In this episode we take a look at Black Friday and ask is it right for you?

If you don’t want to listen but would rather read what we say then continue reading.

Today is Black Friday, which means there is a lot of craziness going on and people are just looking for deals. Throughout the day, the deals sometimes get better, and sometimes they get worse. Items may sell out quickly or the deal just isn’t there on the item you are looking for.

After Black Friday comes Cyber Monday and it seems that a lot of people are starting to skip Black Friday sales for Cyber Monday. To compensate for that, many businesses are offering almost the same exact deals on Friday and then turn around and do it again on Monday. Or they may offer certain items on Friday and certain items on Monday, just so that they can drive traffic to their sites. Amazon has been trying to do this throughout the year with Amazon Prime days. They do it to either get rid of inventory or they do it to make you think you're getting a deal.

Let's be honest, that's what most advertising is, they make you think you're getting a real big deal when you're really not, (Not when it comes to their costs). There are exceptions, there are some that lower their prices in hopes that they will sell in volume to make up the profit. Certain gaming systems like PlayStation or Xboxes don’t make their money off the consoles, they make their money off the games. That's why you spend so much more money on games than the system over time.

The main reason people are taking advantage of these deals are due to corporations and society making us think that we have to as it is that time of season where they wrap a holiday around products to motivate us to buy.

People buy holiday and birthday gifts because they feel obligated to, not because they necessarily want to. If somebody close to you gave you a gift out of the blue with no holiday or birthday surrounding it, how would that make you feel? Would you appreciate that gift more because it wasn’t tied to an obligation?

I am willing to bet that gift would make you smile and enjoy it more because it was unexpected.

I think we miss the point of gift giving because we are in a consumerist world when it comes to gifts, and these Black Friday deals. This doesn't mean that we need to stop buying, no, no… I'm not trying to say that. What I'm saying is that we need to make sure when you do this stuff, you're doing it within reason and within a fixed budget. If you are shopping for the holidays, please make sure you have a fixed budget. Do not put yourself in tremendous debt for the holidays. Trust me, your little ones, will get over it if they don’t get everything. Older kids will understand, especially if you open up to them about what's going on financially. Make them understand the value of money, and that not everybody is able to buy what some others may get for the holidays.

Now, with that said, still shop at Amazon, Walmart, or Macy's. Go and shop anywhere you want to get the deal. If it's on sale and you've got it within your budget, get it.

Remember that nobody that truly matters and that understands will say that we have to get the top-notch stuff. We don’t truly need Gucci or Michael Kors bags. You don't have to get Tommy clothes. You don't have to get all of these big designer items that are way overpriced.

If you can get a $40 pair of jeans that looks and lasts just as long as a $150 pair of designer jeans, why would you waste your money? At that point you are only buying a name.

I know you have goals and plans so shop wisely and look for deals and take advantage of them if they are within your budget!

Diamond Dixie – IYB S1 E4