This Friday's Black Friday inaugurates the train of shopping days that will last until the January sales, after passing through Cyber Monday or Christmas. More and more commercial holidays, but with a panorama of doubts due to inflation.
The client will not be there on all those dates. “Purchasing capacity is not infinite,” says Martín Vivancos, marketing professor at EADA Business School and specialist in consumer behavior. The feeling is that adding shopping days ends up spreading the expense more than increasing it, largely because there is no margin. Even so, the possibility of getting carried away is high, because "two contradictory elements are combined: a planned purchase and a compulsive purchase." You know more or less what you want, but discounts tempt you to spend and you don't really need what you are looking for.
So, what is the ideal expense? “The studies indicate that disbursements of between 160 and 280 euros will be made. Going beyond that means that you go beyond average. And if you are also a mileurist...”, says Vivancos.
Since these numbers do not have the same weight in each salary, you can use percentages. On Black Friday, goods that are not essential goods are usually purchased. “It is a time of financial planning. You have to have a budget for how much you want to spend and where,” explains Elisabet Ruiz Dotras, professor of Economics and Business at the UOC. In general, they would fall into the category of leisure expenses, which should not represent more than 10% of our monthly income. If there are several purchases planned, they should be prioritized over each other to stay within budget. Many times it goes the other way around: first you buy and then you regret... “You don't have to create unnecessary purchases and, if possible, have looked at it before. Many times the discount is not such and you buy for the sake of buying,” she concludes.
The truth is that the percentages have changed due to inflation and the cost of living. The general rule says that 50% of income should go to cover housing and basic needs - rent or mortgage, food -, 30% would be distributed to various areas such as leisure, whims, training or donations and 20% would go to savings. . Today the first chapter already takes a large part of the salary and the rest are affected. “The percentage for whims is reduced, everyone has to be aware of their expenses,” says Laura Sales, from the Idealo price comparator.
“Although there is an intention to spend, the consumption capacity has been reduced. People are more convinced this year to compare prices,” she points out. Also because they do not trust: 47% believe that the offers are not real, according to a survey by the portal. Last year the average discount in the main categories was 5%, they estimate, and the most popular ones tend to have less supply.
Another pitfall is that impulse consumption can lead to debt. “When faced with moments in which offers and discounts are a good attraction, it is difficult to act from reflection,” says Alina Giurgea, general director of Kruk Spain, dedicated to debt management. “Debt has to be used responsibly, avoiding default. You have to do financial planning, understand the terms and the ability to adapt if the financial circumstance changes,” she continues.
To limit the dangers, Vivancos summarizes: “We must know what is needed, differentiate between necessity and whims; what can be spent without suffering; set a limit; and know the return policies.” In case the impulse is followed by regret...
