It's even worse in Australia. A long while back we had a really bad bushfire that resulted in something like 70 people dying called black Friday. More recently we had a bushfire that resulted in over 150 people dying and 400 injured called black Saturday

It's honestly insulting to see these corporations come in and have these black Friday sales, showing that they don't care or respect for the history of Australia or its people, all while they flaunt the masquerade of "It's for you!!!"

I’m an American living in Canada. Black Friday happens here and it’s really weird to me. In the USA, it happens the day after Thanksgiving, which always falls on a Thursday. So Black Friday makes sense because many people have Friday off (or take it off) and so they have a day to shop for the upcoming holiday season.

In Canada, Thanksgiving does not happen on the same day as in the USA. It happens on a Monday in October. But Black Friday still happens the day after American thanksgiving, which is basically just a random Friday in November for Canadians.

The only thing I will mention is that I don’t know of any Canadian who lines up outside stores for them to open so they can snatch a crappy deal on a TV. I’m sure it happens, but I think most Canadians just need to go to work.

With "deals" that don't even look like deals to begin with

its ok. i got groceries today. stupid flesh prison and its need for food. i do what i can eh

The base price of TVs have gotten so cheap that in terms of absolute savings, even a true 50% discount wouldn't seem like a big deal.

30 years ago, when a big screen TV might cost the same as 3 months rent in a 3 bedroom apartment, getting 50% off was like getting 1.5 months rent. Now, when a big TV costs less than a quarter of a month's rent for a studio apartment, getting 50% off a TV is like getting 3 days rent.

Modern life is expensive because of housing, not because of stuff. Giving us better prices on stuff doesn't even help make this life more affordable.

I checked some TV prices here, just for fun and since I was in the city anyway. They doubled the price as compared to the regular online price and then put on a 50% discount.

Same, I thought "I can do a week, at the very least." Rookie numbers.

I thought you could disable updates on specific steam games. No?

I'm torn though. At some point I am going to buy stuff I want or need. If I were to buy them at full price rather than on Black Friday, I am essentially being more of a consumer per money unit.

So yes, don't look at Black Friday deals and decide you need stuff you see on sale. First decide whether you need something, then go see if you can find a good deal and maybe buy it.

I think the idea is not to not buy anything for a day, it's more about redefining what we need and applying a little impulse control. If Black Friday is profitable, we need to make them keep the prices that way year round rather than applying huge markups to maximize profits.

Lol

I have observed Buy Nothing day(s) since the early 2000s. My personal philosophy is, this is a day set aside to meditate on the difference between want and need.

Do you need to queue up at 4pm on Thanksgiving night to fill your car with cut-rate b-stock imported consumer goods made specifically for $10 door buster sales? No. Fucking nobody does. Your family hates receiving gifts from you, because it's all bound for the landfill in a few months.

Do you need food? Yeah. And maybe the produce is all on sale today.

Think of the labor and the plastic and the waste before you participate in conspicuous consumption. Think of the fuel it takes to get from the factory to the port, across the seas, into a warehouse or a plane, just to be purchased and discarded after a day or a month or a year. This is one of the ways we're dooming ourselves as a species.

Like everything else, just do the best you can. If you need groceries or gas or medicine, go buy them. Meet your needs. If you want the big TV, and the price is right, do it. But think a bit about second hand goods, or working with what you have, or going without. Refurbishment sites exist, and a two year old item is functionally the same as a new one. Not much changes year over year. They just make you think it changes.

What are your needs today?