Is There a Right Way to Spend Money While Traveling?
My friend Hayes sent me a great article from the NYT in response to my previous post where I wrote about how best to handle local people who ask for money. I liked the third suggestion:
- 3. Don’t bargain down price, bargain up quantity. Joan wanted to buy a set of colored stamps with bindi (Indian forehead dots) for her students (she teaches seventh grade). One hundred rupees, the vendor said. No, too expensive, she replied, following cultural norms of bargaining. The negotiation was on. Finally, Joan bought three sets for that same 100 rupees (about $2). The man got his price, she got more stamps. Ms. Honey urges travelers to stop bargaining before they are the only winner. “Let people earn a real wage,” she cautions.
If you have any plans to travel to a developing Country then you should check it out.
