Uncle Hasan the Elder – Part 6: “Shopping? That’s Psychological Warfare!”

This is another useful and applicable strategy from Uncle Hasan that is very useful in everyday life. This one came from Auntie herself. She once sat us down during a family gathering, shaking her head with a mix of pride and disbelief as she said, “Your Uncle Hasan doesn’t just shop. He strategizes. Every trip to the store is a full-on psychological operation.”

One time, she recalled, they were shopping for a handbag and shoes, something Auntie had her eye on for weeks. There was a particular set in one store she adored: real leather, stylish design, good color, perfect match for a wedding outfit she had coming up. The price? A steep $95. And the shop owner had made it crystal clear the price was non-negotiable. “Fixed price, ma’am,” he had told her. “Imported brand. This is exclusive—you won’t find this anywhere else.”

Well, she didn’t buy it that day. She knew better. Why? Because she knew Uncle Hasan.

The next day, they headed back to that same shop, but now with Uncle Hasan in tow. On the way, he gave her a very specific set of instructions.

“If you like something,” he said, “don’t smile, don’t gasp, don’t say a word. Just signal me. If the shopkeeper knows you want it, it’s over, we’ve already lost.”

She nodded. She’d played this game before.

They walked in. Auntie made her subtle signal. Uncle Hasan clocked it instantly but didn’t look twice at the item. Instead, he turned to the shopkeeper and said, “Excuse me, do you have anything better than that one over there? The material looks kind of weak, and frankly, the color isn’t great. My wife saw one next door that was far more elegant, and it matched her outfit perfectly.”

Auntie was stunned. He even said it casually, as if it were an afterthought. Like the item wasn’t even worth real attention.

Then he threw in the classic Hasan twist: “Also, you don’t happen to have this in blue, do you? That would have worked better with what she’s wearing.”

Of course, he knew full well the store didn’t carry blue. That was the whole point.

Now the shopkeeper, who just yesterday had said the price was fixed, was slightly flustered.

“Sir, we’ve already sold a few sets of that design—very popular, very limited. But of course, for a good customer, we can make a deal. It’s listed at $95, but we can offer you a discount.”

Uncle Hasan shook his head, unimpressed. He turned to Auntie and said, loud enough for the shopkeeper to hear, “See? The one next door was $85 and honestly looked better. I don’t know why we came back here.”

The shopkeeper blinked. “Actually, let me talk to my manager. Maybe we can work something out.”

Hasan nodded, now in control.

He said, “We’re ready to buy it now if you can do $60.”

The man nearly gasped. “Sir, $60 is what we paid for it. We’re barely making anything as it is.”

“Okay, then 65,” Uncle Hasan said, crossing his arms like a man closing a deal on real estate. “Final offer. If it works for you, great. If not, we’ll check the next place.”

By the end of it, they walked out with the set—for $65.

Auntie was speechless. The same store that had sworn the price was non-negotiable dropped it by 30%. On the way home, Uncle Hasan turned to her and said, “See? We still overpaid. But you liked it, so what can I do?”

She burst out laughing.

Later, she told us, “At first, I used to think, this man is embarrassing. Why can’t he just let me say I like something and buy it? But now I realize, this is his art form. He doesn’t just bargain. He turns every shopping trip into a lesson in human psychology.”

To this day, anytime someone in the family hesitates before asking for a discount, someone inevitably channels their inner Uncle Hasan and says:

“Remember: shopping is not buying. It’s negotiating.”