I have seen quite a few videos recently on the topic of bargaining at street/small vendors. Today, I have seen another video on Facebook. A couple goes to a coconut vendor to buy a coconut. The wife bargains the coconut which the husband does not like it. Another situation, giving the tip to the food delivery guy and here again, the wife insists not to give the tip. Finally, the husband decides to teach her the lesson. They go to a fancy restaurant and the husband starts bargaining the food at the restaurant. The wife feels embarrassed and the husband teaches her the lesson. At the end of the video, he said that he never had money to donate and he sees this (not bargaining at small vendors and tips for food delivery guys) as a micro-donations and he requests everyone to do so…

Now take a pause and thinking about it before you read my thoughts on it……

I grew up in a situation where bargaining was necessary. Every rupee that we save from bargaining would give me food for another day. My mother and I used to go to buy clothes for myself. The price of a dress for me used to be 2000 bucks. After bargaining, We finally end up buying it at 200 or 250 bucks. Think about it…. where is 200 or 250 bucks and 2000 bucks? 10% of it. 2000 rupees were one and half month salary for my mother.

Wait… I know what you are going to say… “No one asks the poor to buy at high prices or not to bargain… Follow only If you think you have at least a little more money than the basic needs”

But this is the actual problem… People who have money, spend everything they want without any issues or bargaining. Do you think the shopkeepers keep their products for the poor to bargain? They would sell it to people who can buy at high prices. They would not allow to bargain or not more than to some extent. This is what makes the poor poorer. People who could eat twice a day can eat only once a day. Take the previous example of the dress price from 2000 to 200 bucks. If we did not get it in our greatest budget of 300 to 400 bucks then I had to roam around naked (obviously not :P). But I would not have the uniform and would not be able to go to school for sure. Think about this in other situations like vegetables, milk, rent, groceries, medicines, school fees, uniform, clothes, etc., etc.,

Who would buy at street/small vendors? It is the poor or middle class families. My first question would be if you are concerned about them then why would you even go to that fancy restaurant? There are better options like stop spending on luxury, super markets, online home deliveries and buy from locals, feed someone, educate someone, donate for medication etc.,

I am not asking you to bargain for everything or to follow the other options above. This is my opinion and I want to bring this perspective in people as I have faced this situation. Everything has many angles and different consequences. Try to think before making the decision or at least before asking a whole lot of people to follow something.