Being that it is Black Friday in 2 days and most of you know what that is without me further explaining, I’d like to take an outside look about the progress of minimalism and the unfortunate success of Black Friday.
Where’d It All Start
I could find no certain answer as to when much of America started going crazy over the Friday after Thanksgiving. To the best of what I have heard multiple times, the reference Black Friday ties into the fact that most retail locations are “In the Red” also known as running with a financial loss until this day when they “Enter the Black” also known as starting to make a profit for the year.
Whatever the reason, we have come to learn that Black Friday generally means at least a few of the following:
- People become spend happy
- People go into more debt
- People buy crap because “it’s cheap”
- As was with food the day before, people take in too much of what they don’t need
- Minimalism loses a few faithful followers to the pull of “the deal”
You are Not Alone
Back in 2004, I woke up around 4 am and headed out to a local sports store. They had this “awesome” deal on snowboards for somewhere in the ballpark of $90. I happily stood in line for an hour, purchased my “cheap” snowboard and headed home to go back to sleep. This $90 snowboard ended up costing me a couple hundred bucks and was never used.
Okay, I am not 100% sure how much the snowboard actually cost me in the long run, but I know it had to have at least cost me $200 after all was said and done. Why? Because I bought it with a credit card.
See, I was in my junior year of college taking 19 units and working 32+ hours. Needless to say, I had no free time. Not having any free time meant I was unable to use my snowboard. Putting the snowboard on credit led to me not paying it off for at least a year combined with the unnecessary other things I purchased with that credit card. Due to the credit card interest and my lack of paying it off quickly, the snowboard that originally was “cheap”, ended up being extremely expensive for what I got out of it.
Lives Significantly Impacted by 1 Day
Last year, I drove my girlfriend to see the madness that is Black Friday. She grew up in rural Nebraska so she never saw or even knew what Black Friday was. Thankfully, she didn’t regret not having Black Friday growing up.
These people are stupid.
I don’t think I have ever been so proud of my girlfriend. When she saw the lines of thousands outside the Best Buy, she uttered those words. We drove home and relaxed while 10′s of millions fought over a “cheap” television.
The sad part isn’t necessarily that these people all just bought more stuff. The sad part is that this one day has such a dramatic effect on millions upon millions lives.
The debt accumulated on this 1 day is ridiculous. I wish I had some figures (if you do, please send them my way) to present the shock and awe to you. Just imagine what the money spent on stuff in 1 day could actually do to change people’s lives. Here are some of the examples that come to mind as to what people could actually be spending their money on…
- Pay off debt
- Build a small savings (maybe large depending on how much one spends)
- Plan and pay cash for an excursion with family and friends
Those are just three ways people could be spending their money more wisely, but they are three major life changes that can be made by NOT celebrating Black Friday.
Buy Nothing Day
Recently, I ran across this site dedicated to anti-Black Friday madness. As per the website,
Buy Nothing Day is your special day to unshop, unspend and unwind. Relax and do nothing for the economy and for yourself – at least for a single day.
This is an awesome idea that I wish I would have come up with. Luckily, someone else did.
Buy Nothing Day is just like many other lifestyle changes. Not spending a penny is tough to do most days. I try, but fail many days. But with many of the lifestyle changes I and many others stress, it isn’t easy, but many times necessary. We should want and have control of our lives. Days like Black Friday usually push us further from our true goals.
My advice, take Buy Nothing Day’s advice and just spend this day not spending money. It may be tough, but what really is easy.
Make it a Minimalist Day
How much stuff do you or your friends and family need? What if no one bought anyone else presents for one Christmas? If no one bought me a gift and I didn’t buy anyone else a gift, I wouldn’t go into debt trying to please others and those wishing to appease me would do the same.
You may have celebrated Black Friday since the day you were born. But if you want to start making changes to your life, try to make this Black Friday the day your net worth heads into the black instead of your debt falling further in the red.
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I think it’s funny that Black Friday is basically a National Holiday. Most offices just give you Friday off too even though it’s not officially part of the holiday. They say it’s because so many people are travelling, but I’m pretty sure it’s all part of the plot to get us to save the corporations from “the red” by sacrificing ourselves to it.
Hey Chase—
Wouldn’t it be crazy if all means of currency were prevented from being used. I am sure Black Friday would just become Black Saturday but if, for whatever reason, this shopping holiday just vanished, how much better off people would actually be.
David Damron
I most definitely will NOT be participating in Black Friday. I never have. I even avoid the grocery store on the BF, there’s just too much crazy for me to contend with. I do find it laughable (in a sad way) that the masses have to be convinced that they are getting a “deal” on what they’re buying when they don’t need what they’re buying, nor do the people they are supposedly gifting it to. We buy it because we’re convinced that if we don’t do it now, the price will go up and we’ll have “lost”. I wonder if people realize that if they didn’t take the bait they would have saved even more? Apparently not because we do it every frakkin’ year, like the good sheep we are. This is one of the many reasons I don’t celebrate Christmas. It’s not a holiday, it’s a market indicator.
