Black Friday: Dos And DONTS. Read This Before You Black Friday Shop
Mariel Amador is an MBA turned money educator. Mariel is Trauma of Money Certified™ and she helps women learn about all things money. From financial abuse, to how to split finances with your partner, to how to make more money – Mariel teaches about money mindset through personal stories and break things down in a way that feels clear, compassionate and doable. Follow her on socials @moneyformujeres
Shop smart during Black Friday/Cyber Monday
Holiday shopping is in full swing and it’s important to acknowledge the marketing psychology that is about to get unleashed on us all. While we’d love to think that we ‘save’ a lot of money during sales, the fact is, unless you had already planned to buy that item at full price, you didn’t actually save any money. Sure, maybe you paid $60 vs the original $100 but – if you hadn’t purchased that item at all, those $60 would be sitting nicely in your bank account. And if you moved those $60 into your savings account, well, now THAT would be you saving money.
This isn’t meant to discourage you from buying things you need or even want during Black Friday. I love me a good deal! But I want to be clear on one thing: You are about to enter the marketing hunger games. Every business is busting out their best moves with the hope of convincing you of one thing: you must buy NOW. Or else – you’ll miss out forever. Be discerning. It’s okay to buy something just because you feel like it. But pause to really think about whether you’ll be using that item for a while to come OR whether you’re purchasing that item because of how great the marketing on the other side of the transaction was. Its you vs them, amiga. You can do this.
Now that you’re aware of the marketing hunger games, let’s talk about some Black Friday Dos and Donts.
3 Black Friday DONTS
- Do not over-consume.
- Don’t buy without a plan and without a list or general budget of what you’re getting.
- Don’t open all of your Black Friday E-mails
Black Friday DON’T #1: Over-consuming – a hard NO.
Over-consuming is when you buy a lot of things without thinking about the lifetime of that item while under your care. Will you have it for longer than a year? 6 months? 3 months even? When we pause to really consider how much value an item will bring us, we can make educated decisions about whether its a good buy or not.
Here are my raw ‘DONT’ tips that will prevent you from over-consuming. Don’t buy things just to buy them (like maybe it’s super cute and you feel like maybe, somehow, down the line you’d use it). Are you going to use it? Or will it end up in the garbage? Don’t buy it because it seems too good to pass up. Sometimes we make a purchase because they really do a great job of making it seem like an incredible deal. Maybe there’s even a 50% off sign, but I want you to forget about the 50% off for a second. Is that blouse that’s been marked down to $29 worth it to you (despite the discount?). Would you buy that shirt if its full price was $29? If not, well friend, you’re probably chasing the dopamine savings hit vs the actual shirt.
Make conscious choices to purchase something because you need or genuinely want it. NOT because of FOMO. (Remember, not buying the $29 shirt you don’t actually want SAVES you $29)
Now listen, your job here is to simply pause and ask the question. Will I use and care for this item? Would I buy this EVEN if it wasn’t on sale? If the answer is ‘YES, I need this’ or even, ‘You know what, I want this’, then proceed. But, take that pause. It’s you versus the marketing, amiga.
Buying your feelings – DON’T DO IT
Another pitfall to avoid: Buying the FEELING the item might get you. Let me explain: have you ever bought a new workout outfit because you feel like it will motivate you go to running? *side eyes emoji* What if, instead of buying the outfit for motivation to go running, instead, you actually just stepped outside and went running. A sale isn’t a fix all. If you want to feel healthy, go for a run. Forget about the running suit. And remember, just because an item is marked down doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good deal. I could literally raise my 1:1 prices right now and throw a 30% slash on there to make you think it’s a deal. I won’t do this because it’s scummy and dishonest. But the corporations might and do. That along with the marketing psychology that’s employed during online sales will do the trick. Have you ever noticed the colors they use on the font for sales? The font they use? The countdown timers? The razzle and dazzle? Everything is calculated to the dot, amiga. Why? Well, because they want you to buy – even if it means the item winds up in the trash.
In summary, don’t buy it just because you think it’s a good deal. Buy it because it will bring you value. And as a P.S. determine the cost per wear of that item. If you’ve got your eyes on a $70 blouse but you feel like you’d only wear it once, well friend, every time you wear that blouse that’d cost you $23. Is it worth it? That’s up to you. Personally, I’d rather hit the thrift.
Black Friday DON’T #2: Don’t buy without a list and a budget
Don’t buy things that are not on a pre-made list of things that you’re planning to already buy.
If you do plan on doing some Black Friday shopping, I want you to sit down, come up with a list of things that you need, truly need, right? Like maybe you need new shoes, for example, and come up with a budget, how much you ideally would like to spend on that thing.
If there’s nothing that comes to mind, then you probably don’t need to buy anything. I have gone many Black Fridays without buying anything. Now, if there are a few things that you need, then great.
Have a little list, have a price range of how much you’d like to spend on each item, and then have a general subtotal that you’re able to spend comfortably for Black Friday. Now that your list and budget is made, stick to that plan.
We’ve all gone to the grocery store without a list, and we’ve bought a bunch of things that we probably could’ve gone without, right? Well, Black Friday is not the time to replicate the unprepared and ‘no plan, just vibes’ effect.
Make a list, come up with a budget, and stick to your plan. The marketing hunger games have NOTHING against you.
