not buying into black friday

My old self would probably see black Friday as an opportunity to make money of you all. In all honesty, it’s hard to not get dragged into the whole circus of black Friday and affiliate links when you know it’s an easy way to earn some extra money. I mean everyone will buy so why can’t they buy from my links?

This week already I got around 20 emails, telling me what a great occasion Black Friday is to put up all those affiliate links, giving me tips on the best sales and all that shit that I’m not really interested in. At the same time, I’m getting pre-black Friday sales in my inbox since like two weeks? Don’t get me wrong I used to be very much into that stuff, but the older I get, the more mature I get and the more I think about all of my actions especially when it comes to our amazing and one only planet earth.

So while Black Friday is very attractive and we all want to get those pants for £20 rather than £100, there are so many things wrong with this whole big consumption event. If you think about it, how many times did you buy something you were not sure of, just because it was cheap or on sale? We all did that because our minds have this mechanism that will not feel guilty if we will never wear this piece if it was a bargain.

It makes me soo mad and angry at how our whole society works, especially because I used to be this kind of obsessive consumer but I was lucky enough to find myself in an educating and supporting environment. But who knows, if not for a couple of amazing souls on Instagram, I might just be writing the “Top 30 things to buy this Black Friday”.

We will not recycle our way out of this shit show we got ourselves into, so it is our responsibility to be pro-active about this, and make our own conscious decisions. You don’t need to be an “eco nazi”, and that doesn’t mean you need to stop buying at all, but it’s always important to think twice if not 10 times about each single thing we purchase. While it is always good to donate, large amounts of donations often end up in the landfill due to at times strict restrictions as of the condition of the item. 

And I know it’s hard because my job basically involves changing around my closet monthly to provide new content for all of you and at the same time advertising consumption. While I’m not going to stop blogging, I will try to at least make the best effort to have a positive impact. Thinking about the fact that I used to work with those crappy Chinese online shops makes me cringe. While I’m still not perfect and definitely not the best example of sustainability I’m always trying to work with brands who are conscious of their production or at least produce items that will last you years and not weeks. It’s not as easy as just working with any company that will pay my rent, but it is possible, and if I can minimise my shopping habits to the minimum, so can you.