And the third gardener wins!!!

March 3. Day 246.

For a few weeks, I've been looking for a gardener. I've made some calls, met two people last week and was about to go for option B, when option C came to my door: A flier from a competitor.

Thought this isn't a "classical asking" -- I didn't negotiate a thing -- I am including it here because if I went with the first option, or didn't persevere in finding a good deal, I'd be paying more now. Instead, he came by and gave me an estimate which was a lot more affordable.

Gained I: $10 up front and $5/month. Total saved in a year by persevering, though not negotiating: $70. All for about 5 minutes of effort. And some patience.

PS: I didn't call the IKEA customer service people-- I like what I bought. I'll still shop there, but be on my guard...