This proverb always brings a smile to my face. If you're like me, there's probably a friend or family member who is always ready to analyze your latest purchase. My favorite response is the typical "you should have bought that at (insert store name here), because you could have saved two dollars". Some seem to really take bargain finding to another level altogether- willing to drive an extra ten miles to save an additional $0.50.
The "buyer" in the proverb above goes a step further. In his negotiating (reminds me of the typical "yard-sale" negotiator), he deliberately portrays the goods in question as worthless or of low quality, in order to gain an advantage and procure a discount. His duplicity is evident for when he has "gone his way" he boasts of his bargaining skills and the great product he has gotten as "a steal".
I love a good deal as much as the next guy. There is no sin in taking advantage of a good deal when you run across one. I understand that (most) vendors are in business to make a profit. I don't have a problem with that. Obviously some sellers may have extravagent mark-ups in their pricing which might appear to justify the aforementioned practice. But let's resist the temptation to convey their goods as faulty or defective in order to get the best deals. We may go our way boasting of the purchase, but is God smiling down on us?
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