Haggling and Confidence.

Yesterday, I went to Hidalgo to get my borrowed lens fixed. I took a yaya with me, which is hypocritical because I often scold people who can't commute alone.

Anyway, I took Ate A. with me because she can haggle like a pro, and I am crap at haggling. You'd think that coming from a third world country, where every peso counts, I'd have learned how to haggle by now.

So we went to the first repair stall we could find and gasp! 1800 Pesos! I had it reduced to Php1500 because it was all I brought with me (I am seriously broke nowadays) and Hidalgo only transacts with cash. Manong said that he'd assess the damage first, and we'd have to return in the afternoon.

After we left the stall, Ate A. told me that I shouldn't have accepted the amount, and I should have gone to other stalls to canvass. She's right. I should have. Perhaps the excitement of haggling off 300 pesos got me accepting the deal.

I left Ate A. in Quiapo so that I could meet Papa for lunch. I gave her the receipt and the money.

A few hours later, she called me to say that the damage was more than Manong anticipated, and the price would need to rise to 2000 Pesos.

I wanted to throw a tantrum. It's not that I can't afford 2k. It's just that I'm taking money off my savings. I already got past my limit. Fortunately, the amazing Ate A. told me not to worry.

Once I got home, Ate A. was already there. She told me that the price remained at 1500 pesos, and she would be the one to go back to Hidalgo to get the lens and pay for it.

How did she do it? She whipped up some drama about me breaking the lens by accident (true) and having to pay for it using all of my savings (not true); about me coming from Mindanao(true), not knowing about the ways of the city (not true) blablabla.

Eventually, Manong took pity and agreed on 1.5k.

I wish that someday, I would gain enough confidence to haggle like Ate A. does. I'm a non-confrontational person (meaning I'm too nice), and I get uncomfortable when it comes to money. As with the Hidalgo incident, I don't mind paying more money than necessary. I guess that living in a place where poverty is rampant has made me think that my money can be of better use in other people's hands; so I do things like paying the regular fare instead of the student fare in jeepneys, giving loans to people whom I know can't pay it back, etc.

But that's wrong.

Everyone in Quiapo bargains, and I shouldn't feel uncomfortable doing it no matter how outrageous the price cut is. I should peg Nora Aunor or Vilma Santos and cry in front of Manong to reduce 2000 pesos in half.

I'm not earning now, but my parents are doing a good job of telling me the difference between the things they are willing to spend on (needs) and the things they don't think I need (wants). I save my money to accommodate my wants (like my camera and my iPod). And since I don't have a credit card, my savings is also my emergency money. The bottom line is my savings consists of my own money and it is there through my own effort. I shouldn't feel guilty if I turn down requests for loans if I know the loaner cannot pay. I should pay the student fare as long as I am a student. I should haggle like crazy to get a bargain.

I am graduating soon, and I don't want to be too dependent on my family. I would have to make financial choices, go on business ventures, and scrimp a lot just to get the things I want. I should be practicing on how to be frugal without being greedy, how to be smart about investing (blue chips vs. pennies), and how to get rid of the guilt I feel whenever I buy something expensive knowing that other people are starving.