Black Friday fever is here once more. It is also highly contagious.
So, before you head off for this year's frenzy, make sure to plan before you go overspending on items you don't even need, warns South Africa's stockpiling queen, Ncumisa Ndelu.
The biggest shopping day of the year is coming, and with it comes sales, lots of money spending and even the occasional stampede. You need to research before spending your hard-earned money on any purchase.
And, did you know of this day’s odd origins? The phrase “Black Friday” is reported to have first appeared in the trade journal Factory Management and Maintenance in November 1951.
As with most things, it can be traced back to the US. The country celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, and the following Friday is always filled with shopping.
This tradition spread around the world and became the extravaganza we know today.
Professional stockpiler and founder of Facebook group ‘1 Family 1 Stockpile’ Ncumisa Ndelu says it’s important to know what you are doing and to avoid “shopping blindly” as you might end up getting scammed.
“Don’t go anywhere near the shops if you don’t know what the original price because you will end up being duped. Members of the group are already spotting some weird behaviour.
“Items they needed were increased by a thousand or two rands this past month, and now they are reduced by the same amount in the name of Black Friday. This has been spotted with appliance purchases so far, but I am not saying it’s limited to appliances,” says Ndelu.
However, she adds that the buzz is there for the usual suspects in the Facebook group. Some members have found deals on detergents and other essential items, while others haven’t.
She advises that South Africans wait for store sales cycles and says they really work. “Look out, especially in the period of time before payday when everyone is broke.”
According to Ndelu, phones have made life easier; there's no need to go searching in physical stores; you can do the searching at home, list everything you need, and only go to buy what you need, or if it's available online, buy it online.
“The problem with shopping physically is that you end up seeing things you don’t need and buy just because they’re on special. So, it becomes a question of discipline,” she explains.
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