Though the holidays are full of delicious foods and spending quality time with family, it is also a time for a variety of temptations. Yes, we all know that holiday dinners and snacks are notorious for causing many to crave unhealthy desires, but people often forget about the temptations also presented to us on Black Friday. The “good deals” displayed in catalogs and tv commercials are not meant to save you money but instead encourage consumers to spend more than they normally would. The urge to break your budget this time of year often results in long-term financial consequences which leads to stress and regret. It is important to limit yourself during this time of excessive spending and fight the temptation to overspend on Black Friday.

The Science Behind Spending

The reason so many people struggle with overspending this time of year is due to neural stimuli. Heidi McBain, a mental health counselor who specializes in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), performed a study on the correlation between Black Friday spending and neural brain functions. In her research, it was concluded that those who would consider themselves “shoppers” showed higher levels of brain activity in their nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain that controls pleasure and joy. When these “shoppers“ see a good deal on a desirable item or even just experience the bright lights of the holiday season, dopamine (a feel good hormone) is released from the brain. This positive feeling will cause many individuals to continue spending even if they are greatly over budget. Learning to recognize these trends and fight the temptation to overspend on black friday!

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If you have recently set a personal goal to save money, Black Friday will be your biggest nightmare. So how do you stop the urge to spend extravagantly during the holiday season? Here are 3 tips and tricks on how to fight the temptation to overspend on Black Friday.

How to Properly Budget in Preparation for Black Friday

Only pay with cash when you go out on Black Friday

Using a credit card to shop is dangerous because you cannot keep track of how much money you have spent. By physically giving yourself a limit on how much you are allowed to spend, you will be more likely to make smart purchasing decisions.

Plan on what you are going to buy before you go out and shop

Most stores this year have put out Black Friday ads so you as the consumer can get a sneak peak of all the amazing deals. Use these ads to your advantage and plan out where you will be purchasing before you even go to the store. Not creating a “wish list” of items before you go out and spend will cause you to purchase on impulse. This will lead to you overspending and possible long-term financial consequences.

Avoid spending to save

Many stores will offer sales where if you buy a certain amount of an item then you can get an extra present for free. This is a trap to have you as the consumer spend more. For example, if you only plan on purchasing 1 candle for $8 but a store has a sale where if you buy 3 candles you get 2 free, you will have to buy $24 worth on candles to get the deal. This means you will be overspending by $16 and have more candles than you know what to do with. Be smart with your spending and purchase something only if you need it.

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Source:

Dagher, A. (2007, January 03). Shopping Centers in the Brain. Retrieved November 21, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627306009998

To your Joy and Health,

Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN

This blog post was written by Bailee Richman, Dietetics Student from the University of Maryland