Burlap Sack: Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a highly anticipated event for many shoppers, who often wait all year to make their purchases. Personally, I start the year by creating a list of major items I need and plan for these purchases well in advance. By saving diligently for 11 months, I can make thoughtful purchases while taking full advantage of the Boxing Day deals. However, Boxing Day has become more about spontaneous, unnecessary purchases than meaningful savings.

Nowadays, maintaining discipline while shopping has become increasingly challenging with the relentless pace of marketing and sales strategies. Today, our apps seem to know exactly what we want, often drawing insights from our search history or potentially even our conversations. Yes, many apps have access to our data and tailor ads accordingly.

As a result, companies constantly bombard us with advertisements for items we’ve shown interest in, regardless of whether they belong on our “needs” list or “wants” list. This targeted marketing often encourages and can lead to overconsumption, as people find themselves enticed by deals they didn’t even seek out.

Overconsumption has become a significant issue over the past several decades. It’s now common to see individuals owning multiple phones, jackets, tablets, phone cases, vacuum cleaners, pairs of identical shoes, laptops, and more. The traditional “wants” list has been replaced by what can only be called a “trends” list. Instead of assessing whether they truly need something, many people base their purchases on what’s trending on Instagram or TikTok.

Boxing Day sales exacerbate this problem by aggressively promoting items, regardless of whether they’re genuinely necessary. For those who struggle with financial discipline, this leads to excessive spending on trendy items. On one hand, it’s a waste of money. On the other, it contributes to a growing problem of discarded but functional goods, with inadequate waste management systems to handle them. There’s little benefit beyond instant gratification, but there is tangible harm that comes from this practice. The production, purchase, and disposal of plastic items, in particular, has surged in recent decades, further burdening the environment. Boxing Day just exacerbates the culture of overconsumption.

Today, it seems like Boxing Day sales often do more harm than good to individuals, society, and the environment. It’s high time we learn to spend wisely and consider the broader impact of our purchasing habits.