Most people are very reluctant to bargain for better deals, they feel it makes them seem like a miser and a cheapskate. Bargaining doesn't mean being a high pressure customer every bit as noxious as a high pressure salesman, it means trying to see if you can get better value.

When you want to buy a sofa, you can often secure a better price by asking a simple question like "and how much if we buy a footrest as well?" If it is one of those 6 months interest free deals, "how much if we get it today and pay cash?" Before you go, ask friends and family if there is anything they want, "how much if we buy two?" always works wonders. As well as that I have also found that the majority of retailers will be more than happy to undercut a competitor's price by a token amount on the same item. Sometimes they can't, if the other special is a genuine liquidation, but it is worth a try anyway.

Of course bargaining with retailers isn't the only thing you can do, buying second hand is a great way to save. This doesn't mean buying some old piece of junk from a charity store, but when someone you know is being posted overseas, if you buy his TV and his leather sofa off him you'll probably get a free pool table thrown in (it happened to someone I know!).