For those of you who keep up with this blog, you know I’m an avid shopper and am always on the look for a great deal. With that said, you would assume that Black Friday is my end-all for shopping, right? You’d be wrong there. While I look forward to making the occasional Black Friday purchase, I can honestly say I do not plan to go out nor do I really see why you have to in order to get a deal. Why? Online shopping, my loves. Nearly every store or brand now puts the same discounts and sales online as they do in their stores on days like this. This takes out the crowds, lines, digging to find your size is already sold out, and of course the painful waiting and traffic (while also allowing you the comfort of shopping from your couch in your PJs). There is always the one-off scenario of the store that will have a special product only available to its ‘early bird shoppers’, but that is the time to ask if you actually want or need that particular item. We often see a free gift with purchase as a reason to head out and spend without realizing that while that may be a deal, it is only valuable if we will really use both the purchase itself AND the free item. Otherwise, you are just falling prey to a great marketing gimmick. This is the moment to shop smarter! Quantity is not the answer when it comes to a truly workable, chic wardrobe. Quality and usability will always mean more.
So this year before you use up your Friday off work standing in lines and crowds, think about what you actually need and will use or gift from shopping the Black Friday ‘deals’. Make sure you are actually getting a deal!
