Boxing Day Sales No Longer Carry A Savings Thrill
BOXING DAY DEALS LURE CANADIANS INTO OPENING THEIR WALLETS
Boxing Day 2019 is December 26th the day after Christmas and to be honest, I’ll be sleeping without a care in the world.
Why would I want to stay in bed on Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is supposed to be one of the biggest savings days in Canada, right?
Wrong, at least for me anyway.
Doors open at 6 and 7 am for many Canadian retailers on Boxing Day and I’m betting they will be packed with deal seekers.
How long do Boxing Day Sales last for?
Most often, until the highly discounted products are gone.
It’s like holding a garage sale and not wanting to take the items back into your house.
Retailers will continue to deeply discount items just to get them out of their store.
The critical question to be asking yourself should be about affordability.
Affordability Of Boxing Day
Are you really getting the best Boxing Day sales prices or are you being duped into believing you are?
I’m a frugal guy and I like a deal but I’m not a time-sensitive type of shopping person.
The sense of urgency on Boxing Day is high which is why there have been altercations over deals in past years.
I also don’t care if I can shop from the comfort of my laptop or smartphone without leaving home.
When you do something over and over again or it’s in your face more times than you care for it tends to lose meaning.
That’s how we feel about Boxing Day in Canada and feel for those consumers who want to believe it’s all for them.
Trust me, Boxing Day is a way for retailers to push out the old to make room for the new but they don’t just do that one day out of the year.
You might think, that’s great and it’s what I want but financially can you afford it?
Put Money Towards Your Debt
Just because you received gift cards or cash for Christmas doesn’t make Boxing Day THE day to spend.
I know some of you will argue that it’s a gift and you should be able to spend it any way you like.
Fair enough, but consider this.
- Did you save money to buy Christmas gifts for others or did you charge it to your credit card?
- Can you pay back your Christmas debt in cash right away?
- Should you use the cash to pay down your Christmas debt instead?
- How important to you is the item(s) you will be purchasing on Boxing Day?
- What other ways of self-care can you incorporate other than spending money?
Obviously, children are different as they may want to pick out a toy or other items, but I’m talking about adults.
Most often people who are blowing money on Boxing Day have more debt than they can handle.
Even if you have little to no debt consider whether the stuff you will buy will get used or collect dust.
Just because the exercise bike is 50% off doesn’t mean you will use it.
Boxing Day has become a savings drug for consumers looking for deals when often all we find is heavily discounted Christmas decor and loss leaders in the flyers.
Boxing Day Explained
What is Boxing Day?
Easy.
Spending money we don’t have for things we don’t need is what Boxing Day is all about.
Perhaps it’s about boxing or beating others to the deals before they are gone.
Well, not for everyone but the majority of people itch for the deals on Boxing Day in savings frenzy.
When I wake up in the morning I need my coffee. On Boxing Day many consumers NEED that deal.
I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels that Boxing Day has become just another glorified spending day.
Boxing Day can easily turn into extra year-end debt especially if you haven’t budgeted for your purchases.
Your cash or credit card has no mercy for the way you spend your dollars.
Retailers Know You Even Though They Haven’t Met You
We tend to make so many excuses for buying things when there is a sale tag that is so hard to pass up.
Retailers know how to get into your wallet without even having to talk you into it.
Save 50% signs plaster retail windows throughout the mall and not just on Boxing Day but year-round.
How about retailers just price their products without lying to consumers that they are getting the deal of the century?
We fall into their trap like a mice sniffing peanut butter and not knowing how sticky of a mess they are in for.
Come the beginning of the year I get so many emails from people who are stuck with credit card debt they can’t pay.
It’s mind-blowing how someone would spend cash to buy stuff on Boxing Day when they have debt.
Pay your debt off. It’s pretty simple.
We aren’t owed anything but if we owe money we need to pay it back first.
Boxing Day Is Every Day
Photo Source: Unknown
Retailers are pumping out blow-out sales every day of the year and sometimes they even get the math wrong.
Take Boxing Day for example as it’s not just Boxing Day December 26th any longer.
Boxing Day can be all year, months before or even twisted into new names such as;
- Pre-Boxing Day Sales
- Boxing Day Deals Week
- Extended Boxing Day Sales
- Cyber Monday Sales
- Black Friday
This one-day savings event for Canadians has swirled into a master plan of getting you to spend money through the year.
If retailers can get you to come back day after day they know the chances of you spending money will increase.
On Boxing Day you’ll find no shortage of people looking for
- Boxing Day Phone Deals
- Best Buy Boxing Day electronic deals
- Walmart Boxing Day markdowns on everyday products and Christmas decor
- Canadian Tire Boxing Day Blow-Out Deals
Comparison Shopping For Boxing Day Deals
Another consideration is the regular price tag and recent sales on these Boxing Day Sales.
Is the price inflated so you believe you are getting a better deal?
Always comparison shop so you know if this is the case.
Take for example the most popular kitchen gift this Christmas, the Instant Pot Duo.
