As a frugal minimalist, what are you supposed to do about Black Friday?

On one hand, you’re so thankful for what you already have and want to avoid the consumerism trap that is Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

On the other hand, some of the sales really are a great deal which totally appeals to your frugal side!

TBH the most frugal and the most minimal option is often to not buy anything at all! 

There’s a quote about this and I wish I remembered it exactly. But basically it goes:

“Save 100% when you don’t buy anything at all”

Read quotes about minimalism and simple living.

You can still overspend even if everything is 95% off. No matter how much you save off the original price, if you buy something you don’t need, it’s a waste of money!

With that being said, even the most minimalist people occasionally need to buy things, so why not buy them at a great price? Some minimalists try to shame others into boycotting Black Friday altogether.

While I understand the sentiment, it comes with a lot of privilege to assume everyone is able to afford to buy things they need at full price and can just opt out of a great deal on something they need just to send a message.

The option to completely opt out is more of a minimalist Black Friday than a frugal minimalist one.

In my opinion, the best thing to do is only buy what you need, and not buy what you don’t.

minimalist black friday wallet, money, credit card, phone

If you do decide to participate in the sales, here are some tips to make it work for you:

Make a list of things you need. 

The list should be of things you need. Maybe you always keep a running list of things you have your eye on. 

Check to see if any of those items are on sale. If they are, then great! You just got a deal on something you were going to buy anyway!

Remember:

“If you didn’t need to buy it at full price, you don’t need to buy it on sale.”

― Joshua Becker

See more quotes from Joshua Becker and other minimalists.

Make a holiday shopping list

Whatever gifts you were going to buy, you may as well get them on sale if you can! The added bonus to saving money is that now your holiday shopping is done early too! 

If you’re looking for some minimalist gift ideas that won’t break the budget, I made lists for you!

100+ Consumable Gifts For Under $25
65+ Gifts for Minimalists (that fit your budget!)
Minimalist Gifts For Him
Minimalist Cards Picked Just For You
Minimalist Gifts for Christmas They Actually Want!

Shop online instead of in store

Shopping online allows you to avoid the crowds and the rushed feeling of “if I don’t get this, someone else will”. 

You won’t get sucked in to the extreme buying vibes in the stores and can make your decisions from a good state of mind instead. You can take more time to really decide if this is exactly what you were looking for or if you’re just dazzled by the price.

Now is a great time to have Amazon Prime so you can get free shipping on top of your discounts! If you don’t already have Amazon Prime, you can sign up for a 30 day free trial HERE!

Don’t use your savings as an excuse to buy more. 

You know the feeling of “Oh I saved $50 when I was willing to pay $100. Now I have $50 left to spend on something else!” 

This is my mini pet peeve about budgets. If you have $100 set aside in your budget, you’ll likely spend it all! 

Instead, use the amount saved to go towards something else like paying off debt or adding to your savings account!

Minimalist Black Friday Shopping Bags

Use your credit wisely! 

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy anything you can’t pay off in full this month! 

Every month you have to pay interest on something is like chipping away at the amount you saved on the original price! Over time, you might even pay the equivalent of full price or more due to the interest!

Many years I’ve used the sales to get things that had been on my list for a while!

Other years I’ve done the minimalist Black Friday/Cyber Monday by opting out of the sales simply because I didn’t need anything (I also hate crowds, but that’s a different story!)

To be honest, there really is no right or wrong choice! What you do is totally up to you! It may even change from year to year, and that’s perfectly ok!

I’m curious, do you tend to shop Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, or do you usually skip it?

Read more about frugal minimalism…
Are You a Frugal Minimalist?
The Difference Between Frugal & Cheap (Thrifty & Stingy)

free minimalist decluttering checklist
manage a frugal minimalist Black Friday
pin for later
minimalist black friday stick to your values while still getting a good deal! white text on black background with wallet, money, credit card, phone

2 Comments on Frugal Minimalist Black Friday

  1. This year, I had an item in mind that I’ve needed for a while, and chose one that was on deep discount for Black Friday. I did the same for Prime Day. I think I’ll do that for the coming years, as well – use those opportunities to get something that’s needed, but that can be postponed until the price is right.

    • Yes absolutely! I do the same 🙂 as long as we don’t get caught up in the sales and end up getting stuff we don’t need, I think it’s smart to grab it on sale!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.