Ah, Black Friday: how we’ve missed the heavy traffic, hordes of unyielding shoppers and spending our money on things that we don’t really need… not!
The deals may change, but at its core, Black Friday is the same that it’s always been: STRESSFUL! Year after year we’re subjected to ridiculous lineups and a lot of the time, if we don’t do our homework, it’s not even worth it.
Even when we make our lists (and check it twice!), adjust our budgets accordingly and have a get-in-get-out approach to the massive shopping holiday, let’s be real – oftentimes we fail our mission. Be it that really cute jacket that fits like a glove and is 3x more expensive any other day clouding your vision or that bathroom mat… regardless of the amount of planning we do, sometimes we break!
It’s okay to deviate from script every once and a while — really, it is— but when it’s done one too many times we end up finding ourselves way over budget. And as much as it burdens our ‘wants,’ we have to choose to be a little responsible sometimes, because, you know, our ‘needs.’
• Had you ever thought about buying this item before? Yes/ No
If it’s something like a new pair of winter boots that you’ve delayed buying, then maybe it’s time to make a slight exception. If it’s the latest makeup trend that you haven’t even heard of until today, perhaps you should just keep shopping.
• Is it a good sale? Yes/ No
A lot of retailers will mark their merch down ever so slightly to get in on the Black Friday fun, but if the sale’s not great, is it even worth it? After all, you’re not really saving money if you weren’t going to buy it in the first place, are you?
• Could you take the money from somewhere else? Yes/ No
Okay, okay. Let’s say you just like, have to get Super Mario Odyssey –it’s staring you down! Is there something of similar value on your list you don’t mind losing? Or maybe, if it’s expensive enough, a few somethings?
• Is the item something that you will use often or bring a significant change to your life on the day-to-day? Yes/ No
Yes, that new designer metallic nail polish is awesome, but is it worth going over budget for something that you have dozens of variations of?
• Do you mind going over budget? Yes/ No
Calculate it – seriously calculate how much money you’re going to be spending vs. how much money you originally meant to spend. If you can bear to let go of that extra coin without getting buyer’s remorse, then c’est la vie, I guess!
If the item checks most of the points on this list (or most, depending on your leniency), then treat yo’ self. There’s a time to be disciplined, and a time to go with the flow, but let’s not ignore that sweet middle ground.
Happy shopping, everyone!
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