I, too, negotiate everything. You would be surprised at how much wiggle room there is at a national retailer like Best Buy for big-ticket items.

Here are some ground rules and the steps I use to haggle: Haggling works better if you can pay in cash. Know how much you are willing to spend and do not exceed it! Never, ever reveal to the salesperson how much you are willing to spend.

1. Express a casual and not too focused interest in the item (HDTV is a perfect example).

2. Show that you understand the product and are in the market for a new television.

3. Mention how the store's competitors and the internet are making it easier to price compare.

4. Ask if there are any specials on your particular model (are they throwing in a Blu-ray player? Free DVDs? Sales price that doesn't go into effect until the weekend?).

5. Let the salesperson know that the currently advertised price is more than your are willing to spend and ask him/her if there is anything they can do to bring the price down. If they ask what you price you would like to see then give them a number below your predefined maximum spending limit. It's up to you to gauge how much lower, and you will find that after time this number gets to be farther and farther from your max limit the comfortable you get at negotiating.

6. Make the deal at this price, or continue to haggle until you've crossed your limit and are ready to leave.

7. If you don't make the deal, you have four options:

  You can go back tomorrow and try with a different sales person

  You can head to a different store and try again.

  You can raise your max spending limit (not recommended).

  You can decide that you really didn't need the product anyway.

Hope this helps!