patio in, we will absolutely need a new set. Or I'll move the lounge set on the patio and have the dining set on the deck. Haven't quite worked out the particulars on all that just yet.

Well, the set I had been watching went on sale. Yes!!! I wish I could remember the full, regular price of the whole set. I do remember just the table alone was $200.

The sale price of the table went down to $112, and the sale price for the set of four chairs was now $261.

Not bad!

We could justify paying that price - $373 for a nice table and chairs with cushions.

This past Saturday we decided was the day we'd run to Lowe's to get it. As we're walking in, there's a woman loading up that very set in her truck. The table was unassembled in a box, but she had the four chairs already put together. Of course, I'm thinking, "Oh no! She's buying the last set of chairs off the floor".

I was panicking!

We walked, quite quickly mind you, to the outdoor furniture section, I see the table sitting there, all alone, no chairs. My heart about sunk. Could it be we were literally minutes too late from buying the perfect patio set I'd been looking at for weeks now?

Once we reached the outdoor furniture area, and started looking around, low and behold (hear the choir of angels singing???) there was another one of the sets all set-up as a second floor display. I quickly plopped myself down in one of the chairs to stake my claim while Hubby looked around for another one of the sets maybe still boxed up.

Negative.

That was possibly THE last one. I then went on the search for a sales associate. I wanted that set!!!

The sales associate, nice guy, told us that was the last set of chairs. They had a few more tables unassembled and boxed, but that was it for the chairs. We asked if we could just load up that whole set . . . table, chairs and all . . . no need to leave another assembled table on the sales floor with no chairs, right? "Absolutely", says the sales guy.

After we loaded everything up and are wheeling our way to the register, the nice sales guy stops us and quietly tells Hubby, "Ya know, if you tell them at the check-out that this was the last set and a floor model, they may just knock some more off the price". WooHoo!!!

Thanks for that reminder, sales guy. That's one of those "practices" for getting discounts on items, like open bags of mulch/soil . . . dented, slightly damaged appliances . . . garments missing buttons . . . etc.

Hubby was not so sure he wanted to do that.

What'ya ka-ra-zee??? I'm thinking.

What's the worst that can happen? They can say "Sorry, we don't discount sale items".

Well, guess he got his nerve up - tee hee - and just happened to mentioned to the register lady that it was the last set and the floor model, and would there be a chance of any additional discount. And, in all honesty, there were a few teeny tiny miniscule nicks in the paint, and I can't even imagine how many different butts have plopped on those cushions. "Oh . . . okay, let me ask my manager", replied the register lady.

Now, I'm thinking any additional discount would be nice. Even 10 percent, right? She gets off the phone and says, "Manager said to discount the set an additional 25 percent".

Twenty-five percent???!!!!

WOO HOO!!! A huge score for us! That was a savings of 94 MORE dollars, bringing the cost of the set to $279.75. Remember, I don't remember the full, original price of the set except the table was $200 before being marked down.

My purtiful, new patio set . . . TAA DAA . . .

The moral of the story, do whatever you can to save a buck. Don't be afraid to ask. Now, I'm hoping if we wait until the very end of the season, maybe we can get a little better price on the patio.

We'll see! ;o)

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