Black Friday DON’T #3: Do not open all of your Black Friday e-mails
You’re probably gonna get a lot of emails from all of your favorite retailers, creators, restaurants, etc. with a lot of great offers. But remember, you have your list of things that you need. So, be discerning about what emails you’re opening. Maybe something you’ve been thinking about for a while isn’t on your list and you happen to get an e-mail. Sure, open that one up. However, make sure you’re asking yourself the questions: Will I use and care for this item? Would I buy this EVEN if it wasn’t on sale?
If I was worried about impulse shopping, I’d create a filter in my inbox and have the filter search for any subject line that has the word Black Friday or Cyber Monday. I’d then instruct the filter is to send that email straight to the trash. That’s right – out of sight, out of mind. If you’re feeling EXTRA committed, you can have the filter scan the body of the emails for the words Black Friday or Cyber Monday too.
I know, I know, FOMO or whatever, but, if you really need the item, like let’s say you need a new pair of pants, if that item is on your list, you’re gonna know exactly what store to go to to see if there is a deal. So if you’re willing, go ahead and create a filter, any subject line with the words Black Friday or Cyber Monday, straight to the trash.
Now that you know the ‘DONTs’, 1: don’t over consume, 2: don’t buy without a list and a budget of things that you need and 3: don’t open all of your Black Friday emails – Let’s talk about the Black Friday DOs.
3 Black Friday Dos
- Acknowledge that you are about to get inundated with Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing tactics.
- Shop Local
- Save for Black Friday/Holiday Shopping monthly throughout the year
Black Friday Do #1: Be aware that you are a player in the marketing Hunger Games
If you’re willing, I want you to say out loud to yourself, ‘I’m about to get sold to aggressively’. Say it out loud. It makes a difference, doesn’t it?
Continue with, ‘I’m a player in the marketing hunger games and it’s my job to pause and decide who makes the decisions – my impulses? the marketers? or me ? Acknowledging that everybody is about to bust out their best moves on you can change a lot for you.
It’s going to help you pause and decide whether what you were going to buy or what you feel called to buy is really a good purchase for you. If you haven’t already, say ‘I’m about to get sold to aggressively and I’m ready to make decisions for myself’ because yes, you absolutely are.
You are in charge. And you will rise a winner of the marketing hunger games. You can always fall back on the questions: Will I use and care for this item? Would I buy this EVEN if it wasn’t on sale?
Black Friday Do #2: Shop Local
Now that you have your list of things you need, and your budget, you can shop local to meet your needs. Plus, match the shops you visit to your values. Let me explain.
You can align your money in a manner that’s true to your principles. Speaking personally, no ones getting a gift-card to Starbucks or Target from me. However, I can gift a gift-card to the local coffee shop or to a local vendor’s online shop. Why help the corporations get richer when I can help my neighbor pay their bill?
I used to have a problem with shopping local, and it was nothing to do with the business owners, and it was everything to do with me being cheap, basically, because shopping local is not cheap. Shopping local is more expensive because we’re actually paying people for their labor. We aren’t exploiting a worker from another country in exchange for a ‘cheaper’ price. Now, I value shopping local when I can.
I invite you to consider it. Maybe you don’t shop local for everything, but maybe you start introducing shopping local. Maybe you have a friend who owns a small business. Here’s an opportunity to support your friend.
For example, if you or someone you know has been meaning to finally open an ‘IRA’ (individual retirement account) and start saving for retirement, you can purchase a 60 minute 1:1 with me. We’ll run your money through a retirement calculator to determine what you have to do to retire on time. See more info here.
Shop local. Support your neighbors – not corporations – where you can.
Black Friday DO #3: Save year round for Black Friday and Holiday Shopping
Black Friday and holiday spending is kind of a variable expense but when we think about it, it’s a fixed expense period. It happens every single year. This is nothing that surprises us.
Well, it does surprise us because every year it seems to have happened so fast with little time for us to save. But, the truth is, it shouldn’t surprise us. It happens every year, on the same date, like clockwork.
So, tip#3, is to save up for Black Friday and holiday spending every month during the year. $25 a month, $50 a month will go a long way.
Doing this is going to really make you feel less broke during the holidays. It doesn’t matter how much money you bring in during the year. This has nothing to do with your income. We all feel very depleted during the holiday season.
So, plan for it. Set aside some money every month, set up some auto withdrawals to savings account. It’s really going to help you enjoy and be able to have these thoughtful conversations about what gifts, experiences, etc to get people. A little planning goes a long way.
Black Friday Shopping: The Main takeaways
#1: Be Discerning: Remember, you’re about to get sold to aggressively. Question the habitual habits that we fall in because of consumerism and because we’re marketed to and because we’re advertised to.
Level up your discernment. Ask yourself: what feeling or value am I trying to buy by buying this item? Will I use and care for this item? Would I buy this EVEN if it wasn’t on sale?
#2: Once you’ve decided what you value, if you decide to proceed with purchasing something, align your spending with your values.
Shop local if you can, give your money to your neighbors and not to corporations. And get creative, you don’t have to break the bank to come through with an incredible gift.
#3: Stop letting retailers decide what you value. You are in charge of your purchases.
You get to decide how you Black Friday shop. Not the retailers. Not your FOMO, you.
Let’s be real. A lot of Black Friday Shopping is done for Christmas and Holiday gifts for others. But amiga, you don’t have to go broke for anybody in your family or your friendships. If you don’t have the money, you don’t have to go into debt to show people you care. Stick to your list and your budget and get creative with the rest.
Want to shop smart this holiday season? Listen to ‘5 ways to save money this Holiday on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.