Black Friday and Cyber Monday are designed to thwart our minimalist tendencies. Here’s how to avoid the spending spree.
Affiliate links included in a tongue-in-cheek way.
Everyone wants you to buy something on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, whatever you want to designate these days of hyper-consumption after the holiday designed to remind us to be thankful for what we have.
I do it, too. I’m an Amazon affiliate, and I’d love nothing more than to tell you all about my favorite sewing machine for kids, or how much easier it is to use up your fabric stash when you have a serger, and hope that you’ll buy those things, or anything else, after you click on my links.
But there’s a part of me that hopes you don’t click over.
We Need to Talk about Black Friday
If there’s one thing most of us don’t need, it’s more stuff.
Whether you’re aiming for a minimalist lifestyle or not, the vast majority of us have too much stuff.
The best thing we can do on Black Friday and Cyber Monday is to stay home, stay off the computer, avoid checking email.
Pretend it’s a normal day where you don’t have to buy anything.
Believe me, I know it’s hard. The allure of a good deal is real (I bought both the above-mentioned serger and my Instant Pot on Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales; though, honestly, the serger sat in my closet for years before I finally used it).
But we all need to be more mindful of our purchases, especially at this time of year.
No One Needs More Stuff
If you have a tradition of shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday or whatever that you just can’t break, try to be mindful of what you really need.
If you’re buying gifts, think about what the recipient really needs or will use.
If you’re getting craft supplies, commit to using them as soon as possible. Start that new project the same day you bring the stuff home, if you can.
Do not let your purchases become part of your clutter.
I won’t say you should never buy anything, but the key is to be aware of what you are buying and why and to actually use it so it becomes an enjoyable thing for you and not clutter.
How to Avoid Black Friday Sales
If shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday is something you’d rather avoid, here are some tips that might help.
- Acknowledge that you already have more than you need.
- Do a little cleaning/sorting so that you can see all you have.
- Find something you forgot you have that you would love to make something with.
- Finish a project you’ve been working on.
- Start something new using supplies you already have. (Part of the fun of shopping is the novelty of getting new stuff, so rediscovering things you already have or starting new projects can give you some of that same excitement.)
- Grab some random things and use them in a project.
- Give yourself a challenge to make X holiday gifts or do a charity project using only supplies you already have. It feels good on several levels: to make, to give and to use stuff you already have.
How do you feel about Black Friday/Cyber Monday/holiday sales? Do you like the deals or find they just contribute to your clutter? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
