Negotiating coupon expiration dates in this economy

It costs $150 per pop to replace an ink cartridge in my Color Laser Jet printer. Naturally, I called the two local office supply stores in my area to see who has the better price. Store #1 did not have the cartridge when I needed it and therefore, I could not use the generous $30 coupon, so I bought it at Store #2. Then, two more cartridges ran out of ink! Store #1 had the cartridges at a slightly lower price, but my coupon had expired. I called the Manager and explained the situation. He was more than happy to honor the $30 flat discount. It’s prevalent on the news and Internet right now that merchants are willing to negotiate with the consumer in this economy. My total purchase came to $298.21, almost $300! But with the $30 off, I paid close to $270. Any little bit helps. Since this puts Store #1 in a positive light, the name of the store was Office Max.