Re-evaluate software you’re paying for and then take advantage of Black Friday sales if you’re switching. A few years ago I switched to the paid version of ClickUp, which offers unlimited file storage along with the features I was using it for. As of 2025, the file storage costs $7 per month if paid annually, which is less than half of what DropBox charges.
Act like “Cowardly Lion” In one scene in the Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion is getting ready to do something brave, but he asks his friends for one favor: “Talk me out of it.”
Before you click Buy, ask a trusted friend to review your purchasing plans with you. You may not need that $39 pencil skirt or $250 treadmill (especially if your plans to fit into the $39 pencil skirt involve using the $250 treadmill! You won’t.)
Use your calendar Before you click Buy, set a calendar appointment with yourself for the end of a trial or a subscription renewal date.
Leverage your credit card company to help you out of “oops” If you’ve gotten walloped with an annual renewal fee, companies will often refuse to refund it because of their terms of service. Selling someone something they can’t use is a low-down, dirty trick, and you should feel free to ask your credit card company to dispute charges like this. If you do this within a day of being charged, you have a good chance of recovering the money.
Plan for the year This year, total up your Black Friday - Cyber Monday spending. Then divide it by 12 and set aside that amount monthly for the next year. You’ll be ready for next year’s incredibly awesome deals.
Create spending dead zones I don’t allow myself to make purchases after dinner or before breakfast, to click Instagram ads, or to use my phone to buy anything. Spoiler alert: You are not going to get rock-hard abs in 10 minutes a day, and anyway, what would you do with them if you had them?
Especially for job seekers
Invest in your professional growth Learning platforms like Udemy offer Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals. Learning something adjacent to your core expertise can be inspiring no matter what your professional situation is. I love Web development courses because designing web sites is relaxing for me.
If you’re between gigs, professional education is a great way to beat the “holiday blues” and fill the hours between job search activities.
Exhaust ‘free courses’ before paying Before you get taken in by the super-low BFCM pricing on some of the courses, take free courses in a subject and remember that you’ll also need to invest your time to learn a subject.