Black Friday is designed to make you feel like you’re winning at shopping. Everything is discounted. Everyone’s buying. If you don’t act now, you’ll miss out.
The pressure to buy is real. Especially when you’re managing a household budget and you see things on sale that you might need someday. And wasting money on things you don’t actually need, just because it seemed like a great deal at the time, is equally stressful.
So how do you tell the difference between a genuine, worth-it, discount and retail trickery? Here’s how to check:
1. Do you actually need it?
Black Friday creates urgency that doesn’t always exist. Everything is on sale. Limited stock. Only today. Buy now or regret it forever.
Except you probably don’t need half of it.
The best Black Friday decision you can make happens before Black Friday starts: make a list of things you actually need.
That might be:
- Stuff for the kids, like new shoes because they’ve somehow grown two sizes since school started, or replacing stuff that’s been destroyed by mysterious stains
- Toilet paper and household essentials you buy regularly anyway, so might as well stock up when it’s a little cheaper
- The things you’ve been meaning to replace (worn-out bath mat, broken scissors, whatever) or purchase (Christmas gifts, a new, actually warm winter coat…)
- Items that would make your life easier or better
Write it down. This list is your anchor against FOMO.
2. Is it actually cheaper?
This is where the tricks happen.
Fake Discount #1: The Inflated Original Price
A retailer marks a product up 50%, then puts it “on sale” for 40% off. You see the savings percentage and think you’ve won, but you’ve saved nothing.
Check what the product cost before Black Friday started. If you can’t find that information, it’s a red flag.
Fake Discount #2: The Bulk Buy Trap
“Buy 3, save 40%.” Great, if you need 3. But if you’re buying 3 just to hit the discount, you’re not saving money. You’re spending money on things you don’t need.
For household essentials like toilet paper or nappies, bulk buying makes sense (you’ll use them anyway). For everything else, have a think about whether you genuinely need that much.
Fake Discount #3: The Quality Drop
Some retailers release “Black Friday exclusives”, i.e. cheaper versions of their regular products made specifically for this sale. Same name, different quality, lower price. You think you’re getting a deal on the usual product. You’re not. You’re getting a discount on a knockoff.
Check reviews. Look for customer complaints about quality being different from the regular version.
How to actually spot a real deal
- Check the price for the item before Black Friday and compare the saving to that number
- Ask yourself: would I buy this if it wasn’t on sale?
- Check customer reviews (lower price sometimes means lower quality)
- Set a budget and stick to it
- Keep your pre-made list at hand to help focus on what you need
The truth about Black Friday
There are still deals to be made. You will save money on some things. On other things, you’ll just spend money because it feels like you’re saving money. The retailers know this. That’s why they created Black Friday in the first place.
But if you know what you’re looking for, Black Friday can actually work in your favour.