Boxing Day Sales on Amazon Canada have deeply discounted the item by 44% with a savings of $69.96 off their regular price of $159.99.
Do some research to see if this is the best price for the Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, 8 Quart | 1200W.
If you’ve saved the money for your purchase then you’ll know whether it’s a deal worth purchasing.
Another example is the Dash Mini Waffle Maker that went viral this year in the Keto community to make Chaffle Waffles.
The black Dash mini waffle maker is currently on sale for $11.99 instead of $19.03.
That’s a decent price drop however it was originally $9.99 before the Keto craze.
You’ll likely never see that price again however if you’re in the market for a Dash Mini Waffle Maker now is the time to buy it.
Again, can you afford it and were you looking for one?
Boxing Day Marketing Overload
The Boxing Day Flyers won’t even fit in our mailbox any longer so we have a basket that sits outside.
I do enjoy reading the regular flyers but this time of year they can get excessive.
Let’s not forget the non-stop emails from retailers advertising Boxing Day sales every.single.day.
The only way to get away from it all is to shut it all down.
On that note, some boxing day sales are lucrative especially if you’ve budgeted for them.
For example, our Keto Pantry products on Amazon tend to go on sale for Boxing Day.
There’s no chance you’d find us going to Costco on Boxing Day either.
Boxing Day Savings Are For The Early Birds
Perhaps the early bird gets the Boxing Day sales worm or perhaps not.
We all have different perspectives on what Boxing Day deals are and how they will affect our wallets.
You may not care, where we do. You may think we are too cheap, where we don’t.
Debt will never have a hold over us for pleasure or things we don’t need.
If we have the money set aside then sure, we can buy it to save money only because we know we will use it.
The idea of spending money no matter what special savings day or deal you find is that it must be saved first.
It won’t always be but when you consistently spend without saving money, that’s when you cry debt overload.
Boxing Day Years Ago
When I moved to Canada Mrs. CBB and her father were huge into waking up at 5 am on Boxing Day to line up outside the stores.
There was no rhyme or reason for doing so other than seeing what deals were to be had.
It could have been a winter storm and we were out there in snowsuits shovelling to make it to Boxing Day Sales.
Were we crazy?
I think so.
We had no budget or set money aside for purchases we made even though we did find some bargain-basement prices.
As time went on we stopped going out on Boxing Day morning and channeled that energy to online shopping.
Even now, we’d rather just stay in bed and enjoy our time together.
If you plan on shopping for Boxing Day at least have the money saved in projected expenses and consider your debt first before stuff.
Discussion: How do you feel about the Boxing Day franchise? Has it become too twisted out of proportion for Canadian consumer’s wallets or do you believe there are savings to be had?
I don’t need more stuff in my house so Boxing Day deals don’t entice me. Though 20 years ago I got in line early at Sport Chek to get new ski equipment. Luckily I’m on the short side and it was all the short skis and boots that were on the big deals! There are only limited quantities to some big deals and you might not get one no matter how early you stand in line in the cold. Still have them!
Today I was in Shoppers Drug Mart and I saw a box of milk chocolate butter toffee with almonds that was marked down from $9.99 to $3.99 so I grabbed it. Also got another box of chocolate coated sponge toffee. Total spent (not on credit card) – just over $6. Then I went to London Drugs and spent more there. Saw olive oil on sale. Bought some holiday flavored popcorn on sale and some more chocolates. Just over $30 spent on Boxing Day, cash, mostly on marked down holiday treats to stock up my cupboard.
Eventually I’ll need to replace my phone, lap top and printer. The problem is usually when these things break down it’s not anywhere near any of the big sales!
Boxing Day is just a continuation of the sales that have been going on since “pre-black Friday” sales. You have to do your homework. I need a new purse and Santa missed it on the list. I have been doing my research and found one at 30% off and thought I would braves the malls Boxing Day to get one. A bit of further online searching revealed the same purse at 40% off with free delivery to my door. Now I don’t have to face the “best deals of the year” (not) and the throngs of people who believe that. It is very easy to get caught up in all the hype the big stores throw at us.
I work in retail (20 years now), more importantly I’ve taken the control of our spending…so Boxing Day buying is planned for some time in advance.
What’s that mean? We save our money for needs, not wants, then buy when prices are low.
Last year I bought a replacement laptop, a great deal on something I needed at the time. I bought with specific specs, and haven’t regretted it one bit. It was built to last.
This year, I’m taking my son shopping…for the most amazing reason. He was offered (and got) his first job, in his field of interest, and needs proper clothes to work in.
You see, he graduated last June, has been working for me and saving his $$$ (he agonized over every expense), deciding between two career paths. Saving for trade school.
Saturday, he was invited to submit his resume for a position in a trade…starting at the bottom. He worked two days, and has the paid apprenticeship.
Today we’re heading out to get the clothes he needs to work outside in the weather. He has the money saved, so there is no stress over how he can afford the safety/winter gear.
Boxing Day should be about getting the best deal on things you need, with the $$ you saved for that purpose. No guilt, no regret.