Bargain hunting

Bargain hunters. [Photo credit: Uncle Harry]

The internet is supposed to make things easy. It’s supposed, in  the words of one of my favourite quotes, to allow you to “do different things instead of just doing the same things differently”. Don’t you believe it.

My epiphany moment came on Thursday somewhere between the automatic renewal of my Norton subscription and the day’s main event – seeing whether I could get a better deal on car insurance.

I’d been planning to review my security/ backup arrangements, but Norton pipped me at the post. Slightly aggrieved, I went to the Norton website where I discovered that the advertised price was ten quid less than what they’d charged.

Strongly aggrieved, I contacted Norton and within a few minute Prasad (new best friend) had offered me a 40% discount and an extra 6 months subscription.

That’s when it struck me. My mind went back to the days open markets and a man  doing an astonishing balancing-cum-juggling act with a set of dinner plates –

“Now I’m not asking a hundred pounds, I’m not asking fifty pounds,  I’m not even asking twenty pounds … and I tell you what – I’ll throw in a complete set of tea plates for nothing …”

It’s the same thing – but without the entertainment – the best bargains are still available to the sharp-eyed, the sharp elbowed, the sharp-witted and the people who are prepared to haggle.

Emboldened, I went on to knock 20% of my car insurance (without having to change provider) and 56% off my breakdown insurance (for the same level of cover).

Postscript:

Savings on breakdown insurance were made by switching to a company called AutoAid, which I hadn’t heard of before, but which has rave reviews on the MoneySavingExpert Website.