Sales…we love them. Can’t go wrong with a spontaneous sale, especially when it comes right at that exact moment we run out of something or we were looking to buy that one thing. However, while we are on the topic of FOMO, we can’t help but feel that emotion take over as we are bombarded with the month of Black Friday deals which are then accompanied by Cyber Monday. The humor is never lost when we wrap up the holiday that is built off of thankfulness, where we reflect on all that we have only to then flip into reverse and ultimately be forced to come face to face with everything that causes us to feel like we are lacking. I was talking with a few people while deep in that dangerous weekend, and we all found common ground on the reality that are those sales. They are most certainly a blessing for, as I mentioned, things that we have had waiting on our wish list or to fulfill our Christmas shopping, but beyond that, it can feel like a nuisance. With the way cookies gather information and our phones listen to our internal thoughts causing our web browsers and Instagram pages to be littered with nothing but ads, we are constantly faced with the feeling of being unsatisfied.
Wish List
I am one of those people who could always find something to ask for and has never completed a wish list. It’s not that I am not happy with what I have, but I enjoy finding different and other things that could spruce up and update the bubble that lives around me. When I am bored, another source of scrolling for me is different websites. Adding things to my wishlist or cart with the knowledge that it is all wishful thinking. So when a sale comes around it sparks a “well maybe…” thought to tip toe into my mind. I currently have Amazon open on my web browser for when I need to regather my thoughts while I write this. I am grateful for all that I have and try to be responsible when I do allow myself to make a purchase, but when sales come into the picture, especially ones with as much passion as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it cultivates this sense of panic in me. It causes me to feel like I am missing out and that I am wasting money by not buying, even when I find things that never even made my list. Those who work in marketing earn their paychecks during these sales because their persistence in my email inbox and social media causes me to not be able to forget and ignore them. Their deceptive trickery purposefully causes us to feel a sense of dissatisfaction. And because of that, we feel like we miss out if we don’t take advantage.
The Race
And while we are feeling FOMO by not jumping at the flashing “45% OFF”, we are left feeling like we are in a great worldwide race to the finish line. If I don’t buy this right at this very second, someone else will come in and scoop it up. It happened to me this year. But, I took it as a sign that I didn’t need it, so I guess it was for the best. These sales can be such a blessing, yet such a deep root cause of unidentified anxiety. It’s the battle of “do I? Don’t I? I can’t procrastinate. Well, they don’t have my size, but it’s on sale, I can squeeze. I might use this so I might as well.” And so on. This pressure that consumerism and these big flashy sales can cause melts our practical thoughts and makes room for “well maybe” leaving us to buy things that we don’t need or won’t use. It also modifies our judgment because we see “SALE” and add 10 things to our cart although the “BIG SALE” is only 10% off. So although we think we are saving money, we don’t realize that we are probably spending more because we are buying double what we normally would. But, because we know the pressure that these major sales bring, anything from 5%-60% is a “great deal” and we don’t want to miss out.
Mindgames
Another way they rope us in is with shipping. They will have a sale, but have the shipping be double what the sale takes off. I was looking at something that was around 40% off and as I was checking to see how much shipping would be (now granted, I am shipping to a middle-of-nowhere island, but still) the shipping was $33, which was more than the item. I was stunned. I think I laughed out loud and then closed the browser. That situation is extreme, but in other situations we allow our wall of rational decisions to become weakened by the feeling of need. During these major sales, we begin to have the feeling of ungratefulness and dissatisfaction creep into our minds. Shopping and wanting to take advantage of a good sale is in no way wrong, it’s smart. But, when we allow it to pull us into the dark side and are no longer able to appreciate what we have and spend carelessly, we begin to fudge the line of responsibility. If we can help a small business that is working on gaining customers during sales or take advantage by piggybacking on the major sales, that is amazing. Or maybe finally taking something off our wishlist although it isn’t necessary because it was on sale, is a completely relatable scenario. But, are we being smart with our decisions or are we allowing the stress that entangles us by feeling like we are missing out to take over our decisions? I finally had to not go on social media and glance at my emails and then select and delete all those tempting little minions. They made me think of those little shriveled souls in “The Little Mermaid” who tried to grab hold of Ariel while she was in Ursula's lair. I won’t lie though, a few grabbed hold of me. But only one prevailed and that is because it was my face lotion that I use every day, so it was a practical purchase.
Holiday Season
We don’t want saving our money to become the main focus, something we obsess over, but before we spend we should stop, reflect, and remember how grateful we are for the things that we have. Consumerism is like an infection that causes us to feel like we are lacking. Shops have capitalized on the idea of Santa Claus and caused people to forget the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus. Giving gifts is a fun and exciting bonus of the holiday. It started with the wise men coming before the son of God with gifts to honor him, to bless him, just as we give to others to bless them and show that we care. This season isn’t about the stuff. I sound like a broken record, I know. We have all sung the songs and read the stories that say the same thing. But, even if I sound broken, I am fully intact and simply stating the truth. Sales feed off of our nature of need and want. They cause us to feel dissatisfied with simply the way they phrase a sentence. We feel anxious feeling as though we are missing out and spending more than we intend. We lose sight of the feeling of satisfaction and gratefulness. And most importantly we lose sight of the true meaning of this season of remembering the very beginning of Jesus’s sacrifice for us.
Don’t get me wrong, I am here for sales. I love a good sale. And Black Friday is a great opportunity. But, these days with the whole month of November being a countdown to the official Friday is like a twisted game. It’s a countdown that makes us question if we should take advantage now or practice our patients. Will it be sold out or are we meant to have it? And are we simply buying because who can pass up on a deal? We lose sight of the amazing life that is before us and instead fester in that ungrateful bug that pokes us. I think it is safe to say none of us are immune to these feelings and we often fudge the lines of keeping Christ the center of this whole season. It was nice to write this little reminder to myself to be happy with all that I have. As we continue this season, let’s try to remind ourselves what we are grateful for, even if Thanksgiving has passed and keep Jesus at the center of the season. Enjoy the weekend! And don’t forget to follow on Instagram, share this with some friends, leave a comment, and don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks for reading Allie-Cats.
Dru Allie
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