The Great Sale Illusion: Are You Saving Money or Just Spending It?

There’s something about a good sale that gets us all a little excited, isn’t there?

That jacket you’ve been eyeing off is suddenly 40% off. The holiday you’ve been dreaming about comes with a limited-time offer. And apparently, if you don’t buy that new coffee machine in the next three hours, you’ll never see a deal quite like it again!

Welcome to the season of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday, when our inboxes are overflowing, our phones are buzzing and everywhere we look, someone is telling us how much money we could be saving.

But here’s a question worth asking.

Are we actually saving money, or are we simply finding more reasons to spend it?

The psychology of a bargain

Australians love a bargain, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

In fact, buying something you genuinely need at a reduced price can be a very sensible financial decision. If you’ve been planning to replace the washing machine, book a family holiday or get a head start on Christmas shopping, a well-timed sale might save you a considerable amount.

The trouble starts when the discount becomes more important than the purchase itself.

We’ve all been there. Something catches our eye, the price looks irresistible and suddenly we’re convincing ourselves that we’d be mad not to buy it.

Retailers understand this behaviour very well. Countdown clocks, limited stock warnings and those little messages telling us that 15 other people are looking at the same item are all designed to encourage us to act quickly.

And they can be remarkably effective.

According to the Australian Retail Council’s 2026 peak-season outlook, Australians are expected to spend around $7.2 billion over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend.

That’s an extraordinary amount of shopping!

But what I find even more interesting is what happens after the excitement wears off.

Research published by Australian consumer organisation CHOICE found that 53% of people surveyed who had purchased during Black Friday sales had regretted a purchase or experienced something negative.

That’s a lot of potential buyer’s remorse.

When a saving isn’t really a saving

Imagine you’ve spotted a beautiful pair of shoes.

Normally $250, they’re now $150. A saving of $100!

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

But if you hadn’t planned to buy new shoes, and you already have several perfectly good pairs sitting in the wardrobe, have you really saved $100?

Or have you just spent $150?

Now, I’m certainly not suggesting we should never treat ourselves. Life is for living, and enjoying the money we’ve worked hard to earn is something I’m very passionate about.

It’s simply about understanding the difference between a purchase that adds value to your life and one that’s driven by the excitement of getting a bargain.

Interestingly, YouGov’s 2026 Australian research found that 35% of likely Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers struggle to know whether discounts are genuine.

So even when we think we’re getting a fantastic deal, it pays to do a little homework.

A little pause can make a big difference

As financial advisers, we spend a lot of time helping people make decisions that support the life they want to live.

And those decisions aren’t always about investments, superannuation or retirement.

Sometimes they’re about the everyday choices that shape our financial wellbeing.

Before you hit that Buy Now button, here are a few questions worth asking yourself:

• Would I still want this if it wasn’t on sale? It’s a simple question, but often a revealing one.
• Was I already planning to buy it? A discount on something you genuinely need is very different from an unexpected purchase.
• Does it fit comfortably within my budget? A bargain loses some of its appeal if it leaves you juggling bills or dipping into savings you’d set aside for something important.
• Could I give myself 24 hours to think about it? Sometimes a little breathing space is all it takes for the excitement to fade.

And here’s another thought.

If you’re buying something because it will make life easier, create a wonderful experience or bring genuine enjoyment, that’s worth considering too.

Money isn’t just there to accumulate. It’s there to help us live well.

Spend with purpose, not pressure

One of the things I’ve learnt over many years of working with clients is that financial confidence doesn’t necessarily come from spending less.

It comes from understanding what’s important to you and making decisions that reflect those priorities.

For one family, that might mean taking advantage of a travel sale to book a long-awaited holiday together.

For someone else, it might mean resisting another online purchase because they’re saving for something that matters much more.

Neither decision is right or wrong. What matters is that it’s a conscious choice rather than a reaction to a flashing discount.

So, as the sales season gets into full swing, by all means enjoy hunting down a bargain.

Just remember, the biggest discount isn’t always the best deal.

Sometimes the smartest financial decision is knowing when to spend. And sometimes it’s knowing when to walk away.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how much money the sale says you’ve saved.

It’s about whether the money you’ve spent has genuinely added value to your life.

Jenny Brown

JBS Financial Strategists\

We’re ready to answer your questions, contact us here. 

Research references

• Australian Retail Council and Roy Morgan, 2026 Peak Season Outlook: https://www.retail.org.au/peak-season-hub-insights
• CHOICE, Over half of shoppers have regretted a purchase or had a negative experience during the Black Friday sales, November 2025.
• YouGov, The bots and the basket: AI’s role in Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2026 in Australia, October 2026.
• ASIC Moneysmart, Avoiding sales pressure, updated October 2026.