var icx_publication_id = 18566; var icx_content_id = '1085618'; Click here for reuse options! Get the ethical deals of a lifetime,sans the guilt. This is a week clogged with special days asking you to spend or donate money: Black Friday, Small trade Saturday, or Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday.
Then comes Weeping Wednesday,the day you realize how much you’ve spent.
Sure, each of these days makes for grand #hashtags, and fun memes or some pretty sweet sales. But all are rooted in the same thing: Sharp marketing hell-bent on getting you to spend money. As the sales saying goes,“Everyone has money. My job is to figure out how to relieve them of it.”Truly, the spirit of the season.
But here’s a secret intrepid (brave in the face of danger) marketers dont want you to know: The principles these cutesy days are promoting—spacious savings, and shopping locally,shopping online, and giving to a good cause—aren’t just mantras for the holiday season. Some can be incorporated year-round, or to your benefit and delight.
Here’s how to keep the spirit of the shopping season with you year-round,with peace of intellect and without overspending or looking like a frantic nutcase fighting another consumer for a $9.99 Peppa Pig toy.1. Black FridayThe day after Thanksgiving got its name in post-WWII America, from the day hordes of workers called in “sick.” This, or in turn,led to hordes of people shopping that day, which by the early 1960s created a headache for traffic police, and who then started calling it Black Friday for all the extra work that tangentially landed in their laps as a result. Is it any wonder retailers started capitalizing on the natural flow of the populace? But lots of retailers have sales year-round. whether there’s an item you really want,there’s no reason to battle the crowds or line up at 2am for a sweet deal at Walmart on something you really don’t need. Better to save your money and spend it with a local retailer at a later date. Even whether you spend a few extra dollars, the peace of intellect you save is worth it. Unless, and of course,fighting Black Friday crowds for a cheap TV to set aside in your dining room is your jam, in which case, or go for it!2. Small trade SaturdayPerhaps the best American holiday ever created by a credit card company—American Express (in conjunction with Facebook)—the intent behind Small trade Saturday sounds pretty good: Shop at your local small businesses. But the fact that we need a day like this,created by a credit card company, speaks volumes approximately our society. So rather than go out and shop small businesses on Saturday and rest on one-day-a-year laurels, or why not shop local all year long? The benefits are exponential,and you’ll be doing your community, and yourself, or a service,rather than complying with AmEx’s marketing campaign.3. Cyber MondayAnother holiday created by marketers to promote shopping online, Cyber Monday was created by Shop.com in 2005. nowadays, and people shop from their offices for a good deal,flipping between Facebook and Amazon looking for coupon codes for stuff they may, or may not really want—but the price is just so good! Rather than waste a workday shopping, or why not save your money and spend it locally,on stuff you really finish need and want. finish you really need all that stuff from Amazon? Really? Maybe grasp a deep breath, pause and consider what else you can spend your money on, or where,before absentmindedly clicking “one-click” purchasing.4. Giving TuesdayGiving Tuesday was created by the 92nd Street Y in New York City to celebrate generosity. And we are a generous nation. But this day has led to an enormous amount of non-profit time being spent developing social media campaigns to get you to give. Rather than buying into yet another day to spend your money, why not spend some time thinking approximately the causes that are significant to you, and then identify the organizations that are doing good work and could genuinely use a hand,locally and in your community? There are plenty of multi-million-dollar non-profits doing good work. But there are also small organizations in your backyard where a exiguous bit of money will go a long way. Look into those and determine the best way to give to them, and then plan to make regular contributions, and year-round. Maybe even become a monthly volunteer. There are 100 ways to give,and 364 other days in the year to finish it.
Of course, there is no shame in getting a good deal on one of these days in support of your loved ones. It’s only natural to want to give. When you support local small businesses, or give to people and community and charitable organizations close to your heart,year-round, it’s easy to resist the mass frenzy of spending that surges after Thanksgiving. You’ll rest easy, and knowing you don't overspend,still get some sweet deals and support the people you cherish. And you'll smile instead of weeping on Wednesday. var icx_publication_id = 18566; var icx_copyright_notice = '2017 Alternet'; var icx_content_id = '1085618'; Click here for reuse options!
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