I don’t really like Black Friday. The cynic in me thinks it’s just an excuse for retailers to flog the crap they’ve not been able to get rid of throughout the year.
In fact, this time last year I wrote about how less is more on black Friday.
BUT I do appreciate that it can be a good way of getting some deals and I do love to save money. So here is my guide on how to buy BETTER gifts this Black Friday.
Shop local or buy from small makers.
Most of the Black Friday deals that pop up are from large organisations. Well, make it your new tradition to shop local or shop small instead. Most small businesses can’t afford to slash their prices, especially so close to Christmas. So you may not get a 75% discount by shopping local/small but you will find something unique and made with love.
Buy meaningful.
I love Christmas and I LOVE buying gifts. However, a couple of years ago, I made a conscious decision to stop buying things like gift packs. They’re way more expensive than buying the items individually, they show no imagination and they usually end up in the back of someone’s cupboard waiting for their trip to the landfill.
Being told by corporations what you should buy loved ones goes against everything Christmas stands for. So instead of buying another lynx set or body lotion trio, think about getting something thats handmade or more thoughtful.
Buy ethical.
One of the reasons I don’t like Black Friday is that it encourages the promotion of throw away items. Instead, think about how you want your money to be spent. Look for products that are organic, fair trade, plastic free, sustainable and from companies that pay the living wage.
Check you’re actually getting a good deal.
If you’re in the market for a big ticket item like a computer or a television then of course buying it when it’s on offer makes sense. But make sure that you’re actually getting a good deal before you hand over your card details.
Last year a consumer group found that more than half of last year’s Black Friday deals were cheaper or the same price at other times of the year.
Skip it all together.
You don’t need to get involved in either Black Friday or Cyber Monday if you don’t want to. Christmas isn’t and shouldn’t ever be a competition. Instead, do your shopping in your own time at your own speed.
Buy less, but better.
I love this anti-black Friday campaign from Hiut Denim
This is a statement from their website on Black Friday…
“As a small maker, we come in each day to make the best jeans we can, not the most jeans we can. We charge a fair price for them, enough we hope to keep us going as a business. But for us, Black Friday feels like a battle to see who can be the cheapest. Lots of people buying things they don’t really need with money they don’t really have. And the result, a throwaway culture when the planet needs us to make things to last. But don’t worry, we will be open tomorrow. When common sense returns.”
Quality over quantity EVERY time for me!
These are some great tips for people who are looking to buy this Black Friday – I’ve seen some lovely offers from little handmade companies and if I was going to buy those are the deals I would go for.
Real food for thought on the whole black friday situation. I think ethical socially responsible buying is a great idea. I generally avoid the crowds on black friday but your ideas are smart for the shoppers. The jeans from that maker sound like a great product,
This is helpful advice. You do have to be careful with your black Friday shopping habits and some planning and research on prices goes a long way. Sticking with quality is definitely a good idea too.
Love your ideas so much! I think buying local and ethical gifts has a lot more meaning and thought to them – I know my friends would appreciate it 🙂
Great tips, buy less but better and more meaningful. I like these tips. We shall put into some effort to think what is best and meaningful, rather than just buying more cheap stuff.
couldn’t agree more about being more mindful when it comes to shopping. I utilised this year’s sale to only exclusively shop for quality, luxury items that i wouldn’t have bought otherwise without a 70% discount. I’m very happy with myself that I’ve managed to shop only a few items that I really wanted to gift for christmas 🙂
I am all for buying quality instead of quanity. I think sometime we see a discount and get lured in even if it might not be something useful or well made 🙂
awesome thoughts and tips. its not the gift itself, but the meaning behind it
These are definitely some great tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. I would say to do some research because sometimes sales aren’t always the greatest prices.
Good tips and shopping around is a really good idea. We tend to do our research for gifts we really want and if they come up in the Black Friday Sales then that’s a bonus! x
This is such a wonderful tips! Black Friday is amazing and I totally love sales online.
These are great tips. We don’t usually buy in the Black Friday sale unless there is a specific something that we need to get, and it happens to be in the sale. It’s great for buying little Christmas presents, but there’s definitely the temptation to over spend on things you don’t really need x
Buy less but buy better makes such good sense. And I agree with you on Black Friday. There is definitely a lot of not-so-conscious shopping going on that day.
i got a few good deals this year (christmas shopping) but definitely stuck to buying only what I need and choosing quality over quantity