Black Friday Is Here: 5 Tips To Avoid Clutter And Overspending

Each year, millions of Canadians get ready for the most popular and exciting shopping spree: Black Friday. Thanks to news attention and endless streams of advertisements, more people than ever know about Black Friday and are ready to show up to major retailers (or simply refresh their online carts) to get the best deals across all kinds of categories.

The sales and discounts on this day are something that the whole world is looking forward to, which is why it is perfectly normal to feel tempted to do some shopping.

However, if you’re trying to lead a more minimalistic and clutter-free life, this event might leave you wondering: is it possible to make the most out of Black Friday without overspending or going overboard with more stuff? We have a few tips for you:

Tip 1: Set a realistic budget

Black Friday bargains aren’t really good deals if they put you in the red. To avoid financial troubles, take a look at your bank accounts and be realistic about how much you can actually spend. Moreover, remember that you might want to save some of your budget for Cyber Monday. This promotional day centers purely around the internet, and you’ll get a boatload of great deals to browse. So, make sure you don’t blow your budget before Cyber Monday rolls around, or you might miss out on some great deals.

Tip 2: Make a list of things you need

Before you hit the stores or your favorite e-commerce pages, list the items you need. Doing so will help you avoid bringing future clutter home. If you see something that isn’t on your list but feels too good to pass up, remember that it’s only a deal if it’s something you need, something you know you will use, or something you absolutely love.

Before putting something in the shopping cart, ask yourself: “Do I really need this? Will I use it? When? Do I love it?”.

Tip 3: Focus on quality, not quantity

Clutter happens when we have more stuff than will fit in our home and available storage space. So when retailers use stock-up tactics as part of their Black Friday offerings, understand that you’re likely headed into a clutter trap. Instead of seeking out the buy-more-save-more deals, use Black Friday to invest in quality items you need or would like to gift someone.

Tip 4: Make sure you’re not falling for a marketing trap

People get carried away on Black Friday. They’ll buy anything with a bright discount sticker, but they don’t always get the best deal. In fact, if you do some research you might find that some deals on Black Friday are no better than the normal ones you would find on any day of the week. Do your research ahead of time and make sure you’re not falling for a marketing trap.

Tip 5: And what about skipping Black Friday?

There are many reasons that make us believe we can’t miss Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. But, in reality, we can. So this year, ask yourself why you’re really shopping during Black Friday. If you do not need anything, does it make sense to spend your time and money scouring for the best deals? Shopping can make you feel happy for a while, but it can also bring stress and unnecessary clutter to your life. It’s perfectly okay to take this year off from shopping – and might benefit not only your budget but your well-being, too.

It is easy to fall prey to the excitement of Black Friday. However, if you want to stop clutter from entering your house, you must commit to only buying what you intended and skip the rest – or not buying anything at all. Even though most of us love to get a bargain, events like Black Friday encourage people to buy things they don’t really need and can’t afford. Be mindful of that before hitting the shops!