We are now in the Black Friday week! Yes, it is no longer a day of sale, or weekend. It has turned into week and for some department stores an entire month of sale. They want you to hurry to get a bunch of stuff you don’t really need.
Before heading out to your shopping hunt (or online): 
- Pause (link to pause post)
- Think what you really need
- Plan and make a list
- Avoid the impulse of buying just because it is cheap or on sale
There is huge cultural expectation of spending money around Black Friday, Christmas and other holidays. Media and advertisement fight for our attention so we can place our money and time at their store. We all have done it! We bought something years back which we used only once or twice … or it still have a tag on! (Guilty!)
It’s not a good deal if you don’t need it!
I used to impulse shopping a lot. Somehow coming home with a little bag made me feel better for a moment. But with time, I started to realize a pattern on my behavior. I was buying things I didn’t need when I was feeling down. I used to justify my purchases saying: “But it was 70% discount”, or, “It costs only €10”.
A suggestion is to skip Black Friday all together. Have a digital detox day in the nature with your family, or anything that makes you happy. What the eyes can’t see…. 😉
A great antidote to the urge of shopping is to start decluttering your home and closet. You may watch a few YouTube videos of the well-known Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo for inspiration and techniques. I really like her approach. Once you start this process on your home, you will realize that you should instead do a Black Friday sale on your yard with all your excess – the things you don’t use, don’t love, don’t need anymore. Just to think that all this clutter used to be money!
Decluttering and downsizing your home are great steps into the minimalist path and a richer life.
If you REALLY can’t hold yourself. Here are 9 questions you should ask yourself before buying anything:
- Do I really need this or it is a purchase based on social pressure?
- Do I need to buy or could I borrow? There are many borrowing platforms and places nowadays. Gen-Z (people born between 1997 and 2015) finds more value into having access to things and services then owning it.
- Will it last? (timeless style, quality over quantity)
- Will I use it regularly?
- Am I replacing an item in my home/ closet?
- Does it solve a problem? And what benefits will I get from this purchase?
- Is it a sustainable product? If you are going to spend money, try supporting brands striving to create sustainable products and avoid fast fashion. (Later add: Here are some examples)
- Would I buy at full price?
- Can I afford?
I remember my dad telling me when I was younger and started to earn my own money: “Sleep on it. If you are still as excited about it tomorrow, then you go and buy it”. That saved me from taking some bad money decisions in life.
How was your Black Friday experience this year?
