Sales abound this week, at least here in the U.S., as shoppers have come to expect great deals on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Over the years I have made more than my share of impulse buys on Black Friday, some of which did not serve me well. That contributed to clutter, self-recrimination and (before I found YNAB) credit card debt.
This month, I’ve been really proud of my ability to resist overspending. Here are some of the strategies I’ve employed to keep overspending at bay:
- I created a list of possible Black Friday purchases of things that I thought I might buy anyway. (For me, that’s face potions, subscriptions and possibly a new Bullet Journal so I’m ready when my current one is full.)
- I looked at my budget to make sure I had the money to pay for the purchases. (I haven’t paid credit card interest in about five years and I’m not going to start now.) I might have to move some money around in my budget, but that’s okay.
- I thought about where I would store any purchases in my home. Since we moved from a house to an apartment this year, that is an important consideration.
- I’ve been thinking hard before making any purchases, particularly clothing purchases. I took inventory of my closet to see what I really need (and discovered that I don’t need much). I’ve limited my Black Friday clothing purchases to underwear and socks and have even managed to resist buying from my favorite brand during their free-gift-with-purchase promotion.
I don’t give lot of gifts so Black Friday isn’t about buying gifts for me. But if it were, I’d consider giving the gift of experiences, when possible. I’d shop from a list. And I’d probably do all my shopping online because I hate going to the stores this time of year.
Bottom line: If you tend to go crazy on Black Friday and regret it later, I suggest thinking before you shop. Pay close attention to your budget. Move money between categories if you need to. And if you haven’t already, create a Gifts target to help you out next year. If you’re mindful in your spending now you won’t have to worry about a Black Friday hangover when the credit card bills come due! Better yet, mindful spending is guilt-free spending.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
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