I am sitting here writing this on Black Friday. This American tradition has caught on over here in the UK and my inbox was stuffed like a prize turkey this morning with every kind of consumer offer that you can imagine. You probably don’t have to imagine. Your inbox was probably stuffed too.
The name Black Friday is such a downer, isn’t it? An event created by shops to sell more stuff, at the most expensive time of year. Does anybody really need a flat screen television so badly they are prepared to get violent? Some shoppers did at a Lea Valley branch of Tesco where a dozen police officers helped restore calm.
A big discount is a big draw for most people but as with every purchase you still have to ask yourself the two big questions.
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
And the problem with enormous, flashy discounts like those we see on Black Friday is that we tend to skip over the first question because the answer to the second question is yes, yes, yes! We’re so excited about being able to afford it that emotion drowns out reason.
Do you need it? Will this thing bring you closer to your perfect self? Or are you spending money for the sake of spending it, without thinking about your long term goals?
If parting with your hard earned cash is spending in the direction of your dreams then go for it! It’s your money, you can do whatever you want with it. But if not, or if you’re not sure, then put the flatscreen television back on the shelf and do some honest work to find out what that special something is for you.
Are you able to control yourself on Black Friday? Does anyone have any sure-fire, or silly, tips for resisting the rush of buying something shiny? Let us know in the comments. We love hearing from you.
Dr Joanna Martin: Founder, oneofmany.co.uk.| Author| Women’s Speaker| Entrepreneur| Ex-doctor| Loud Sister| Baby Wrangler = No professional training but do a fine job nonetheless!
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