Used prices also tend to go down during sale periods proportionally.
"In all EU countries traders are obliged, when offering a discount, to indicate the lowest price applied to the item at least 30 days before the announcement of the price reduction."
Of course, enforcement of such rules is the problem here. But if you notice such discrepancies, you are more than encouraged to file a complaint to the shop and then to your national agency responsible for the protection of consumers if the seller doesn't act in good faith. I was fairly surprised to see how well the latter has worked against a large company in my Balkan country.
Source: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/unfair-treat...
In EU language, this is pretty strong distancing from such positions.
If the discount is fake, delay buying into March or something like that. Prices tend to fall in January/February.
I personally don't do that. But I see people doing it with a good amount of success.
So you’re right that Black Friday might not be the best time to buy something, but it’s fine if you want to get something at a good price and don’t feel like putting any effort into tracking prices throughout the year.
Complete abstinence has a philosophical purity but humans weren't meant to live like monks.
They were rather meant to hunt for black friday deals and dive into consumerism?
I'd say, I don't know and suspect no one knows how we are meant to live. We can just find out and decide ourself.
(I've met monks who were way more content, than your average consumer, but it is not my way of living either)
Beeing unrich[1] for years have given me this skill. I don't frivolously spend money.
[1]: wouldn't say poor as I have had a car most of my adult life, but definitely not rich, maybe "not always knowing in advance how to pay for food towards the end of the month" and "being very happy hand me downs" is a good explanation?