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Comment by Scene_Cast2 | Hacker News Reader

I actually found Black Friday to help me be less focused on consumerism during the rest of the year. When I want to buy something, I typically jot it down on my "thoughts for BF" list. Then, when everyone is having sales, I can dedicate time and through the yearly purchases. Also helps prevent impulse purchases as well.

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That assumes that Black Friday deals are actual deals and there was no sneaky price increase two days earlier.

If you're using Amazon, always use camelcamelcamel.com to check first.

Or Keepa extension. I also use Tweakers.net pricewatch.

Add the current price to that list too, and compare it before buying.

If the discount is fake, delay buying into March or something like that. Prices tend to fall in January/February.

I personally don't do that. But I see people doing it with a good amount of success.

True, although if you're in the EU, there should be a 30 days reference period.

"In all EU countries traders are obliged, when offering a discount, to indicate the lowest price applied to the item at least 30 days before the announcement of the price reduction."

Of course, enforcement of such rules is the problem here. But if you notice such discrepancies, you are more than encouraged to file a complaint to the shop and then to your national agency responsible for the protection of consumers if the seller doesn't act in good faith. I was fairly surprised to see how well the latter has worked against a large company in my Balkan country.

Source: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/unfair-treat...

Yeah, some just increase the price 30 days before black Friday though, and then offer a huge "discount"

I heard some even go as far as increasing price slowly in period of 6 months before BF. To drop it on that day as discount.

How does Amazon get around this?

camel for Amazon, and in Switzerland, we have toppreise. One major online store is also providing full price history (digitec/galaxus).

There are ways to circumvent that.

or it's just garbage that was made for the sale

Or worse the same SKU but “for black friday”. It was common for things like TVs to be marketed in such a way as to think it was the same product as previously, but instead was a lesser product like a tv with fewer ports and a shorter warranty (which would imply cheaper life limited components like capacitors).

In my experience, retailers will do this to make their “special” Black Friday sale similar to regular sales that roll around every few months, but I have never seen or heard of a company pulling this to the point where they’re selling stuff for higher than the normal full price.

So you’re right that Black Friday might not be the best time to buy something, but it’s fine if you want to get something at a good price and don’t feel like putting any effort into tracking prices throughout the year.

I aim for the same approach. Yes, you have to make sure they are real sales. An easy if imperfect way is to jot down the current price when you first want to buy the thing, then compare what you see on “sale.” (As someone else suggested, camelcamelcamel.com is great for Amazon price history.)

Used prices also tend to go down during sale periods proportionally.

Exactly. Plus you get all the discounts scavenging on excess inventory.

excessive inventory of items you don't really need but buy anyway

Well some of us buy exactly what we planned to buy, only at cheaper prices, and after verifying with price comparison sites.

Beeing unrich[1] for years have given me this skill. I don't frivolously spend money.

[1]: wouldn't say poor as I have had a car most of my adult life, but definitely not rich, maybe "not always knowing in advance how to pay for food towards the end of the month" and "being very happy hand me downs" is a good explanation?

A better trick is to do the same but not actually jot it down on the list. Then you’re more likely to completely do without it.

It is possible to have discipline, and _also_ still spend your hard earned money on hobby purchases that bring you joy and fulfillment.

Complete abstinence has a philosophical purity but humans weren't meant to live like monks.

"Complete abstinence has a philosophical purity but humans weren't meant to live like monks."

They were rather meant to hunt for black friday deals and dive into consumerism?

I'd say, I don't know and suspect no one knows how we are meant to live. We can just find out and decide ourself.

(I've met monks who were way more content, than your average consumer, but it is not my way of living either)

My point is that if you really need/want it, you’ll remember on Black Friday without the list. But you won’t be buying unnecessary stuff just because you put it on a list at some point. I certainly don’t advocate for complete abstinence.

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