I have been a sales associate at Best Buy for a year and Circuit City for almost two years, I know how this works from the other side of the transaction. Here is my advice on how to get the cheapest price on consumer electronics, no matter where you choose to shop.

Making a consumer electronics purchase is expensive. Some consumers save for months, even years, before they invest in a new television, computer or camcorder. However, sometimes even saving is not enough. While most electronics are well within the price range of most consumers, there are still those out there that cannot enjoy the latest and greatest technology because of the price.

In these cases, consumers go for the cheapest alternative which is not always the best case scenario. Many retailers now have price match policies, something many consumers take advantage of. By doing a bit of research before your purchase, any consumer can find the lowest price on the electronics they want instead of settling for the cheapest out there.

There is a two step process to finding the lowest price on electronics: First, you have to do your research. Taking the time before the purchase to find out who has it cheapest, what are the alternatives to the cheapest and where to find the electronics for the right price in your area. Next, you have to understand the policies of where you intend to buy. Since most retailers offer price match policies, learning how this work is key to getting the lowest price during and after the process. By combining these two steps, you are sure to get the lowest price possible for the consumer electronics you want.

Consumers should seek out the lowest price possible for their electronics. By doing so, the overall market will respond to allow more consumers the ability to purchase new technology that was not available to them before. These lower prices will bring technology into more hands, and in turn, create an atmosphere where more consumers are willing to give this new technology a shot.

How to haggle

Haggling is your first step to getting the lowest price possible. Before haggling, you want to understand that you cannot ask a sales associate to match you at the lowest price possible. The store is looking to make money off your purchase, if you are unreasonable in what you are asking, you will get nowhere. By meeting the associate half-way, you are able to get the lowest possible price for your overall purchase.

In order to haggle, you need to know two things: You need to know what the lowest prices are elsewhere from where you intend to purchase, and you need to understand the point of haggling. Haggling gives you the chance to negotiate the price lower than the marked price. By haggling, you give both the store and yourself the chance to negotiate a lower price that works for both sides of the purchase.

You cannot be unreasonable during haggling. Start at a middle ground, explain that you want to invest in the purchase and ask the associate what they can do for you. In most cases, the first answer will be no. Then, ask for a supervisor and make your pitch to them. In most cases, a store can make leeway if you are looking to make a big purchase even if they tell you otherwise.

Knowing this before you go in is key to how you approach the haggling. If you come in guns blazing, you will be shot down at the drop of a hat. Take your time, explain your position and give the store the chance to counter your offer. In some cases, the store will be able to offer you a decent deal, in others, they may not. If one store will not offer you a deal, take the deal elsewhere. Take notes during the haggling so you can refer to them down the line.

You must keep in mind that getting angry during haggling is not going to help your case. Any sort of threat that you are leaving or will go somewhere else will not help negotiations. If you leave their store, ten more people will come in, make purchases and make up for the fact that you walked out. Losing your business will not hurt the store in the long run, so the threat is idle.

How to price match

Price matching is an interesting concept most retailers take part in nowadays. For most retailers, you have a certain amount of time to come in and price match a given item. As long as you come in while the item is on sale, you will get back the difference and, sometimes, more. Some retailers will match web prices, some will not. Understanding your local retailers' price matching policy is key to taking advantage of it after the fact.

There are some things to keep in mind with price matching. If you purchase a package, where you get multiple items at a discount for purchasing them at the same time, you may not be eligible for price matching. Since the one item is being changed in price, it defaults on the package price. Therefore, you would have to pay the full price for all the other items on the ticket to get the price match. This is a little known fact most consumers tend to forget when they come in for a price match only to be turned away.

In order to price match, you will want to do several things. First, know the policy of the store you intend to price match at. Once you know the policy, you can understand how to combat it and get the lowest price. Next, do some research the week of your purchase. Most retailers will price match other retailers' packages and deals, within reason even though it is not part of their policy. Check with the store to see what they can do and if they can meet you half-way.

During your research, check out the prices on various web sites to see what the market value of the purchase would normally be. You cannot straight out ask for them to price match the lowest price, as most companies will not match below market value, but they might be willing to meet you half-way as part of their price match policy. It never hurts to ask. If you find a local, brick and mortar store, with a lower price, simply bring in the ad or web print out for the store and present it. You can take advantage of price matching during or sometime after the sale.

What to do if you cannot get a lower price

If a store will not meet you half-way or help you out, you might want to expand your options and try another store. In most cases, a store will be able to help you get the lowest price. If not during the sale, after. Knowing the price match policies of the store are key to getting the lowest price during and after. Without understanding how the system works, you cannot work within it to get the lowest price possible.

Even if knowing the system, haggling and price matching does not bring down the electronics purchase as low as you would like it within a reasonable budget, investing in another store, web site or market might be worth a shot. However, you will find that in most cases, a store will be able to help you out on some level whether they say they will or not. Only by asking, being insistent and understanding their side of the sale will you truly be able to get the lowest price possible on consumer electronics.

No matter what you read or who you talk to, you can always get a cheaper price on consumer electronics. It may not be at the time of purchase, it may be through a price at a later date, but at the end of the day, you can find the cheapest price through a little bit of patience and diligence. By doing your research ahead of time, taking advantage of price matches and haggling a little during a big ticket item purchase, you can bring home electronics within your budget.

If at first you do not succeed, try again. If you get a no, ask why; if a retailer cannot give you a solid reason why, go somewhere else. It is always possible to get a lower price when making a big purchase in a retail store despite what the associate tells you. As long as you are willing to negotiate and understand that there is only so much a store can to meet you half-way, you can find a way for the purchase to benefit you and the retailer. Only in those instances will you find yourself with the lowest price possible for what you want.

It is possible to get the cheapest price for good consumer electronics if you want it. You just have to work for it, and sometimes give a little leeway for it. No matter what you say or do, keep in mind that a retailer is going to do what is in their best interest as well; if you are unreasonable, you will not get the lowest price. So go into a sale with realistic expectations, and you will be met with a realistic, low price.