A Sale Isn't Saving You Money
Friend,
Amazon Prime Days are almost here. The countdown timers are loading. The "limited quantities remaining" banners are already warming up. And hundreds of brands are about to compete for the same thing: the 30 seconds before you think twice.
I want to talk about that.
A "deal" on something you didn't need is still spending.
Let's say you spend $47 on a kitchen gadget that's 50% off. You didn't save $47. You spent $47 on something that wasn't in your plan. That's not a win - that's a beautifully packaged loss.
I know, because I've been there too.
We are being sold to more than any other time in human history.
Brands don't just have storefronts anymore - they have email lists, retargeting ads, influencer deals, push notifications, countdown clocks, and algorithms that know what you looked at three weeks ago. It got so relentless in my own inbox that I had to create an entire separate folder just for store emails - one I only open when I'm already looking to buy something specific.
That's not an accident. That's the machine working exactly as designed.
The psychology is intentional.
Scarcity. Urgency. Flash sales. "Only 3 left." "Ends at midnight." These tactics exist for one reason: to make you act before you think. The moment you pause, you might say no. And they can't have that.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." β Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Renewing our minds applies to our spending too. We can choose a different pattern.
Before you click "add to cart" this week, try this:
Take one breath. Then ask yourself three questions:
- Was I planning to buy this before I saw the sale?
- Does this purchase move me toward my goals - or away from them?
- Whose dream am I funding right now?
Making other businesses rich is probably not your True North. Your money has a better mission.
Be informed. Be intentional. Be the one who pauses.
Cheering for you,
Jenny
P.S. If you want to shop Prime Days with a plan, pull out your actual needs list before the sale starts. Shop the list. Then close the tab.
P.P.S. The August group coaching program is coming - and if purposeful spending is something you want to work on alongside a community of women who get it, get on the interest list here.
See you next week!