My neighbor made me rethink those flash sale emails

I was telling my neighbor about this 70% off deal I snagged on a coat last week. She just looked at me and said "you wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't on sale though right?" And honestly it hit me hard because she was right. I have this habit of grabbing stuff from those daily deal sites just because the timer is counting down. Last month I got a set of kitchen knives for $40 that I haven't even opened yet. She told me she only buys things she already planned to need no matter the price. Now I'm sitting here looking at my closet full of "deals" I never use. Has anyone else had a moment where a friend called them out on this stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

gibson.mark7d ago

The whole limited time pressure thing is designed to short circuit your brain. Your neighbor is dead right because if you wouldn't buy it at full price then you don't need it at 70% off either. I started asking myself one simple question before I click buy: would I grab this off the shelf right now if the price tag said the original price? If the answer is no then I walk away. The knife set thing is exactly what I mean - you didnt need knives, you just needed a dopamine hit from feeling like you won something. Those flash sale sites make you feel like you're losing money if you dont buy which is total garbage. Its tough to break the habit but once you start ignoring those timers the stuff you actually buy means way more.

evan_jenkins7d ago

Read somewhere that the average person saves zero money from buying things on sale.