The Art of Bargaining

My wife is very good at bargaining when she shops at the local market. Today, I had the chance to go with her for groceries.

We went to the local market in our town, where she planned to buy enough to last a few days. Our first stop was the fish seller she frequently visits. However, she didn’t buy any fish there because she didn’t like the selection.

She then walked to another fish seller at the far end of the market. She haggled with the fishmonger, and once she got the right price, she decided to buy. I suggested we also get some shrimp, but she insisted we buy them from another seller. After getting the fish, we returned to the first seller at the other end of the market to buy shrimp. "Shrimp here are a better price," she explained.

Next, we headed to the vegetable section. She bargained for papaya leaves and banana flowers. "We have to bargain because our money isn’t unlimited," she said. We left with a good haul of vegetables.

Then it was time for spices. We walked to the other end of the market again to buy shallots, garlic, chilies, and a few other items. After that, she picked up some tempeh and a kilogram of chicken.

We walked a lot in the market. No wonder my wife says she always feels tired after shopping. It's like a mini hiking trip with all that walking back and forth. Who needs the gym for exercise when you can just go to the market?

Can you guess how much we spent? It is 10 percent cheaper with the bargaining. If my wife is not good at bargaining, like me 😁, we will end up with paying more expensive. Most of the Indonesian woman is good at bargaining, I think.