choosing the path of conscious materialism (6/8)

The truth is that retailers actually don’t care how much money we save, for them it’s all about how much profit they can make. They’re focusing on their bottom line, not ours. 

The holiday shopping season is extremely important for these giant corporations. On a good year, many stores reap a significant percentage of their annual revenue in the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. That’s insane!

And because the stakes are so high — the holiday season is a ‘make or break’ situation for them — the retailers do all that they can, leaving no stone unturned, to devise plans for exclusive deals, doorbuster sales and once-a-year offers — anything to attract a swarm of customers to their stores. 

As much as we’d like to believe that the Black Friday deals are designed for our benefit, it’s not true. These companies are not at all being generous, in fact, they are doing all they can to get as much money out of our pockets as they can to keep their investors and board members happy, and their balance sheets looking good, even if it involves participating in unethical practices. And this is not going to end any time soon!

They want you in their stores or on their sites, they want you to keep adding items in your cart and spending money, and participating in the craziness. But if you choose, you can simply refuse over-consuming and take responsibility for your purchases. Instead of running after Black Friday deals, you can embrace the path of conscious materialism. You can just say no to this insanity and instead be intentional about the few things that you do decide to purchase during the holiday season. In that way, we not only get those items that truly add value to our lives and others’, but we also make our shopping happy, joyous and stress-free.  

As we choose the path of conscious materialism, and as we buy high-quality items that align with our values, not only do we elevate our living experience and put our hard-earned money to good use, but we also contribute to a better and more sustainable world.