Shop Black Friday deals or shop small?

It is Black Friday again, another chance to buy goods that most of the year cost twice as much to buy.

Black Friday is an interesting phenomenon. We all know we pay premium for goods that cost so much less to produce. Yet we participate in buying these goods all year round. So when it comes to Black Friday - it is no wonder you look out for the best deals. In a strange way it brings back balance and for once you feel like you are in charge.

Years ago I used to work for a large retailer and I remember continuously discounting items and being told that profit is made even when an item is discounted by 70%.

In the meantime I look at independent makers and sellers and how hard it is to compete with large companies on price. But I know that even though prices are on average higher when you shop small, independents more often than not try to give you a fair deal.

It feels like a game - deep down you know that most of the time the items you buy are not worth even half of what you pay for them but you do anyway. And when Black Friday comes you feel like you can finally have a bargain. Except for - it is not a bargain. It is closer to what you should be paying all year round.

So, what can you do? Perhaps it is not a bad idea to wait for Black Friday to buy every piece of tech kit you want, knowing that you will be paying as little as possible. If you save that extra money on Black Friday - it will leave you with a substantial sum when it comes to shopping independent the rest of the year. You would then have enough to spend on items you will cherish for a long time - art, beautiful clothing, artisan jewellery or whatever else is special to you.