Breaking up with Black Friday

My pre-Black Friday marketing.

I've made the decision to break up with Black Friday. While many American consumers are gearing up for the holiday shopping season and eager to get the best deals, this marketing ploy has lost its luster for me. The push to get me to buy is no longer limited  to Black Friday or Cyber Monday (the biggest online shopping day in the United States). Now we have the advance Black Friday sales you can’t miss. I’m over it.

Like many of my fellow consumers, I love a good sale. I still cut coupons. And even though I believe that it’s in giving you receive, I’m forcing myself to press the pause button. Black Friday isn’t about our needs, it’s a successful marketing ploy that drives us to fulfill our wants. In the process we’re creating a lot of waste. 

I have a lot of stuff. More stuff than I need. Rather than add to it, I’ve started looking at ways to reduce and reuse. The most important things to me today are  my health (the first wealth), my family and friends, having a job and making sure I’m able to meet the necessities of life. That’s paying the mortgage, Akilah and Zak’s daycare bill, groceries, utilities, etc. Having some fly boots, or a nifty Kate Spade (my fav) are needs, ones I can do without. It’s taken me quite a few years to get here and now that I’m here I’m not leaving the reservation. The more I think about Black Friday and American consumerism in general, the more I realize it runs counter to how I want to live my life.

I admire individuals who've adopted a minimalist lifestyle. The phrase "less is more" no longer just applies to my writing, it’s becoming a holistic approach I want to filter throughout other areas of my life. I have a road map to focus on. At the center of it are people and experiences--not filling my closet with things I won’t use in five years. I definitely have more work to do on this front, but I’m starting by putting Black Friday on the back burner. I welcome your minimalist recommendations. Let me know in the comments.

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the time off and I encourage you to focus on your bottom line rather than driving up retail sales. Some wonderful alternatives to buying new gifts this holiday season are donating to a nonprofit, volunteering with a community organization, or donating items you don’t need to orgs like Good Will, St. Vincent de Paul, The Salvation Army, etc.