How I Prepare for Holiday Sales Season
As a consumer, that is.
A note: I scheduled this post before the results of the election came in, and I want to acknowledge the dissonance (i.e. ick) I feel in choosing to continue to let it go live. It feels wrong to talk or think about anything other than what is the most important issue at hand.
Another part of me knows that staying frozen in fear or grief is not how I can best serve my community. Please know that my posting this is not me conceding the fight. My intent is to continue to share, build, and connect in ways that uplift each other, even if it starts with a post about being intentional with… holiday sales. One foot in front of the other.
Please take from this post whatever might be helpful for you now, or revisit it later whenever the time feels right. And please take care of yourself and your loved ones ❤️
Every year I know holiday sales are coming, and every year I’m still blown away by the utter onslaught of holiday marketing. Clearing marketing emails from my inbox becomes a to-do list task in and of itself, and everywhere I go I feel like I’m being yelled at.
As someone who both has a brand of their own and is also a human (aka a consumer), it’s overwhelming. As a brand, it feels like an icky capitalist system I have to play within to survive. As a consumer, I want to block out all the noise and hibernate in a cave until it’s all over, and yet… of course, I also want to take advantage of all the savings to be had.
It’s certainly not foolproof (as mentioned previously, I am a human), but over the years I feel like I’ve developed a pretty good strategy for tactfully navigating end-of-year sales. The goal is simple: save money, and purchase deliberately.
The Dark Side of Frugality
One of the pitfalls of the holiday sales cycle is the fear of missing out on savings. As someone who grew up in an extremely frugal household, I’ve been conditioned from a young age to be highly motivated to save money. Coupon clippings were and still are a primary love language in my family.
While frugality is mostly a good quality, it can also trigger a dangerous impulse — especially when sales are being advertised left and right. The appeal of the idea of saving money can sometimes be so strong that it tricks one into purchasing things they don’t actually want or need, not unlike a drunk purchase you regret in the sober light of morning.
So, how to navigate this double-edged sword? My approach has two prongs — one pragmatic, and one fun:
The Pragmatic Part
Of course, we have to start with less glamorous stuff.
I know this isn’t everyone, but I’m the type of person who once I find something I like, I stay loyal to it. Particularly with skincare and cosmetics, I will do a lot of research and exploration in the beginning, but once I find my product, that’s my product. They become my chickpeas and canned tomatoes — aka pantry staples that I always make sure I’m well stocked up on.
For example, I’ve been bathing myself with Palermo Body’s Coconut Milk and Oatmeal Soap pretty much ever since I met the company’s founder Jess in 2018. The only hair products I use are Crown Affair (this started before my collab with them btw, I swear I’m not biased!). If I don’t lotion my body each and every day with Soft Services’ Carea Cream I just don’t feel like myself.
These are items I know for a fact I will eventually buy more of, so the thinking is: I might as well plan ahead and purchase them while the companies are most likely doing their biggest sale of the year.
Around now is when I begin to take inventory of these holy grail products (I already have an ongoing list of what those products are — you can make yours at this point if you’re a sane person unlike me and don’t have one yet). As the various brands’ sales begin, I make my pre-planned purchases, ticking them diligently off my shopping list like I’m doing my weekly grocery run.
The benefit of this pragmatic approach is that it helps scratch the itch of hitting that buy button and seeing those savings — while inherently being practical and supporting brands you love.
The Fun Part
Okay now here’s the fun part. In addition to purchasing gifts for my friends and family, every year I allow myself to treat myself to one or two items that are not necessarily needs but are simply wants.
There is a catch though! I’m only allowed to purchase items I’ve planned for in advance. In the months leading up to the end of the year, I begin identifying items that have consistently been on my radar, and, shocker, I make a list of them. This is also a good thing to do with the gifts I mentioned previously.
For a lot of independent brands, holiday is one of (if not the only) time of year they can offer significant sales, so it’s a really good time to acquire those items that are a bit more of an investment. Last year, I pulled the trigger on a sweater and a cardigan from babaà. This year, I’m considering this jacket from James Street, which I’ve been eyeing ever since it launched this past spring.
The approach is honestly not unlike how I release a new piece of jewelry for Abel — I typically sit on a potential design for months (sometimes years) before launching it. This is partially due to the product development phase, but it’s also because I want to make sure the design is worthwhile and timeless, not just a knee-jerk reaction to a trend.
Similarly, when the holiday sales roll around, I want to make sure I’m purchasing something I will truly cherish — not something I impulsively bought just because it was 30% off and shipped free.
Godspeed!
Obviously everyone has their own personal approach to shopping and this template might not be the right one for you, but I thought I’d share it here in case it’s a helpful framework for someone else out there.
Do you have a particular way you approach holiday sales? What do you hate or love to see from brands during this time of year? I’d love to hear your thoughts, or what items you’re eyeing yourself!
P.S. As a heads up — for anyone who’s been eyeing an Abel piece, my only sale of the year (20% off) will be happening 11/19-26. Happy planning 🫶🏻
the frugality to sale shopping pipeline is reeeal. i take great pleasure in using this time of year to hit unsubscribe from holiday campaign emails :) during the Sephora sale i’ll purchase pretty much only discounted sets of my skin/hair staples + 1 or 2 fun adds. i also have an ongoing notion wishlist that i add to (it helps me close out my shopping tabs lol) and will revisit…i find myself archiving a lot of the links when the season comes around!
I appreciate consuming something other than election analyses today, so thank you for continuing to post it!