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Our theme for today’s podcast is haggling and negotiating. The first guest in today’s Consumerism Commentary Podcast is Herb Cohen, author of You Can Negotiate Anything and adviser to Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Herb speaks about the experiences that led to his work in high profile negotiations and offers tips for everyday haggling based on these experiences.

Also appearing in today’s Podcast is Teri Gault, author of Shop Smart, Save More and creator of The Grocery Game. Teri Gault proved listeners with specific advice for negotiating in retail stores and finding the best coupons online.

 

To listen, use the player above (Adobe Flash required), download the podcast here, subscribe to the podcast RSS feed, or use the iTunes link. Note: open links in a new window (Ctrl-click or Command-click) to avoid interrupting the podcast.

[00:00] Introduction from Flexo
[00:51] Interview with Herb Cohen
[01:27] Herb Cohen’s history as a negotiator
[04:46] Herb’s work as an adviser to Presidents Carter and Reagan
[12:33] Understanding the needs of both parties
[20:30] The right mentality for haggling
[23:31] Interview with Teri Gault
[23:45] The Grocery Game
[24:07] Negotiating with store employees
[25:14] Using leverage
[28:40] Uncommon places for negotiation
[31:48] Haggling with professionals
[32:58] Teri’s favorite haggling story
[34:29] Finding coupons online
[36:54] End

We always welcome feedback from listeners. If you have any comments for this episode or for any other, or if you have suggestions for future episodes, please leave us comments here or email us at podcast at this domain name.

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I received a notice in the mail the other day reminding me to renew my roadside assistance service from AAA. For the last several years, I have been a member of AAA “Plus,” which offers the standard service and extra distance for free towing. I’ve decided to downgrade to the standard AAA plan. Before owning my current car, I could make a case for being a member at the higher level.

Despite the Plus membership’s higher price of somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 a year, every year until owning my current car, the service has paid for itself in car service alone. That’s no longer an issue, so I’ll be renewing my membership at the basic level. I’ll still receive useful roadside assistance and be eligible for the same discounts from a number of companies.

I could cover the basic membership yearly fee of about $50 in discounts alone. Here are some of the deals I can take advantage of:

* 10% off at Circuit City with a number of restictions.
* 6% off at Dell.
* 10% off at Target.com (online only).
* 20% off on movie tickets.
* 15% (up to $50) off of Magellan GPS units when shopping online and 5% off at BarnesAndNoble.com.

A full list of savings is available at AAA’s savings website.

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