If you’re new to Minimalism, you might be thinking that you’ve seen the last of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or any other type of fun sales shopping event.
After all, Minimalism is all about NOT shopping, right?
Well… yes, and no.
To me, Minimalism just means that you shop intentionally.
This can mean different things for different people.
For some, it might mean that they don’t go shopping anymore.
But for a lot of people (myself included) it just means that I’m intentional about what I spend my money on.
And because of this, I still black Friday Shop… it just looks a little different than it did during my pre-minimalism days.
So let’s look at how can you Black Friday shop without compromising on your Minimalist values.
1) Set Your Budget
Before you do anything else, set your budget!
If you start shopping before you have your budget set, you will likely spend more money than you save on Black Friday.
If you haven’t set your budget yet, I go into a lot of detail about How to Create your Christmas Budget Without Going Into Debt in this post and this video.
2) Have Your List Ready
Going to the store (or shopping online) without a clear plan of what you want to buy is like going on a diet without having any idea of which diet plan you are going to use.
You will always end up buying more than you need, spending more than you should, and working against your minimalist goals.
If you’d like a little help coming up with your Minimalist Christmas List, I show you exactly how we create ours in the post, How to Have a Minimalist Christmas With Kids, and this video.
Or if you want a shortcut for creating a Minimalist Christmas List, you can always use the “something they want, something they need, something they’ll wear, and something they’ll read” rule.
I love this rule and often use it as a starting point for our lists… but be careful not to get too crazy about it.
Some years our girls don’t need any new clothes for Christmas, but on other years they need several items. Some years they don’t have any needs, and sometimes they have several.
So it’s a great guide to go by, but don’t feel like you have to get them everything on that little list if they don’t actually need it. 🙂
3) Trim Your List Down
Now that you have your list ready. trim it down!
Go over your list with a fine-tooth comb and get rid of anything that is unnecessary or too expensive.
Taking a second look will make sure that you aren’t buying anything that you will regret once the holidays are over.
4) Have a List of Anything You Need
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Days, and any other holiday sales are great times to grab any necessities that you have around the house.
I always keep a list on my phone when I think of something I need either for myself of for the house.
That way, when I come across a sale, I can capitalize on the sale without worrying that I’m just being tempted by the sale tag.
Right now on this list I have:
- A low waste broom for the kitchen (if any of you have a good one that you like, please let me know in the comments!)
- Flip flops (again, recommendations for cute flipflops with arch support would be appreciated!)
- A hand warmer mug
- Slippers
- Socks
- A Hydroflask Waterbottle
- Kitchen Scissors
- A waterproof picnic blanket
- Glass spray bottles
The reason I have this list is so that if I come across anything on this list that is a good price, I will buy it.
I also have a list for each of the girls with their needs on it as well. (This comes in very handy for creating Christmas Lists, Birthday Lists, and telling grandparents what they need any time they ask.)
5) Don’t Browse (Without a Mission!)
When you are looking to find things on either your Christmas list or your needs lists, you aren’t just roaming around the store, or the internet, going up and down every seeing what jumps out at you.
You are looking for the specific items on your lists, and getting out before you grab anything that you don’t need “just because it was on sale”
And that’s how you do it! Let me know in the comments below if you have any other ideas for how to take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday without adding a bunch of clutter to your house.
You might also enjoy…
The Best Intentional Gift Ideas for Minimalist Kids
How to Have a Minimalist Christmas With Kids
How to Meal Plan for the Holidays like a Minimalist
How to Make a Budget for Christmas Without Going Into Debt
Good luck out there!
