Would you go bargain hunting if you had boat loads of cash?

Nope, I would not – but I know some very rich people who do.

I already don’t camp out for deals like that. No, I think if I was mega-wealthy I would buy the best of everything, regardless of cost.

No, probably not. I would not waste money, but I would not go crazy bargain-hunting either.

Yes, i absolutely would. To me, it’s a lifestyle topic.

I have always looked for good deals and have reinforced this mentally when it occurs. I would probably feel guilty about spending the dough later when I know I could have done better. :)

Of course. You don’t end up with boats loads of money if you go around spending it now do you?

I think it was Benjamin Franklin who said that thrift is a virtue. I would buy the expensive stuff that I wanted (which would usually be one-off things, like collector’s items, houses, vehicles, etc.) and then be thrifty about my day to day shopping. Then I would still have boatloads of money by the time everyone else had run out ;-)

I’m not one to camp outside of Best Buy, but I am a smart shopper. I have learned to be a smart shopper out of necessity, but I don’t think the basic principles would change if I were particularly wealthy. I’m just not a frivolous spender and I can’t imagine ever being one.

I would just out of sheer habit.

That said, I am not a rabid bargain hunter despite my limited means right now. Sure, a $200 netbook may be nice, but I am not going to endure hardship and/or risk being trampled, stabbed, shot, sodomized, and robbed to save $100, especially not if I can get my wife to hunt it down for $250 or less.
Sure, it may be a little more money, but how much is a few hours out in the cold with a knife in your ribs and a mugger in your ass worth? I’d gladly save a bit less and pay the extra $50 to avoid that while still getting a decent deal.

FYI, investing at a mere 5% will double your money in about 15 years, and every dollar you spend is less to invest. Rich people often get rich from their investments, not their salaries. Warren Buffet is worth billions, but gets far less than most execs; most of his money is the same money he had decades ago and just kept rolling over.

My parents are pretty loaded and I know that they do look for sales and such; it probably comes from the fact that neither of them grew up with much money and got used to it and haven’t exactly changed their ways much. The refusal to pay more for something you can get for less is probably just a matter of principle. I doubt my parents try super hard to bargain-hunt, though…

I’m not sure exactly how I’d be behave if I could afford anything I wanted. I wouldn’t want to be making decisions that would be considered “stupid” if someone with less money were doing the same thing.

My personal shopper would ;)

When I shop I’m not looking to save money. You can’t save money by spending it. I’m looking to get value for the money I spend. The amount of value I can get is sometimes limited by the amount of money I have available. If money were no object, I’d buy much more expensive things (albeit fewer of them) of the highest value I could.
If I’m looking for transportation, for example, I might buy a $300 car that might last one year and cost a lot to run and maintain instead of a $1500 car that will last longer and be cheaper in the long run- just because I need a car now and don’t have $1500 to spend. If I had the $1500, I’d spend it. If money were no object, I would use a car service and maybe buy an airplane, or airplane shares (I’d be doing a lot more traveling if I had money.)

Most rich people I know are pretty thrifty. That’s how they stay rich. Seems reasonable enough.

For the things I love most to buy then locating and bargain shopping is still pretty hands on and not something I’d turn over someone else. For me, bargaining adds value in my eyes for something acquired, most of the time.

Even on the salary of a retired, 100% disabled military officer, I still don’t give a crap about so called “bargains!” Standing in line for ANY reason agitates me. : )

@CaptainHarley No offense, but I thought standing period irritated you :P

For some, isn’t the reason they have so much money because they spent their lives trying to save it?

Why does the name Hetty Green come to mind?

Very funny, @jerv . That’s one I owe ya! : P

I don’t honestly know, so please send me a boatload of cash and I promise to get back to you on this.

I would go to Antigua or British Virgin Islands and let my SO go haggle with the local vendors while I read my Kindle by the beach!

Yes, I was come from a long line of frugal people, and I have my old age to prepare for. Our household income is currently in the top 10%, yet we buy second hand, thrift store, and lowest price at all times. I will not have to be dependent on my children for my old age expenses.

Don’t those people who have a bank grip that could choke a T-Rex but buy on the cheap risk looking like a stingy miser?

F yes! If I was into nice, new shiny things, I wouldn’t. But I like funky weird vintage crap. I freakin love antique stores and thrift shops. I have so much good (and unnecessary) shit from them, all over the country. They don’t make stuff like they used to!

I would still look for the bargains (though I’ve never camped out for deals; I’m more of a coupon queen). Money wasted is money wasted, no matter how wealthy or poor one is.

It depends on the situation for me. I have never camped 12 hours to get a deal on anything, so I probably wouldn’t do that if I were Bill-Gates-rich. But I do enjoy doing research on new purchases, especially electronics and major purchases for my home, so I would continue to do that. In that case, it’s not really about the money but more about the fact that you’re educating yourself about a certain product or range of products. I’m quite lucky in that I’m well off enough to afford most of the stuff I want. I couldn’t really predict how or if my shopping habits would change if I were suddenly super rich.

My taste also tends towards the non-mainstream – I like a lot of antiques and unusual things – so I have to do a certain amount of bargain-hunting anyway if I decide to get a new piece of furniture or a new carpet or something like that.

For me, the process is just as much fun as the final acquisition.

But of course. The only difference is I wouldn’[t be hunting for a nice warm jacket for $5 at the Goodwill Store, I’d be hunting for bargins in corporations I could turn around or gut to make boatloads more cash.