Make a plan, stick to it and come out a winner this Black Friday.
We love the thrill of a good deal – who doesn’t?! Here at Between Carpools, we even get a rush out of finding the good deals for you, our readers. While we’re not a deal site, we try to share the deals we think will appeal to our audience and leave the big-screen TVs to everyone else.
It’s also easy to get carried away in the hype of “Hurry! Buy now or lose the deal forever!” This toy, this kitchen appliance, this jacket is available at such a great discount, how can we pass it by?
This year, make a plan
Think about the items on your needs and wants lists. Do you need a new iron? That goes on the list. Your son needs a new winter coat? That goes on the list. Would you love to upgrade your daughter’s hair dryer for one that will work faster? That goes on the list. And if you can use a new set of Shabbos glasses, some linen for the guest room, or a second vacuum to keep in the basement so you don’t have to shlep it up and down, those go on the list.
The wants list should have the items you – and your loved ones – want. Gift ideas, something you really feel like treating yourself to, the extras that would be nice to buy at a discount – these go on your wants list.
And then when you start seeing all the Black Friday promotions… (Who knew it would start so early??) you can prioritize. The needs list comes first. Wants are second. And anything that wasn’t on those lists should not end up in your cart! It’s not necessary even if it is a great deal!
The only exception would be for items you use anyway. It’s a great idea to stock up on those things at a better price IF you have the room to store them. Saving $20 by buying paper towels for the next six months might not be worth the hassle of storing them. But a year’s worth of eyeliner at a good discount doesn’t take much space and can add up to a nice amount of savings.
Stick to your plan and you’ll really enjoy your savings by the time the shopping frenzy is over with no added doubts of “I probably shouldn’t have.”
|