Bargaining in our Culture

In our last Financial Peace University lesson "Buyer Beware", the discussion question was asked:

What phenomenon in our culture has caused people to stop finding good bargains?

We had many responses from the class, including the availability of credit cards and the wealth of our country. However, I believe there's more to it than that.

What I believe is the main resaon for our tendancy to stop bargaining for things is perception. What I mean is that society has taught us through commercials, tv, movies, etc. that "rich" people throw away money, often frivously. But do they? ForbesAutos.com did a report showing what the top 10 billionaires (bilionaires) in the world drive. The answers might surprise you.

To carry my idea further, the reason I believe Americans have stopped bargaining for deals is that since society believes the wealthy throw away money, the ability of one to spend money is perceived as one's worth, or value. Thus, to bargain for something would be to say "I can't afford this, so I need to pay less"...inferring that our value is less.

However, the correct assumption would be "I can afford this, but I don't think it's worth what you are asking for it."

Do you bargain for stuff? What types of things do you "never pay retail" for? What are some of the things you do to get a bargain?