Bargain has two important meanings that connect through the idea of agreement and value:

When you bargain with someone, you negotiate back and forth to reach an agreement both sides can accept. Picture yourself at a yard sale, where the seller wants five dollars for an old skateboard but you think that's too much. You might offer three dollars, they counter with four, and you settle on three fifty. That back-and-forth discussion is bargaining. People bargain over prices, chores, bedtimes, and countless other things where both sides need to find common ground.

A bargain is also something you buy for much less than its normal price or value. When a store sells winter coats for 75% off in March, those coats are bargains. If you find a like-new bicycle at a garage sale for ten dollars, you've gotten a real bargain. The word suggests you're getting more than you paid for: excellent value.

These meanings connect because when you bargain successfully, you often get a bargain. The phrase “drive a hard bargain” means someone negotiates skillfully and doesn't give in easily. If your friend drives a hard bargain when trading baseball cards, they make sure they get good value in every trade.