Allotment haggling

[watervole]

Started as I mean to go on...

I've obviously spent too much time reading http://moneysavingexpert.com/    I'm far more willing to haggle than I used to be.

It's almost too late to plant raspberries, but not quite impossible.  This also means that the garden centres have precious few canes left and they aren't in the best of condition.  The ones down the local garden centre were priced at £1.20 and didn't look terrible happy.

I offered them £4 for the lot.  We settled on £4.50.

So, I have nine canes that look as though they will live, though not all will fruit this year, and a couple that may/may not live thrown in for good luck.

Comments

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Nice work! Someone else was telling me the other day how he'd haggled down some stuff at a garden centre here, too, and I had to admit that I'm not sure I'd even dare to try. :-)

[watervole.livejournal.com]

A year ago, I probably wouldn't have. I'd just have looked, dithered, decided they were too expensive for the condition they were in and left them.

As it is, I've gained some raspberries at a price I'm willing to take the risk of them not fruiting this year, and the garden centre sold some stock they would probably have had to throw away in a month's time.

It helps that it's a local garden centre and I visit several times a year and it's mostly run by the owners. Means that we know each other's faces and I find it easier to make a friendly offer to someone who gives me advice on fertiliser, etc.

I'd have found it harder in one of the large national chains, though I think I'd still have tried. (I haven't yet got to the stage where I have the nerve to haggle on stuff that is in good condition)