Jump OFF the Black Friday Bandwagon – Don’t Buy Ask Why
Black Friday signals one of the biggest shopping days of the year. TV adverts, social media posts, newspapers, magazines, billboards – everywhere we turn there is someone somewhere prompting us to buy the next new thing.
I don’t know about you, but it seems to go on for an eternity. We may as well just call it Black November!
And whilst it’s great to pay less for something you truly want or need, we will all undoubtedly fall foul of clever marketers and buy things we don’t need.
Because it’s so hard. When the world is getting whipped up into a media frenzy of offers, sales and bargains galore, it takes a strong person to let it pass by without succumbing to the hype.
If you’re naturally someone who loves to shop, days like Black Friday do not help one bit and this year we are encouraging people to come on board for a little anti-Black Friday revolution – Don’t Buy Ask Why.
The Don’t Buy part of it is simple enough to understand, of course. But what do we mean by Ask Why?
The Habits We Address by Asking Why
Ask Why #1: Emotions
If we want to make a conscious effort to have less in our homes, then it’s vital for us to understand the emotions and habits in our behaviour that drive us to succumb to retail pressure. It is only by understanding why we act the way we do that we can ever begin to initiate a change.
Ask Why #2: Born This Way
Are you a born bargain hunter? Do you struggle to bypass a sale and regularly buy things just because they are cheap? A telltale sign is if you have numerous items hanging in your wardrobe with the tags still attached, particularly if they’ve been there for months or years.
Ask Why #3: Retail Therapy
Do you find yourself drawn to shiny new things? Do you love the dopamine hit that comes with a new blouse, a craft magazine or a new candle? But have you ever noticed how short-lived that retail therapy is?
Ask Why #4: Purpose
Do parcels arrive at your house and you can’t even remember ordering them? Or do you have parcels that sit there unopened for weeks on end and then you forget you even had them?
All of the above statements point to the same thing – your shopping isn’t intentional. You are buying because it feels good rather than because you need it.
Consumerism Owns Us
Over the past few decades, we have become a hugely consumerist society the world over. And whilst no-one is suggesting shopping is a bad thing because consumer spending is a very real need for our economy, it’s fair to say there comes a time when we just have too much stuff.
Some of us have been burying our heads in the sand for way too long, and we know the time has come when we need to jump in and challenge our relationship with stuff. That’s where Don’t Buy comes in.
Don’t Buy
Whilst the rest of the world is jumping on to the Black Friday bandwagon to buy more stuff, let’s revolt, jump off and focus on having less stuff.
- We need to understand the emotions and habits that make us buy.
- We need to work out exactly what we have in our homes.
- We need to confront ourselves with our past excesses.
- We need to learn to love stuff less.
- We need to see what a difference simplicity makes to our relationships.
- We need to see how much money we save.
So, this Black Friday, instead of following the crowd, challenge yourself to be different. Walk on past that store, empty that online basket or delete that email. Your life will be all the much richer for it. Don’t Buy Ask Why.
If you’d like to know more about Don’t Buy Ask Why and our anti Black Friday revolution, please do come and take a look and make that change today!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Are you in the habit of buying stuff you don’t need? What do you do with it? When do you shop them most – is it when emotionally deprived? Do you shop as therapy? What is your shopping ‘why’?
Tags Downsizing Your Life
oh yes, less is better. Too much stuff causes stress! I like being an intentional buyer. Thank you for a great article, especially the list on emotion, habits and saving!!
Thank you Colleen! We’re not against shopping, but would love everyone to shop intentionally indeed, so well done.
These types of ‘sales’ attract scammers in plague proportions! I avoid these at all costs.If it sounds to good to be true, it is!
You have to be on your game indeed and really have a look if it’s a bargain or not.
Great article. I am actually de-cluttering my house at this time.
I recently became unemployed due to my employer closing so I will be holiday shopping with a bit more attention this year. In reviewing last year’s expenses, I discovered I spent well over $300 for Christmas on my two much loved dogs. (And, no, they did not say “thank you”). This year they will get much less, and I am sure will be just as happy. My human family members will also see a change. I cannot afford to indulge in mindless shopping.
Both people and pets love spending time with their family and experiences are always better than stuff.
I am in the middle of “no spend” November. Only spend for essentials…fuel, groceries, prescriptions, etc. So far, so good. I plan to implement “no spend” months a few times every year.
Hi Judy. What a great idea!
My strategy is to only shop using cash, within the amount I have planned for the week. No card payments unless the expense is something that will carry over a longer period of time (like gas). Sometimes it works out; other times, not so much, but it’s better than mindless spending!
That’s brilliant Judy! You’re shopping from home and are “finishing up” items around the house, creating space and saving money. A win-win!