Don't Shop Black Friday Without Reading This First!
It's been a week and I'm still not 100% recovered from Disney! It's the most exhausting holiday we've ever been on, I swear! On top of that, I left my phone in the rental car and had to pay a whopping $100 for them to ship it to me so that put a hilarious top on what was also the most expensive trip of our lives.But now we're home and normal service must resume.I moved the living room around yesterday in preparation for the decorations and my current view is a lit Bath & Bodyworks candle (Winter Candy Apple), hot tea in my new Walmart Christmas mug, an open box of Quality Street and a snoring dog. I've been editing the vlogs but I'm taking today to play with the new Sims expansion (hold your comments, I am 32 and I still love the Sims, I think the 'grow out of it' ship has sailed) and so that I don't feel like a total waster I thought I'd write a little something productive before I put on a Christmas movie and cement myself to the couch to school pick up.I was considering filming a Black Friday Come Shop With Me next week where I whizz around the major shops in Meadowhall and check out what specials they have on for the event. Two things are stopping me. 1. There's a new Taco Bell opening in Doncaster at 10am and the first 100 customers get a tshirt. I want that tshirt. 2. I don't have that many people to shop for and so I'd be shopping for shoppings sake and I'm not sure I want to promote that.A deal is not a deal unless you wanted the item before the sale. I have succumbed to so many 'offers' because the saving was 'too good to resist' ..I should have resisted. This year, in the madness of pre-Christmas excitement it would be easy to get carried away but I want to make a suggestion.Make a list now.Make it today. Not when you're shopping and you're bombarded with percentages and price cuts but when deals aren't a factor. What is on your list? Here's mine..a Pre Lit Christmas Treea Pair of Dr Martens Serena Bootsa Pair of Fila Disruptor Trainers*a Winter Coata New Living Room TVa Full Sized Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial**a New Ring LightPhoto Prints for the Living rooma New MacBookFlights to New YorkI know what you're thinking, some of those things are not regular shopping items but that's partly my point. What are the things on your wishlist right now? Let's say you want a new TV but can't justify the cost, how will you feel if you go and blow £300 in the sales on things that were 'such a good deal' you 'couldn't not buy them'? Half of this exercise is to highlight some things you'd like to find at a lower cost next weekend, the other half is to give you some perspective.I have taken to making a list of things each month that I want. They could be things I want to achieve or things I want to buy, either way, it's partly the law of attraction mumbo jumbo (that I want to believe in but find myself laughing at) and partly a reminder that if I want X then I have to give Y to get it.I like to shop as much as the next person and I have pushed my budget too far in the past trying to chase that high. I'm not saying don't do it (Lord knows, I will be) but just be mindful of the things you really want and try not to let the pressure of the weekend get the better of you.There will always be more sales! *these are not for me!**there will be a blog post on this coming soon