100% off

For a bunch of years, I ignored Black Friday altogether. It felt good to just completely opt out of all the frenzy. A year or two ago, I realized in the week that followed that I could have saved a little money on some of the things I wanted to gift, if I'd used Black Friday strategically. So this year, I paid a little attention to the sales. Here's what happened.

There were a few things I contemplated + didn't buy:

• Another couch at 20% off. I don't really want another couch, but feel like I should have more seating when people come over. My current plan is to search for one more midcentury, butterfly chair instead. I like the way they look. They cost about 1/10 of the cost of the couch, and they are easier to move around the house.
• Another sweatshirt at 30% off in a different color. I like the sweatshirt I have, but I don't really need another one. When I want to wear that sweatshirt I will just wear that sweatshirt...twice as much as if I had two of them. I have the color I like best anyway.
• Another pair of leggings at 30% off. Same as above. I have three pairs of leggings...which works well for me laundry-wise.
• Face cream at 15% off. I've had a couple of days that my face felt a little bit dry + the product description for this new cream said things that made me feel my current face product might be insufficient. I read more information on my current product + gained some insight on how to change up how I use it. Now I'm experimenting further with it.
• A bedroom sconce at 30% off. We could really use a better source of light on these darker evenings. I just didn't love anything I found. No amount of discount is going to make me love it. I'm waiting for love.  

Here are the three things I did buy:

• A full price gift. I couldn't find it on sale. A sale doesn't make a knock off worth it.
• Lip balm at 15% off. I saw it this summer, but didn't need any then. This weekend, I ran out of all my lip balm that I don't have to apply with my finger (which I don't like to do when I'm not at home).
• A pair of boots at 15% off. I'd just received the full-priced pair of boots I bought, but they were too small. It's worth trying a larger size...which I will return if the fit isn't right. (The only boots I have at the moment are wellies.)

There's nothing "ooo-look-at-me-I'm-so-great" about this. I just thought I'd share a few ways I've been thinking through what is enough + how to spend/save our hard-earned money. Sometimes we need stuff. Sometimes we want to give good gifts. Sometimes stuff can make our lives a little bit lovelier. Sometimes sales are useful...when we let them serve us rather than being taken in by them.

And sometimes return policies are useful too.  :) (Because what we don't buy (or keep) is 100% off.)

Love,
Jane