Hey Arron—
The “better” sheeple we become, the harder it becomes to stray from the herd.
David Damron
LifeExcursion
Great point and great post. I’ll be linking to this as I write about it soon. Thanks again for the good, blunt perspective.
Hey Tammy—
Send me a heads up via twitter when you get that article up so I can share with my readers.
David Damron
LifeExcursion
You must be a very creative person looking about your title posts. Absolutely great! And I enjoy your writing.
Thanks Chris…
I am not the most creative person but I try and that’s the best I can do. Thanks for enjoying and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate community.
David Damron
LifeExcursion
Yes, every moment counts and every day is significant. Every moment can bring a big change to your entire life.
Hey Mara—
The phrase you added is meaningful for the sole reason that it doesn’t mention anything concerning physical things…just experiences.
Thanks….
David
LifeExcursion
David, all this Black Friday business has always saddened me. UNTIL now. I don’t know about where you are, but HERE many stores are advertising that they will be open Thanksgiving Day! One big chain is going to be opening their doors at 4am! Sad, sad, sad. Consumerism is the national religion.
“Consumerism is the national religion”…..hahaha….and here I thought Christianity would never be toppled. You are absolutely correct. I never looked at it that way.
Thanks for sharing Jean…
David Damron
LifeExcursion
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I agree wholeheartedly about Black Friday.
But I also had to laugh, because “spending a penny” means something else as well. Just being silly today.
[...] on Be More With Less with 5 Ways to Have a Rich Christmas Without Spending More. Finally, check out The Anti-Minimalist Day by David Damron. « understanding. There are 0 comments to this post. Add Your [...]
Very grateful the madness that is ‘Black Friday’ has not made its way down-under … though its starting to show is arrival …. not oto say Xmas/boxing day shopping is not madness either we just don’t have a official shopping day to start it all off
I am sure some American company is slowly creeping such an idea on day there. Stand strong!
David Damron
LifeExcursion
Great post. We have something similar in Canada: Boxing Day. Even sadder it is the day after Christmas so, after your family and friends have showered you with gifts you’re supposed to go out and buy yourself more. Awesome.
I’m observing BND here in Vancouver, Canada where it all started.
Wow! I didn’t know that about Boxing Day. That is disappointing. All you can do is try to discuss with others why and what they need.
David Damron
LifeExcursion
Definitely did not buy anything today. Did go to an antique mall/flea market for a look around, but found no useful items that I could add to my house. I am working to declutter it so I am definitley picky about what goes it it!
And yes, the fact that many stores were open ON Thanksgiving was just appalling to me. Good grief, can’t we have a family day?
Bernice
http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2010/my-special-season-of-thanksgiving/
Hey Bernice—
Good job staying away from the malls. Though the flea market can be just as dangerous. Glad you realized there was little, if anything, that would have brought value to your life. Focus on that each and every time stuff enters your life.
David Damron
LifeExcursion
HA! We did this without even having read this post! Look at me go! We have a tradition of driving to the mountains Thursday night after the Thanksgiving feast. We cook up another turkey on Friday and have a second Thanksgiving just with our family, as the regular Thanksgiving day seems to have turned into some type of a block party, which is fine for some, but not for us.
Needless to say, there isn’t anywhere to shop in the mountains and it would have cut into our sledding, cooking, drinking, laughing, napping time. Oh, and there’s no tv either at the cabin. Best decision ever was not having one of those in there.
Hey Turling…
That is almost identical to what I did this year. I strayed as far from the hustle and bustle of the city by going to the Rocky’s with family. It was nice and relaxing.
David Damron
Well, even tho I am not a minimalist practicing person, I do like to think of myself as a smart spender. And if anyone of the nuts who looove Black Friday had taken any time to really look into the “deals” of the day, they would of know that about 95%-and all they big brand stores, said that the best deals of the year would be AFTER Black Friday.
I know, some people get out there in the fray because they say that if they don’t, they can’t afford to get anything for Christmas..but honestly, it just takes a little patience and looking around any you can get a “good deal” on ANYTHING, any time of the season. It shouldn’t be this ONE day of crazy madness, where you have to fight people off your stuff, and make the rest of the world wait 2 weeks before we can shop because the zealots cleared out the shelves!
Just thought I’d put my 2 cents in on the subject
[...] on Be More With Less with 5 Ways to Have a Rich Christmas Without Spending More. Finally, check out The Anti-Minimalist Day by David [...]
To “Smash your TV….” I clicked on your name to bring up your site but couldn’t read any of it because your logo is right in the center covering up the words & I can’t figure out how to get rid of it. I’m interested in reading what you write because I’ve been TV-free for 2 years & love it! Any suggestions how to clear the logo off your page?